Today’s walk took me to Lansdowne, specifically the southwest corner of the neighborhood near Tate’s Creek and Malabu. This was mostly residential, an area with large lots with ranch houses along with several apartment buildings located along Malabu and townhomes along Overbrook Fountain. Most of the homes here date from the 1960’s, though the townhomes along Overbrook Fountain were added in the 1990’s and the condos on that street are even newer. The condos and townhomes had some unique features including an out-of-use pool and an odd fountain, both apparently in disrepair despite their relative youth.
The area with single family homes was similar to some of the Gardenside areas from Day 52, but somehow more inviting, a little more interesting. The mix of single family and multifamily homes follows what I’m beginning to see is a common formula to try to balance density (this appears in other neighborhoods, including Gardenside, though it isn’t always apparent from my route). One noticeable difference between today and Sunday is that today, I saw people walking, jogging, biking despite the light rain in higher numbers. Is there something structurally that makes these activities more comfortable here? Comparing Malabu and Lansdowne to Parker’s Mill, I would say yes. A defined curb makes these streets feel “slower” and more accessible to bikes and pedestrians (sidewalks help too, along the busier streets). Combine the setbacks and house heights from those parts of Gardenside where they were ideal with feeder routes that feel as safe as Malabu and you’d have a pretty pedestrian friendly neighborhood.
