Today’s walk took me to an area just outside of Man O’ War at Boston Road.   My path took me through several distinct areas.  This area is being built out slowly.  Some of the older houses date to the mid 1980’s, but there are newer condos that have been completed within the last few years and there appears to be room for additional construction.  In addition to the housing, the intersection of Man O’ War and Boston Road has two shopping centers including one anchored by a grocery store.

The overall impact is positive. With a mix of housing levels and nearby shopping, the area has as much of a main street vibe as you would expect to find in an essentially suburban area.  (That is, I don’t believe the area was intentionally planned with anything along the lines of a New Urbanist approach.) Despite the rain, I ran into several other people walking which has not been a typical experience for me on mid-day walks in the suburban neighborhoods.

I passed over two separate streams (essentially stormwater ditches), both apparently on their way to South Elkhorn Creek.  The water flows in this area have a definite impact on the street layout, which has long, unconnected streets like Overview.  Some attempt has been made to make these streams pleasant (for example, a small pond along Boston Road and a trail behind the townhouses on Nadia.  The results are mixed, but it’s a step up from trapping the water underground.

What works: mixture of housing and retail

What doesn’t: Superblocks