Riding and striding

For more than four hours today, several miles of Downey streets, roughly between downtown Downey and the Columbia Memorial Space Center, were closed to cars for the first Downey Ride and Stride event. Instead of car traffic, the roads were wide open for walkers, bikers, skateboarders, and any other mode of transportation that didn't involve a motor. Along the way, there were games, music, and plenty of food.

The freedom to walk down the middle of the street, without concern for cars, was surprisingly liberating. We walked probably half the 5.5 mile path that was available before turning around and walking back. (Shuttles were available in case you wanted to walk the entire distance and then get a ride back to your car.) This event was very different from most Downey street events, which are typically confined to a small area. This was an opportunity to walk the city, and it was a lot of fun.

Ride and Stride is one of eight events funded through the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Open Streets Grant Program, which seek to encourage walking, biking, and public transportation.

Get moving Downey!

It seems like more and more people are taking advantage of Furman Park's updated track and I think that is a good thing. Whether you walk or run (I walk)....we all know it is good for us. I personally appreciate the convenience of having a park close to home.

According to the website Alliance for a healthier generation: Less than 60% of adults are physically active on a regular basis, and 25% aren’t active at all. Inactive individuals have a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. Looking specifically at California, 30.4% of our kids are overweight or obese.

A perfect night for a stroll

Today I went to a friend's house for a housewarming and close to the end of the day, we decided it was time for a walk. Their charming house is in the Orange Estates.

For those of you who do not know, Orange Estates are the homes that are located around Furman Park. The old estate homes (1920s-1940s) are located between Rives Ave. and Paramount. The new estate homes (1950s and 60s) are located between Rives and Old River School Rd.  I just know it's a nice place to take an evening stroll with a few good friends.

"Few people know how to take a walk. The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good humor, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence, and nothing too much."  
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Walking with the mayor

I needed a picture idea for tonight for our blog and couldn't think of anything. So I put out a message on one of the Downey pages of Facebook and immediately got responses from events all over Downey! The first one was "walking with the mayor," a new program Mayor Guerra is promoting for "Healthy Downey." Pam and I met the group at the Downey High football field/track and set off on our laps.

It was a lot of fun getting out with part of the community that I don't see very often for something we could all use a little more of. This is me (far right, front group) chatting with the mayor about school safety. It was great having this kind of low key event to just talk to people and find out what's going on with our city. Come out and join us next week!