I love telling my out-of-town friends and family how I’m able to walk to the supermarket. And the dry cleaner. And that I can catch the bus or the train to get to places.

My aversion to driving is one of the big reasons I choose to live in the city. Apparently I’m not alone.

Coldwell Banker recently announced that more home buyers say they want to live in the city. Seventy-eight percent of 903 urban agents surveyed said that clients are requesting to live in the city because of rising fuel costs.

In addition, 81 percent say their clients want to shorten their commute to work. Fifty-four percent say clients say access to public transportation is appealing. Of those polled, 75 percent agree that being able to walk to places is a positive.

Some other interesting stats are that 84 percent of agents said they saw an increase in requests for properties with a home office. Sixty-four percent say clients want green features in their housing and another 42 percent say clients ask to save energy.

Housing seems to be the place where people try to live out their values. As energy prices continue to go up and eco-friendly living becomes a greater concern, I think we will continue to see more young professionals moving to the city.

June 18, 2008