www.montereycountynow.com JANUARY 23-29, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 On a crisp and sunny afternoon in Pacific Grove Wednesday, Jan. 15—a day similar to one John Steinbeck described in his novel Sweet Thursday— about 35 people and three dogs cluster at the corner of Eardley and Sloat avenues, preparing for the day’s trek. They are about to walk a little over three miles, criss-crossing streets Steinbeck once walked, right past his family’s cottage on 11th Avenue, circling back to the beginning. The group is the newly formed Walk Every Street PG, the brainchild of friends Ashley Edge and Amy Burkman, launched on Jan. 8. Edge, a real estate agent who works in Pacific Grove, had recently conquered the goal of traversing every single one of the town’s streets, in part to learn about each neighborhood. Burkman often joined Edge, and it was on those walks that the idea of inviting the community was solidified. “You can drive all you want but to really know a place, you need to walk it,” Edge says. Burkman, an artist, created a logo, which features renderings of historical P.G. homes. They announced the group on social media (including a dedicated page at instagram.com/walkeverystreetpg), and posted flyers. The first date drew 34 people and six dogs to walk the first section of streets, between Ocean View and Central avenues. “It was a great group, so excited and super friendly,” Burkman says. There was a range of ages, from young professionals to retirees, even a few tourists. The plan is to meet at 4pm every Wednesday to walk a new section of streets, between three to four miles each time, at a pace of about 20 minutes a mile. Edge expects they’ll finish by June. Edge carefully maps out the most efficient routes to cover all the streets and is using an app called RunGo to assist in the planning. She tests out the routes to check the walkability. Participants are encouraged to download the app and follow along, or use it to walk the route by themselves. The routes are announced on Instagram a few days before. More than giving people an excuse to get out and exercise, it’s also giving them a way to connect. Tracy Yost, who moved to P.G. about a year ago from Connecticut, was already working on a goal of walking every street to get to know her new home. “I realized I was isolating myself,” she says. Walk Every Street gives her a way to meet neighbors, and indeed, the conversations overheard involve people introducing themselves and getting to know one another. After just one walk, Edge and Burkman decided to add in more socializing by incorporating a gathering at Hops and Fog Brewing Co. after the walk on Jan. 22, already part of the planned route for the week. Participants are already looking ahead to what could come after they finish walking P.G. “Can we walk every street in Monterey next?” a woman asks Edge. That city, Edge replies, is “a bit of a beast.” She’s thinking they’ll tackle Seaside next. Walk and Talk A new group in Pacific Grove seeks to walk every street while building community. By Pam Marino Ashley Edge (center) leads a group that joined the second-ever Walk Every Street PG gathering on Jan. 15. The group is meeting every Wednesday to walk different neighborhoods. NEWS “To really know a place, you need to walk it.” DANIEL DREIFUSS Health & Fitness
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