We can get great coffee in walking distance, grocery, drugstore, restaurants but no very local bar. Obviously don't want to go in a car to drink and occasionally (today) it would just be so nice to have a local place. Not for, like, a night of partying and not for a fancy dinner. Just one or two drinks and walk home.
Sorry, I am not from the us and need an explanation. Do you mean a mile (1,609km) is considered too far to walk? Or do you mean you need a car to even get out of the suburbs because of limited walking paths?