Los Angeles, west side. I’d be worse off with a car-- fatter, poorer, less environmentally-friendly. Everything is within walking distance, and in addition to not having to pay for gas or insurance, I get a $50 off my rent for my parking stall.
I live in east central London with as much public transport as you could ever wish for and loads of stuff within walking distance.
My quality of life might even be worse if I had a car. I’d be able to pick up large items easily, and getting to one particular friend would be easier, but those are the only advantages.
However, since pretty much nobody else I know has a car, I’d end up spending my weekends as a chauffeur and house mover. That was a genuine reason behind our decision not to get one, the other reason being insurance costs.
My pocketbook is definitely happier without a car. I moved into the city 10 years ago and promptly sold my much-loved Mustang. Haven’t looked back. CTA costs $86/mo, and whenever I need a car, I use iGo (maybe $300/year), which has 2 cars parked in a lot about 400 feet away from my apartment. I can see them from my kitchen window!
I would have to get a roommate in order to really afford a car and still bank savings.
Santa Fe, NM. Nope.
Would it make a small number of things easier? Sure. I could buy a dozen cans of whatever canned goods are on sale rather than just a couple. I could sleep an extra fifteen minutes in the morning. I could get places in the summer without breaking a sweat.
But financially? Even if I could afford it at this point (which I can’t), I’d be incredibly nervous. I’d always be worried it would break down, and then I’d have to deal with that. I wouldn’t be in as good shape, because I wouldn’t walk and bike as much.
Plus, owning a car would mean I’d at some point have to suck it up and act as DD when going out with friends. “Sorry, I don’t even have anything to drive” is a perfect excuse.
Yet another happily car-free Chicago resident.
I was talking about this with a friend earlier today, who was bemoaning her lack of time to read. But she spend almost all her time in her car, while I’m reading on the bus or the L.
I would be poorer both financially and intellectually if I had a car.
It’d be better, but probably not significantly so.
I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Public transportation is pretty good, but not great. The biggest problem is that public transportation in the rest of Michigan is for shit, so I pretty much can’t leave Ann Arbor. I can take the train to other cities, but once I get there, I’m stuck.
I live in what I guess might be termed the semi-rural American South. I used to have a fairly active life. Recently my car went kaput, and basically my life ground to a halt. It really, really sucks. Having easy access to my very own automobile any time I want (or even some of the times I want) makes life much, much more enjoyable.
I had a car when I moved here (Chicago). I used it so little that, once I turned 21 and could join I-Go, I immediately sold the thing, saving a ton of money in insurance/maintenance/fees and impacting my life not very much beyond that. I also second gaffa’s observation that commutes on public transit are wonderful times to read.
Nope. I live and work on the same block, and all shops I frequent are a walk or bike ride away. I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia and we do have good public transit here, but I only use it a couple times per year.
I live in Hoboken NJ, just accross the river from Manhattan. Unless I had a parking spot in my building, it would be a serious PITA to have a car. And I don’t really need one. The entire city is a “mile square” with dozens of restaurants, bars and shops. I’m a half mile from the NJ Transit/PATH/ferry station which will take me to Manhattan or the rest of New Jersey (where I never need to go). There is a bus stop 2 blocks that takes me to the New York Port Authority and another ferry a half mile in the other direction that takes me to Midtown Manhattan. I also live 2 blocks from a Light Rail that will take me to Weehawken or Jersey City. And if I really need a car, I can rent one from Zipcar, Hertz or Enterprise.
There are some other random buses I see driving around but I have no idea where the heck they go.
But I do own a car. And yes, my life is significantly better because of it. The L.A. public transit system is horrendous.
I live in Manhattan, so no. There’s nothing here that you need a car for that you can’t get done with a cab, and having one brings it’s own problems (namely, parking and/or monthly storage fees.)
I live in an urban area with relatively good public transport.
Not owning a car does make a few things more awkward for me. Coaching kids’ soccer without one was occasionally tricky or inconvenient and I had to get rides to some of the more isolated fields. If I stay out late at, say, someone’s party out in the suburbs-- I don’t, much-- it can mean an expensive cab ride or a long ass walk home because public transport shuts down. Public transport in general annoys me and I avoid using it, particularly buses and crowded trains. We have a small child and another on the way, and getting strollers on buses is a hassle.
Still, it’s simply not worth the expense of having a car, not to mention the environmental impact. And at least I get a moderate walk in every day, so it’s healthier-- the area in which I live is also relatively safe.
I have two cars, my wife has another one, I have four bicycles, my wife has another one, and I also have a motorcycle.
Good God, how awful do I sound? But I enjoy every mode of transportation for it’s own merits, and every one is very different.
Even if I had reliable public transportation, I really do enjoy having nine different ways to get around town and further away.
Oh, I live in a small town in Vermont. Most shopping and work is done in New Hampshire, a half an hour car drive away. For that reason, I can’t imagine not having a car.
I have two cars and a truck (and two cars not operable). I guess I should get rid of the two non-runners. It’s nine miles to the nearest grocery store or gas where I live, so a guy has to have a vehicle and a pickup is pretty much required just on general principles. I’ve had a car since I was sixteen (that’s 33 years) and can’t imagine not having one.
I think we own six cars. Only one of our kids can afford his own car insurance, so the other 3 have their cars on our policy, and they’re titled to me and/or hubby.
You might think we were in the car business if you saw our house; my niece who lives here also has her own car now, so that makes 5 cars for all the kids here. My hubby drives his city vehicle home at night too.
This town has no public transportation, and like a lot of suburbia has no sidewalks and no ameneties within walking distance. We are getting more and more bike trails however, so maybe one day I can ride my bike safely to the post office or something.
Google maps says it would take 43 minutes to walk to the train station (no buses here), and another 7 minutes to walk to work at the other end - of course, I do have to drop my daughter off at daycare so that would add 25 minutes to my walk for 32 minutes in total. My shift starts at 8:30am, and the second train of the day arrives at 8:30am so I’d have to take the earlier one… so I’d have to depart here on the 5:45am train and get to my destination at 7:00am, an hour and a half before my shift starts. Coming home… I’d have 20 minutes to get to daycare, collect my daughter and get back to the station (a 32 minute round trip) or wait for the next train at 7:10pm, arriving back home at 8:02pm fresh and ready for my 43 minute walk home. Taxis are an option, but not really an affordable one…
My life would suck without a car.
I would be worse off with a car (Living in Japan, Osaka).
I sold my car a few years ago as it was just taking up space and not really helping me at all. Driving to work takes longer and is more expensive by car, as opposed to the subway system. On my subway line in the morning a train comes through every 35 seconds, so there’s never any rush to catch a particular train, and I can read a book while I’m traveling.
Without a car I can avoid paying 300 dollars a month for a car park, and if I really need one for a weekend getaway or the like, there’s a car rental shop down the street.
I think you should have a thread of your travels and life story. Every time I read a comment from you about where you’ve been I’m instantly fascinated.
My household does have a car. It is the boyfriend’s car and since he has an hour commute each way, if he’s not here, the car isn’t here.
So, basically what that means is that if I REALLY need a car on a certain day, it is doable. But, I don’t have one for every day use.
Certain aspects of my life would be better if I had a car. If I have a late night emergency and the boyfriend isn’t home, I’m kind of screwed. If I need a 24-hour pharmacy, I have to drive a minimum of half an hour away. So, if I also have to wait for my stepdad to come get me and then drive me to the pharmacy and then back home, we’re now looking at 90-120 minutes. If I need the ER VET, it’s the same situation. Luckily if I need the ER for humans, it’s only about 2 miles away.
School is my main problem. We do actually have a second car (also my boyfriend’s) but the motor blew last week and we don’t know when he’ll be able to get a new one (it’s not easy to find a motor/tranny for a 20+ year old vehicle). So, I had to completely change my schedule for the fall semester. I am now taking all online classes. But, at some point I will actually have to go to campus. It’s kind of hard to take a lab science or a foreign language when you are sitting in your living room. Since my ultimate goal is a science degree, I’m gonna have a really hard time of it if I don’t have a car. Of course it doesn’t help that the closest college to me (except Nichols College, which doesn’t count), is UCONN and is over half an hour away. The closest college to me, which is in the same state, is about 45 minutes to an hour away when you factor in traffic.
For location details, I live in southern central MA, just over the CT border. My town doesn’t have public transportation and the WRTA doesn’t come anywhere near here. There is no T terminal here, no Greyhound, no Peter Pan. I’m sure we have a taxi company but I definitely can’t afford a taxi ride to Worcester.
Other than the truck stop (which is about 4 miles from my house), it’s not likely that you’re gonna find a place open later than 9PM.