Name The Metropolitan Areas in America Where You Can Live A Full Life Without A Car

I mean a full life, not just going to and from work. Be able to socialize, shop, dine, entertain etc. How many places in all of America can you have such a life without having a car at all.

The reason why I ask this is because our urban environments, or lack thereof, drive most of our bad policies on the environment, foreign affairs, energy, etc.

Haven't had a car in 15 years.
Much easier and cheaper to rent when you absolutely need to (which isn't that often)

drive until I was 25. Even then, except for driving out of the city on the weekends, didn't really need a car. For part of that time, I lived in Queens and would take good mass transit into Manhattan where I worked, played and eventually moved to. The problem is, Manhattan is very expensive. I lucked out years ago by "falling" into a rent stabilized apartment. There is no way now that I can afford to move back.

Last year I had to get to a suburb of Boston from here. 2 subways to Penn Station, Amtrak to Boston and a commuter train to the town I was headed to. I walked for about twenty minutes to my ultimate destination. About 5 1/2 hours and about $60 each way.

joke. My son's girlfriend lives in White Plains which is normally about 45 minutes by car. Although cheap ($1.75) it takes her 2 hours to get here by Bee Line Bus (Westchester's bus system). I can, if there was a real emergency walk to some stores (20-30 minutes uphill (a killer here) and downhill back , but seriously, my car (a very economical Acura Integra) is one of my best friends.

BTW... I hope that you had a great time once you were at your destination!

:hi:

It poured most of the time but was sunny on the one day it needed to be. Although I have plenty of stores near me I walk across town twice a week to shop on the west side (better, cheaper food). That's 2 hours of walking west and then north to take the crosstown bus back home. Great exercise. BTW, I grew up in Riverdale, so I understand those hills pretty well.

Glad you can understand because you lived in Riverdale. After moving from the city on my trek up here
(near Peekskill), I lived in northwest Yonkers, on No. Broadway...same terrain. The hills are a little different here but just as difficult to deal with. Smoking, being overweight and out of shape doesn't help either. (I'm very bad)

When we were first married lived on Old Post Road across from Van Cortland Park! Flew kites in that park as newly weds. Great stuff...memories.

Can't beat it! :hi:

then up to Westside Market, Zabar's and maybe Broadway Farm, then totter onto the bus and head home.

:hi:

Many people I know do not even have a drivers' license.

Last I checked real estate is about $1,000 sq ft. and worth every cent :D

I've been in Brooklyn (Williamsburg) for over a dozen years, and have driven maybe 3 or 4 times. And that was always renting a car to go somewhere else!

I also lived in San Francisco (The Haight and the Mission) and didn't have a car there either. No problem...

I lived in Brooklyn 20 years til 4 yrs ago and no car. I quite frankly thought you'd be nuts to own one.

the trains took me up into the Hudson Valley, NY or into NJ...and I took cabs or subways wherever I needed to go. I could buy my food and live a great life with lots of culture with Cabs, Subways or Buses. I could fly ANYWHERE either Nationally or Internationally! There were Great Restaurants and Cultural Activities available 24/7!

I did great...but that was many years ago.. Since then I moved to the "Burbs" where I needed Driver's license and the rest. I've never fitted into the "Burb Culture" but I've stayed with it because the Publishing Jobs I moved to NYC to work in ......NO LONGER EXIST! I had to move because of Taxes and Living Costs. :shrug:

So..I need a CAR!

I lived on West 12 Street and West 10th Street. Had many friends in East Village, too.

Just down fron the corner of W.10 and W.4

with a counter pulled over the bathtub to hold her dishes. As I said, this was years ago. I'm sure what you live in is FAR DIFFERENT! Granite Counter tops and Plasmas and "open space."

East Village when I was there was where the "cool radicals lived." Great Buildings with lots of potential. After I left with the BOOM in Building Renovations...I wouldn't recognize it. What I remember the most is the great Polish bakeries and other thriving businesses that always did the Holidays up REALLY BIG! And, that I never felt "unsafe" walking the streets at all times of the night or day ...because of that wonderful sense of community.

But...that was a long time ago...It was really cool at the time, though. Great Memories and friends from that time...where we used to VISIT and I used to get crapped on because I was "West Village and not East! Even though I was living on nothing and those East Village apartments were WAY BIG compared to my West Village Walk up where we washed our dishes in the bathtub! :D

I love this neighborhood. Unfortunately, it's been changing (lots of new banks and drugstores)...here's one of the latest casualties to the change:

http://racked.com/archives/2007/06/01/discontinued_kurowycky_meat.php

Your building was New to me...built in '77... Friends I knew lived in Tenanments build for the immigrants in the 20's and 30's...

As I said..it was a long time ago. These families with their sausage shops are probably children of the immigrants I remember from years ago. Those great sugar coated easter eggs with scenes inside them...sausages and butchers where you went to buy stuff...learning who would cheat you and who had the good stuff.

Thanks for posting this...it's kind of sad...but glad to know that some businesses hung on a long time passing hands through a generation... But...in the end...they get you out to make way for Higer Rents.
When I lived in NYC "Rent Control" still allowed many of us to get into apartments with nice address or even not so nice ones but LIVE in NYC. We had low paid jobs in publishing and arts and theater. Now it's WALL ST and other stuff. It's all changed and I did, too!

:hi:

:hi:

Here's one of the newer buildings in the neighborhood — apartments are $4 million!



And they're building a luxury hotel 2 blocks up on 4th Ave.

with Redford/Fonda could have been shot in! Fifth Floor Walk Up Brownstone with Lawyer's extended family living on the four floors and rented the Top Fifth to Me and Roomy!

It was always fun having visitors...who just about had a heart attack by the time they hit the 5th Floor in the walk up.

My West 12 Street, love.,...had an elevator! :D

CTA, while demanding more $$$ from IL and Blago, still lets go go anywhere you want to go in the city. My grandmother travels everywhere via bus. I prefer the subway.

Can't travel around that suburb when you get there but you can take mass transit out to the suburbs.

But Chicago metro area has a fine mass transit system top to bottom.

nt

Buses and trains everywhere. Tons to do within walking.

But, living in the Windy City is not cheap.

I don't really miss it either. Except in the winter.

I just wish RTD would get its ass moving and cut down the waiting time from 30 min to 15 min on bus routes.

And they just recently expanded their light rail routes last year, so you can pretty much get anywhere in the Denver metro area.

I've been relying on public transportation for 2 years now. No problem.

A friend of mine's sister was getting married in Yosemite National Park.

I rode the bus around town to go shopping in August.

When I got home to my friend's house, I barfed my guts out from heat exhaustion. I wouldn't call that "no problems with mass transportation".

:evilgrin:

But seriously, I interpreted the OP as a reference to access, not convenience or comfort. In July & August I try to get all my errands done before noon.

High density and extensive public transit make it work.

n/t

(60 miles away) needed my help.

We weren't constrained in any way AND saved thousands of dollars by not owning a vehicle.

and I feel I have more freedom now than when I did have one. Getting rid of my car was like cutting a ball and chain off my leg. I watch them now, driving in circles, looking for parking, and just laugh.

As it is, I have to remember to start this little car often enough so the battery doesn't go dead. I don't go to San Jose often but have to be ready when called.

The cousin who sold me the car is really disappointed that I don't drive it very often. A sexy little red sedan that just sits there most of the time seems like a waste to him. lol

that sat in the garage and rusted cause I never started it up.

I visited there a few times, and was very impressed with the public transportation in SF. Except, of course, when protesters march down Market Street and stop everything - including the Muni that I needed to get on for Fishermans Wharf. :grr: My husband and I are hoping to go on vacation there in August. We'll probably rent a car for a day, if only to drive down the PCH. Otherwise, it's public transportation all the way, baby!

I think our public transit rocks. But I come from Phoenix, where public transit is a foreign language.

to live and work near a bus route, yeah. Where I live in deep south Austin-no. The bus used to come down my street, the stop was across from me. Then they changed the route and it was a half-mile walk. Then they changed where the bus stops and it became a 3/4 mile walk. To get where I worked I would have to change buses twice. Each time the bus I would be on would get to the transfer point 3 minutes after the other bus left. At work, it was another 3/4 mile walk. It would have taken 2½ hours each way on top of a 12 hour shift. As much as I hated it, it only took 35 minutes on Mopac driving to and 15 minutes driving home. I worked 6PM to 6AM. The other thing about CapMetro is the buses stop after midnight.

of course, you'd have to get a ride to loca marias every saturday morning...

I have lived in SF since 94 and never needed a car, it is a burden and /ticket magnet and just attracts vandals.

I lived in NYC for a year also and never needed a car, it takes much longer to get to work in one + the extra expense and hassle.

Like New York City or Chicago where you can live without a car.

Many people live out in the suburbs or boonies because they cant afford rent/prices of homes close to the city.

Paying a extra 200-300 a month for rent comes out to be far less then the expense of a car + fees for registration + parking tickets + parking + gas + repairs etc.

And you get to live in the city near everything which is nice.

Not being tied to the 4 wheeled ball and chain is nice too, liberating in a way. Kinda like giving up tv.

Higher (in some cases, astronomical) housing costs, plus a higher cost of living in general and public transportation costs (bus fares, cab fares, the rare car rental) would even things out - if not tip the expense to the major city.

That said, living in a major city has numerous advantages that many would argue (including myself) are worth the additional costs.

Cities like Omaha, Nebraska or Spokane Washington or Nashville, TN.

Which is one bedroom and decent, a step up from her shady $500/month basement apartment.
She walked to the L both at her current and former apartment. Her current apartment is a much closer walk.
She has a Chicago address in the Northern part of the city.

Three more that come to mind, not yet mentioned. Basically if you've got a dense population and a decent mass transit system, you're going to be fine without a car, just renting one from time to time.

Christ, I feel like a criminal if I go walking in these auto-age cities.

Most of my friends were people I knew from the dog park, which was of course within walking distance of my house. The grocery store was a couple miles away. With a standard backpack and duffel bag I could carry over 20 pounds of food home. All my favorite bars and restaurants were within a few miles and could be easily reached on a bike. Most of the parties I went to were close enough to bike to. There was a shuttle bus nearby that led to an AMTRAK station for when I wanted to go out of town. The only thing that was a pain in the ass was buying dog food.

People who claim it can't be done just don't realize what the opportunities are.

No question that if you live in the environment of Center City you'd be in great shape. If you lived in the neighborhoods, most of your problems would be concerned with major food shopping b/c there aren't a lot of big stores where autos would not be required for a decent size order.

Our public transit system isn't bad at all, though pricey without a monthly or weekly pass. Restaurants and entertainment, sports, etc. well-covered by transit system which is fairly efficient even at unusual hours.

All this IMO...some here would beg to differ.

I have my large grocery orders delivered in a truck that "carpools" others groceries too in the city.

For smaller shopping I just grab a cloth bag and walk/take the bus.

but i am not aware of a subway in Philadelphia.

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority:

http://www.septa.org/maps/click_map.html

more of a surface commuter system as opposed to a subway like in New York.

simplistic. north South on Broad Street all the way down to the Sports Complex, East-West (with a spur into the Chinatown Area) and then way northeast to handle the West from upper Darby area to Market Street East and then up along the eastern diagonal to Bridge Street. That used to be the extremity of the NE but certainly not anymore. Interestingly, there are/were at least 2 subway stations which were never used: one at the old Sears building which was built for a planned but never-constructed spur up Roosevelt blvd., and the station under the Art Museum...on the platforms there are stored some of the City's treasures like the end of the 1st indiana Jones film. Fascinating!!

that I could go from Penn Station on NJ Transit and pick up SEPTA in Trenton to get into Philly quite cheaply (compared to the Metroliner). Takes longer but if I had someone to stay with it would be worthwhile for a short trip (not trolling for someone to put me up, really). I do miss Reading Terminal Market, which I enjoyed when I did several shows in the Convention Center.

You can do pretty well on the Market-Frankford El and the Broad Street line. Best places for groceries using the El are around Univ. of Penn. -- I like the Indian market (no chance of spelling its name right) -- and there are other choices around Penn that are within walking distance of the El.

(For the benefit of anyone not from Philly, El is short for elevated train. It's on trestles above Market Street before it descends into the underground tunnel.)

And yes, there are some things you could complain about, but I remember when it was worse. It's noticeably better than it used to be.

You don't have to own a car here at all. Philly CarShare is a great option to have.

:hi:

Gorgeous city, probably one of the prettiest in North America and a great public transportation system. In the US i would say Boston, New York, Chicago and San Francisco. No others that i can think of even come close.

Seattle and Portland, also Eugene and Bellingham for smaller west coast cities.

Boston would also fall into this group, I would think.

If Champaign-Urbana Illinois is like it was when I was growing up, you could get to places by walking or bus rather easily; however I haven't lived there or visited there in decades, so I can't say for sure. When I lived there, combined population was around 100K, so it is a small city.

But even other metropolitan areas are better for people not using cars than rural areas.

My sister wants us all in San Diego. But there isn't any adequate way to get around.

When are we getting the high-speed rail system here in CA we have been promised for so long up and down the coast?

All I see Caltrans mainly working on is new Bay Bridge for more cars. :banghead:

in all of America where you can live a full life without a car. And, most of these 10 places are some of the most expensives places to live in the world.

Wouldn't need one.

Don

from what I hear, it takes a long time to get places. We are about to downsize to 1 car, and it's making me nervous. We live on the west side, but I go to school on the east side, and I can't imagine how long it would take me to get there by bus.

I was really disappointed to find out (before moving here), that Seattle does NOT have a subway system.

I would definitely have to say (based on personal experience) that NYC, Vancouver, and Toronto have the best mass transit systems (in North America).

But it's true that they are behind the curve with no subway or light rail.

and some neighborhoods have a better infrastructure than others.

But we lived on Capitol Hill for 5 years with no car and managed just fine. Our commutes were to First Hill and the University District though.

And definitely not here in the Silicon Valley either.

I know someone who has lived car-free for years in L.A. and who gave me a lot of pointers about getting around when I visited there.

I think the truth is that white, middle-class people are scared of riding the buses with dark-skinned people and have the idea that it's somehow "dangerous," but I went all over and never felt threatened.

The transit system in L.A. is actually better than the one in Minneapolis.

Perhaps I should have said the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. The Los Angeles area is just so huge and those 4 trains just don't cut it. I used to live in Norwalk and I was fortunate that there was a metrorail station right there but getting to the station itself from where I lived wasn't all that easy and had I lived in Whittier or something, it would easily take me about an hour and a half just to get into the city limits of L.A., an otherwise 15-20 minute drive.

(every 15 minutes, even on a Sunday) than there is between downtown Minneapolis and my neighborhood, some five miles away.

Pasadena, California. Lots of transit-oriented developments, rail, shops, dining, museums. Access to cultural facilities dotted along the 600 mile Metro, Metro Rail and Metrolink grid. Too expensive, though. Downtown LA (historic quarter) has mostly been converted to lofts, though they just now got their first supermarket. Lots of new highrises with services in and around subway stations in Hollywood; downtown Long Beach as well.

has free bus system (not just to students but anybody). There are apartments
on bus lines, near grocery stores, doctor offices, mall, movies, restaurants.
Of course the buses stop running around 10 pm, but you could live within
walking distance of restaurants, bars, movie theatres. If you worked within Chapel Hill--especially the university-- you could get by without a car.

On edit: UNC has zip-cars available (I've seen them parked on campus)

I work at UNC, but my husband doesn't. He has to drive. It's very expensive to live in Chapel Hill city limits if you have a family or want to own your home. Most of the UNC employees live in Chatham county or Durham and drive in. I live in the county, so the buses don't come to my door, I have to drive to the park and ride. If my house was in the city limits it would have been more expensive and the property taxes would be 40% higher. The buses are pretty convenient at rush hour times, but service drops off considerably during the day and when the students aren't around a lot of routes drop many runs and end at 7pm.

Sooo, I guess what I'm saying is, there is a lot of adapting to do...unless you happen to be rich - then no problem.

without a car. The question didn't say anything about cost--or that would
exclude lots of people from living in Manhattan.

Although, I do think cost would come into it for most of us....

Just sayin'.

Also, I guess it depends on what you would call a "full life". Many of us consider a family part of a full life.

It is extremely expensive, though, just as it is in Manhattan or Pasadena or lots of the other places mentioned on this thread.

However, if enough people got together and organized an approach to affordable living in Chapel Hill or Carrboro, it could be done. We're letting the developers build high-rise luxury condos that start at $400,000.

The Max line runs out to the suburbs, it's also faster than traffic most days. PLus, you don't have to pay for parking downtown.

EXCELLENT public transport system. Wish every town had one like that! :thumbsup:

and clean city that makes walking a great option too. I think I am going to retire in Portland.

It's not just the four MAX lines; it's the fact that the buses go everywhere, including the suburbs, run frequently, and are well coordinated with the MAX lines and with one another. Information is easy to come by, especially in the master schedule books, and the monthly pass system lets you hop on and off buses and trains at will.

I miss Portland's transit system, now that I'm stuck with the vastly inferior Twin Cities non-system. :cry:

...provided you have a pickup truck.

probably more

although NYC has Central Park. I'll stay here on the Blue Ridge until the city swallows us up and then I'll move farther out.

A couple of employees where I work, walk or get a ride when they are able and don't feel like walking because they either have lost their license or cannot afford a vehicle. Within a mile is their place of employment, a grocery store, a couple discount stores, a pharmacy, some banks, some bars/restaurants, the library, and some specialty stores.
It is a small town.

Extensive Mass Transit, Light rail is way ahead of the Puget Sound. Bicycling is huge on the East Side of Portland as it is flatter and has substantial bike routes. Flex Car available for those only want a car occasionally.

I am a dual resident of Portland and Tacoma. My grown son lives in Portland and does not drive. He uses bikes and mass transit and his feet.

That said, Portland offers tremendous recreational opportunities that lure people into their cars. Ocean beaches in one direction, mountains in the the other. Also the mass transit system would not be even close to sufficient if say 20% of the people currently driving were to adopt a car-less lifestyle like my sons.

access to downtown is easy, but takes an hour. Believe it or not, LA is working hard to improve public transportation. It is light-years ahead of where it was when I moved here in 1983.

HA!

Gotcha!

Thought you all could use a good laugh this morning...

We have to have one of the WORST transit systems anyplace that I've ever lived.

On a seriour note - I'd like to put forward Honolulu - had one of the best - many years I did not drive to work...

I was born and raised in NYC and lived there for 25 years, so I don't have a license. Then I moved to Tempe last year and was introduced to the concept of sidewalks that abruptly end in the middle of the street (WTF?), buses that run every 30 minutes if you're lucky and schedules that are completely out of sync with each other, so Goddess help you if you need to transfer. I live exactly 15 minutes from my job in downtown Tempe and need to leave the house at 7 am in order to be to work on time at 8. The pathetic thing is that Tempe has the best public transit in the Valley due to the fact we have ASU here and people voted to actually fund the bus system. Bless you if you live in Mormonville aka Mesa and you need to go somewhere on Sunday without a car. I never realized how spoiled I was until I moved out here--and my roomies, who lived in smalltown PA until moving out here, can't understand why I bitch so long and hard about public transit in the Valley because to them it's "great". Of course they moved here from Bumblefuck, PA so this system looks like gold compared to where they came from.

As soon as I get out of training and on my regular schedule I'm taking my ass down to the DMV and getting a license. Hopefully I can find a cheap fuel efficient hoopty that can get me around until I can afford my dream Prius. :(

I think Phoenix made a big mistake with its current light rail scheme; it's no more that a streetcar, with no independent right of way. It will travel no faster than the buses it replaces. I think a much better idea would be to run trains (with fewer stops) along the agricultural canals and river bed, which connect most employment and population centers. I think Phoenix just wanted to do a light rail on the cheap so it could look trendy, and be able to say that it gave transit a chance but it just wouldn't work.

I keep hearing "oh it'll be great when the light rail comes in" but honestly (and maybe this is my "I grew up in a city with a 100 year old subway" snob talking) I don't see how much difference it's going to make.

This area is addicted to cars, the entire city is laid out for cars, and no one really gives a shit about the transit system except those who need it...young people and folks who don't/can't drive.

First of all, don't you feel like a fish out of water here in AZ? I am from NYC originally and really am not fond of Arizona. But I digress....

I am lucky enough to have a car - nothing great, but it runs. Well, it ran - until about two weeks ago. It's been in the shop since then and I've been busing it. What a JOKE. Why do they even bother printing those schedules? Not one driver even seems to know of their existence!

And, I was all for the light rail when I first heard about it, but I agree now - in reality, it's going to be just as bad as the bus system. And have you seen any part of the light rail track that's finished????? It's got a 6-8 inch "curb" on each side of it to keep the cars off the tracks - so pretty much, even within the first 3 days, cars will be flying over those curbs when there are accidents. And, then traffic and the light rail will be tied up. Yeah, good plan.

Fortunately there seem to be quite a few of us Tri-State transplants out here. The supervisor I'm getting when I get out of training at work is an ex-pat Brooklynite too. We joked that they put me on his team because they need to keep an eye on the NYers. :silly: It takes a lot of getting used to, and I still have that "wtf am I doing here?" feeling every once and a while, but I do like Tempe a lot for what it is (a college town trying very hard to be a big city :P). I'm considering getting a condo so I'll at least have some equity built up when I decide to move back east in a few years.

But yeah, I learned very quickly that bus schedules are more like suggestions. I always shoot for a bus or two before the one I need, especially if I need to transfer. I try to cut down on that as much as possible because I'd be late everywhere if I had to rely on more than one bus to get me there.

I look forward to the first monsoon when the light rail goes in. Considering how these fools drive out here in the rain ("OH MY GOD WATER IS FALLING FROM THE SKY!!!") it'll be...fun.

And the wind will rip the wires out. Oh yeah, light rail's a good idea here!

Let me warn you....people around here drive in the rain as if there were 6-8 inches on the ground with another inch or two falling around them as they drive. I can only imagine what will happen to the buses. Take a little umbrella with you during the monsoon season (especially if they say it won't rain because this must be where they send those who had trouble in meterologist school), they come up quickly.

Yes, there are a lot of us out here - and it's funny, because like you I always seem to gravitate to them them, even if it's not really my doing. We must have a force field around us, ha ha.

It's actually going to make things worse by jamming up traffic, IMHO. As if the buses that tie up traffic while carrying 2 or 3 people aren't bad enough. What a joke. If I want to catch a bus I first have to drive several miles and park my car to even catch a bus. And there's nothing like sitting at a bus stop in 108 degrees. Nope, I'll keep my car, thank you very much.

I think Valley Metro wanted to build something nostalgic, trendy and cute, so they went with the light rail scheme. They pointed out to successes in Portland and San Diego, but those cities have no density. Phoenix, on the other hand, seems to becoming more similar to LA in terms of density, and really needs a serious train system, or nothing at all.

what little is left of anything worth going to along Central, that is not a bank or high rise.

Have you been on the prototype car? It's less wide than a city bus. You face the person across from you, and it will be overloaded during peak times imediately. Not to mention the absurdity of it not having the right of way, so basically it's a bus that goes down the middle of the street. The platform designs are so underdesigned, that people will be crammed onto the platform in the middle of Central.

Also it travels within sight distance of Sky Harbor. About 1 mile away. Link to airport? No.

It's gonna be a freaking nightmare.

The eastbound one on University & Mill that I use going home from work. No shelter, no shade, and the geniuses at Valley Metro put concrete benches in. Luckily there's a grassy knoll to sit on but Jesus is July going to suck ass.

PB

Springfield as your suburb instead of just a fictional city on the Simpsons.

I live in Eugene and don't drive. I just wish the buses didn't stop running at 10:40.. Luckily it is easy to get around on my bike.

OC needs to go forward with CenterLine. At least you have Metrolink; its program of free weekend trips to the beaches now and then is nice.

I must add with certainty: NOT metro detroit

Metropolitan areas have public transport of various types. It's the rural areas where you have to be more self-sufficient.

NYC comes to mind and apparently Chicago.

I lived for a decade quite happily with no car here

Most places, depending on your expectations. Low expectations help, not feeling like you have to go great distances. Even in my small town, people have full, productive, involved lives without a private automobile.

Seattle should be a mass transit dream. It is so long and skinny it only takes a good North-South arterial and short little East-West feeders. But they managed to spend 20 years and hundreds of millions of dollars doing nothing except wasting two decades and hundreds of millions of dollars.

While they are making progress now it is the LA of the North except the traffic is worse. (Disclaimer: Portlanders and Tacomans, I am both, cant resist kicking a little sand on the Emerald City, a name they stole from Eugene by the way.)

I didn't think that the traffic could be worse than in Houston, but it is. And that's saying alot! (Katy Frwy, 610, etc...)

Seattle is still in angst over mass transit.

No way in hell are you going to get me to move back to a city.

That's for damn sure.

Public transportation in Detroit proper is relatively pathetic, and virtually non-existent in the greater Metro Area.

is sadly lacking in public transportation.

I lived in each for several years without a car. The catch is that you have to be in the right part of town -- such as Oakland in Pgh, Charles Village in Baltimore, although I'm sure there are others. Yes, those are near the universities -- no coincidence.

15 -20 years ago. Not sure what it's like today.

Depends on where you work, though. If you live and work in the city, you can take public transportation everywhere. If you could live and work in one neighborhood in the city, you could walk to all of the activities you mention.

I live and work in the East End of Pittsburgh, and I ditched my car two years ago and never looked back. My husband kept his car because he has to commute to the suburbs. But other than that, we could fairly easily live without a car without it being a major strain on our lifestyle.

Another college town with a great bus transportation system. It's inexpensive too.

"Name The Metropolitan Areas in America Where You Can Live A Full Life Without Cars".

Meaning... could you still go about your job/business/lifestyle (day or night), without ever having to relie on an automobile?

No taxis...

No rentals...

No bumming a ride or borrowing.

(I'll give an exception for dire emergencie's).

car sat un-used, un-insured in the back lot, finally sold it.

I lived near the U of K campus.

I lived well without a car in the Cass Corridor in Detroit.

For the first year or so in Lexington, I lived 10 miles outside the city and commuted by bicycle over the rolling hills of Old Frankfort Pike, rain, snow, or shine. I carried rugs, lamps, and a chair on my bike. It was difficult when cold and icy, but I did it.

For a few months I lived in a tent 16 miles out (Troy Ky between Keene and Nonsuch). I would bathe in a spring-fed watering trough, and cooked on a small camp stove.

I used to teach integrating the bicycle into your lifestyle at Simple Living seminars at our Unitarian Church and the university.

We have no chance whatsoever to stop global warming.

Lots of people just choose to use a car when other modes of transport are available.

Great city to walk in and wonderful mass transit.

Just so you know it's not just Manhattan. It's pretty easy to live without a car in Queens also, but it's better to have a car out here and just use it sparingly.

When I lived in Brooklyn, though, it was usually without a car.

I've lived in DC for the past year and have had no problem at all getting around without a car. I live in the District proper and have access to busses and subway. Additionally, biking is popular in DC so it's not a big deal riding on city streets with traffic as they're used to cycle traffic. I know I'm going to have to get a car 'some day,' probably when I have a family, but for right now I'm pleased to be on my 5th year without one. :hi:

If you're far out in the suburbs and off the subway or the main bus lines it can be more difficult, altho' there are a ton of limited-hours commuter buses. I've taken public transit from DC all the way to the northern outskirts of Baltimore before, on a weekend no less! It wasn't quick, but it was quite an adventure.

grocery stores are scarce in some areas and the weather is a pain to deal with when you need to walk a mile or so. I think I would prefer NYC where food and shopping is more plentiful.

hipsters everywhere!

Which i think means it's possible anywhere. We have a car but it sits in the driveway almost always. I ride my bike everywhere -- that's one plus to central Ohio being so darn flat!

Or probably any other mid-sized location if you try hard enough

There are busses everywhere. There are bike lanes on every major street and bike paths everywhere. I've drastically cut down my driving since moving here. Now I only use it on really bad weather days and to drive in to Denver (although there are busses that go there too).

Although some are more convenient than other. In fact, there are people in every metropolitan area without cars.

Most people don't want the inconvenience of waiting for a bus or riding a bike to work and getting there kinda sweaty. For most people it's easier to drive to the grocery store than pay a fee to have groceries delivered or to shop more often for smaller amounts that can be carried home on foot or bike.

Of course this won't work for everyone, but for most people it's just an unwillingness to plan ahead a little.