CURBED ATLANTA: I live car-free in Atlanta—and I love it (Boston: insurance, neighborhoods)

[AnsleyPark]

I lived within a 15 minute walk of the Arts Center station for years, and worked within a 10 minute walk of North Avenue station. Sure, I would take MARTA when I could. Heck, some days I would simply walk to and from work. But, that all took an effort. Some of us have to wear coats and ties, so walking even 15 minutes in the sweltering Atlanta summers was not an option. Most days, I had to get to client sites. As such, I needed a car. Many days, I had to run errands and needed a car. Many days, I had to take children all over the place and needed a car.

I applaud all of you who can make do without a vehicle. Most of us cannot, even if we lived on top of a train station.

[jsvh]

I have this image in my head of a very grumpy Sam dining alfresco on a street in Paris and complaining about the lack of parking and freeways.

[ATLTJL]

The idea that car drivers are just lazy, uninformed, pedestrian-murdering simpletons in their personal steel cages, not experiencing the wonder and beauty of the city of Atlanta

I agree with this, and I also believe it's quite the opposite, actually.

I care too much about the wonder and beauty of the city to limit myself to what I can see and do with mass transit alone. I've said this before many times, but it bears repeating:

Even when I lived in the city of Atlanta, within walking distance to the Lenox MARTA station, I made the conscious decision that I would never become one of those people who artificially limits myself be refusing to ever venture OTP. I still went to Alpharetta, Duluth and Marietta all the time. Uber and Lyft weren't around back then, but the cost of using them would have been higher than keeping an automobile, since my complex had a deck and provided free parking.

Now that I live in the suburbs, I made the same conscious decision: I would never be one of those people who didn't do things in the city because it's too much work to get there. I'm an avid explorer of the entire Atlanta metro. I just don't see the appeal of limiting myself to only my one area. I don't judge people who have made that decision, except when they pass judgment on me for not living the same way, which many on this board seem to love to do.

They're voices may be loud. They may try to hijack every thread to make their point. But the fact remains, they are a very small, albeit vocal, minority.

[ATLTJL]

I have this image in my head of a very grumpy Sam dining alfresco on a street in Paris and complaining about the lack of parking and freeways.

That kind of made me laugh!

It reminded me of something, though. It's my understanding that Paris has the highest concentration of Metro stops in the entire world. Or however you say it, wherever you are in Paris, you're closer to a Metro stop than you are in any other city. Still, in Paris I take Uber to and from the airport, because even though the Metro does go there, there's a lot of train switching to make it happen.

Even if I lived in Paris, I may keep a car because there's too much of France I'd want to see that's not possible, or very difficult, using the train system. But I'd definitely use the train a lot!

[evannole]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

That kind of made me laugh!

It reminded me of something, though. It's my understanding that Paris has the highest concentration of Metro stops in the entire world. Or however you say it, wherever you are in Paris, you're closer to a Metro stop than you are in any other city. Still, in Paris I take Uber to and from the airport, because even though the Metro does go there, there's a lot of train switching to make it happen.

Even if I lived in Paris, I may keep a car because there's too much of France I'd want to see that's not possible, or very difficult, using the train system. But I'd definitely use the train a lot!

Correct. The Métro was designed so that you'd never be more than a 1,000 m walk from a station, and you're usually much closer to one than that. I believe that it's the densest subway network in the world, and the connectivity between the various lines is absolutely astounding. The first time I went to Paris, nearly 30 years ago, I became so enamored with the Métro that the only souvenir I bought for myself was a t-shirt with a map of the Métro network on it.

When we are in Paris, which is pretty often, we do get around mostly on foot, with a Métro ride here and there and maybe the odd Uber ride at night if our feet are too worn out from the 20,000 steps we've already done that day, or if it's raining. And, yes, Uber is proving to be a game changer for rides to the airport, especially now that the RER-B stops at every. single. station between CDG and Gare du Nord.

If I lived somewhere as dense as Paris, with a metro system as well developed as the Métro, I would give serious thought to going carless. Alas, Atlanta isn't there and won't be anytime soon, so I will gladly stick to my car for the time being. (And now that I have a car that's capable of semi-autonomous driving, I don't even mind being on the highway anymore; my commute has gone from being rather stressful to borderline relaxing.)

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

Some of us have to wear coats and ties

Eeewww...I do not envy you. I get angry when I have to dress any nicer than shorts and a t-shirt!

Originally Posted by jsvh

I have this image in my head of a very grumpy Sam dining alfresco on a street in Paris and complaining about the lack of parking and freeways.

Nah...I'd be complaining about French people. And dining al fresco. I don't like wind. I've spent 33 days in Paris with no car. Got by, but that's not my life.

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

I agree with this, and I also believe it's quite the opposite, actually.

I care too much about the wonder and beauty of the city to limit myself to what I can see and do with mass transit alone. I've said this before many times, but it bears repeating:

Even when I lived in the city of Atlanta, within walking distance to the Lenox MARTA station, I made the conscious decision that I would never become one of those people who artificially limits myself be refusing to ever venture OTP. I still went to Alpharetta, Duluth and Marietta all the time. Uber and Lyft weren't around back then, but the cost of using them would have been higher than keeping an automobile, since my complex had a deck and provided free parking.

Now that I live in the suburbs, I made the same conscious decision: I would never be one of those people who didn't do things in the city because it's too much work to get there. I'm an avid explorer of the entire Atlanta metro. I just don't see the appeal of limiting myself to only my one area. I don't judge people who have made that decision, except when they pass judgment on me for not living the same way, which many on this board seem to love to do.

They're voices may be loud. They may try to hijack every thread to make their point. But the fact remains, they are a very small, albeit vocal, minority.

I'm with you...in addition to going into Midtown or Downtown or other in-town suburbs periodically, we regularly go to Smyrna, Kennesaw, Duluth, and everywhere in between. I've worked for periods of time in almost every corner of the metro with long term (a few months or more...that's long term in film) jobs in Norcross, Fayetteville, Griffin, Union City, Constitution, whatever the area OTP I20 East is called, Lakewood, Fulton Industrial, Ft. McPherson, and more. I like to go all over the metro.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

That kind of made me laugh!

It reminded me of something, though. It's my understanding that Paris has the highest concentration of Metro stops in the entire world. Or however you say it, wherever you are in Paris, you're closer to a Metro stop than you are in any other city. Still, in Paris I take Uber to and from the airport, because even though the Metro does go there, there's a lot of train switching to make it happen.

Even if I lived in Paris, I may keep a car because there's too much of France I'd want to see that's not possible, or very difficult, using the train system. But I'd definitely use the train a lot!

Haha, more power to people like you and Sam.

No one is trying to force you out of your car.

I mean, life would still be pretty good with a car in these places that also make alternatives appealing, right? Even in the most extreme hypothetical future situations cars would still end up like horses where people would still have them and obsess over them and ride them around. It is never going fully away.

[DreamerD]

It sounds as if the author is trying to talk himself into it being worth it. His experiences sound dreadful. I'm the kind of person who doesn't like to limit myself to one area. Not having a car in Atlanta would limit someone to where they can go. I have seen this affect students and young Millennials. Perhaps older folks can afford to use Lyft/Uber to get to the suburbs. There is just too much going on outside of Atlanta to stay in Atlanta all the time.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by DreamerD

Not having a car in Atlanta would limit someone to where they can go. I have seen this affect students and young Millennials. Perhaps older folks can afford to use Lyft/Uber to get to the suburbs.

Not at all. Saving that money from a car to spend on Uber / Lyft when needed gives you way more flexibility and options to get around. Of course it flips the math people used to car dependency think about. Where you might think driving around to strip malls in suburbia as basically free and going intown or to a game and having to pay $10+ for parking as expensive, suddenly you now just order on Amazon to save the $10 Uber ride and take a $2 Bird Scooter over meet a friend down the Beltline.

If you want more mobility on less budget, dropping the car is the way to go. Most younger folks I talk to do it by choice. They don't even have a driver's license.

[arjay57]

I strongly encourage people to go car free.