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I know NYC, Chicago, San Fran, etc. are all good, but I'm looking for suggestions on some places that might not immediately spring to mind when considering moving there without a car. I recently went back to school to finish my degree, and I currently live in DeKalb, IL -- a surprisingly easy place to live without a car.
What other areas -- mid-size or overlooked cities, college towns, etc. -- can you think of that would allow me to experience the financial fabulousness of carless living?
Keep in mind -- I'm a very hardy, "scrappy" person who doesn't need *perfect* public transport to get around.
Any and all suggestions would be appreciated!! Thanks in advance!
From what I've read on here, it seems most medium to large cities would fit your needs.
I think some counties in NE Ohio (and the cities in them, of course) would work, too. Stark county, (Canton/Massillon) Summit county, (Akron) and Portage county (Kent) have fairly comprehensive countywide bus service. These county bus systems are all connected, too. So, if you have the time, you could take a bus from Canton, or the Kent State campus, all the way to Cleveland. (Cleveland has a very good mass transit system, but falls under my first statement about medium size cities.)
My friend here in Houston doesn't have a car and she gets around just fine using the city bus. Personally I would never use the bus but it works for her. I have used the light rail just for fun but it's not really practical and the expansion plan doesn't seem very practical either but maybe in 20 years it will be useful to the majority of the people in the city. Lots of taxis here too so if you have the money there is also that option to get around.
Depending on which neighborhood you live in, you can survive without a car in Los Angeles. Westwood (UCLA) and Santa Monica all have amenities within walking distance. Also, Santa Monica has the Big Blue Bus, which is a very cheap and reliable way to get around the west side of Los Angeles if need be.
Many cities in the Northeast are cities where it's plausible to go carless. Hartford, Providence, Syracuse, Albany, and Wilmington are all possibilities.
I know NYC, Chicago, San Fran, etc. are all good, but I'm looking for suggestions on some places that might not immediately spring to mind when considering moving there without a car. I recently went back to school to finish my degree, and I currently live in DeKalb, IL -- a surprisingly easy place to live without a car.
What other areas -- mid-size or overlooked cities, college towns, etc. -- can you think of that would allow me to experience the financial fabulousness of carless living?
Keep in mind -- I'm a very hardy, "scrappy" person who doesn't need *perfect* public transport to get around.
Any and all suggestions would be appreciated!! Thanks in advance!
In the South, possibly Atlata, Dallas, and Miami. Pittsburgh, PA isn't bad either.
Tempe, AZ. It's an indepedent municipality right in the middle of the Phoenix metro area. They have a pretty good local bus system called the Orbit which takes you to a bunch of places around town, in addition to the Valley Metro bus which runs on every arterial street on the grid. Also a pretty good system of designated bike routes going through neighborhood streets. And a light rail which will connect you to central Phoenix. If you plan where you live very carefully, such as an apartment complex that's right next to Safeway or Fry's and a major bus stop, you can actually get around quite well without a car. The sun is SEARING hot, however, since rain is rare and it never snows, you almost never have to worry about weather keeping you from getting to your destination. Sidewalks are extremely wide and are found on every road, both sides of the road. My first two years in Phoenix when I was at ASU I didn't have a car and still managed to get around all over the place-- mainly on bicycle but also occasional busses-- and back then the Orbit bus system didn't even exist.
Crested Butte, Colorado. You can walk everywhere and if you need to get from the ski lifts back down to town you just take the free shuttle.
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