Living without a car .... (heater, Texas, trees, house)

[goldengrain]

We plan to move, during retirement, to New York City to a condo near Central Park with a lovely roof garden, pool, exercise room, etc.

We are in a burb in NJ now and have been going carless for several years. It is fine but kind of limits our social lives in Jersey. In New York we are not expecting that to be a problem.
We are debating owning a car in NY, but it seems like 'no' because there are so many rental places in the area.

Going carless was an experiment and it's not too bad. Our supermarket is about a three mile walk, there and back. We have chosen to just walk with a cart we've bought rather than cycle. At our age this is a healthy passtime. There are markets in the area, however, that deliver.

We are about two blocks from a bus to New York if we need a doctor.

I agree with the idea that it is a good thing to do but all depends on location. We like a busy lifestyle of a city. We did not think we did. While working, we longed for something sedate and pristine and very green, but after having retired for a few years, that just seems isolated and kind of lonely. I mean, if your neighbors are quirky or weird you are stuck with them. In the city people can choose whether to be social or not with no one taking offense.

I think home building in the US has been done with no thought at all to going carless, so there are many communities in which people are forced to drive. I don't know if anything can be put in place to encourage dropping driving so much. Costs are rising but that is not spurring new growth of those mom and pop shops that were on practically every other corner at one time.

[GregW]

I could live withour a car but not where I currently am or be very happy about it.

[DCforever]

Much of the construction in the past 50 years has been focused around the car as the primary mode of transportation. We need to rethink our urban areas.

[plwhit]

^^ Excellent idea....

A law would be passed outlawing all private housing and all privately owned businesses.

All buildings under 25 story's would be destroyed, new buildings 300 story's and above would be constructed (returning the land to the animals and nature which could be viewed through special windows on the 1st through 10th floors).

People would live and travel vertically instead of horizontally (think of the water savings, no lawns or gardens, no washing of vehicles, no more gas or vehicle insurance, no need to maintain a massive police to hand out tickets, MADD would finally shut it's doors).

Only the government would operate businesses and they would be located within these 300 to 500 story buildings.

The only horizontal transportation would be government owned and operated.

Car "problem" solved, no need to maintain most of the roadways/bridges, it's either Amtrak or the exercise room on the 225th floor or the bicycle park on the 327th floor.

Any citizen could op-out of the above, the government providing them with a one-way ticket to the pristine Amazon rain forest or the unspoiled Shara desert where they can live out their lives with nature.

People who never grew up and enjoyed owning and driving vehicles would be allowed to go to special 3D rooms on the 78th floor where they could still (virtually) experience driving a 500HP 1967 Mustang fastback and driving 56 MPH in a 55 MPH zone.........

[DCforever]

Originally Posted by plwhit

^^ Excellent idea....

A law would be passed outlawing all private housing and all privately owned businesses.

All buildings under 25 story's would be destroyed, new buildings 300 story's and above would be constructed (returning the land to the animals and nature which could be viewed through special windows on the 1st through 10th floors).

People would live and travel vertically instead of horizontally (think of the water savings, no lawns or gardens, no washing of vehicles, no more gas or vehicle insurance, no need to maintain a massive police to hand out tickets, MADD would finally shut it's doors).

Only the government would operate businesses and they would be located within these 300 to 500 story buildings.

The only horizontal transportation would be government owned and operated.

Car "problem" solved, no need to maintain most of the roadways/bridges, it's either Amtrak or the exercise room on the 225th floor or the bicycle park on the 327th floor.

Any citizen could op-out of the above, the government providing them with a one-way ticket to the pristine Amazon rain forest or the unspoiled Shara desert where they can live out their lives with nature.

People who never grew up and enjoyed owning and driving vehicles would be allowed to go to special 3D rooms on the 78th floor where they could still (virtually) experience driving a 500HP 1967 Mustang fastback and driving 56 MPH in a 55 MPH zone.........

Actually cities like New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, Chicago, etc all provide the option of living a very good life without the need of owning a car. In Washington we have a municipal bike share system that has been around about a year and the city can't keep up with the demand. People love it. Educate yourself to the possibility of life not spent in stop and go traffic.

[plwhit]

Originally Posted by DCforever

Actually cities like New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, Chicago, etc all provide the option of living a very good life without the need of owning a car. In Washington we have a municipal bike share system that has been around about a year and the city can't keep up with the demand. People love it. Educate yourself to the possibility of life not spent in stop and go traffic.

Yes I can picture all the smiling profusely sweating people riding their bicycles in Washington. Wonder why in the bazillions of news clips and videos we see daily of Washington one hardly sees anyone bicycling around.......

I live in one of the largest cities in America and rarely experience stop-and-go traffic when I drive...

Riding a bicycle in a city is a death wish...

[DCforever]

Originally Posted by plwhit

Yes I can picture all the smiling profusely sweating people riding their bicycles in Washington. Wonder why in the bazillions of news clips and videos we see daily of Washington one hardly sees anyone bicycling around.......

Thousands commute daily.

Originally Posted by plwhit

I live in one of the largest cities in America and rarely experience stop-and-go traffic when I drive...

Right...

Originally Posted by plwhit

Riding a bicycle in a city is a death wish...

We are establishing bike lanes, but many more pedestrians are mowed over by the car enthusiasts.

[plwhit]

^^^ I stand by what I said about traffic, too bad it bursts your bubble about evil horrendous traffic in my city which is one of America's largest cities...

Back on topic

http://www.city-data.com/forum/20536898-post3.html

BTW, before you start another bicycle tirade do a C-D search for bicycles and a user named "tightwad"

The subject has been beat to death...

[DCforever]

Originally Posted by plwhit

^^^ I stand by what I said about traffic, too bad it bursts your bubble about evil horrendous traffic in my city which is one of America's largest cities...

Back on topic

http://www.city-data.com/forum/20536898-post3.html

BTW, before you start another bicycle tirade do a C-D search for bicycles and a user named "tightwad"

The subject has been beat to death...

I'm sorry the facts contradict your 1950s view of the world. My assertion are verifiable Smart people are moving to cities where one doesn't need a car. In several of those cities bike are the fastest growing form of commuting.

[plwhit]

Originally Posted by DCforever

I'm sorry the facts contradict your 1950s view of the world. My assertion are verifiable Smart people are moving to cities where one doesn't need a car. In several of those cities bike are the fastest growing form of commuting.

You're assertions and superiority complex are noted:

verifiable Smart people