Public Transportation ect.

[King0fthehill]

It all depends.......

First and foremost, you're going to have to allocate yourself an extra 20-30 minutes just about all the time. While the majority of MTA busses are the old gas guzzlers cruising around at 8mpg, a few streets have Metro Rapid buses (usually new dual carriage buses, complete with tv's and new interiors). Metro Rapid buses are limited stop service and have transmitters that delay stoplights. Rapids run on most major streets, including Wilshire, Santa Monica, Vermont, Western and many more.

Also, the light rail and subways are good if you live near DTLA, NoHo, Rampart, Los Feliz and Silverlake.

[davect1]

I'm moving to LA, and though I'll have a car, my boyfriend will be without one. I'm happy to hear that it is possible to not have a car. People here (in DC) say that not having a car is impossible.

I've been told one of the most "walkable" and public transportation-y places to live is off santa monica blvd in west hollywood (between n. fairfax and robertson). Is this correct?

I don't mean to butt-in on your thread, but I think we have similar questions

[katenik]

Originally Posted by davect1

I'm moving to LA, and though I'll have a car, my boyfriend will be without one. I'm happy to hear that it is possible to not have a car. People here (in DC) say that not having a car is impossible.

I've been told one of the most "walkable" and public transportation-y places to live is off santa monica blvd in west hollywood (between n. fairfax and robertson). Is this correct?

I don't mean to butt-in on your thread, but I think we have similar questions

santa monica blvd has a bus line that appears to run very regularly, if the fact that i always seem to get stuck driving behind one is any indication. from my experience, the hardest thing about taking public transportation here is making timely connections, so the fewer transfers you have to make, the better of you will be if you have to rely on buses to get around.

between fairfax and robertson, there are quite a few cafes and restaurants. most of the gay bars and nightclubs are located along that stretch of sm blvd, too. for groceries, there's a whole foods market at one end (sm/fairfax), a pavilions at the other (sm/robertson), and a gelson's in between (sm/kings rd, i think). none of these are discount grocers, so be prepared to pay a little more than elsewhere. there isn't much in the way of clothes shopping along santa monica, but there are two malls on nearby 3rd street (beverly center and the grove). closer to fairfax, there are quite a few establishments that cater to the local russian and romanian communities.

keep in mind, though, that fairfax to robertson is about a 1 1/2-mile stretch, so it's not as if all of these amenities are cluttered up in a six-block area, and you can walk to all of them with ease. i've lived near both ends, and i would actually consider this to encompass two different neighborhoods, in terms of feel. i'm not sure i can put it into words, except to say that the closer you get to beverly hills, the closer you get to beverly hills.

[Winston Smith]

Originally Posted by davect1

I'm moving to LA, and though I'll have a car, my boyfriend will be without one. I'm happy to hear that it is possible to not have a car. People here (in DC) say that not having a car is impossible.

I've been told one of the most "walkable" and public transportation-y places to live is off santa monica blvd in west hollywood (between n. fairfax and robertson). Is this correct?

I don't mean to butt-in on your thread, but I think we have similar questions

This might be of help -- NPR: Los Angeles Living, Without a Car.

Living in L.A. without a car is definitely possible -- even preferable -- if you plan it right.

[BRinSM]

Big Blue Bus service on the westside is great. I wish it ran more frequently, but otherwise, it takes you where you want to go in clean busses.

[nickdahammer]

I recommend buying/renting close to transit. I live in Mt Washington, which has a Gold Line Station. All the rail lines feed into Union Station which will take you across the country as well as into other counties. I know people who do NOT have a car, but use a bike to get everywhere. The Metro is clean and reliable. I am a musician and can bum a ride with a bandmate if I need to haul equipment. If you don't need a car, why buy one?