Is it absolutely necessary to have a car in LA? (London: to live in, prices)

[katenik]

public transportation is a "HUGE money saver" if your time is worth NOTHING! i have better things to do than sit around on bus stops. been there, done that!

[NYSD1995]

You can live in LA without a car, but you will be missing out on a huge portion of what is great about LA.

Life in LA without a car means a life limited to basic needs of work and chores. It can be done, but you won't want to. And you will be an outcast among your peers as a result.

Didn't someone write a song about this?

[MIKEETC]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

You can live in LA without a car, but you will be missing out on a huge portion of what is great about LA.

Life in LA without a car means a life limited to basic needs of work and chores. It can be done, but you won't want to. And you will be an outcast among your peers as a result.

Didn't someone write a song about this?

"Walking in LA" by Missing Persons:

MISSING PERSONS - WALKING IN L.A. LYRICS

[nickdahammer]

Originally Posted by ChampagneSupernova

Hey, I'm moving from Manhattan to LA this January ( I'll be attending FiDM) and I was wondering if it's a must for me to have a car? As a NYer I've never driven (gotta love that MTA) and I don't have a license, but I'm planning on getting one once I get to LA. What do you guys suggest?

One of my first posts was in response to a question about getting to
FIDM. Like many say, it all depends on where you settle. The closest subway station to FIDM is about 2 blocks away and, amazingly enough, FIDM refuses to acknowledge its existence!

[Green Irish Eyes]

Originally Posted by skreem2

It seems to me that I have posted on this topic before. I live in Hollywood (close to the Red Line subway train) and have NOT owned a car for about 15 years. Yes, yes, yes - you can live without a car in LA. My nerves are far less frazzled than my fellow teachers when I arrive at the high school where I teach in the East LA area. I walk out the door of my apartment and arrive at school in about an hour. Teachers commuting from OC or the far stretches of LA County cannot make that kind of time. Rush hour traffic sometimes makes people late even if they live only five miles away. I am relaxed and have often done some paper grading when I arrive.

Most of my daily necessities are within walking distance of me in Hollywood. Does cardio-vascular exercise still mean anything to anyone?

If I need to move anything large, I can rent a vehicle.

The only REAL disadvantage is when there is an emergency or when I need to get somewhere quickly. Most people who know me know that I am restricted by time, and will let me know well in advance of any meeting or engagement I need to attend. Even so, occasionally I may need to "hook up" a ride. People are good about that - especially when I offer to help with the cost of gas.

I have some extra money - no maintenance, no gas, no insurance, no car payments.

Thanks for this post! I'm also a teacher who has, for now at least, decided to forego the hassle of owning a car. My school is on the opposite side of town, and yet my usual one-way commute is under an hour -- during which I can read, grade papers, or NAP. ZipCar is available if I need to go out of town (so is Rent-A-Wreck, for that matter), and Von's will deliver my groceries for a nominal charge. When I do my own shopping, I bring my little roly-cart along to tote items home.

It's definitely possible to live here without a car -- you just have to decide that you're willing to do it.

[thatotherguy]

public transportation dus suck over here in l.a.....but rite next door...the o.c. has a realy goood one.....but if you can afford a car than you should buy one....its almost like a nececety of life......and MR.SMITH if you lived up in hollywood than u must be rich....unless your closer to pico unuin distict.....and if your r that rich than having a car should be a problem for u anyways.

[edwardius]

Have you seen this map? Your ability to get around in LA without a car depends on where you live. There are quite a few areas where you could live without a car in LA, but there also huge areas where it isn't so convient. This will give you an idea of which neighborhoods to consider looking at, but if work or school isn't in a high walk score neighborhood you still might have problems getting around without a car.

Los Angeles's Most Walkable Neighborhoods - Walk Score Neighborhood Rankings

[katenik]

Originally Posted by edwardius

Have you seen this map? Your ability to get around in LA without a car depends on where you live. There are quite a few areas where you could live without a car in LA, but there also huge areas where it isn't so convient. This will give you an idea of which neighborhoods to consider looking at, but if work or school isn't in a high walk score neighborhood you still might have problems getting around without a car.

Los Angeles's Most Walkable Neighborhoods - Walk Score Neighborhood Rankings

don't believe the hype. according to this, my neighborhood is walkable. HA!

[NYSD1995]

Unless going to and from work every day qualifies as "life", don't believe it.

LA is huge and the attractions are spread apart. You want to go to the mountains, beaches, city, parks... all in the same day? Can't do it on the bus.

[JonathanLB]

Originally Posted by ChampagneSupernova

Simple yes or no would've sufficed.

You asked a dumb question, he gave you a dumb answer

Sorry but it's ridiculous not to know how to drive or not to drive. This is why New York sucks, you can't even drive in that silly city. Every other city in this country you need to learn how to drive if you don't want to be stuck on public transportation for many extra hours per week with bums and other low-class workers.

I live a few blocks from FIDM, good luck there.