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Just be prepared to have your car nicked and banged up if you want to drive in Manhattan. It's much less likely to happen in LA. (coming from someone that lives in New York and works in LA)
Just be prepared to have your car nicked and banged up
lol, so true.
i recommend you to get rid of the car. i have a friend who lives in manhattan, but he parks his car in queens, and he has to move the car everyweek. likewise my husband used to have a car, not in manhattan, but brooklyn, and it's troublesome enough. very hard to find parking, expensive to maintain, difficult to get around. the thought of how difficult it is to find parking is enough to make us cancel our plan and stay home instead.
Just be prepared to have your car nicked and banged up if you want to drive in Manhattan. It's much less likely to happen in LA. (coming from someone that lives in New York and works in LA)
Unfortunately, such things happen in LA too. People don't give a damn. By the time I sold my last audi it had over 20 dings in various places. I think it's just part of owning a car in any big city.
Again, for the "getting around" part, I don't really plan on using it daily at all. But what you guys are saying sounds pretty scary. Is there a single person on this board who owns a car in NYC and thinks its worth it? haha.
Maybe I should just try to get a 10k raise beforehand, then I'll be all set!
Alright, another question, if I were to live in Manhattan, which part of it would you recommend? When I visited, I stayed in the upper west side, which seemed pretty awesome, but then again, you cant really tell in a short period of time.
A lot depends on the type of neighborhood, building and amenities you're looking for ...
I like living in tall buildings. They don't have to be new, I live on the 10th floor of a really old building (100 years old) in LA and love it. Just like to have a nice view. But new is also nice. I also enjoy a lot going on around me, so I don't want a quiet neighborhood. Any ideas?
Unfortunately, such things happen in LA too. People don't give a damn. By the time I sold my last audi it had over 20 dings in various places. I think it's just part of owning a car in any big city.
Again, for the "getting around" part, I don't really plan on using it daily at all. But what you guys are saying sounds pretty scary. Is there a single person on this board who owns a car in NYC and thinks its worth it? haha.
Maybe I should just try to get a 10k raise beforehand, then I'll be all set!
I can probably help you out, need your price range and what you're looking for 1 bedroom?
I've lived in Manhattan (moving back) and I've always had a car in the city. In my circles, everyone I knew had a car. After about a year, I grew to hate using the subway and avoided it like the plage. I couldn't adjust to the third-world lifestyle of having to depend on a train day in day out for the rest of my life.
Most of the people telling you to ditch your car don't know how to drive, have never owned one, and can't afford one. Using the car in the evenings/weekend is convenient,.. well at least to me. Especially on the UWS where traffic isn't like driving around Midtown and parking is relatively easy.
What is your price range? Bedrooms? And are you sure you want to live on the Upper West Side? It's a nice place, but have you been to any other neighborhoods? I lived on the UWS at one point and I lived in a building with a garage. I know of more too.
I can probably help you out, need your price range and what you're looking for 1 bedroom?
I've lived in Manhattan (moving back) and I've always had a car in the city. In my circles, everyone I knew had a car. After about a year, I grew to hate using the subway and avoided it like the plage. I couldn't adjust to the third-world lifestyle of having to depend on a train day in day out for the rest of my life.
Most of the people telling you to ditch your car don't know how to drive, have never owned one, and can't afford one. Using the car in the evenings/weekend is convenient,.. well at least to me. Especially on the UWS where traffic isn't like driving around Midtown and parking is relatively easy.
What is your price range? Bedrooms? And are you sure you want to live on the Upper West Side? It's a nice place, but have you been to any other neighborhoods? I lived on the UWS at one point and I lived in a building with a garage. I know of more too.
I beg to differ with most of your contentions. I would avoid DRIVING like the plague in NYC, not the subway. If you want to get somewhere quickly, it's the subway. Even our mayor rides the subway from his home on the UES every morning. Far from being third-world, we have a world class transportation system with respect to the speed and safety (and price) of transportation.
I lived on the Upper West Side. Parking was dreadful. Not relatively easy, DREADFUL. A garage was a necessity. I had to have the car because I was working in NJ and the last thing I wante to do at the end of the day was drive around for an hour looking for a place to put my car.
And everyone I know who lives in Manhattan who doesn't have a car DOES have a driver license and does know how to drive. Just about everyone RENTS cars or uses Zipcars.
Having a car is convenient. That's just plain common sense. The only question is if you are willing to pay a lot of money for that convenience.
Another difficult aspect of car ownership in Manhattan is that garages are not "self-park" facilities where you can enter and leave on your own. There are parking attendants who "bury" your car way in the back of the garage. You need to call ahead 1 hour before you need to car so they can get it to the front of the garage ready for your use. And, if you don't tip those guys and be nice to them, they can be "careless" when it comes to your car and to the level of service they will provide. This happened to a friend of mine in his building's garage. He had a disagreement with the attendants and they became very difficult to work with.
For getting around Manhattan, you will probably find that it is easier to take the subway and cabs. However, if you have social or business engagements in the suburbs and most parts of the outer boroughs, or if you like to take weekend getaways, not having a car can be difficult.
If you want to drive around Manhattan, parking is actually way easier in Manhattan than it is on many parts of the outer boroughs because there are a lot of garages. But again, this comes with a price - about $45-$60 if you leave it more than three hours.
Take note that Zipcar is not as convenient as it appears. When I was a Zipcar customer, it was difficult to get a car on weekends without booking several weeks in advance, and sometimes to find the car you want, you need to look at garages that are not close to where you live. As for the other rental services such as Enterprise, it is expensive, takes more time, and you still need to book in advance to ensure availability. Plus - this is just my pet peeve - I hated driving a car around with the Zipcar logo all over it.
A previous poster mentioned the anti-car attitude you find here. I suspect it comes not from people who can't drive or afford to drive, but just never leave Manhattan. For a lot of people who live in Manhattan it is their whole world.
Far from being third-world, we have a world class transportation system with respect to the speed and safety (and price) of transportation.
not regarding the cleanliness though
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrAllenX
After about a year, I grew to hate using the subway and avoided it like the plage. I couldn't adjust to the third-world lifestyle of having to depend on a train day in day out for the rest of my life.
lol, i dont know if you are serious or is it supposed to be a joke. and no, we could afford a car, but decided to get rid of it because of the hassle.
i would avoid car and take subway any day. a lot more convenient, and faster even. everytime we wanted to take our car out, we would have to plan it strategically, that is to travel less often in winter as more people dont move their car as much compared to summer, or time it properly so we would come back around early evening right before sunset just around the time people are done with their picnics at the park and drive their cars away (we happen to live near prospect park in brooklyn, not even manhattan). otherwise, get ready to drive around for an hour just to find parking. now, what if i were to take subway? 24 hours, dont have to worry about what time to come back, or whether i can find parking, all for only only 2 bucks.
depending on how often you use your car, you are better off getting rid of it. just rent a car as needed, the cost of renting may be less than the cost to maintain and rent a garage, especially in manhattan. renting a car out from nj can be cheaper. or take zipcar. or a bus. or a cab.
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