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Most americans are safely in a bubble at all times. If they really sat and thought about it, quite frankly they barely interact with anyone their entire lives. Urban living is the only way to LIVE in comparison.
Even in an urban environment people are still in a bubble psych wise, culture, class, mindset. I have been in NYC my whole entire life and tired of the rat race which has picked up here due to gentrification. But then again vhangebis good for the mind body and soul.
What many New Yorkers do is get a car only when they need one. When I lived there hardly anyone we knew owned a car, but they would rent one if they wanted to go the country upstate for the weekend. Smart.
That's the whole reason people move to ny,
because public transportation is abundant.
More people don't have cars, but you still
see cars on every block.
I love a car-free life too, but let's paint a more balanced picture. I lived in Queens and my commute by bus then train into Manhattan was more than an hour easy. There's existing studies that show average NYC and L.A. commute times are not so different. So good for the OP that he can walk to work in 15 minutes. Those advantages are unevenly distributed in any metro, though, which is often forgotten by those who enjoy the advantage.
I love a car-free life too, but let's paint a more balanced picture. I lived in Queens and my commute by bus then train into Manhattan was more than an hour easy. There's existing studies that show average NYC and L.A. commute times are not so different. So good for the OP that he can walk to work in 15 minutes. Those advantages are unevenly distributed in any metro, though, which is often forgotten by those who enjoy the advantage.
The problem is not so much those that require a car to commute, it is those who don't. The city should make it significantly harder to own a car in those neighborhoods within one mile of a subway station. One way is by completely eliminating parking minimums for new construction. It is inexcusable for there to be any parking minimums in areas like Long Island City, Downtown Brooklyn, and Mott Haven for example. Congestion pricing would also help tremendously.
These people contribute to the congestion problem. Congestion slows down commutes for those that need to drive into the city. Congestion also increases pollution and wear and tear on roads/bridges/tunnels. It slows economic activity as well.
Anyway New Yorkers, the new era is not car friendly. The city is slowly but surely taking back the streets. From 20 MPH slow zones, pedestrian plazas, bike lanes, bus only lanes, curb extensions, and definately expect speed cameras soon. Too many New Yorkers are suffering the effects of Asthma, accidents, and lost economic potential (parking garage or mixed use construction, you be the judge).
Last edited by nykiddo718718; 12-20-2012 at 11:47 PM..
Being able to walk to stores and mass transport is not only an attribute of cities when you are talking about the northeast. A lot of the NYC suburbs with origins going back to towns founded in th 1700s and 1800s are very walkable, and often based around a railroad station on main street. Not everything outside the city is a sidewalkless subdvision in Phoenix.
I lived in the Brooklyn and Manhattan for 15 years, and there are many great things about it. I did plenty of walking. But I also did plenty of subway rides (which are really not that great, the overground train is much more civilized (noise, dirt etc) and comfortable) and plenty of cab rides. Plus the supermarkets were crappy. And the idea that everything you want is within a 15 minute walk? - only applies if you've got a small life or you just mean everything for subsistence.
People rant about walkability, but mainly just walk to the subway. Its akin to having all the great institutions and cultural opportunities in the city, that 2/3rds of the residents never use!
Plenty of narcissism of course.
Having said that, anyone who commutes by car is nuts.
Most americans are safely in a bubble at all times. If they really sat and thought about it, quite frankly they barely interact with anyone their entire lives. Urban living is the only way to LIVE in comparison.
Hysterical.
In an urban setting, you are completely isolated from the reality of how to feed, clothe and shelter yourself without the Ultimate Bubble: the fragile, compex infrastructure.
The only way to LIVE is, IMO, a rural village. And my view is as valid as yours.
In an urban setting, you are completely isolated from the reality of how to feed, clothe and shelter yourself without the Ultimate Bubble: the fragile, compex infrastructure.
The only way to LIVE is, IMO, a rural village. And my view is as valid as yours.
Is it still valid if you say living in the middle of no where by yourself is the only way to live?
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