Granny carts and delivery food: living carless in Chicago (Viola: to rent, insurance)

[HillaryClare]

Because my already ridiculously high insurance will only increase if I move to Chicago and also because I heard it's not really necessary to have a car there (not to mention much cheaper), I will not be having a car when/if I end up moving there this spring.

For those of you who do or have lived without cars, how has your overall experience been? I think the hardest thing for me will be grocery shopping, but I'm planning on getting one of those granny carts to make hauling the groceries easier. Right now I use my car multiple times a day, so not having one at all might be hard to get used to, but saving money and not having to deal with parking will probably make it worth it.

[chicagojlo]

The easiest thing is to shop more often and buy less. You can also use peapod.com to get the bigger stuff delivered, and join a car-share service like Zipcars or iGo for those Costco and Target trips.

I used to just carry my groceries home on the bus when I lived in the Loop, I would take my strong reusable bags and pack them to balance and off I would go. But I'm from Europe and at the time I still had never driven a car! In Amsterdam I used to bike home from the supermarket with my groceries. Totally normal there.

[HillaryClare]

^

Thanks for the tips! To rent a car from zipcar or iGo, would you have to have a good driving record? My sub-par driving record is the reason my insurance is high haha and a hairdresser in Chicago told me that she wasn't allowed to rent a Zipcar because she had a ticket within the last two years.

[Jesse69]

Just get a bike with a rack and two Jandd Commuter panniers and you can go grocery shopping by bike. If you want to do heavy duty 100 lbs of grocery shopping then get a $280 Burley Nomad with the alternate hitch.

[aragx6]

Hillary,

From ZipCar's Website:

Have a driving record that meets the following requirements:

Have had no more than two "incidents" (moving violations or accidents) in the past three years and no more than one in the past 18 months.

Have had no major violations in the past three years.
-- Major Violations

• Excessive speed (20 mph or more over speed limit)
• Operating to endanger, reckless driving, etc.
• Leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage
• Operating a motor vehicle with a suspended or revoked license
• Speeding in a school zone (or similar events)

• Have had no alcohol or drug related violations in the past seven years.

[JBVirtuoso]

I typically don't make big purchases. But when I do, I sort of just hope for the best and drag it all on the bus. I'll usually save big purchases for off-peak times when I know the bus will be mostly empty. The buses do have a little area up front where you can set maybe 5 or 6 grocery bags. Of course, it's really nice if you're within walking distance of a grocery store. Then the cart is probably the best way to do it.

[Chicago South Sider]

I lived without a car for about a year and hated it. This is not New York. You need a car here.

[chicagojlo]

You don't need a car at all. I only learnt to drive because I was moving to the suburbs.

[Chicago South Sider]

Originally Posted by chicagojlo

You don't need a car at all. I only learnt to drive because I was moving to the suburbs.

Maybe you don't but I do. I ride my bike a lot during the warmer months.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by chicagojlo

You don't need a car at all.

I find my car the best way to get to 100th and Avenue G.