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Thanks for the reminder, especially since I'm a Zipcar member
ZipCar is in a lot of cities beyond NYC, Chicago, Boston, DC and is active in the lower-tier transit cities we discussed such as Cleveland, Minneapolis and Pittsburgh. I utilized it while living in Philadelphia car-free to go for groceries as much of Philly's traditional supermarkets are gross so I would cross into NJ to go to Wegmans and buy wine/liquor at an independent store with lower prices than Pennsylvania's state-run stores.
Actually the presence (and number) of Zipcars is a decent proxy for the car-free-ness of a given neighborhood/city. NYC has thousands of zipcars, Boston, Philly, DC, Chicago, SF, Seattle, Baltimore, and Portland have hundreds, and many other cities have at least a few.
San Francisco, probably the most affordable big city to live in without a car (plenty of public transportation, high wages, reasonable rent in safe neighborhoods if you know where to look)
San Francisco, probably the most affordable big city to live in without a car (plenty of public transportation, high wages, reasonable rent in safe neighborhoods if you know where to look)
Aside from the cities that are typically mentioned, many smaller cities and college towns definitely have viable public transit in selected areas. For example, the Oakland/Squirrel Hill/Shadyside area of Pittsburgh has excellent bus service.
Actually the presence (and number) of Zipcars is a decent proxy for the car-free-ness of a given neighborhood/city. NYC has thousands of zipcars, Boston, Philly, DC, Chicago, SF, Seattle, Baltimore, and Portland have hundreds, and many other cities have at least a few.
It's not so much a proxy for "car-free-nes"s as it is for population density and demographic. I utilized ZipCar in both Philly and DC when I was living there and know how many there were. Cities like Cleveland and Minneapolis might have way fewer cars available but in all likelihood they're just as available to those who need them. It's all about proportion and wouldn't hazard to guess that Cleveland residents are less served simply because there's fewer cars. There's fewer car-free individuals so the odds might even be better. Many a weekend I couldn't find a Zipcar available in either DC or Philly.
DC, Boston, Philly & Chicago. In terms of getting around, they're not bad. The trains and stations OTOH are behind global standards.
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