For what reasons do you own a car in NYC? (live, buses)

[Airborneguy]

You don't need to experience something yourself to be proven wrong. That doesnt make sense. Are you saying that you're right on any topic up until you find out otherwise, but only on your own? So no one can question the size of my you know what, as long as I never pull my pants down again right?

This is what people who have to face real life deal with in NYC: people who don't know anything about our reality, but still insist upon holding strong opinions on it.

[ninintothevoid]

Lived in Astoria, worked in White Plains. Taking mass transit (at 5:30am) required a 10-15 min walk to the N, 15 minute subway to Queensboro Plaza, 10 min 7 train to Grand Central, then 40 min train ride to White Plains. Took(if i timed it right) roughly 90 min to 2 hrs to get to White Plains. Between subway and Metro North, it cost 400-500/month. Compare that to 40 min drive over the Triboro to White Plains. If I worked in Manhattan, I wouldn't need a car, but if I worked in Brooklyn and lived in Queens, or worked in Nassau County, it makes no sense economically or time wise to take the train. What would help reduce car transit significantly without the expense of running more light rail are dedicated bus lanes and congestion pricing.

[30to66at55]

All I know is I like to splash people waiting at bus stops on rainy days when I do drive in the city.

So much for public transportation being an efficient and enjoyable way to travel.

[NyWriterdude]

Replies in Bold!

Originally Posted by nykiddo718718

How often does the average New Yorker travel locally outside the city (metro area)? I would say rarely. NYC is very neighborhood centric. Is car share such a burden that it can't be handled a few times a year? A Zip Car trip to Jones Beach or Jersey Shore, completely doable. IMO, I would rather take the train to Philly or Boston and stay in a hotel located centrally near mass transit. Anything farther I would fly.

Its not about what the average New York does. Its about what the individual New Yorker does. When I went to Cornell I went back and forth between New York and Ithaca all the time. That's locally. At times I went by car (4 hour drive), at times I went by car. I have had jobs in Nassau and Suffolk County, and I would accept such jobs again for the right pay (ditto for the right job in other suburban counties). If I did it long enough, I would definitely need to think about investing in a car.



How often do you travel between Central Queens and the North Bronx? Definitely not a common trip. For those that have to on a regular basis, I can understand a car. But most people don't make that trip often enough. Even if you visit someone/or a place a couple times of year mass transit is not bad or you could even just take a cab (Still cheaper then owning a car).

It can be a common trip. For those who get jobs in education, you're not sure what school or college you'll get jobs in. You may have to commute, and a lot of people I know in the education field end up getting cars and driving. People commonly do go back and forth between the Bronx and Queens, for a lot of reasons. Maybe you never leave your neighborhood, but you should speak for yourself and your friends.

But cars are not the fastest or most cost effective mode of travel in many cases. Especially when traveling to those areas that are the most frequent destinations (Typically in Manhattan). Most trips are pretty short too (Under 3 miles).

Who said anything about cost effectiveness. They definitely are the fastest. I've timed trips through the metro area by car. Car for any significant distance is always the fastest way to go.

Of course, but how often do you find yourself in a supermarket? Why not get it delivered or take a cab if you must. Still cheaper then owning a car.

Why not mind your own business? Its not your money!



Well I previously stated most New Yorkers live in or near the core, that most New Yorkers do not own a car and that even less commute via auto and I stand by those statements.

About half of the households in the city propper (5 boroughs) do earn a car. Those who can afford it typically want to drive places. Especially in the outer boroughs where public transportation is poor. We'll see my budget next year after paying off some major bills, but I will get a new car myself soon.

[BlakeJones]

Originally Posted by detroitdiesel

alright then please explain how I have been proven wrong if I have not even experienced the situation or come across the associated difficulties.

A sampling of things you need to bring with young kids:
- Stroller (one or more, or a double)
- Water bottles
- Extra diapers
- Wipes
- Snacks (or full on meal, often needing ice packs for refrigeration)
- Layers of clothing / coats
- Change of clothes
- Random toys
- Sunscreen, Hats

Places you want to go for education, fun, or necessity:
- Daycare / Pre-K / School
- Liberty Science Center (jersey city)
- New York Hall of Science (flushing, queens)
- Bronx Zoo
- Manhattan Children's Museum (UWS)
- Natural History Museum (UWS)
- Central Park
- Brooklyn Children's Museum (Crown Heights)
- Jones Beach (Nassau County)
- Robert Moses Park (Suffolk County)
- Imagination Playground (south street seaport)
- Brooklyn Bridge Playground
- East River Ferry
- Staten Island Ferry
- New York Aquarium (Coney Island)
- Ikea (Red Hook)
- Trader Joe's (Maspeth or Atlantic Ave Bklyn)
- New York Transit Museum (downtown Brooklyn)
- Citi Field / Yankee Stadium
- Six Flags Amusement Park (Jackson, NJ)
- Sesame Place (Langhorne, PA)
- Smith Playground / Please Touch Museum (Philadelphia, PA)


These destinations are all over the place. Even if you live near one or it's fast by subway, the others will not be. You have to lug around all that stuff, and there is a finite amount of time between when they need naps or a real meal and when the kids start being a public menace to society. At that point even the subway riders would wish you took the car

[Adhom]

I know this thread is about owning cars in NYC but once again it boils down to another example of "why don't things that work for me, work for the entire universe." The problem isn't cars or bikes. The problem is attitude. I happen to own a car but I'm not adding to the traffic problem because I rarely drive into Manhattan. I also NEVER double park or block buses. I don't do this because I don't value my own convenience over everyone else who happens to use the road. The people who double park and block traffic do. But so do the people who J walk in front of oncoming traffic and bikers who run red lights. Ultimately it's not about whether you bike or not; it is about how selfish you are as a person.

[30to66at55]

The problem is that most posters on here are chicken coop dwellers who exhibit the typical mind myopia of the classic Manhattanite. They dont understand that "New York City" is not their concrete and pavement paradise and that there is actually a life and a large country on either side of the Hudson and East Rivers.

Its so sad that they are so naive and ignorant of the world around them and then criticize others when they cant understand that the world doesnt want to peddle their cruiser bike and sip lattes.

[Jasper03]

There are some places you just don't want to drive to every day. Looking for parking or using a garage is fine when you drive once in awhile but who wants to do that everyday if you don't have to?

I think it's nice to have the best of both worlds...easy access to public transportation and a car to use occasionally if you can manage it.

Originally Posted by 30to66at55

All I know is I like to splash people waiting at bus stops on rainy days when I do drive in the city.

So much for public transportation being an efficient and enjoyable way to travel.

[cee4]

OP doesn't understand NYC consists of all 5 boroughs and not just Manhattan/Brooklyn.

[city living]

Originally Posted by nykiddo718718

If you write down your uses for owning a POV and they only consist of occasional local travel, commuting and food shopping are you really saving money by comparison shopping? A Zip Car subscription (local getaways), Fresh Direct or delivery from local supermarkets (food) and a MetroCard (commute) combined may be cheaper. I understand you have a unique situation (medical). Of course I would not want you to involve yourself in an activity that will cause you pain. The problem is those that are healthy yet choose to drive a couple miles rather then take mass transit, bike or walk. The % of people citywide who own a car should be much lower.

The money I save on not having a car + insurance + fuel + parking + occasional tickets + maintenance is why I travel often.

I drive my car every night to work. This is a five minute drive. It would take me a half an hour to walk there (which, as I said I do not do because it's desolate and I work third shift.) Fresh Direct isn't cheap AT ALL. Zip Car requires a subscription and you need to book it. (Sometimes I will go shopping after work at 6 in the morning---if I want to go, I just want to GO.) I like to make one or two bigger shopping trips a month. I have a feeling most people would be SHOCKED at how much they spend on food. I know I was once I started to keep track of it and actually lowered our food bill a couple of hundred a month. So yes, I use my car to shop sales and the closest BIG supermarket requires me to drive but I do not explicitly have a car for this reason.

What I pay in fuel every month is usually the same or less than a monthly Metrocard (which I currently do not have/need) unless I am traveling somewhere outside of the city, which I did last weekend. My insurance is very reasonable, I do not pay for parking and I do not get tickets. Maintenance is mostly free for me because my dad is a mechanic. The car is something I want. People choose to spend their money on certain things and I am a big cheapskate when it comes to a lot of things but I do not see myself getting rid of my car.

BTW---You would never know by looking at me that I suffer from chronic pain. Lots of people look healthy and aren't. I am one of them. I agree that there are plenty of older people that should not be driving and yes there are plenty of senior citizens utilizing mass transit but there are also tons of senior citizens taking car service, Access-a-Ride, etc.

And no where in there did I say I could not afford to travel. My husband and I purchased a co-op at the end of 2012. We would like to do renovations and I'm about to be laid-off. We are not hard up for money so we will be fine when I'm jobless but considering that I will be getting a new job eventually, I don't see us being able to take a legitimate vacation this year. We take lots of mini-trips and hiking is our THING. (Real hiking not hiking around Central Park.) But my point is a lot of people cannot afford to take an entire family to Europe or they cannot get their schedules aligned to even take a long enough trip to make it worth it.

What area of the city do you live in?

I live in Brooklyn. I live in a neighborhood with one train. Now, if I want to get anywhere near the train without a 15-20 minute walk uphill the entire way, I need to take a bus. That bus (still a few blocks away) stops running at 12 or 1 AM which really puts me off from wanting to travel anywhere late at night out of my area. Of course, I moved further away from the train once we purchased a co-op. We live amongst wealthier people I guess (and we are not wealthy LOL) so a lot of people along my avenue take the Express Bus which is too expensive for us.

Many automobile trips in NYC are slower or equal to mass transit. Bicycles are always faster for shorter distances door to door (especially in the core of the city). Most New Yorkers do not face hour long trips via mass transit. Most New Yorkers reside in Manhattan, North Brooklyn, the West Bronx and West Queens; along with most amenities.

This is simply not true unless you're talking strictly about trips within Manhattan. Almost EVERY automobile trip I take is much faster than mass transit. Otherwise, there is no point. Today I walked to physical therapy and that is a forty-five minute walk. It would have taken me seven minutes to drive and a few minutes to park. And who are all of these people who do not require long trips via mass transit? Almost everyone I know has more than a thirty minute trip (often 45-60 minutes) to get to work.

I wouldn't buy a car just to visit my the couple friends of mine that live way out there. I just tell them to meet me wherever (which most often is Midtown/Downtown). If I would like to visit, I can always take a cab. Not like visit them all the time in their apartments.

My husband and I visit our friends at their homes regularly. (My husband does a lot of gaming.) I like having people over. And obviously, I have a lot of reasons for owning a car (not one) and they are all personally good reasons for me.

You were responding to my post in which I was talking about working full-time and working on my M.S. at the same time which required me to travel between three boroughs on any given day. That is a lot of traveling. Now let's say it takes me an hour and a half to get to work, which is entirely possibly for many people, by train/bus/whatever but only thirty minutes by car. If you have a family, you might start thinking, "Well, I have to work and my wife has to work and we have kids. Do I want to spend an extra two hours on public transit everyday or spend that with my family?" My husband and I already work opposite shifts so we don't see each other much during the week. We always talk about getting second jobs. I can't imagine spending a lot more time commuting than I already have to.

Trust me, if I had a job in the city (which I have before) I would never drive there. But any other borough, I'd think about it. As long as I get a seat on the train (which isn't always possible), I'm usually okay. But without being able to sit and having to stand still on a train is painful. I actually used to take the local train all the way to the city just so I could sit and relax before a stressful day at work. I didn't mind it.