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View Poll Results: Do you need a car in Seattle?
Yes 19 42.22%
No 26 57.78%
Voters: 45. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 10-12-2013, 04:50 PM
 
647 posts, read 1,519,277 times
Reputation: 330

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And does the rain make not having a car suck?
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Old 10-12-2013, 05:26 PM
 
905 posts, read 1,098,629 times
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Depends on which part of town you're in.

Generally speaking, the closer you are to the city core, the less reliant you are on a car. It becomes much more convenient to have one in some of the more isolated off areas of town though (ie - West Seattle or Magnolia).

And the rain? It isn't even bad most of the time - more of a light drizzle. Then again, I'm a native, so what doesn't bother me at all, might drive a transplant crazy.
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Old 10-12-2013, 08:28 PM
 
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,346 posts, read 80,658,912 times
Reputation: 57351
Definitely not. I know several people without cars living in Ballard, Capital Hill and West Seattle. There is plenty of bus service, and if you do need to go farther out or even on a trip there is Car2Go and Rideshare.
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Old 10-12-2013, 09:41 PM
 
723 posts, read 2,190,379 times
Reputation: 927
it's very easy to be car free, especially if you live near rapid ride, doubly so if you live near a zipcar station.

if you live out in the sticks and the only thing you have is one of those 30 minute every so often buses that are typically full and only run during peak hours then it's a lost cause.

plus parking in the downtown core (if you live there) is very expensive. 250-350 bucks monthly in alot of places.
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Old 10-13-2013, 12:27 AM
 
Location: Nashville
3,533 posts, read 5,811,066 times
Reputation: 4708
Some people are content with never leaving a 5 mile radius of concrete and pavement.. A trip to the park counts as an outdoors expedition. Some of us like to drive around and see a little bit more of the area... Unless, you are one of those people who has a phobia of leaving a congested urban area, which I have met a few, then you certainly need a car for Seattle. Anywhere in the West Coast pretty much requires a car, if you are not confined living in the overpriced trendy inner city districts of the city, like Capital Hill, QUeen Anne, Downtown ,Belltown, etc.. As for me, I get the opposite feeling when I am stuck around traffic, cars, congestion and the same ol scenery over and over again..

If you want to travel the Seattle area, a car is a must.. Same goes for any city in the West Coast.. Buses just suck and distances are just to stretched out.
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Old 10-13-2013, 12:32 AM
 
642 posts, read 1,111,712 times
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How late does the transit run? Is it easy to catch busses/trains between midnight and 3AM?
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Old 10-13-2013, 01:12 AM
 
644 posts, read 1,184,820 times
Reputation: 532
Living without a car in the inner neighborhoods of Seattle is about as easy as it is in the Northeast/Chicago/SF. In some cases it's even easier here because of Car2Go, which most large cities don't have. Seattle is less densely populated than those places, but what actually matters is your own situation. If you can get to work and basic neighborhood amenities without a car, then you can probably live without a car. Another major advantage of Seattle is that its urban and suburban transit systems are very well integrated.

Even though the Northeast/Chicago/SF have better transit, the rules of choosing neighborhoods still apply. Even in NYC, that supposed mecca of public transit and walkability, you can't just live anywhere in the city without a car. Cars are almost a requirement in large parts of Queens and Staten Island.

This really just comes down to the individual and your tolerance for sitting on a bus, and more importantly, waiting for it to come and potentially missing it. And yes, if you like to drive out to the wilderness on a regular basis, then you'll probably want a car.

I live here without a car, and pay a premium to be in a neighborhood that doesn't require me to have one. But since owning a car would cost me at least $350/month, it's definitely worth it. I'm young, so insurance would cost me a small fortune. People who are older or have bigger budgets would find car costs ownership costs easier to stomach.

Living without a car means you're going to make sacrifices that a lot of people won't want to make. But there's a pretty big cost savings involved if you can pull it off.
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Old 10-13-2013, 01:16 AM
 
Location: Kent, WA
30 posts, read 81,379 times
Reputation: 27
Depends on where you live. emerald octane have said it for me pretty much.

See I currently living on the West Hill of Kent, pain in the ass to get to everywhere. The closest store is a Fred Meyer that's like 30 minutes walk. But as for downtown Kent where I've lived prior to moving up the hill, I say it's really convenient as you got a bus 150 that runs latest at 1am and it runs pretty much every 15 minutes or so, and you got sounder train too.

If you're moving, make sure you study the area well enough.
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Old 10-13-2013, 01:34 AM
 
644 posts, read 1,184,820 times
Reputation: 532
Quote:
Originally Posted by abqpsychlist View Post
How late does the transit run? Is it easy to catch busses/trains between midnight and 3AM?
Most routes stop running sometime around midnight or 1 am. The actual time depends on the route. A lot of routes reduce frequency beginning earlier in the night, at 10 or 11 pm.
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Old 10-13-2013, 06:14 AM
 
Location: Berlin, Germany
507 posts, read 1,666,511 times
Reputation: 345
I lived in Capitol Hill for three years and was perfectly a car. It made perfect sense in my situation because:

- I walked to work, so no need for a car for commuting
- I like walking and from CH it is an easy walk to downtown and some other parts of town
- CH is well connected public transitwise
- There are lots of Zipcars in CH which I mainly used to get out into the mountains on weekends
- Car2Go is a good option for moving within the City

Generally you probably want to sign up with Zipcar and car2go if you decide not to own a car and also spend some money on it. I probably spent around 3K a year on car sharing and hire cars (including gas, insurance, everything) and that's still significantly less than owning. In CH you'd spend around $125 a month on a parking spot at least, and with the parking situation there you'd really want your own spot.
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