Car free living? (Seattle, Bellevue: renting, daycare, home)

[azoria]

Originally Posted by miguel_loves_jesus

I live in downtown and am car-free. Only been here for about a month.

Just wait till it starts raining, mizzling, drizzling......all day every day, and you're humping groceries a mile home from Safeway in the rain. For months on end. You'll be calling it something besides "amazing".

[shoegal111]

Originally Posted by specificnorthwest

How realistic is it to live car-free (or reasonably car-free) in Seattle?
And what parts of Seattle would that limit me to?
It would be myself, my wife and a toddler..

I'm considering a move, but one of the things we like about our current lifestyle is very little dependence on automobiles. Biking is ok, but I'm more of a walker and love to use mass transit so long as its a reliable, convenient & pleasant experience.

Thanks

I lived in the downtown proper without a car for 2 years and didn't have a problem. I took the bus, monorail and/or cab when needed. My entire transportation bill for a year was $720. Lower the second year when a grocery store opened up on 3rd ave.

Our building also had a zip car which I didn't use and I often shared a ride with a friend/neighbor for shopping,etc. It helped her with gas money.

[davidsroot]

wow. people are demanding about comfort and immediateness. I've lived here for five years sans automobile. Presently I live in Wallingford but I also lived in Madrona for two years. I have never had any problem getting anywhere I needed or wanted to go. I can't stand to hear people complaining about metro tranist. You've obviously never lived in a older eastern city. Sure they're sometimes late but that's the passengers fault and the people who hold the busses up with thousands of questions and then don't even get on the bus.

Walking your grocciers home in the rain for months on end...... everyone who lives here knows it doesn't rain for months on end ceaselessly. I go from Wallyworld to Capital Hill to Downtown to UW to northgate with no problems what so ever. Some people really hate to be inconvenienced by walking or waiting but really it's healthy for your mind and body. I'm no christian but patience is a virtue.

People always complain about parking in Seattle, people who live on bus lines can't comprehend that a bus into city night life and a taxi out can save alot more than money in parking and tickets. Unless you live in north (shoreline, which is easy on bus also), south, or west seattle you can get anywhere for a 1.75$ and some pages of your favorite book in no time. If you live on east side, well stay there (i'm a bit snarky about that). I see people with toddlers on the bus all the time and they seem pretty happy, probably because their children are actually safer on the bus then in car.

We need less cars in Seattle. Buy a raincoat and an umbrella for winter.

[Dweeby]

Originally Posted by davidsroot

I have never had any problem getting anywhere I needed or wanted to go. I can't stand to hear people complaining about metro tranist. You've obviously never lived in a older eastern city.

I have known a lot of people with your ideas about public transportation being good for everyone, who have given up their own cars, and so on. Some are quite dogmatic about suburban dwellers who supposedly choke the environment with their commutes into the city, how "Back east, nobody needs a car" and so on.

Without exception, despite this pro-bus rhetoric, every single one of them has been a ride moocher, requesting, then expecting rides from their car-owning friends and acquaintances.

I'll give someone a ride if they live in my area, ask me before the event for the ride and offer a little gas money without being asked first (which I
generally won't take anyway). Unfortunately, there are too many car-less people who either come to social events without their ride home arranged in advance and then expect someone to rescue them, or are pushy and say "I'm riding home with you!" instead of asking, who never offer a little money for gas, who claim their house or bus stop is nearby (but it really isn't), want to run three errands on the way to the event, or ask on the group's e-mail list who is going to an event without being upfront in that post that what they're looking for is a ride.

[eskercurve]

About the ride mooching thing, my solution to that is drive a two seater sports car. Works for me

[Backstrom]

This is a reader blog on the PI by a woman who doesn't own a car and uses transit to get around:

Bus Chick, Transit Authority

[davidsroot]

actually, you misinterpreted... back east the cities as older and usually do not accommodate public trans very well, trying using the bus system in Pittsburgh or Phily. The best bus systems I've seen are in San Fran and Vancuver.

sorry about the ride mooching... if none is offered I either walk or take the bus. many a nights i take a quiet silent walk home from capital hill. I realize this is an odd thing to do by the reactions when I tell people a over one hour walk at 2:30 in the morning is pleasant to me.. especially with a nice buzz.. and yes I have lost a pair of shoes or two to the rain and yeah that sucks. When I do ask for a ride sometimes I get dropped off a mile or so from my home because I don't want to put them out.

Seems your problem isn't with the buses but with the people you know and the fact that you'd never give up your car... if I could afford all that crap I'd probably still own one but I'd still take the bus everywhere. It's cheaper, cleaner and personally other people on the road really tick me off when I drive.

but I think we've gotten away from ourselves here...

[LookinForMayberry]

While we lived in Fremont, above Westlake, and in the U-District, we managed very well with using one car for grocery and out of town trips. After a few years of walking, biking and using the transit, I was ready to broaden my horizons. I started working out of the area where those means were useful. While the community transit systems are great coming into Seattle, getting around Seattle is a challenge with all of the transfers.

[specificnorthwest]

good discussion, thanks again for all the responses..soulds like its possible, especially for someone who is used to that lifestyle already (like us)...i will look more into the zipcar things, it might be better to have cheap car for the excursions...it will limit by neigborhood choices a bit, but i want to be close to downtown anyway...and who know after a while i may want to move further out and re-evaluate.

and yes, old transit systems out here in the east are not enjoyable at all...whatever i have experienced this for on the pac nw on the few trips i've made is miles ahead, so that makes it seem even more feasable to use it every day.

[JesseJB]

I've been carless downtown for about three years. If I need groceries, thats what Pike Place Market, IGA and Whole Foods are for. And with the light rail in place, Uwajamaya is now an option for me, too. Not to mention the other kickass cheap food joints in Pioneer Square and Chinatown. When the weather sucks, have a good pair of boots, waterproof coat and an umbrella. Problem solved. And with all the fresh food options in the downtown area, there is no reason a single person needs to haul home more than two or three bags of groceries at a time anyways. Just go again tomorrow!

The only time it can really suck is if you are throwing a party and need to get multiple cases of beer and walk past a million bums and street rats asking for one. I usually have my friends help out in that situation.