I officially submitted all of my decisions today! Most of the emails I got in response to my rejections were very warm, but one professor just wrote "I hope this is a good decision for you." That kind of cemented my feeling that I made the right choice in turning them down. I mean . . . that's a bit passive aggressive, right?
I was born and raised in Los Angeles, and I have never owned a car! However, I have lived in other cities, this is how they rate:
Berkeley/San Francisco: I lived here off and on for the better part of a year. No car needed. The BART is marvelous, gets you anywhere you need, quickly. Transfers are lined up for you once you get out of the train. The only downside, they stop service at 12:30pm. The MUNI in SF is great, it runs late, some all day. I would carry my groceries from the train to my house, visit friends in the East Bay, shop all over, and walk the entire city.
St. Louis: Transportation has improved greatly in recent years. If you live near WashU, SLU or in downtown, you’ll be able to walk to just about everywhere you need. The train will be able to get you to the airport and most universities provide a transportation pass for free or at a heavy discount. Buses and train run from 6AM to about 2 AM. Trains run every 5-10 minutes. A lot of students walk and bike. A car makes everything 10-15 minutes away.
Ann Arbor: The University is so close to everything that you basically walk everywhere. However, I really didn't get around all that well. I am more of an urban voyeur and the city/town's buses weren't that efficient. A lot of students did have bikes though.
Washington, DC Definitely no car needed. You can even get to all three airports via public transportation, for less than 4 bucks. The china buses that run out by the metro center get you to nyc, philly, baltimore, and the whole east coast on a dime.
Santa Cruz, CA I did my undergrad here without a car. A car definitely has its positives, easy commute to the bay area, san jose, palo alto, etc. I did catch rides to SF/Berkeley from friends. The greyhound gets you around. The city buses are decent, not the best time tables, but they get you where you need to go. It's a little difficult since UCSC is up on a hill, a bit disconnected from downtown, but buses get you where you need to be.
Los Angeles, CA A car is needed, but if you are poor, the public transportation gets you going. I live in Silverlake and commute to downtown for work-it is one bus and does the job. LA mass transit is a legacy of erroneous public planning, but recently the MTA has stepped its game up and hired more drivers and increased the frequency of its routes. The metro is awkward in terms of its stops, but it will get you around the urban core. Its good if you go to CSULB, USC, and a few of the private small schools. But a car makes everywhere in LA only 30 minutes away.
