best US cities without a car

[Boolakanaka]

BTW, Portland is older than San Francisco and has much better comprehensive both public transportation and bike lanes....

[TalkPoliticsToMe]

On 3/26/2019 at 3:15 PM, DevoLevo said:

I am heavily considering accepting an offer from Stanford but am not a huge fan of Palo Alto. I also don't drive now and would like to keep that up in grad school, but as great as Stanford itself if, I imagine that Palo Alto gets real bubble-like if you don't have a car to escape now and then. Would love to hear perspective from people already getting by without a car.

My sister went to Stanford for undergrad without a car. She got around just fine, but highly recommends investing in a bike at the very least just to get around campus. For any needs involving getting out of Palo Alto (or really campus) she relied on friends that had cars, sucked it up and Uber/Lyft’d, or if she had to, navigated the public transit system to get into town.

[sgaw10]

Is there any chance I could get by in St. Louis without a car? Coming from Chicago, I prefer not to own a car. But I realize public transit down there isn't so great.

[dupuytren]

Chapel Hill, NC is very walkable itself. If you need to explore the area more freely, you sure need a car though. 
New Orleans is that way as well. Itself manageable without owning a car. But exploring the area at large, surrounding cities etc. You do need a car.

It will not be the choice of someone who finds Miami heat and east coast humidity unacceptable. Had you been ok with those, these might have been nice picks. 

 

 

[Meremeow]

Lived in Providence for two years sans car while doing my masters. I'd say it's a pretty good small city to live in without a car, although colleges are on a hill (aptly named college hill) so it did give my calves a workout. That said, us RISD hooligans mostly stayed downhill from the Ivy kids, minimizing unnecessary calf exercises. Halfway through my first year I started going out with someone who has a car and I must say that did broaden my horizons exponentially, especially for summer downtime.

[Warelin]

On 4/19/2019 at 2:22 PM, sgaw10 said:

Is there any chance I could get by in St. Louis without a car? Coming from Chicago, I prefer not to own a car. But I realize public transit down there isn't so great.

Depending on where you live, it could be very easy to live and get by without a car. There are a lot of transportation options near Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis University, University of Missouri - St. Louis and Webster University. Options around Downtown are also plentiful. Transportation options become harder when you move toward the suburbs which are more than 20 miles away from St. Louis city. However, St. Louis is affordable and has a wide variety of neighborhoods available depending on your preferences.

[LazarusRises]

Durham is very easy to get around in with just a bike. There are buses too, but I don't use them. Most people here have cars because it's impossible to get to the other cities in the Triangle (Raleigh and Chapel Hill) without one, but if you just want to hang out in town, it's honestly small enough to walk. \

I also used to live in the SF Bay, and was totally fine without a car there for six years. SF probably doesn't count as a small city (800k), but Berkeley/Oakland do. 

[LazarusRises]

I moved to Durham, NC for work about four months ago and have found it very easy to get around without a car. Mostly I bike, and use my car only when the weather is awful or I need to do a big grocery run. The city is fairly small, especially the downtown area. The only issue is that if you want to get anywhere else in the Triangle (i.e. Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Carey, etc.) you definitely need a car--intercity travel is on highways or not at all, and public transit isn't great. 

I used to live in the East Bay across from SF. San Francisco itself doesn't count as a small city (~800k), but Berkeley and Oakland might, and they're super easy to get around and between via bike and BART.

[PhilipGlassStanAccount]

On 3/16/2006 at 10:29 AM, Guest Mnemosyne9 said:

Lawrence, KS is an interesting case. Having lived here for four years, I can attest that you can probably get to class without a car, if you live in an apartment complex on the campus bus route. I have done it for three years, going by bike for one because I didn't live within walking distance of a bus stop. However, the public city buses are notoriously difficult and do not intersect with campus much at all. (One specific route does, but that's it, for the whole public system. I believe that bus only goes downtown, as well, not to West Lawrence. Correct me if I'm wrong.) Campus buses aside from those serving the dormitories only run every half-hour, as well, so it can be frustrating. Having to wait thirty minutes if you miss your bus can be a real pain.

 

As for getting groceries, going anywhere outside the city (including to the airport in Kansas City), and getting basically from West Lawrence to East Lawrence or Downtown, you need a car. No question about it. I take the campus bus every day, never drive to class or work (which is also on campus) but I have a car because you simply can't get to the store or run simple errands on the bus.

 

Re: Bikes, some people try it, and I did for about a semester, but it's not easy. There are only a few miles of bike lanes, which drivers generally ignore. Biking downtown is usually okay, but outside that small area, forget it. The city is car-based, and the streets (and driver attitudes) reflect that. Sidewalks are usually present, but often only on one side of the street and are not always kept in good condition.

 

In spite of all this, Lawrence is the most pedestrian/bus/bike friendly city in Kansas! I'm not joking. I am, on the other hand, moving to Oregon. And leaving my car behind.

14 years later, bus system is a lot better but there are so many freaking hills! Townies walk everywhere. There isn’t a good way to get to KC without a car though, that is still not a thing

[SocialKonstruct]

Salt Lake CIty, UT. I haven't driven in 8 years and the U of U campus is so easy to access via TRAX. Huge plus for those who hate driving like I do.

[SocialKonstruct]

Salt Lake City UT is ideal without a car. I don't drive whatsoever and I can use TRAX, bus, and Uber for everywhere in the city!

[raye237]

I've lived in Boston for four years without a car; seems like it would be a pain esp with parking. The T (metro), bus system, walking, and sometimes lyft/uber are totally sufficient. 

[adjunctlifer]

I actually think Boston is pretty hard without a car - the T is limiting at best. 
 

The T functions well for the core downtown area, but does a very poor job serving the residential neighborhoods. If you want to travel from South Boston (différent from the South End) to East Boston? Practically impossible. Dorchester to Allston? Might as well give up. Boston is a much larger area than what surrounds the Commons, and if you only stay in the downtown, you aren’t getting an authentic experience, as almost all the born and bred Bostonians live in the outlying neighborhoods. 

[wiedzma]

I noticed that a while back in this thread someone was asking if Binghamton is a good place to be without a car. Yes, it is very possible! I am finishing my undergrad degree there now and I've lived here for 4 years. Binghamton University has their own us system, the "blue buses", which are completely free for anyone with a BU campus ID. There are also many county buses that are all free with a campus ID as well. If you are living within the most populated student housing areas, transportation shouldn't be a problem at all. (Most of these buses are easily accessible from downtown binghamton, which is where the majority of students live anyway)

[ProAtOverthinking]

Hey. Congratulations, everyone who got admits, and good luck to those who are still awaiting for results. 

I was just wondering, how do you contact for housing accommodation? One way is through the university directed steps, but would it be just right to do so?

Please pitch in for any sort of suggestions. 

 

Edited March 10, 2021 by ProAtOverthinking

[abay91]

I opted for university housing during my first year, because I just wasn't super sure of going for an apartment w/o actually seeing it in-person. Also uni housing was cheaper in my case (it had wifi, utilities, a fully equipped kitchen) and was actually a really nice way to meet people not in my program. You'll also find future flatmates in dorms if you're coming in w/o knowing anyone else!

However, in most schools, grad housing can be more expensive, doesn't have cooking areas and come with expensive meal plans that you might not want. Some things I considered were rates and utilities covered, security deposit, quiet hours, visitor policy, types of people who would be your dorm mates, kitchen availability, kitchen equipment, bathroom and shower areas, furniture provided, curfew or other restrictions on mobility (ideally none!), distance from department, activities in common areas, and so on. I also had access to pictures of the dorm before deciding. I loved my dorm but I understand not everyone likes the dorm experience.

[flourkale]

I think I'm too lazy to travel without a car. But I admire people who do it.

[Cassy Sen]

You don't want a car in New York City

[_kita]

Philadelphia is very doable, as are the Philadelphia suburbs depending on where you go in Philly. I've lived in Philly for 8 years without needing to drive. You have trains, buses, trolley, and the subway system. Is is very comprehensive. Most places are within a 20-45 minutes trip for $3.25 at most (one transfer).

However some areas routes just not great - for instance from NE to NW Philadelphia. It's a 30 minute car ride at most, but a 80-90 minute bus ride.