You've made the decision to live without a car. Congratulations! While a car is a useful solution to getting from place to place, it can also cost a lot of money to maintain. Cars can also cause a lot of unneeded stress. Without one,...
The thing is it shouldn’t even need to be a city. Sure, cities can afford transit and many other amenities, but there’s no reason not to have a higher density area at the center of pretty much any town or village. There’s no reason you can’t have people in walking distance to whatever your town has to offer. Not everyone, of course, some will always want to be alone. But every town should be able to offer some sort of amenities and a reason to live there. Even if it’s just a diner and general store, you should be able to offer a compelling car-free existence.
I grew up in a town of 14,000 where there was a central business area, with houses and apartments in walking distance. My grandparents lived on a farm outside a village of 450, that had a walkable, higher density town center. If older places could do it, so can newer.
My current town is much bigger, 50,000 and a bedroom community of a major city. I live in a single family home, but can walk to the town center. We have a train station into the city, that’s a transportation hub with taxis, buses, scooters, Ubers, kayaks, and right next to the town common and city hall. We have a library, post office, and so many hair and nail salons. We have a regular grocery and an Indian grocery, and tons of shops and restaurants of various cultures. The so enter is surrounded by apartment buildings, then three deckers, and single family homes like mine are still walking distance! During pandemic, our new family activity became walking to the town center, grabbing kebabs, and eating in a bench on the Common. There are a lot of towns of this size, and you too should be able to have city-like amenities on a smaller scale.
Unfortunately I do have to use a car to goto work, but I work from home half the time. Many weeks I use my car only twice to work and once to the grocery, like three miles each, a bit far to walk. It’s an EV so a little gentler on the environment and I never need a gas station. But between the hills and my bad knees, and snow part of the year, cycling is out. I’m sure it would be cheaper to bus and uber the few places I need to, but it’s hard to entirely give up my car
I understand. Still, if and when you can, try to use the bus and develop a routine with it. That way you also fund and promote public transportation. Maybe even meet some cool people.
I spent enough money to buy a house in 15 years of rent in the nearest city.
I rode a bike and subway mostly of that time until we got fed up giving landlords all our savings and bought a car and moved to the country to start a family.
That should be any city.
The thing is it shouldn’t even need to be a city. Sure, cities can afford transit and many other amenities, but there’s no reason not to have a higher density area at the center of pretty much any town or village. There’s no reason you can’t have people in walking distance to whatever your town has to offer. Not everyone, of course, some will always want to be alone. But every town should be able to offer some sort of amenities and a reason to live there. Even if it’s just a diner and general store, you should be able to offer a compelling car-free existence.
I grew up in a town of 14,000 where there was a central business area, with houses and apartments in walking distance. My grandparents lived on a farm outside a village of 450, that had a walkable, higher density town center. If older places could do it, so can newer.
My current town is much bigger, 50,000 and a bedroom community of a major city. I live in a single family home, but can walk to the town center. We have a train station into the city, that’s a transportation hub with taxis, buses, scooters, Ubers, kayaks, and right next to the town common and city hall. We have a library, post office, and so many hair and nail salons. We have a regular grocery and an Indian grocery, and tons of shops and restaurants of various cultures. The so enter is surrounded by apartment buildings, then three deckers, and single family homes like mine are still walking distance! During pandemic, our new family activity became walking to the town center, grabbing kebabs, and eating in a bench on the Common. There are a lot of towns of this size, and you too should be able to have city-like amenities on a smaller scale.
Unfortunately I do have to use a car to goto work, but I work from home half the time. Many weeks I use my car only twice to work and once to the grocery, like three miles each, a bit far to walk. It’s an EV so a little gentler on the environment and I never need a gas station. But between the hills and my bad knees, and snow part of the year, cycling is out. I’m sure it would be cheaper to bus and uber the few places I need to, but it’s hard to entirely give up my car
I understand. Still, if and when you can, try to use the bus and develop a routine with it. That way you also fund and promote public transportation. Maybe even meet some cool people.
So almost any town?
I became much richer when i moved into the city and sold my car.
Cars are a drain on your money, time, and mental health
I spent enough money to buy a house in 15 years of rent in the nearest city.
I rode a bike and subway mostly of that time until we got fed up giving landlords all our savings and bought a car and moved to the country to start a family.
Here’s a convenient list of affordable cities in the US.
https://youtu.be/IKxR06isoLU