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I am really surprised every time I see this vehement hatred of cars. I lived in NYC my whole life and didn't have a car, but now we got kids so we happily moved

I am really surprised every time I see this vehement hatred of cars. I lived in NYC my whole life and didn't have a car, but now we got kids so we happily moved for the house-and-car-in-the-burbs life and it's absolutely better. People make this choice for a reason. Just curious, do you have a family and do you shlep them by bus everywhere?

ako 4y ago
We have two cars, but anything within walking or cycling distance I prefer to do walking or cycling. E.g., 10 minutes walk to school with the kids, 20 minutes cycling into the city to do shopping,
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
p0pcult 4y ago
Cars existing != car centric culture. Have you been to, say, the Netherlands? There are plenty of cars in Amsterdam, but it is the opposite of a car centric culture. Bikes and pedestrians abound (including bikes with places to "shlep" your kids or cargo around), and they all have right of way, anywhere, and the drivers generally seem to respect it. Contrast that with a big American city like NYC, and though probably the vast majority of New Yorkers don't own a car, it is still very car-first in the priority of who gets to use the streets.
- stuaxo 4y ago
  The Netherlands wasn't always like this, pics of it in the 70s show a typical car centric (in European standards) place with cars everywhere. Not being America there will have actually been sidewalks everywhere though.
Aeolun 4y ago
I think the issue is that you don’t get to choose. Just because your city is walkable doen’t mean you need to walk everywhere. I go basically everywhere walking, but if I visit my friend the next city over we take the car.
sfpotter 4y ago
Better how? You don’t actually say why you prefer your new lifestyle. Clearly lots of people prefer to live without a car. Have you ever bothered having a conversation with them? Maybe if you did, you’d be less surprised!
- eweise 4y ago
  Its easy to go places like the beach, camping, skiing, fishing, golfing, etc. Basically all the things I like to do except biking and hiking which I can do from my house.
  - Gigachad 4y ago
    These are all occasional things. Day to day life is better car free. And then when you want to go out you can rent a car. Or even own one. You don’t have to use a car for every single activity just because you sometimes go skiing.
    - mtrower 4y ago
      Until you want to do things like bring groceries home (more than you can carry in your two hands), or something novel like, say, building materials. People do do those sorts of things, you know. Or are you telling me that day to day life is better if I'm not a woodworker? More food for thought: how cold does it have to get, with how much snow on the ground, before walking can be reasonably said to be unattractive to the average individual?
      - Gigachad 4y ago
        When I’m doing a big shop I just get it delivered to my door. Costs from $2-$10AUD. I’m not claiming there are no things where a car is useful. But having to drive regularly is depressing. My life improved so much when I moved out of the suburbs and in to a walkable area. Sitting in traffic twice a day was sending me insane. While walking makes me feel better.
        4y ago
QIYGT 4y ago
A whole lot of people who can afford to live anywhere in the world and choose to raise their kids in NYC disagree with you.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
chasd00 4y ago
I feel the same, lived in a large city when single just to be part of all the hustle and bustle. I liked it but I mean eventually all the bars/restaurants/music venues start becoming the same. Got married and started a family, eventually moved out to the suburbs. It’s MUCH better for families. Good public schools nearby, lots more parks and stuff geared for kids. Very safe, like leave your doors unlocked overnight safe. Yeah I have to drive more but I don’t mind, the benefits definitely outweigh the drawbacks.
- jchmrt 4y ago
  But of those benefits you mention, most are not in contradiction with a walkable neighbourhood. In my home town, most things are in walking and biking distance and we still have good public schools, lots of parks and safety. These things have nothing to do with cars, if you just make the choice to create them somewhere walkable.

ako 4y ago

We have two cars, but anything within walking or cycling distance I prefer to do walking or cycling. E.g., 10 minutes walk to school with the kids, 20 minutes cycling into the city to do shopping,

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

p0pcult 4y ago

Cars existing != car centric culture. Have you been to, say, the Netherlands? There are plenty of cars in Amsterdam, but it is the opposite of a car centric culture. Bikes and pedestrians abound (including bikes with places to "shlep" your kids or cargo around), and they all have right of way, anywhere, and the drivers generally seem to respect it. Contrast that with a big American city like NYC, and though probably the vast majority of New Yorkers don't own a car, it is still very car-first in the priority of who gets to use the streets.

stuaxo 4y ago
The Netherlands wasn't always like this, pics of it in the 70s show a typical car centric (in European standards) place with cars everywhere. Not being America there will have actually been sidewalks everywhere though.

Aeolun 4y ago

I think the issue is that you don’t get to choose. Just because your city is walkable doen’t mean you need to walk everywhere. I go basically everywhere walking, but if I visit my friend the next city over we take the car.

sfpotter 4y ago

Better how? You don’t actually say why you prefer your new lifestyle. Clearly lots of people prefer to live without a car. Have you ever bothered having a conversation with them? Maybe if you did, you’d be less surprised!

eweise 4y ago
Its easy to go places like the beach, camping, skiing, fishing, golfing, etc. Basically all the things I like to do except biking and hiking which I can do from my house.
- Gigachad 4y ago
  These are all occasional things. Day to day life is better car free. And then when you want to go out you can rent a car. Or even own one. You don’t have to use a car for every single activity just because you sometimes go skiing.
  - mtrower 4y ago
    Until you want to do things like bring groceries home (more than you can carry in your two hands), or something novel like, say, building materials. People do do those sorts of things, you know. Or are you telling me that day to day life is better if I'm not a woodworker? More food for thought: how cold does it have to get, with how much snow on the ground, before walking can be reasonably said to be unattractive to the average individual?
    - Gigachad 4y ago
      When I’m doing a big shop I just get it delivered to my door. Costs from $2-$10AUD. I’m not claiming there are no things where a car is useful. But having to drive regularly is depressing. My life improved so much when I moved out of the suburbs and in to a walkable area. Sitting in traffic twice a day was sending me insane. While walking makes me feel better.
      - 4y ago

QIYGT 4y ago

A whole lot of people who can afford to live anywhere in the world and choose to raise their kids in NYC disagree with you.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

chasd00 4y ago

I feel the same, lived in a large city when single just to be part of all the hustle and bustle. I liked it but I mean eventually all the bars/restaurants/music venues start becoming the same. Got married and started a family, eventually moved out to the suburbs. It’s MUCH better for families. Good public schools nearby, lots more parks and stuff geared for kids. Very safe, like leave your doors unlocked overnight safe. Yeah I have to drive more but I don’t mind, the benefits definitely outweigh the drawbacks.

jchmrt 4y ago
But of those benefits you mention, most are not in contradiction with a walkable neighbourhood. In my home town, most things are in walking and biking distance and we still have good public schools, lots of parks and safety. These things have nothing to do with cars, if you just make the choice to create them somewhere walkable.