3 ms·

You probably interact with the types of people who are more likely to spend time in the suburbs, by dint of living in a suburb. "Affording" a car in Boston is

by niam 3y ago

You probably interact with the types of people who are more likely to spend time in the suburbs, by dint of living in a suburb. "Affording" a car in Boston is stressful as hell even beyond the cost, and I wouldn't recommend it. My friends who both live and work in the city don't own cars. I ditched my car when I moved into city limits, and ride an EUC, bike, or train to work. The suburbs would have nothing for me if I didn't have family there. But even there, a weekend pass for the commuter rail costs $10 and can take me as far as Rhode Island if I want.

ghaff 3y ago
I'm actually even further out than the conventional suburbs. But, yes, I mostly know people in the city who routinely do hiking and paddling activities that practically require owning vehicles and who routinely get together with friends well outside of city limits. I think most of the people I know who own a car in the city have a dedicated parking space. So, yeah, city people I know have made a deliberate (and expensive) decision to live in the city but maintain the flexibility to drive elsewhere without a lot of friction. People naturally gravitate to lower friction. If activities like getting outside of the city/transit coverage is expensive/a pain you mostly just don't do it.
kdmccormick 3y ago
This is overly black and white IMO. For the million or so of us who live in the "first ring suburbs", e.g. Somerville, it's common to own a car for out-of-the-city trips, but use walking/biking/transit for day to day life and going out on the weekends.
- niam 3y ago
  Not trying to be black or white about it. I'm not extrapolating my experience, only offering what it is. If I didn't, the prevailing and only observation in this thread would be that it's uncommon to not own a car. And that doesn't match my experience at all, as someone who lives and works here. Though my anecdote is pretty heavily skewed the other direction towards skaters and the types of people who own PEVs.

by niam 3y ago

ghaff 3y ago

I'm actually even further out than the conventional suburbs. But, yes, I mostly know people in the city who routinely do hiking and paddling activities that practically require owning vehicles and who routinely get together with friends well outside of city limits. I think most of the people I know who own a car in the city have a dedicated parking space. So, yeah, city people I know have made a deliberate (and expensive) decision to live in the city but maintain the flexibility to drive elsewhere without a lot of friction. People naturally gravitate to lower friction. If activities like getting outside of the city/transit coverage is expensive/a pain you mostly just don't do it.

kdmccormick 3y ago

This is overly black and white IMO. For the million or so of us who live in the "first ring suburbs", e.g. Somerville, it's common to own a car for out-of-the-city trips, but use walking/biking/transit for day to day life and going out on the weekends.

niam 3y ago
Not trying to be black or white about it. I'm not extrapolating my experience, only offering what it is. If I didn't, the prevailing and only observation in this thread would be that it's uncommon to not own a car. And that doesn't match my experience at all, as someone who lives and works here. Though my anecdote is pretty heavily skewed the other direction towards skaters and the types of people who own PEVs.