7 ms·

Hardly America's first car-free neighborhood, nor (not by a long shot) its largest. Along the east coast there are multiple communities on islands accessible o

Hardly America's first car-free neighborhood, nor (not by a long shot) its largest. Along the east coast there are multiple communities on islands accessible only by ferry that are foot traffic only. You can tell they're real places because they have their own U.S. Post Offices (not just mailboxes). For example: https://villageofoceanbeach.org/about https://villageofoceanbeach.org/about

ranger_danger 2y ago
To be fair, Ocean Beach is much larger than a single neighborhood. Semantics I guess.
lesuorac 2y ago
Perhaps in the summer there are no cars but from their photo I can see several cars.
- mattkrause 2y ago
  I see a few trucks, which might be needed for hauling heavy items, but not any passenger cars.
  - lesuorac 2y ago
    The road next to the tennis courts definitely looks like passenger vehicles to me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d2a6bf9a14008000179d236/1563127012791-22JKBES6RCECJB42P5W6/oceanbeach%2B-%2B5.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d2a6bf9a14008...
- wiether 2y ago
  Funny how you spotted cars in the picture, and had to make the argument about the weather... yet you missed this : > Except for emergency and essential services, vehicles are generally not permitted.
  - lesuorac 2y ago
    >> Funny how you spotted cars in the picture, and had to make the argument about the weather... yet you missed this : Funny how you apparently read the entire article.. yet you missed this from the first paragraph. > And in the summer, there are no cars! >> generally not permitted. These are the kind of weasel words that mean yes. I guess you're the kind of guy that thinks boneless wings contains bones [1]. [1]: https://www.courtnewsohio.gov/cases/2024/SCO/0725/230293.asp https://www.courtnewsohio.gov/cases/2024/SCO/0725/230293.asp
rpastuszak 2y ago
Was Midnight Mass shot there? This place reminds me of it a lot. (not from the US obv.)
trgn 2y ago
I can't stand usa can only achieve the effortless luxury of walkability in the vacation communities for its doctors and lawyers, but cannot make its own city centers adopt the same qualities.
- residentraspber 2y ago
  It's seemingly not going to get any better soon, either. A new candidate for mayor of Boston has 3 main policy agendas [1]: Housing affordability, public school quality, and removing bike lanes. Despite being farther from Cambridge (a different city than Boston, so they have a different mayor), I prioritize biking to places there to meet friends or go out to dinner. It is just a much more pleasant experience than nearly anywhere in Boston proper. [1]: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/04/us/boston-mayor-josh-kraft-michelle-wu.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/04/us/boston-mayor-josh-kraf...
  - fnimick 2y ago
    It's been very funny hearing neighbors talk about how the literal billionaire is somehow just a common Boston man and Michelle Wu is an "elitist carpetbagger". How are all these billionaires being seen as relatable and meanwhile middle class academics and scientists are all the elites?
    - dml2135 2y ago
      People eat up propaganda, that's how.
    - ta8645 2y ago
      This should be expected blowback. The billionaires are taking advantage of a large group of people who feel alienated. All the billionaires have to do is not call them racist, transphobic, nazis, and they'll get their votes. Regardless of misaligned economic interests. Whatever you think about all those issues, and how stupid you think the hoi polloi are, there has been a massive strategic miscalculation about which issues to focus on, and how to address them over the last number of years.
yaomtc 2y ago
There's also Mackinaw Island in Michigan, which has banned cars at the end of the 19th century: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackinac_Island https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackinac_Island It only had a population of 583 permanent residents at last count, though. It's mostly a tourist destination.
- zdragnar 2y ago
  Cars and electric bikes are banned, but horse drawn carriages are still present. The island itself is somewhat bicycle friendly if you can manage hills, but other than the touristy downtown, all the housing is spread out and definitely not what anyone would think of as walkable, especially in winter months.
  - aziaziazi 2y ago
    For context the island is 3*4km. Assuming MAX distance (4km), it seems reasonable for most with a little adaptation time. perhaps a bit harder if it’s been decades someone lives under controlled AC and move every km with a car but a 4km walk is definitely achievable by most and is in the perfect walk range to become healthier. A muscular bike might help to ease the first trips. Weather is only a matter of clothes. The cold might be disturbing at first but you get used to it, and a good coat keeps you safe. Plus: walking or biking keeps you warm.
insane_dreamer 2y ago
Yeah but small islands are a completely different category.

ranger_danger 2y ago

To be fair, Ocean Beach is much larger than a single neighborhood. Semantics I guess.

lesuorac 2y ago

Perhaps in the summer there are no cars but from their photo I can see several cars.

mattkrause 2y ago
I see a few trucks, which might be needed for hauling heavy items, but not any passenger cars.
- lesuorac 2y ago
  The road next to the tennis courts definitely looks like passenger vehicles to me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d2a6bf9a14008000179d236/1563127012791-22JKBES6RCECJB42P5W6/oceanbeach%2B-%2B5.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d2a6bf9a14008...
wiether 2y ago
Funny how you spotted cars in the picture, and had to make the argument about the weather... yet you missed this : > Except for emergency and essential services, vehicles are generally not permitted.
- lesuorac 2y ago
  >> Funny how you spotted cars in the picture, and had to make the argument about the weather... yet you missed this : Funny how you apparently read the entire article.. yet you missed this from the first paragraph. > And in the summer, there are no cars! >> generally not permitted. These are the kind of weasel words that mean yes. I guess you're the kind of guy that thinks boneless wings contains bones [1]. [1]: https://www.courtnewsohio.gov/cases/2024/SCO/0725/230293.asp https://www.courtnewsohio.gov/cases/2024/SCO/0725/230293.asp

rpastuszak 2y ago

Was Midnight Mass shot there? This place reminds me of it a lot. (not from the US obv.)

trgn 2y ago

I can't stand usa can only achieve the effortless luxury of walkability in the vacation communities for its doctors and lawyers, but cannot make its own city centers adopt the same qualities.

residentraspber 2y ago
It's seemingly not going to get any better soon, either. A new candidate for mayor of Boston has 3 main policy agendas [1]: Housing affordability, public school quality, and removing bike lanes. Despite being farther from Cambridge (a different city than Boston, so they have a different mayor), I prioritize biking to places there to meet friends or go out to dinner. It is just a much more pleasant experience than nearly anywhere in Boston proper. [1]: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/04/us/boston-mayor-josh-kraft-michelle-wu.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/04/us/boston-mayor-josh-kraf...
- fnimick 2y ago
  It's been very funny hearing neighbors talk about how the literal billionaire is somehow just a common Boston man and Michelle Wu is an "elitist carpetbagger". How are all these billionaires being seen as relatable and meanwhile middle class academics and scientists are all the elites?
  - dml2135 2y ago
    People eat up propaganda, that's how.
  - ta8645 2y ago
    This should be expected blowback. The billionaires are taking advantage of a large group of people who feel alienated. All the billionaires have to do is not call them racist, transphobic, nazis, and they'll get their votes. Regardless of misaligned economic interests. Whatever you think about all those issues, and how stupid you think the hoi polloi are, there has been a massive strategic miscalculation about which issues to focus on, and how to address them over the last number of years.

yaomtc 2y ago

There's also Mackinaw Island in Michigan, which has banned cars at the end of the 19th century: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackinac_Island https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackinac_Island It only had a population of 583 permanent residents at last count, though. It's mostly a tourist destination.

zdragnar 2y ago
Cars and electric bikes are banned, but horse drawn carriages are still present. The island itself is somewhat bicycle friendly if you can manage hills, but other than the touristy downtown, all the housing is spread out and definitely not what anyone would think of as walkable, especially in winter months.
- aziaziazi 2y ago
  For context the island is 3*4km. Assuming MAX distance (4km), it seems reasonable for most with a little adaptation time. perhaps a bit harder if it’s been decades someone lives under controlled AC and move every km with a car but a 4km walk is definitely achievable by most and is in the perfect walk range to become healthier. A muscular bike might help to ease the first trips. Weather is only a matter of clothes. The cold might be disturbing at first but you get used to it, and a good coat keeps you safe. Plus: walking or biking keeps you warm.

insane_dreamer 2y ago

Yeah but small islands are a completely different category.