No car, how do you get around?

I'm a real estate agent and even I don't own a car! Anyone can do it!
We've been car-free for over a year and don't miss it a bit. We use ZIPCAR (not a plug) when necessary and rent from AVIS for longer trips (they have a Copley Square office). The cost is nowhere near what it would cost to own a nice car, what with insurance, etc. And, ZIPCAR has nice cars such as Volvos and BMWs, and last time I was at AVIS I got a free upgrade (which they often do because they don't stock every level).
I know your question was for suburbanites, but just wanted to throw it out there. About once a week we say to each other, "I am so happy we don't have a car."

I live in the South End of Boston, am 44 and have never owned a car. And yes, you need to coordinate your trips - like buying the biggest/heaviest thing last in a shopping trip, or going to your farthest destination first and 'shop' your way back. :) I have car friends and cabs, and zipcar now that it's around (althoguh they're harder to reserve than they used to be).

As far as this blog is concerned, the downside is the renaissance the city is seeing. Anywhere in the downtown core is now unaffordable, and even places like dorchester, while you can live car free, it's a lot tougher...

Going completely without a car in Metrowest is just not a reality. Biking and walking are on the increase but probably more for fitness reasons than economic or concerns about the environment. Without buses or subways, you just can't get most places. Most live more than a mile from the town centers or shopping areas. In Boston, your entire world can be within 1000 ft. Add in the fact that you have to haul around kids, where are you going to put them along with the groceries without a car? If you work in Boston or Cambridge, then the commuter rail is a long but mostly hassle free commute. But come winter, the amount of breakdowns on the train make it impossible to ensure picking up kids from daycare on time. Besides, most have to drive to get to the train. Those of us that live out here recognize these limitations, but aren't going to move to the city just for public transit, just as pro-urbanites aren't going to move to Metrowest without a more compelling reason. It is interesting that even with large box store developments going in, adding sidewalks, bike-lanes, and cross-walks, people still drive out here. There would have to be some major public transit development to get people out of their cars, and to be honest there really isn't a push for it here. The most I've seen is extensions of commuter lines. Unless public transit is also considered for more than being city centric, Metrowest will keep their cars. In the end, adding public transit would be expensive, disruptive, and impact the quaintness of neighborhoods that make the suburbs/ex-hurbs appealing for us. Even if it is available, I really have to wonder if people would use it. Best to put money into an airport outside the city and promote economic development across a broader geographic area than Boston only.

I have been car-free since 1985. Lived most of life in Boston proper, East Boston and am currently living in Revere. I walk everywhere, and take taxis to get home from grocery shopping or in inclement weather from Wonderland. Couldn't imagine having to worry about a car, insurance & gas - left it all behind me and am quite happy. I don't even bother to rent cars anymore. I am in a dating service & every time I met a new guy, most of them think I'm a freak for not wanting to own a car. There are a lot of people that do a double take when they find out you're car free. Most folks want to know how it is done.

I sold my car when I moved to the North End from Southie over two years ago, and I really miss it.
There is no where to park in the North End, so I couldnt keep a car there, and I adapted to walking everywhere or taking the T.
I quickly figured out how to get by with this no-car lifestyle but it didnt take long before it got really old and now I cant wait to move out of downtown boston and get a car again, and a driveway for that matter.
I use ZIPCAR or Enterprise rental car when I need to drive or go away for a weekend, but that definitely adds up to at least a car payment or more each month, especially using the uber-expensive Zipcar. I also use the commuter rail to get out of town, but that requires even more juggling since you need to arrange a ride from the train stop.
And while it feels good to be "green" and to get exercise by walking everywhere, it's pretty exhausting to have to schlepp your groceries, shopping bags, purse, whatever else you need to carry that you'd normally throw in a backseat.
Also, there are so few grocery stores downtown, so finding groceries at a decent price is hard... then, without a car, it's impossible to do a real grocery shopping at all. You end up buying expensive "groceries" at CVS or a convenience store near your apt.
Further, walking everywhere leaves you totally freezing or windswept in the winter, and sweaty in the summer, which is irritating. It's also not fun to walk into work looking like youve been through some severe weather every morning after you've walked a mile or 2 and ridden a packed bus.
Now that I've done the no-car thing for over 2 years, I'm glad I had the experience but I see that it's just not practical unless you don't mind being a packmule every time you leave the house.

I live in Cambridge and have been car-free since 1996. I bicycle, walk a lot, and take the T every day (bus and subway). When I need a car - I rent one ifrom a car-rental. I also have friends who travel and leave me their car if I drive them to and from the airport. Otherwise, all my friends have cars and they can & do pick me up sometimes to do stuff they want to do. It's not a problem. Otherwise I can take a taxi, if I have to and that happens only several times a year. Cheap, cheap, cheap. You just don't 'need' a car in the city and in fact, they are a major headache.

Yes. You have to 'plan' a little but it's way less inconvenient than trying to find a parking spot, moving your car on trash or street sweeping day, or moving your car because they are digging up the street or someone is moving-in or 1,000 other insane reasons to move your car and lose your coveted space.
It's also way less expensive. I owned my car outright 12 years ago but it cost me roughly $2500/year for gas, insurance and maintenance & I parked it on the street. A 'paid' parking spot in Cambridge cost $100/month/minimum if you can find one.

I have no idea what all this would cost now - probably close to $5,000/year. With that kind of money saved, since 1996, I have been able to travel to: Mexico, Costa Rica, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Canada, France, Spain, Russia, Hawaii, Turkey and many other places, which I previously could not afford. I can afford tickets to shows and restaurants and have money left to contribute to many local charities I support and give to family who have come on hard times. And I save more money than I ever did before.
Having a car is way more expensive than having a mistress or a drug habit. I don't miss the car. I don't miss the expense. I don't miss the hassle. I don't miss the parking tickets. I don't miss having to fix it and maintain it. I don't miss worrying where I parked it or if it would get broken into. I don't miss traffic jams or insane drivers. Being car-free is truly liberating. It's also (the cherry on top) environmentally very -friendly if you are into that and seriously reduces your 'carbon footprint'. Having to rely on the T and walking and biking takes more 'time-planning' but the trade-off is very much worth it and you get used to it pretty quickly. I've got out of many tedious family events or things I really don't want to do - because I don't own a car. I haven't been to a mall in years. I hate malls.
Of course, it really helps if you live 'in the city' as opposed to suburbs or little towns. You CAN still be car-free in some of the inner-suburbs (Newton, Brookline, Somerville, etc) - but most places outside the city were built and developed with the assumption you would need a car. In the city - you really, really don't. Driving makes you stupid and cars make you insane. So I say to my fellow city-folk - become a 'pedestrian' and enter a whole new happy car-free world.

I live in Dorchester and have not had a car since I returned to Boston in 2005. Yes, obviously there are times when I wish I had the option of a nice long drive while listening to music, but overall I've found that I've had no problem getting anywhere and everywhere I need to go. Even during two job searches that had me going everywhere from Newton to Somerville.
Without the expense of a the car, its repairs, insurance, inspections, parking permits and parking tickets, the cost of public transportation is an enormous relative bargain. I hope that our Commonwealth and the City continues to support public transportation infrastructure and innovation.

I've been car-free since I moved to Boston in 2000. Owning a car is a huge, expensive hassle, especially in the winter. However, the T is unreliable (my bus was 45 minutes late last week, which meant a $25 cab ride home at 1:00 am), and you have to deal with people blasting music, using speakerphone, and getting into fights. The second I have space and the money, I'm buying a car.

I owned a car in Boston from 2003-2007. It wasn't a big hassle when I lived in Quincy my first year, but then I moved to Allston and it was a huge expense. I had a Ford Focus that was fully paid for--but when you added up costs of gas, maintenance, off-street parking, and insurance in this state, I was paying $300 a month for a car that I only drove on the weekends to visit friends or go to Costco.

So all was good for the first few months. But then we started house hunting and the costs of Zipcar really started adding up considerably. One month we spent almost $400 because of trips to Metrowest for the day, house hunting, etc. Still, I think we did better overall--repair costs would hit unexpectedly and we'd be out $500 here, new tires there.

But then something happened---Zipcar merged with Flexcar and their customer service tanked. It became the norm, rather than the exception, to go to pick up our car and have it not returned on time or running on fumes. Once, we ended up an hour late to a house showing because of some dumb undergrads returning the car 20 minutes late and without gas. Rather than being the exception, it became the norm.

In the past, when you got a car that was not at least 1/4 tank of gas filled, you got some time credits to make up for the inconvenience. That has gone away, and they've stopped paying for taxis to get you to another car when it doesn't show up---you're either expected to wait or walk it.

Lastly, there were 2 price hikes this year from Zipcar---due to the cost of fuel. However, since gas has dropped considerably the prices haven't gone back down. Therefore, the service is even less of a good deal.

The last straw was when we were moving to Lower Mills and the car we were in had a battery that died at 2 am (we were moving some last minute items, namely our cats who don't like car rides--so we wanted to move them when there was no traffic after we got back from a game). Zipcar wanted us to flag down some passerby rather than have them send out a jump. At 2 am. In Boston!!!!! We refused because it was unsafe and they finally called someone out after 30 minutes of dickering with us. The tow guy says he jumps the Zipcars all the time (ie, they don't maintain their fleet). After their arguing with us whether or not to call someone, then the wait, then us finally getting on our way, then getting home and finding that one of our cats had thrown up and urinated on himself (yes, they were in that much distress), we finally got to sleep close to 4:30 am. After this, we got nary a sincere apology, driving credit, or anything. Zip. Nada.

To add to that, the nearest Zipcars to Lower Mills where there are a lot of young professionals moving in to the new developments there--the nearest Zipcars are 2 miles away at Ashmont Station. It makes returning the car late at night a dicey proposition at best.

The next day, fed up, we made arrangements to get a car that we now have. Parking is free at our new place, the car was cheap and gets good mileage, and the insurance is super cheap since insurance has changed here since our last car. We completely avoided paying for parking for the remainder of our last lease and the super high gas prices earlier this year. No regrets in having a car now though. There truly is no substitute. What we need is some Zipcar competition!

I live in the northwest burbs (commuter rail distance) and we sold our second car recently. We can survive just fine on one, which we rarely drive (walk to the train). The supermarket is within walking distance which is nice. I'm sure we'll end up using it a bit more in the winter just out of necessity but we're trying to be as economical as possible.

Do any of you have children? After school sports, dance lessons or playdates? How do you get groceries for a family of four from the grocery store to home? I can't imagine how I would do my monthly run to BJ's wholesale. I load my vehicle to the top............

I love how all the "car-free" people expound on how they get along just well without owning a car because they can just use taxis, or zip-cars, or rentals... or better yet, borrow a friend's car! I'm a giving person but it does get annoying to always be the one your carless friends are asking "you wouldn't be going to the supermarket today would you?"

Exactly which part of this is car free? You probably use your "cars" as much as I use mine.... but I OWN mine. I can use it whenever i want. I can help out my friends by giving rides or lending my car. Since I own my car outright, the insurance is LOW. Since I bought american, repairs/maintenance are LOW. I also own a motorcycle... talk about convenient!

I live a T-free life and have done so for years. I love it! Don't even try to get me on a bus! I've lived in Boston for about a decade (including all the "can't park here" neighborhoods like Beacon Hill and Allston). Now I live in Southie. Ask me to go car free? NO WAY!

Hi Polly,
Just like John Keith can do real estate without a car, some parents get around without a car. They bicycle, they have cargo carriers for their bike, they take the bus. There'a a link in my post that shows a family who does just this.
I don't do real estate without a car, but on Walk/Ride Friday, I make an effort to use my car less. It's an awareness thing, not a mandate to make your life impossible to be PC.

Cull3n,
You are poster-child for car-lovers. I know you are not alone.

I took the T two days when I first moved here because my car broke down. After spending nearly an hour commuting among hot, smelly folks and standing for most of the ride home, I bought a new car that weekend. I now drive to work everyday in downtown Boston. I feel about my car the way the NRA feels about their guns; you'll have to pry the keys from my cold dead hands.

For those car-free people who use friends' cars, please realize that you're not really living car free. If you're not walking, bicycling, riding public transportation or paying for a taxi and borrowing a car, you've simply passed along the costs of car ownership to your friends. I never had a policy on friends borrowing my car before. After reading this, no one borrows my car if they brag about being car free!

I was car free in Boston from 1996 - 2004 and did as some of you have written; rental cars for trip out of town. Until I got a job in Braintree I never found myself wanting a car. When meeting friends with cars I would inevitably be sitting at the bar or restaurant waiting for them as they searched for parking or tried to navigate traffic. When I did finally get a car I found myself wondering where all my money went...oh yeah; car payments, insurance, gas, oil changes, upkeep, etc.

Now I'm stuck in LA and get to ride my motorcycle around 12 months a year. Fun, but I miss the T and the pulse of the city.

I don't really understand where using Zipcar, taxis, and the T translate into mooching. In all of these case, you are paying for the service you are getting---its hardly a "freebie." And Zipcar, has its pitfalls, and its hardly cheap if you overuse it. At some point, leasing a car becomes a better deal or buying used.

As for "friends" I never relied on other friends---none of them owned cars either. We all lived in the City. We all used the T for commuting. So, I'm not really sure how someone who uses their car to get to and from work every day can say that can say "You probably use your "cars" as much as I use mine..." Please clarify.

Since this is a real estate blog, its probably worth pointing out that spending less on commuting (for example, by living close to where you work) means that you can spend more money elsewhere. One person talked about vacations, but I'm namely thinking about housing. I believe Rona had a blog entry a few months ago that a better way of figuring out housing costs was to actually to look at the cost of housing + transport instead....to say that housing + transport shouldn't be more than 48% of your monthly budget rather than just saying that 28-33% of your budget should be merely housing. The bonus for us in not spending tons of money on vehicles and upkeep is that we can put more into housing, which may turn an investment, whereas a car is a depriciating asset.

Even with the fact that we are now car owners again, I'll never use it to commute. It takes longer, for one, is more expensive, two, and three--I actually like the reading time or zoning out I get to do on my commutes. But I love having one for errands and trips.

I have done both, and I have to honestly say I love having a car. I moved from the 'burbs to Somerville and had to be car-free for a couple of years. It was nice, but I had to always rely on other people to get around-->these are the days long before Zipcar and the like were readily available. (I couldn't rent a car b/c I wasn't 25 at the time--and it cost so much!)

I now live within a bus stop away from my home, and a 20 minute walk to either Oak Grove or Malden Station. I enjoy being able to take the train to and from work, to go into Boston, etc. There is a sense of 'freedom' from having to deal with Boston traffic. However, I don't really want to be without a car again.

City it is fine.... Burbs you're out of luck! And Boston transit must be in the top 10 WORST in the nation. Can you say Green Line? Visit ANY other city in the USA or CANADA and realize how poor Mass transit is, just awful.

I live in the Seacoast of NH and just sold my car. I have two bikes, one that I use to get back and forth to campus, the other that I use for grocery shopping (I have a rack w/bags attached). Of course, there are times when I take the bus (if the weather is terrible) or go somewhere with my girlfriend in her car. But I find that for most of the everyday stuff--commuting, shopping, banging around town--bikes work just fine. And bot is it fun. And boy does it save a ton of money. I know not everyone's lifestyle can accomodate being carless, but, if you can do it, I heartily recommend it.

I bought my first car only at age 28 and that was because my company relocated from Cambridge to the outlying suburbs and I needed a way to get to work. Now I live in Haverhill and for people living outside of Boston, car-free is just not an option because unfortunately America is just not a car-free country. And by that I mean that support for public transport is virtually non-existent. Even for those like me who need to commute to Boston from 40 miles out, the car is still cheaper and faster than the commuter rail because we have such an antiquated public transit system and there's little funding or political will for improvements. Case in point: The MBTA is doubling parking fees at a time when gas prices are dropping fast and ridership was at an all time high. If that's not a way to drive people away from public transportation I don't know what is.

Cars are a very twentieth century item. Refined and sophisticated people like myself don't ....drive a car. Real people walk, take taxi's, ride the T, or use limo's. Some people drive because they claim they need to work. Of course you do. Others claim they drive for logistical efficiency. Right. The truth is that if you live in the city and own a newer car...it's just a status symbol to feed your ego. People of substance are driven to places...we don't drive. I don't own a car because cars are for...you people...the unwashed masses. I have never asked any of my friends for rides either. The simple reason is that my friends are all people of substance like myself and they don't own cars or ....drive. Cars are for the mediocre.

I was car-less from 1988 - 2003 - lived in the Back Bay and could easily walk everywhere - including work. As 2003 approached, I started feeling hemmed in and realized the spontaneity of life was missing - always having to pre-plan any car trips (rentals, borrowing a friend's, etc) well in advance and ended up buying a Ford Focus. So glad I did - my world opened up outside the 2 mile radius I lived in for so many years.

I've lived in Boston for about 10 years now, the first 2 downtown, the next three in Dorchester and the last 5 back downtown in the South End. I've gone without owning a car for the last 8 years.

The money I save by not owning a car and living downtown is partially offput by the amount of more rent I pay for where I live. My apartment in Dot + car payment + insurance+ upkeep > than whatever I spend on rent to live downtown + zipcar + a weekend rental every other month + my sanity from having a 15 minute no traffic commute. I also have a group of friends among whom when any of us do a car rental for the day or weekend, we all send out emails to see if anyone else needs to do the same errands to South Bay Plaza, etc..

It is very easy to live car free downtown and this is coming from someone who grew up in the the woods of CT and thought I could never live without it. When I first got rid of my car in living Dorchester I hated life being in the somewhat suburban area and having no way to get around other than the never on schedule Bus/T.

These days I bike about a mile into work 8/9 months of the year and take the bus or the T during the harsher winter months. I fondly remember hearing horror stories from co-workers living within an hour of the city who had 4 hour commutes home in the snow, when I walked home in less than a half hour.

Its easy to get rid of a car, you just need to choose do it and plan your life accordingly (where you live, breeding, etc.. =).

I have been car-less for over a year ever since my old car failed inspection.
I live in Weymouth about 3/4 miles away from the commuter rail. I work about 2.5 miles away from my house and I walk back and forth everyday. I love the exercise and I have really enjoyed watching the seasons at walking speed. I can take the red line to Quincy then the commuter or bus back to Weymouth in bad weather but rarely do it.
I have saved a lot of money. I no longer have credit balances and actually saved enough to start some serious home improvement projects.
I have rented a car when I needed to drive outside of greater Boston for social occasions but I use the commuter more often. Even the rare taxi is affordable. I am hoping Zip car soon becomes more available in my area for the occasional local drive.
I have the bulk of my groceries delivered by the local grocery store and occasionally take the commuter into the city for other shopping . I do need to plan and keep a list so I don't run out of something, MIlk and bread can be picked up at the local convenience but I need a few days for bigger food orders to be delivered.
I buy a lot of other stuff on line. Delivery charges are still cheaper than owning a car. I use tried and true online stores and so far have been mostly satisfied.
This lifestyle would be very difficult if my children were still young but they are all grown. So far, living green works for me.

Snob and Elitist - "taxi's" ?? "limo's" ?? "People of substance" use proper grammar. Thanks for the laugh.

My husband and I have been car free and have never driven since moving to Cambridge from Hawaii over five years ago. It was an adjustment at first but we love not having to deal with the expenses. My husband takes the T and I run either to or from work. It takes some planning to bring all of my clothes and lunches on the first day of the week, but the rest of the week I can run without a backpack. It's a six mile commute and I am able to get to work or home in the same time it would take me on the T (with much less aggravation). I love getting in my workout and commute at the same time. With the right gear and footwear it is possible to run throughout the year, even on snow and ice. It's a great way to appreciate the beauty of each season. The greatest part is, several people at my place of employment have also started running or walking to work and they love it! With 60% of the adult population overweight or obese in the U.S. it makes sense for more of us to figure out how to fit more activity into our day. It doesn't always mean having to join an expensive health club!

I don't have a car. Never had one, never needed one. But now that homes/apartments near the T are mostly priced for people who would find the added expense of a car trivial, I don't know how much help the T will be in relieving in-town congestion.

i ride my bike everywhere and hope to never own a car. even if I move out of boston at some point in my life I plan on just buying a nicer bike and trailer instead of a car.

Cars aren't evil. But ideally I think their use should be on the decline (and i think it might be very slowly beginning too). Boston getting some new supermarkets downtown as planned (near the Gaarden / northend and by downtown crossing) will be a great help for car free bostonians in that area.

The key though is to create more pedestrian friendly areas in the burbs. Massive public transit projects in places like framingham and natick won't work now, as once you get off at a stop you will have to walked too far to get anywhere. However every neighborhood strip mall could be re imagined as little urban mixed use centers. Why can't every stop and shop or shaws have residents above or besides them?

The goal should be to create a diversity of housing types in all areas instead of segregating autocentric single family neighborhoods and pedestrian friendly multifamily neighborhoods.

We need to seriously think about making better use of the vast paved areas of the burbs. No need to eliminate the existing suburban housing stock, but to suppliment it with urban housing stock over by the current BJs down the street.

I've been car free for about 10 years now and love it! I live in Central Sq. Cambridge and work on State St. downtown. I have a bike, a subway pass, a Zipcar membership, and the internet to look up bus, train and ferry schedules. I do catch a ride up north for ski weekends, but always pay for gas or a meal. I take the commuter rail to visit my family who are more than happy to pick me up. Take the train to Providence to see friends, a bus to Newport for a weekend with a friend, Amtrak to Portland, ME for a weekend and the ferry to P-town in the summer, etc..

I'm 40 and single, I eat out a lot but for food shopping I do it like the Europeans, 1-2 day at a time. I hope to never need to own a car again.

As far as liberating, I feel more free than my friends with cars. I'm often the first to arrive at an event as walking from the station to the location is always the same. No traffic, no parking issue. A roommate once asked for a brunch recommendation. I suggested Masa in the SE. Later that day I asked how it was and the response was "oh, couldn't find parking". I've never not gone to a restaurant for lack of parking!

I know that I spend far less per month on busses, trains, Zipcars, taxis, etc. than I would on a modest car. As for the T, it is among the top in the country in terms of coverage. What's better? NYC, Chicago . . . It is old and does have issues, and yes there are some less than nice people that take it, but, I have driven on the x-press way at rush hour, enough said! (And yes, avoid the B-line!)

There are some negative comments about Zipcar on this. I've been a member since the very beginning, I take one fairly regularly, and I have never gone to pick one up and it not be there, nor have I ever had a mechanical problem.

It would be more difficult with children and some neighborhoods have less service, but depending on where you work and live, and your attitude, Boston is a very livable city without a car.

I do think it's important to recognize the mobility of the job market in this discussion.A few people can say they have tenure,but many people are not that fortunate and must search for jobs quite frequently.In addition many people are married to weaker spouses whose jobs shift,get cutback,or are eliminated by offshore corporations. Finally, many parents are disgusted with their relatives or disgusted with their local school system and insist upon getting a cheaper more comfortable location.Thus, using a vehicle is something which should be studied in relationship with economics,politics and physical well being.