Possible to Live Car-Free Anywhere Other than Minneapolis & St. Paul? (how much, school)

[QuietBlue]

Originally Posted by Libby01

There are a number of things that need to fall into place in order to live car-free. It's not only the walkable neighborhood and commuter buses. Regular mass transportation (beyond regular commuting hours) and access to car ride-sharing are pretty crucial to filling in the gaps. These are elements that are only in areas that have many people already living car-free.

This is a very good point, and is why I shared my specific experiences upthread. There's a difference between being able to get to a job downtown without a car, and being able to do other things. An errand that might take half an hour with a car can take well over an hour when transit gets involved.

Another factor that I forgot to mention earlier was snow and ice -- some communities are better about clearing sidewalks and paths than others. In the winter, I usually wore my snow boots when out and about just because I'd regularly have to walk through several inches of snow when going from place to place (it didn't help that it was a winter with particularly heavy snowfall).

[pete6032]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

I think drivers just don't expect people to be there and they literally just don't see them. I don't know what they can do about that (other than some extreme road improvements that aren't going to happen): some serious crackdowns and tickets, maybe? Over by the Target there's a very well marked pedestrian crossing -- I can't remember, but there may even be a blinking light -- and people DO walk there, but I've seen many cars blow right by even when someone is trying to cross. It's a shame, since the general area could be really convenient for those who want a suburban car-free life. The library, hospital, Southdale, the Galleria, grocery stores, pharmacies, lots of bus routes; it's also close to the Y, Edinburgh, and Centennial Lakes (skating in winter, boats in the summer among them). And there's all those new apartments coming in and filling in some of vast parking lots, and the city has pumped lots of money into the area, including on pedestrian upgrades. But until they can figure out how to make it safer to cross France (or 66th) then the area's not going to reach its full potential.

I just looked on Google maps and it appears that the city is at least trying to do something about traffic calming on some streets near Southdale. I didn't realize there are now round-a-bouts on W 70th street between Target and the Galleria. Looks like there is also much improved streetscaping, but that doesn't necessarily fix the issues of 69th, France, and York all being very wide, heavy traffic-focused intersections.

[Minntoaz]

If you live near Main Street in maple grove and don't mind walking or biking .5-1 miles or taking a taxi that distance you could. I think they even have a Monday- Friday little bus that can drop you off or pick you up.

[SForMNLee]

It's possible, but you will probably change your mind about it after a little while. Even living right in Minneapolis, there are a lot of reasons to have a car. A big one is leaving town. Minnesota has so much to offer and spending all of your time in town will make you miss out on it.

You will feel restricted in the winter too. Yes, you can bus it, but there will be a lot of times you just don't feel like going through the hassle of it.

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by SForMNLee

It's possible, but you will probably change your mind about it after a little while. Even living right in Minneapolis, there are a lot of reasons to have a car. A big one is leaving town. Minnesota has so much to offer and spending all of your time in town will make you miss out on it.

You will feel restricted in the winter too. Yes, you can bus it, but there will be a lot of times you just don't feel like going through the hassle of it.

I agree completely with this. Even in New York, the city in the US where the majority of people don't have cars, most would if they could. They don't because it's too expensive. You really don't have that same cost factor at work in the Twin Cities.

[uptown_urbanist]

Thinking about this more, there's a couple of questions here: (a) is it possible to live in the 'burbs without a car, and (b) would you want to do so. I think that, as people have pointed out, it would take some real sacrifices to live in any suburban location (and the majority of city addresses, too; there are only a handful of places in the Twin Cities, as in most cities, where the hassles of owning a car outweigh the benefits) without a car, although if you pick the right location you can at least minimize your dependence.

[601halfdozen0theother]

See?

[masonbauknight]

Originally Posted by Glenfield

Even in New York, the city in the US where the majority of people don't have cars, most would if they could. They don't because it's too expensive. You really don't have that same cost factor at work in the Twin Cities.

Totally disagree with that, even in Manhattan, and certainly in neighborhoods in the Outer Boroughs served by subway lines. Most everyone without a car in NYC is that way by choice. If you want a car, you buy one. It's more than just the expense: it's the upkeep, the parking, the horrible New York traffic. Besides, everything you need is within walking distance and car services/cabs are plentiful.

You get a car in New York if (1) you like to drive, and many Americans really like to drive, (2) you have a kid, (3) you want to impress women, some of whom won't consider a man without wheels, (4) you are an immigrant male for whom car ownership is part of the American dream and proves success to his community, or (5) you live in a neighborhood (Bayside, Queens, or all of Staten Island) that has less public transportation coverage. That's it. The rest of us? We're glad not to have a car, and we don't really need one.

[rzzzz]

I don't think most New Yorkers would have a car if they could. It's just that you really don't need one.

It's not all that expensive to have a car in NYC, I had one for 3 years in Brooklyn. I only used it to drive to the beach in the summer, and to go buy groceries. The rest of the time it's just easier to use transit or even walk.

To answer the OP, no I don't think it's realistic to not have a car in the Twin Cities suburbs.
It is possible, but it sort of means you don't have any friends to visit or go anywhere on a regular basis.

[Minntoaz]

There was a recent article (2 months ago) in the star tribune about the generational divide on driving. Us millennials are not so into the driving and car thing.