• Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    37
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    I’ve lived in Austin since 1999. In 2012 I moved from a suburban area to downtown greatly in part because it would take me at least a thirty minute drive each way to get anything done. The moment I moved downtown, I rarely used my car. The best restaurants, coffee shops, and bars in the city are minutes away on foot or bike. Super markets, pharmacies, etc are really close. Anything I can’t I can order from Amazon and have it within hours or the next day. That’s one vehicle making multiple stops versus dozens of vehicles going to stores.

    The quality of life dive my move is significantly higher now that I don’t have to battle traffic.

    • discodoubloon@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      There are lots of places in the US like this. Most of us are too busy being out and doing shit to comment about it. I don’t have great transit options here, so it’s different from my years in Europe, but it’s sufficient.

      I obviously cant get to every bar, venue, museum, and place with public transit. My access to gourmet foods and exceptional stuff is limited. The life I’m leading now is very low footprint and again it’s sufficient for me.

      I sometimes can’t believe how we are ridiculed by people who have never even set foot outside of the EU or even watched a travel show. You are really really focusing on the wrong things.

    • bluGill@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      5
      ·
      1 year ago

      Where I live down town has one grocery store and it is the expensive chain. A family could save money with a cheap used car.

      • neanderthal@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        I doubt it is enough to offset the cost of purchase, fuel, insurance, maintenance, registration, and in many areas property taxes. Driving even a cheap used car is rather expensive.

        • bluGill@kbin.social
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          Not entirely, but cars are useful tools so a few other things as well. Don’t forget that large family implies lots of bus pases while the car has the.same cost.