lockmat Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 ...so thinks some of these NYCers.http://www.nyobserver.com/2007/honk-vrooom...rivers-paradiseDwellers in cities w/o mass transit want trains, while a trend w/ those who already have it are looking to using a car. Interesting perspectives on how good we might actually have it."Convenience" is one of the main mantras of the nouveau automobile set. Convenience,not necessity, since most drivers will acknowledge that they don't really need a car (few of them live in, say, Canarsie) and they don't generally drive long distances, unless they're heading out for the occasional jaunt to New Jersey, Long Island or their parents' house in Vermont. (According to a spokesperson at Transportation Alternatives, roughly one-quarter of all automobile trips in New York clock in at one mile or less; approximately three-quarters of all trips are five miles or less.)And yet, while most of them don't need, they want, because cars, they say, make life feel a little easier, make the city seem a bit more manageable, as if New York, with its 656 miles of subway track, was just another boonies-locked, consumer wasteland."I drive out of my way to go to a gym where I can park," confessed Ms. Allen, the bubbly L.A. girl, who splits her time between writing and bartending at the Lock Inn. "I just think it's more convenient." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 Most apartments in NYC don't even have parking garages like everything does here in Houston, so having a car can be pretty expensive, not to mention a big pain trying to park. But of course people always want what they don't have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desirous Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 Most apartments in NYC don't even have parking garages like everything does here in Houston, so having a car can be pretty expensive, not to mention a big pain trying to park. But of course people always want what they don't have.Definitely. I have lived in Chicago, and some people there desire cars even when car ownership is completely impractical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 So they interview a bunch of non-native New Yorkers for a car story, and that means something?I thought the comment pointing out that auto registration in NYC has DROPPED 20% was more relevant than talking to 2 or 3 girls from LA and NC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 So they interview a bunch of non-native New Yorkers for a car story, and that means something?I thought the comment pointing out that auto registration in NYC has DROPPED 20% was more relevant than talking to 2 or 3 girls from LA and NC.Why do you think car registration might've dropped between 2002 and 2007? Hmmm...what was going on in 2002? And what do people with stable jobs not do so frequently? And what action might closely correlate with car registration?Two data points does not a trend make. Neither do several man-on-the-street interviews, but my point being: this is a poorly written article. I already knew that different individual people had different preferences. Didn't need to be reminded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desirous Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 So they interview a bunch of non-native New Yorkers for a car story, and that means something?I thought the comment pointing out that auto registration in NYC has DROPPED 20% was more relevant than talking to 2 or 3 girls from LA and NC.NC? Go figure. Why bother with cars when a parking space costs more than a car itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwilson Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 When I lived up there, I had a car and it was great. I rarely took the trains as they were grossly inconvenient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 When I lived up there, I had a car and it was great. I rarely took the trains as they were grossly inconvenient.As someone that might actually have perspective on the matter, did you notice any tendencies with respect to automobile use that differed depending on whether you were a native NYC resident or a transplant? Intuitively, I'd think that the natives wouldn't appreciate what they were missing so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 When I lived up there, I had a car and it was great. I rarely took the trains as they were grossly inconvenient.Where did you park and how much did you pay for rent/parking? My sister lives in NYC, as do a few friends of mine, and nobody I know has access to any parking, but they're probably younger and have less money than you. Having a car in Manhattan is a luxury. Here in Houston, I pay less rent AND have free parking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
713 To 214 Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 When I lived up there, I had a car and it was great. I rarely took the trains as they were grossly inconvenient.Oh, really? Where exactly do you live? I have a place in Brooklyn, near Prospect Park, and I keep my Jeep parked as much as possible because it's such a pain to drive and park. Not to mention having to move it to the other side of the street twice a week. It's fun to drive on Sunday through Brooklyn. However, I try not to go into the city if I can help it, and especially not to the office during the weekdays. The Q, N, R, 1, 2, or 3 trains suit me just fine. . .eight minute walk to Prospect Park Station, then in about 15 minutes I'm at Canal Street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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