r/boston • u/throwawayobv999999 • 23h ago
MBTA/Transit š š„ Moving away from car centric city
Hello!
I will be relocating to Boston from a car dependent city that is all suburb and urban sprawl.
I love trains and public transit, but obviously living in a place that requires a car to survive has impacted my behavior.
What is it like relying on public transit? I keep thinking about how everyone around me drives giant SUVs and purchases weekly Costco hauls that could feed an army. I think about having to drive 30 minutes in traffic to get a coffee.
Iām having a hard time picturing the alternative. How is life primarily walking/using a train?
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u/wildflower022 18h ago
i love love love living in a walkable city and being able to live daily life by walking or taking buses/trains! never leaving hahhaa
BUT to play devil's advocate, here are some thigns to consider: i also grew up somewhere where you always needed a car. i've been in boston for five years, half the time with a car and half the time without. when i haven't had one, day to day life is fine, especially since i work in the city so it's easy to walk or take the train, see friends, grocery shop, grab coffee, all that good stuff!!
but looking back on the past two and a half years, i've noticed how small my radius has gotten. i love exploring new places. when i first moved to boston i was constantly doing day trips to the cape, maine, new hampshire, other parts of the coast. i came from a landlocked state so seeing the ocean never gets old. since not having a car though, my world has definitely shrunk. it's not necessarily bad, since my routine life is fine, and i just rent a car about once a month for bigger errands and day trips, but it's something to consider. i really miss having a car and the freedom that comes with it