Of all the cities in the country, New York has the
reputation of being the most transit-friendly. Indeed, in common perception,
New Yorkers do not have cars, eschewing them in favor of the subway and buses.
However, in reality, quite a few New Yorkers are choosing to own cars in order
to make their lives easier.
The biggest reason car-owning New Yorkers cite for owning
a car in the city is to make life with children easier to navigate. When you
have kids, the added time of taking subways and buses and waiting for
connections makes a big difference to your quality of life. Renting cars or
using zip cars are another popular option, but doing so requires that you lug
car seats and child equipment to and from the car each time you use it.
Once children get older, there are other reasons to own a
car. Getting from place to place with small children is hard enough, but if
your child has extracurricular activities that require equipment, getting
around using public transportation is difficult and unwieldy. Imagine taking
hockey equipment on a bus and you’ll understand why many parents prefer to own
a car.
Even for those without children, there are reasons to
consider car ownership in the city. One common reason for getting a car is
because it simplifies your work commute. Many places are not completely
accessible via public transportation, making a car the best way to get to and
from your job. In other cases, the convenience of taking a car justifies the
cost, as public transportation can be a lengthy process.
Another reason to consider getting a car is if you have
friends or family outside the city that you visit often or would like to visit
often. It’s easier and cheaper to have your own car to visit friends on Long
Island than it is to rent a car every time you want to spend a weekend outside
the city.
A surprising reason to consider getting a car in the city
is because it may be more cost-effective. This sounds strange, especially
considering the high cost of gas in the city and the price of garage rentals,
but in many areas of the city, street parking is reasonably easy to find and
because you aren’t traveling long distances, the gas isn’t a major cost factor.
It might be less expensive to pay car insurance and gas than it is to pay for
subway and bus fares all month long.
Counter-intuitive as it may sound, there are many reasons
to consider getting a car when you live in New York City. From ease of
transport with children, to time-savings, to cost-savings, more people are
deciding that car ownership in the city makes good sense.
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