Anyone live in Manhattan? Can't imagine never driving anywhere in town!

[mickey squared]

Lived there right after HS, attended FIT. Worked in the garment center, walked everywhere. Got married and moved to LI, thought it was a culture shock. Now, we relocated to Orlando and I feel like I'm in a different country!!Thank God for Disney, it's my therapy!!

 

[MUFFYCAT]

I an 58 years old, don't know how to drive and will go to my grave without a drivers license. I've easily saved a 1/4 million dollars on not having to buy a car, keep it running, or paying auto insurance. FYI, the ice is up and in use at Rockefeller Center. The Christmas Show starts in about 4 weeks at Radio City. I work in 30 Rock and can hear the music from the today show when they perform in the Plaza. I would not trade living and working in the city for anything.

I agree, there's no city quite like it. I work at 30 Rock also but live on Long Island now. I Didn't learn how to drive until my 30's because I could get around just fine on NYC transportation.

 

[Imzadi]

Totally, completely jealous! I would love, love, love this lifestyle (with warmer weather, though).

I'm with you on the weather! Last nite when I went out to get something to eat it was a chilly 38 degrees. Hello! A week and a half ago, it was still in the 60's.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

I hate to drive, so Manhattan would be the perfect place for me. The subways are so safe and CHEAP. I love the thought of never having to drive again. Parking fees in the parking garages are insane! Like $30 a day. And I imagine the car insurance would be through the roof.

I have been to NYC many times and one thing has always stood out to me. The locals (and you can pretty much tell the tourists from the locals) are not overweight. I think so many walk to work, walk the the little grocery store, clothing stores, restaurants etc that they are incapable of being overweight.
One time I went with my dad and we spent 3 days in the city. We ate NONSTOP. I mean, like 4 meals a day. We did not hold back, NYC has some of the best food I have ever eaten. When we got home, I noticed about 3 days later, I had lost 9 POUNDS in three days because we walked so much. We probably had like 3000 calories a day, which is wayyyyyyyy more than I would ever dream of consuming in a single day (i weigh 120lbs), and we still lost weight. I think my dad lost 12 pounds that weekend. New York is the greatest city in the world! But you really can't understand unless you go. It has a vibe that is unique to Manhattan only, and is truly a melting pot.

 

[AlleyKat]

I keep telling my daughter I want to go during Christmas and check out Rockefeller Plaza and the ice skating rink. Everytime we watch the first Home Alone movie I say I'm gonna go stay at the Plaza and check out the city like "Kevin" did.

You will love New York City!

There is an "electricity" in the air unlike any other place!

The last time I went I passed Conan O'Brien on the street. Folks said "Hi" to him, he responded and nobody batted an eye.

The Christmas displays in the store windows will take your breath away.

Make sure to "visit" Cartier and/or Tiffanys and don't forget to take a carriage ride through the park.

 

[MAH4546]

I heard Matt Lauer say last night on Leno that nobody drives in New York City. I was thinking about it and can't imagine life dependent on cabs & buses all the time. I guess I may have the wrong image in my mind, but is there no large grocery store nearby? I mean if you discover you are out of something and want to go to the grocery, do you have to get a cab and is there just small nearby neighborhood stores? Wow, life without a drive to Walmart at least once a week would be strange!

You're kidding, right?

It is amazing being able to live in a place where one never has to drive.

I have lived in central Manahttan, Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago in my life, as well as in Milan, Italy. In all five cities, while I did own a car, it has always been so nice that I don't ever actually need to use it. Everything is walkable...the supermarket, the corner store, the movie theatre, my office. Urban lifestyles are the best. Right now I am in central Los Angeles. I literally never have to use my car. I walk to work, walk to the movie theatre, walk to the grocery store, take the subway to "night life" districts. I have put 11,000 miles on my car in the 2.5 years I have lived here, and pretty much half of that is on my weekly drive to Disneyland in the OC.

 

[supercarrie]

I live in London, so my experiences are very similar to those in NYC. We do live in "greater" London and own a car, but have put 2000 miles on it in 3 years. Almost all of those miles were driving outside of London to visit my in-laws. If we lived in central London, there is no way we would own a car. Parking is horrendously expensive, for a start! (It is controlled parking where we live, 1 space per house, also quite expensive.)

I do not have my UK drivers license so don't drive here, and I adore it. I love being able to walk everywhere. Everything I need is within walking distance, and anything else I want is a short bus or tube ride away.

 

[BC]

I would be the typical tourist standing there with my sign for the Today Show. I hear rumors about safety and just wondered where would be the best place to stay to be able to walk there and also to maybe see a Broadway show.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

Long time Manhattanite here, moved to Florida 3 years ago, and moving back to the city in Spring '10. Cannot WAIT to get home!

We lived on the UWS and kept our car on the street (Riverside Drive) for work but also had a space in a midtown garage for when I wasn't going to use the car for a time. Got to admit, for small grocery purchases we'd typically cab it to Garden of Eden, but for big shopping trips, I'd either drive down to the Columbus Circle Whole Foods or hit A&P in NJ on the way home from an appointment. Never liked Gristedes...they all seem so filthy to me.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

I would be the typical tourist standing there with my sign for the Today Show. I hear rumors about safety and just wondered where would be the best place to stay to be able to walk there and also to maybe see a Broadway show.

When we had friends come and visit, I'd always suggest not staying anywhere near Times Square. Too hokey. What kind of hotel are you looking for and what's your budget? The Midtown Marriott East Side is nice, larger rooms (most tourists complain about small rooms in NYC) and walking distance from Times Square. Since we lived Upper West, we always put friends up at On The Ave (on Broadway in the 70's). It has easy subway access (>10 minutes to Times Square) and walking distance from Central Park and the AMNH.

 

[MushyMushy]

Actually, I've seen that done. But, why would people think we wouldn't need a moving van. Don't YOU use a moving van or truck when you move?

Because us folks in the country have friends and family with pickup trucks! We've made many a move just going back and forth several times in a pickup truck.



(funny, but true)

 

[JerseyJanice]

I live just outside NYC in New Jersey and never shop at Walmart mainly because there aren't any around here. Target opened here about 10 years ago and I'm still trying to figure out what the big whoop about it is. I'm not thrilled with it.

I had close relatives who lived in the City until last year. They ate out most of the time. The mom wasn't one to cook much. Now that they're in NJ, she's been trying to cook more, but I think they still do a lot of take-out.

For grocery shopping, I love ShopRite. Their weekly specials are awesome. You can't beat their prices anywhere. I don't have a Walmart to compare it to, but it's hard to imagine they can beat ShopRite on food prices and quality.

 

[GJM]

I miss Shop Rite! I don't have any Shop Rite here in SC - there is Walmart, and I hate Walmart. I would get the best deals at Shop Rite

When I lived in NJ (Bergen Cty) I never went to Walmart -

 

[BC]

The talk about walking from the bus stop home sounds like something I would not even want to do around here. Not because I wouldn't want to walk, but for safety reasons. Crime is something I am always aware of and would be concerned to walk anywhere very far from my home at night. Not that I live in a high crime area, we actually live in a somewhat rural area, but no matter what neighborhood you are in, there is always the possibility. I guess as New York is a city that never sleeps, it is different there. I also wonder if the "great" grocery prices you refer to at Shoprite are comparable to what we pay here in the south. I know housing is much more expensive there especially for the space you get. After living in a house with our own yard, I think I would feel very cramped in an apartment.

As far as where we would want to stay and a budget, I would want to be in the middle of the action and we are willing to pay up to $500 per night, but preferably around $300. Others have told me to make sure I don't take the sub to the wrong place because I could get off in the wrong neighborhood. That sort of had me sketched out, but I am sure the hotel could direct me. Thanks to all of you for your response and info.

 

[Cindy B]

As far as where we would want to stay and a budget, I would want to be in the middle of the action and we are willing to pay up to $500 per night, but preferably around $300. Others have told me to make sure I don't take the sub to the wrong place because I could get off in the wrong neighborhood. That sort of had me sketched out, but I am sure the hotel could direct me. Thanks to all of you for your response and info.

The subways are great and like any public transportation, you have to make sure where you are going or you will wind up in the wrong place.

The is a public transport bus stop near my house. One side of the street gets to Philadelphia and the other side of the street is other parts of NJ.. you just have to know. It isn't really a specific NYC problem, but a public transportation issue.

Crime well its like anywhere be aware of your surroundings. I'm like that in my own suburban neighborhood. Dont let fear get you down.. its just somethign different.

If I was young and single again, I would live in the city in a heartbeat! The fact of not driving anywhere is amazing to me.

 

[lovetoscrap]

The idea of not having to drive to do stuff just sounds so wonderful! I hate it when I have 10 little errands to do and have to keep getting in and out of the car, keep getting in and out of parking lots and spaces and when you add in having to get kids in and out of the car it is even worse. Especially when the kids were little it would have been so much easier to load them in the stroller and go and just go in and out of every place and never have to disturb them.

If I run out of one little thing I need it seems like such a waste to get in the car and go get it. The idea of just walking out to get what you need, like going to a neighbors house sounds so wonderful.

The city that I went to college in has a wonderful bus system and you can get to just about everywhere with it. I had a car but rarely used it because it was so much easier to just jump on the bus. I have not lived anywhere since with even a decent mass transit system. Most of our neighborhoods are so big it isn't even close to any commercial areas to be able to walk or even bike to go shopping. And even if you wanted to walk, there are no sidewalks so it would be too dangerous to even try.

If you are living in the city as people are describing, are you living in apartments? or are there private homes that are as convenient as what you describe?

 

[trip]

Ok New Yorkers - it sounds great not having to rely on a car for transportation. But, how much do you spend on cabs, buses, and the subway per month? And what about all of the tips needed for all of those deliveries? That has to add up.

 

[Free4Life11]

I would love to not have to spend money on a vehicle, ugh talk about a money pit! But seems like the apartments are so expensive and I couldn't stand to live in a tiny postage stamp of an apartment which I still probably couldn't afford

 

[MUFFYCAT]

Ok New Yorkers - it sounds great not having to rely on a car for transportation. But, how much do you spend on cabs, buses, and the subway per month? And what about all of the tips needed for all of those deliveries? That has to add up.

NYC transportation is very cheap. You can buy a monthly pass for about $100.00 and use it as much as you want.

 

[MAH4546]

Ok New Yorkers - it sounds great not having to rely on a car for transportation. But, how much do you spend on cabs, buses, and the subway per month? And what about all of the tips needed for all of those deliveries? That has to add up.

Cabs in NY are insanely cheap. You can go half way across town for around $10.