50 West Broadway (former Cardinal Cushing HS)

I've lived in the Boston area for over 5 years, and I can count the number of times I have used a car to go grocery shopping on one hand. I have always walked or taken the T and never found it to be unbearable by any means. In fact, I've found that it's often easier than dealing with traffic, even when parking is plentiful and free.
 
I lived in the South End for three years without a car. It was great but I also ate takeout for roughly 19 out of the 21 meals of the week. Hoofing from Appleton Street to the Star at The Pru with four bags of groceries was a pain. A car is better with groceries. Simple as that.

Getting around the Boston core, some of Brookline, some of Cambridge, and some of Somerville were great by the T, except if you actually had to go from A to B in a reasonable amount of time. Getting off work at 9:30 at night in Harvard Sq and being able to be home in 10 minutes was a lot better than 40 minutes via two trains or one bus and lots of walking.

You ever have a girlfriend in Charlestown? Getting there is easier by car than the dropping the then 50 cents into the 92 bus or walking across the Prison Point Bridge in the rain.
 
Both Boston and Cambridge are nearly uninhabitable without a car. I was without a car for about two years in all, and though I was in good shape, I can tell you: I suffered. Especially in winter.
 
Bah.....I lived in Back Bay without a car for 2 years and it was cake....a big load of groceries from the Pru required a cab, but $7-$9 including tip cab including someone helping you load and unload, is a lot better than $10 for a spot in that horrible deck at the Pru. Smaller trips could be managed at Trader Joes or even a corner store.

Need to go out of town, Avis has a location at Back Bay garage.....
 
My bed and my desk are each less than three hundred paces from a T stop, yet I drive to work every day, and pay for metered parking.

I have thus re-captured 5-7 hours each week.

I'm a bad person.
 
You pay for metered parking? Doesn't that mean you have to go out and feed the meter every 2 or 3 hours?
 
Both Boston and Cambridge are nearly uninhabitable without a car.
Click to expand...
Huh? Boston is one of the most walkable cities in the country. It's dense and relatively flat. I lived in South Boston for 2 years. I used my car so infrequently that it once got towed for being abandoned.
 
I do, Ron. Not as crazy as it seems. I've been doing some remodeling, and I've needed to be able to get home quickly. I have two lots steps away from my desk, or the choice of spots on the street. I visit the meter at lunch, and when I grab a coffee at in the afternoon.

When the work's all done, I plan returning to the T. I'll miss the fast commute-time (25 min vs. 60-75 min.)
 
The T takes longer than a car, but the time on the T can be spent doing things other than driving. I see it as a net gain. Of course, if you actually need to be somewhere in a hurry that doesn't really hold up.
 
Justin7 said:
The T takes longer than a car, but the time on the T can be spent doing things other than driving. I see it as a net gain. Of course, if you actually need to be somewhere in a hurry that doesn't really hold up.
Click to expand...

This is how i see it. I get the majority of my reading done on the T. I can't seem to pick up a book when i am home.

As far as groceries, as someone suggested a cab works, but if you must have a car, how about zipcar?
 
I'll also give myself away by pointing out that reusable grocery bags are considerably easier to carry than paper/plastic... and there are always those little portable carts if you just can't carry the weight.
 
Great point Justin! I figured this out as well. I can easily carry a whole week's worth of groceries in 2 reusable bags as opposed 6+ disposable (and awkward to carry!) plastic bags.
 
ablarc said:
Both Boston and Cambridge are nearly uninhabitable without a car. I was without a car for about two years in all, and though I was in good shape, I can tell you: I suffered. Especially in winter.
Click to expand...

no, man, no! i got my first car @ 35 when i moved out of the city. Boston is completely walkable, T-able, even bikeable. groceries up the steep side of Beacon Hill in winter were tough, but so is shoveling out the car now. what else did you need the wheels for?

coming from you -- pictures of Amsterdam-dude -- this is a bit unexpected, no?! :)


...

and actually, thinking about it more, i did some consulting to an outfit on the East Cambridge side of things the other year. Somerville's pretty much owing me an axle. it's expensive just driving through even w/guaranteed parking -- forget trying to park on the street and pay the tickets.
 
smw2340 said:
I'm pretty sure that if we all had the choice to have a parking space with our apartments, we'd take it. Plus, having the garage will alleviate any additional cars that will be looking for street parking in this neighborhood. I lived in Southie for four years so I know how vital parking is for the area.

Also, I'd be willing to bet there would have been no way in hell this project got approved without providing adequate parking. Any developer would love to build a project and have no parking requirement.
Click to expand...

For the first part...you said it yourself, when given the option of a "free" space, people will take it. Building a garage creates parking demand.

As for the bolded, here is the problem.

1) The city should not dictate parking requirements.
2) Even without parking requirements, many developers cannot build without parking because banks believe parking is essential, and wont give loans if parking isnt included.

As someone else mentioned, shouldn't we have the option of living somewhere without parking? The option exists if you're willing to live somewhere old....but find me a building built after 1980 without parking (and the hidden expense that comes with it)
 
Another contributing factor to including the factor was likely the demo of Cardinal Cushing. Once they decided to pull down the old buildings they had to go down and get the foundations too. If you're going down to clear out old foundations . . . why not build your own and throw some parking in it.
 
ablarc said:
Both Boston and Cambridge are nearly uninhabitable without a car. I was without a car for about two years in all, and though I was in good shape, I can tell you: I suffered. Especially in winter.
Click to expand...
Just sayin'.

singbat said:
no, man, no! i got my first car @ 35 when i moved out of the city. Boston is completely walkable, T-able...
Click to expand...
No, it's not; if you've lived in Paris, you know this just reveals low expectations.

singbat said:
...even bikeable.
Click to expand...
After I got put on life support at the hospital, I gave up this fantasy.

singbat said:
coming from you -- pictures of Amsterdam-dude -- this is a bit unexpected, no?! :)
Click to expand...
Amsterdam is gobs more walkable.
 
Smart developers unbundle the parking from the sale of the units. So you can buy a unit with no parking. If you want a space, it's another $50K or so. That makes people think twice about how badly they really need a car.
 
Boston is usually eminently bikeable. Not today, though, at least not when riding westbound into the wind.
 
cden4 said:
Smart developers unbundle the parking from the sale of the units. So you can buy a unit with no parking. If you want a space, it's another $50K or so. That makes people think twice about how badly they really need a car.
Click to expand...

These are rental units.
 
But the same logic applies -- parking space rental could be a separate (and optional) charge.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top