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Automotive News & Views How does gas at $4 and higher impact you?
2183 messages, Last post on Nov 21, 2009 at 5:13 PM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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A city the size of Victoria BC might be ok. Vancouver is huge. I will drive a 100 miles out of my way to avoid a big city if possible. When I am forced to drive to or through LA I do it in the wee hours of the morning. Seattle is probably the worst traffic on the West coast. I also believe if the big cities start charging people for the privilege of driving into them then businesses will simply move out where the customers can get to them and park for free. Many downtown shopping areas have died because of traffic & parking fees. The only time I shop downtown is for a specialty item. There is NOTHING I want to see or be a part of that can justify paying $7 to $10 for parking. Been at least two years since I was downtown San Diego shopping. I can get it all on line cheaper and NO high sales tax. The Zoo and Balboa park are still free parking. |
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Replying to: gagrice (Nov 09, 2008 1:35 pm) "Many downtown shopping areas have died because of traffic & parking fees" That's true for Seattle...it's funny that I can see downtown Seattle from my office, yet I go there only a few times a year. It's terrible to drive in, the public transit is half baked at best, parking can be impossible, etc. Bellevue WA has a somewhat forward thinking developer named Kemper Freeman who has fathered a large commercial development downtown, with free parking being a key point. It's now the most highly regarded shopping space in the region. The downtown here is doing very well even in the slowing economy. Within 20 minutes walk of where I live I have several grocery stores, drugstores, good restaurants, more shopping than a trophy wife could handle, and so on. But, it aint cheap to live here.
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Replying to: fintail (Nov 09, 2008 2:18 pm) Personally I am willing to support my down town stores as long as I am not taxed, tolled, or restricted in parking to do so. So I might pay a bit more to shop locally if fuel is $2.50 a gallon. But if they are going to charge a toll to get into the city or extra to park there I might just as well hit the mall or Wal-Mart. |
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Replying to: fintail (Nov 09, 2008 2:18 pm) There is the key. In a weak moment I thought of moving downtown and having all those nice restaurants and the concert halls within walking distance or a short cab ride. We had someone that wanted to trade his condo for our house in the crowded suburbs. We looked at it and it had two small underground parking spots. A view of Little Italy and constant traffic noise unless you kept all the doors & windows shut. If you cannot have the windows open 300+ days of the year in So California you are missing the main reason for living here. It was a nice condo but not $600k nice. Probably get a steal on it now for $450k. We still have the house in the crowded suburbs for sale. Family squatting there right now as they lost their home to a loan we advised against. Foreclosure happens in every family it seems. We would still be as far from Costco as we are now. So would not save much gas. Spend more time getting away from the constant noises and smells in the city. A condo in La Jolla or up the coast if I ever have a couple extra million to unvest. |
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Replying to: gagrice (Nov 09, 2008 1:35 pm)
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Replying to: steve_ (Nov 09, 2008 5:07 pm) |
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Replying to: steve_ (Nov 09, 2008 5:07 pm) "I think you missed my point. If you live downtown you don't have to pay parking fees unless you insist on having a car instead of renting occasionally or using a ZipCar, and you can avoid the traffic by walking. When gas spikes, then you worry about transit price hikes or your heating bill, but you aren't having to fill up a gas tank all the time. " Now me, I love Vankong, ok it maybe politically incorrect but they had to go somewhere after '97. In truth what's not to like ? Seabus, Skytrain,BC ferries, great bus and trolleys. Fantastic seafood, mountains, water. Not to mention that Vancouver pale ale. If memory serves me correctly a few blocks on Robson as you approach Stanley still say strasse after the street in homage to the early german roots. Perfect no, there are areas affected by hard drug use and unsafe. But all and all pretty good. Hope the RE values have been affected.
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Replying to: duke23 (Nov 09, 2008 8:29 pm) I have lived two times in my life where I did not have a car. One of those times was NOT in an urban setting and it STILL worked out. I was deemed eccentric and the whole girlfriend thing was a bit awkward (It's hard to meet up with the significant other for a date without the betsy) but the savings.... Wow! The savings benefits were nothing less than spectacular and quite noticeable even with more expensive urban living..... It works out. Gather your payments/maintenance/insurance/registration costs together (don't leave out emissions and inspection fees) and now divide it by 365 and leave the car parked. "Wow", is usually the remark heard. People that don't say wow are glossing over various fees, really gather up the receipts and do it.... Now add in the monthly parking fees from that place over by W. 57th, the big garage on 12th on the west side.... Are you completely depressed now? Go treat yourself to a Starbuck's there bucko! That'll cheer you up.... |
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Replying to: ponderpoint (Nov 10, 2008 7:57 am) For the price of a nasty Starbuck's every day you could make a small car payment each month. When I pass the Starbuck's as I did last week and see all the people in there wasting their hard earned money, it is hard to believe we are in a recession. I would think the $5 latte would be the first luxury to go. I don't know what city you live in. I find it hard to believe that it is less expensive than the suburbs including a car to get to work. If you really want to save money rent way out of town at an apartment next to the bus stop.
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Replying to: andre1969 (Nov 09, 2008 5:38 am)
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