Alabama? Tuskaloosa?

[brokenrobot]

Does anyone have any experience living car-free in Alabama, specifically Tuskaloosa? I just got admitted to the University of Alabama law school. It's not my ideal school in my ideal place (which also admitted me- yay me!) but they'll give me a hell of a lot more funding than my ideal school will, so Alabama is a possibility that I've got to consider pretty seriously...

Coming from NYC and having been car-free for a long time, I'm pretty concerned about moving to pickup-truck land. Is living car-free in Tuskaloosa a possibility or a pipe dream?

[Az B]

First thing you need to know:

It's Tuscaloosa.

Secondly, http://tuscaloosa-al.gov/

I've never lived there, but I've ridden in the surrounding area. It's pretty nice, the people are friendly, and it stays plenty warm enough to cycle year 'round.

Good luck. What are you studying?

Az

[TuckertonRR]

Like any new place, I'd go there for a "test" - see how easy it is to bike/walk around your campus, and the town itself... get a feel for things.. Also look and see if there's a public bus system. If there is, study the routes. I believe Tuscaloosa has a stop on Amtrak's Crecent line. It's only once a day, but it should make it pretty convenient to get back & forth to NY Penn Station - since you say you're from NYC. Just my 2c.

[brokenrobot]

Thanks, guys! I am trying to arrange a visit, but the differing deadlines between law schools likely means that I'm going to have a deposit come due at my first-choice-academically school before I can get to Alabama for an introductory visit. This is turning into a pretty difficult decision; I believe I'd be happier academically at Northeastern (my other likely option, which is in Boston), but I anticipate working in a public-interest or government position after graduation, and those positions are sadly very poorly paid most of the time, so the financial assistance I've been offered at Alabama *has* to be a very strong consideration. I'm a little bit older than the average law student, so it might be less reasonable for me to take on a long-term debt load that would be less onerous if I were younger and less likely to be thinking of starting a family or whatever before the debt is paid off...

I've been in touch with a member of the bicycling club in Tuscaloosa, and it sounds like there are definitely a number of cyclists around (it *is* a university town!) but that his experience at least has been that drivers are less than respectful. I don't know how helpful or otherwise my NYC and touring experience will be - I'm more comfortable in traffic than a lot of riders, certainly, but so much depends on the attitude of the people with whom we share the roads...