Living Car Free - Car-Free non-driver in Atlanta?!

Hi Everyone,

Not sure if I should've posted this in that Decatur thread. Anyway, I just joined this forum as I am planning to move from Savannah to Decatur next spring. I don't have a car, (nor a license for that matter), and I am SCARED to death! All I hear is that you cannot live in Atlanta without a car. I'm 21 years old, fresh outta art school, and hoping to get a good design job in the city. I have a friend I may move in with who lives about 2 minutes outside of downtown Decatur, she says MARTA access is great & wonderful, yet she still drives to work, even though she could take MARTA.

Can I really live somewhat comfortably with just my bike and a MARTA pass? I hear horror stories about being carless in the city and I also hear the other extreme that I'll be just fine. No gray area whatsoever. Sorry I am freaking out a little. I'm just worried that I'll have to move north to a bigger city with better public transit.

I've lived in Savannah for the past couple of years, and I've been able to get all over with a bike & riding the bus (grocery shopping, doctor, etc), but biking around Savannah streets is nothing compared to ATL. Help! Can someone give me honest to goodness advice? Should I give it a try or move on to NYC or something?

I have yet to find ANYWHERE that you can not possibly live without a car.

From a small town in the mountains of Arizona where I was raised, to Orlando, FL; Charleston, SC; Alameda, CA; Bremerton, WA; Norfolk, Newport News and Hampton, VA; Portland, OR

And now Denver, CO. Every place I survived for months or years with no car, despite many people telling me how impossible it was. (I've owned several vehicles during those years, but always spent time with no vehicle in each of these areas)

There are people that live in the Atlanta area with no car, I gaurantee it. There are people all over this country that live their lives with no car. Some places are easier than others, but I'm sure that it's possible just about anywhere in this country, with the exception of VERY rural areas where you have to travel an hour or more by car for basic necessities, and even there, if you're very motivated, it's possible.

If carfree living is impossible in Atlanta--which I doubt--why the hell would you want to live there?

There are people that live in the Atlanta area with no car, I gaurantee it.

I know a guy that lives inside the perimeter that's car-free. I live outside the perimeter (Loganville), so I can't comment on riding in downtown Atlanta. Riding in the 'burbs is no problem though.

My experience with Atlanta is somewhat limited...I do however take a bike there when I go down from SC for shows and things. I see a fair number of folks using bikes...and I'd say it'd be possible to live carfree there. If I can do it in Spartanburg SC, I'm sure you'll be fine.

Hi Everyone,

Not sure if I should've posted this in that Decatur thread. Anyway, I just joined this forum as I am planning to move from Savannah to Decatur next spring. I don't have a car, (nor a license for that matter), and I am SCARED to death! All I hear is that you cannot live in Atlanta without a car. I'm 21 years old, fresh outta art school, and hoping to get a good design job in the city. I have a friend I may move in with who lives about 2 minutes outside of downtown Decatur, she says MARTA access is great & wonderful, yet she still drives to work, even though she could take MARTA.

Can I really live somewhat comfortably with just my bike and a MARTA pass? I hear horror stories about being carless in the city and I also hear the other extreme that I'll be just fine. No gray area whatsoever. Sorry I am freaking out a little. I'm just worried that I'll have to move north to a bigger city with better public transit.

I've lived in Savannah for the past couple of years, and I've been able to get all over with a bike & riding the bus (grocery shopping, doctor, etc), but biking around Savannah streets is nothing compared to ATL. Help! Can someone give me honest to goodness advice? Should I give it a try or move on to NYC or something?

I spent a year in Atlanta without a car (and without a bike). I did just fine. MARTA is fine, not the best transit system in the world, but it shouldn't be too bad. Besides, there's a MARTA train station right in downtown Decatur.