Originally Posted by
bragi
I think there are a lot of cities in the US that could give London a run for its money, in terms of living car-free: Seattle, Portland, SF, Denver, and San Diego come immediately to mind. Personally, I could easily live car-free in any of these places. Actually, if you stayed west, the LA area would be perfectly doable, too. If not for the weather, I'd even seriously consider Chicago, Minneapolis, and Madison.
And I'd ride a bike in downtown London without hesitation. The cars there can't possibly be going much faster than 10-25 mph, and, at those speeds, mixing it up with cars is pretty safe.
When I was there in 2006 it wasn't the speed but how little room they give you.
I love San Diego and I agree it has one of the better transportation systems in our area. Housing is a bit expensive. But you don't get weather much better.
Been to Denver and once again good public transportation. It just gets cold in the winter. I once thought of moving to Colorado Springs. I did see a lot of bike riders there. The LA area is way too expensive. You pay twice as much for 1/4 of the room. And rent is horrid. I simply see renting as throwing your money in the street. Yes you can move easily but you can buy for just a bit more than rent and you get something in return. That is how landlords make their money, they rent for more than the payments would be.