Would it be reasonable to have a car in the East Bay area and work in San Francisco?
I have a lien on my car that I am still working to pay off. Many sites suggest that you don't need a car in the San Francisco area, but its not an option for me to get rid of it just yet (I'm one of many who are underwater with their car loan)... Do people live more frugally outside of SF and commute to work in the city? Would this prove a good reason to keep my car and still make the big move? Personal Finance - -1 Answers
People's Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
Answer 1 :
If you don't plan to venture outside of the SF area very much then you will be okay with the public transport (BART/AC Transit). If you want to travel outside of the bay area for distances like going from San Francisco to Oakland/San Jose/Tri-City etc... then you will definitely need a car. But from East Bay (Tri-City) Newark, Union City, Fremont area you will definitely need a vehicle to drive to San Francisco to work unless you want to take the BART. The BART can get you to San Francisco within about a little over an hour. The problem with the BART is if you want to park your car at the parking lot you will have to get there early (5-6 AM) or there will be no parking. You could also bike to the BART station if you don't want a car. If you're just focusing on working then you will most likely be okay without a vehicle. The only difficult part is when you want to go do other things than work like shopping, going to the beach, checking out new places etc... That's when sometimes a car maybe a lot better for you.
I have a lien on my car that I am still working to pay off. Many sites suggest that you don't need a car in the San Francisco area, but its not an option for me to get rid of it just yet (I'm one of many who are underwater with their car loan)... Do people live more frugally outside of SF and commute to work in the city? Would this prove a good reason to keep my car and still make the big move? Personal Finance - -1 Answers
People's Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
Answer 1 :
If you don't plan to venture outside of the SF area very much then you will be okay with the public transport (BART/AC Transit). If you want to travel outside of the bay area for distances like going from San Francisco to Oakland/San Jose/Tri-City etc... then you will definitely need a car. But from East Bay (Tri-City) Newark, Union City, Fremont area you will definitely need a vehicle to drive to San Francisco to work unless you want to take the BART. The BART can get you to San Francisco within about a little over an hour. The problem with the BART is if you want to park your car at the parking lot you will have to get there early (5-6 AM) or there will be no parking. You could also bike to the BART station if you don't want a car. If you're just focusing on working then you will most likely be okay without a vehicle. The only difficult part is when you want to go do other things than work like shopping, going to the beach, checking out new places etc... That's when sometimes a car maybe a lot better for you.
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