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Sick and tired of driving hours and hours in traffic? Check out these 10 US cities where car free (or at least less car) life is possible.
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0:00
Imagine this. You hop on a train. You go
0:02
to work. Your groceries are a short walk
0:04
away. Your favorite coffee shop is
0:06
around the corner. Safe bike lanes are
0:08
everywhere. And so are the parks and
0:10
other public spaces. No dealing with
0:12
traffic, no car notes, no parking
0:14
tickets. If this sounds like a paradise
0:16
to you, then keep watching. Across the
0:18
United States, a handful of metros make
0:21
the car-free lifestyle attractive places
0:23
where mass transport, walkability,
0:26
compact neighborhoods, and a culture of
0:28
walking and biking mean you can get by
0:30
and thrive without even owning a
0:33
vehicle. For black households
0:34
considering a car-free life, those same
0:37
places often hold deep cultural roots
0:39
and sizable black populations. Those
0:42
same places hold deep cultural roots and
0:44
sizable black populations. communities
0:47
that shape local life, politics, and
0:49
neighborhoods. Let's talk about 10
0:51
metros where you can realistically
0:53
survive and even prosper without a car.
0:56
Hi, my name is Jared and welcome to
0:57
Black Excellence, where we celebrate all
0:59
the ways black people pursue excellence
1:01
in their everyday lives. If you're
1:03
searching for ways to fuel your own
1:04
journey of excellence with content on
1:06
where to live, where to travel,
1:08
lifestyle trends, and unconventional
1:10
ways to do it all, hit that subscribe
1:12
button and join this circle of
1:14
excellence. I'm actually hearing a lot
1:16
about how Gen Z is not even learning to
1:18
drive at an early age like us
1:20
millennials did. And a lot of them still
1:22
don't even have a driver's license into
1:24
their 20s. I mean, every day I'm
1:26
considering on how to give back the
1:28
responsibility of driving. I mean, how
1:31
much it costs to buy a car, how much it
1:33
costs to have insurance, how much it
1:35
costs for registration. Driving sucks.
1:37
Before we get started with this list,
1:39
hit the subscribe button if you haven't
1:41
done so already. I mean, it's free to do
1:43
so, and it helps our channel in a big
1:45
way. You know where we're starting this
1:47
video. I hear a lot of New Yorkers don't
1:49
even know how to drive. Little side
1:51
story, I was working at Intercope
1:52
Records here in Los Angeles, and a
1:54
big-time producer came into town, and I
1:56
had to drive him around for a week, and
1:58
I had to go get his food. I had to go do
2:00
everything because he didn't have a
2:02
driver's license. And this is really
2:04
before Uber started to even take off.
2:06
New York's density and transit system
2:08
make it an obvious starting point. The
2:10
New York, New York, Jersey City
2:12
metropolitan area is home to nearly 19.5
2:16
million people, including about 3
2:18
million black residents. The city's
2:20
sheer scale creates neighborhoods that
2:23
feel like small towns. Three meals, a
2:25
job, and a pharmacy within 15 to 30
2:27
minute walk or subway ride. Subways,
2:30
buses, regional rail, fairies, and a
2:32
culture of walking mean car ownership is
2:35
optional for millions. New York's black
2:37
history is long and layered. From
2:39
Harlem's cultural apex in the early 20th
2:42
century to the black immigrant
2:44
neighborhoods of Brooklyn and the legacy
2:46
communities of Jersey City and New York,
2:49
the Walk Score ranks New York among the
2:51
nation's most walkable cities. And the
2:53
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
2:56
moves millions daily, making transit an
2:59
everyday reliable tool for city living.
3:01
Yes, New York is expensive, but it gives
3:04
you that vibrant city life that millions
3:06
are willing to pay a premium for. At
3:08
least that helps a little bit that you
3:10
don't need a freaking car like we do in
3:12
Los Angeles. Every day I ask, "Why are
3:15
we here? And is the weather that good?
3:17
Is it that good?" And then you go
3:18
somewhere else and you're like, "Dang,
3:20
the weather actually was that good." And
3:23
number two, we have San Francisco,
3:24
Oakland, and Fremont. Bay Area urban
3:27
life centers around dense neighborhoods
3:29
and transit options that reward living
3:32
without a car. The San Francisco metro
3:34
black population is smaller than in
3:36
other East Coast metros, but the
3:38
region's history from the great
3:39
migration and World War II era shipyard
3:42
communities in the East Bay to later
3:44
waves of black middle class settlement
3:47
remain visible in neighborhoods and
3:49
institutions. What makes the Bay Area
3:51
especially friendly to car-free living
3:53
is its compact urban form, plus rail
3:56
systems and ferry services that knit
3:58
together jobs and housing across water
4:01
and hills. San Francisco's city core
4:04
post very high walk scores and excellent
4:07
transit scores. And places like Oakland
4:09
and Berkeley have strong bus and rail
4:12
connections that support commuting
4:14
without a car. For black families and
4:16
single professionals who value proximity
4:18
to work, culture, and regional transit,
4:21
Bay Area metros make vehicle-free life
4:24
doable. Number three, we have Boston or
4:27
Cambridge. Boston's urban footprint is
4:29
stitched together by old neighborhoods
4:31
where streets were designed for foot
4:34
traffic long before cars existed. The
4:36
Boston metro's black population has deep
4:38
roots in neighborhoods like Roxberry and
4:40
Dorchester. These communities are
4:42
centers of civic life and small business
4:45
activity. The MBTA subway and commuter
4:48
rail system make a surprising number of
4:51
commutes possible without driving. And
4:53
Boston's dense job centers and plentiful
4:55
services mean that grocery stores,
4:58
clinics, and schools are often within
5:00
walking distance. The walk score
5:02
consistently ranks Boston among the US
5:04
cities with the highest walkability, and
5:07
the presence of major universities and
5:09
hospitals, concentrates amenities in
5:12
walkable clusters. For those that prefer
5:14
short commutes, predictable transit, and
5:16
neighborhoods with local life on the
5:18
street, Boston remains one of the most
5:20
convening, car-free American cities. At
5:23
number four, we have a place I would
5:24
live if it wasn't so cold, and that is
5:26
the Washington, Arlington, Alexandria
5:29
area. The Washington DC metro supports a
5:32
rich variety of car-free lifestyles from
5:35
dense walkable neighborhoods within the
5:37
district to transit connected suburbs in
5:39
Maryland and Virginia. The metro counts
5:42
roughly 1.5 million black residents.
5:44
Black communities are central to the
5:46
region's cultural institutions,
5:48
churches, and civic life. DC's Metro
5:50
Rail and extensive bus networks. Plus,
5:53
growing investments in bike
5:54
infrastructure and protected lanes make
5:57
it possible to live, work, and socialize
5:59
without a car. I wonder in these areas,
6:01
is it okay to pick up your date on a
6:04
bike? And what happens if I pull up on a
6:05
bike? Is that cool? Let me know in the
6:07
comments if I pull up on a bike to a
6:09
date in these areas. Is that looked at
6:11
as okay or am I looked at as just cheap
6:13
or I don't have a car? Because I can
6:15
tell you in LA it probably wouldn't go
6:16
over so well. The walk score data
6:18
consistently show the district itself as
6:20
a walker's paradise while transit access
6:23
into Northern Virginia and Maryland
6:25
keeps a wider region feasible for the
6:27
carless commuter. Next up, we have
6:28
another one of my favorite cities,
6:30
Chicago. Chicago's grid and its elevated
6:33
and subway lines provide a transit
6:35
backbone that supports car-free living
6:37
across the city and into inner suburbs.
6:40
The Chicago metro has a large black
6:42
population and a long history from
6:44
Bronzeville's cultural institutions to
6:46
the south and westside neighborhoods
6:48
that have been engines of community life
6:50
for generations. Chicago's density
6:52
combined with an excellent transit
6:54
rating in many neighborhoods means that
6:57
for millions, owning a car is a
6:59
convenience rather than a necessity.
7:01
Commuter rail extends reach into
7:03
suburbs, while buses and rapid transit
7:06
knit together neighborhoods offering a
7:08
choice to bike, walk, or ride. For black
7:11
households tied to local community hubs,
7:14
jobs near the loop or universities and
7:16
hospitals within the city, Chicago's
7:19
transit-rich neighborhoods make car-free
7:21
living realistic. At number six, we have
7:23
Philadelphia. Philadelphia's building
7:25
forum, compact row houses, and mixeduse
7:28
streets is one reason the city always
7:30
feels walkable. The Philadelphia Metro
7:33
is home to around 1.2 million black
7:35
residents. The network of subways,
7:38
trolleys, and regional rail combined
7:40
with dense neighborhood scale retail
7:42
lets many families run daily life
7:44
without a car. Groceries, schools,
7:46
barber shops, and even churches are
7:49
often reachable on foot. The walkable
7:51
score ranks many Philadelphia
7:53
neighborhoods as very walkable, and the
7:55
city's lower housing costs relative to
7:57
other northeastern metros make it
7:59
feasible for more people to live near
8:02
transit. For people who prize street
8:04
level life, community connection, and
8:06
short commutes, Philadelphia is a strong
8:09
car-free candidate. At number seven, we
8:11
have Portland. Over in the West Coast,
8:13
Portland's reputation as America's
8:15
biking and micro neighborhood city is
8:17
well-earned. The Portland metro's black
8:20
population is smaller than in older
8:22
eastern metros, but African-American
8:24
history and civic life, especially in
8:26
neighborhoods like Albia, are meaningful
8:29
anchors for those communities. What
8:31
makes Portland stand out for car-free
8:33
living is a cityscale commitment to bike
8:36
infrastructure, reliable bus lines, and
8:38
a walkable urban core with neighborhood
8:41
main streets. Frequent transit on major
8:43
corridors, plus a culture that prizes
8:45
biking, means that short errands and
8:47
commutes are often more pleasant by bike
8:50
than by car. For households that favor
8:52
active transport and local neighborhood
8:54
life, Portland's planning choices and
8:57
infrastructure investment make living
8:59
without a car not merely possible but
9:01
pleasurable. At number eight, we have
9:02
Seattle. Seattle's central
9:04
neighborhoods, where the Pike Place
9:06
marketplace, downtown offices, and dense
9:09
residential buildings sit close
9:10
together, go together like a city
9:12
designed for walking. The Seattle
9:14
Metro's black population is significant
9:17
and has long ties to neighborhoods such
9:19
as the central district. Black
9:21
institutions have shaped the city's
9:23
civic culture and art scene. Transit
9:25
investments in light rail, robust bus
9:28
corridors, and commuter fairies have
9:30
brought in options for people who want
9:32
to rely on transit rather than a car.
9:35
for daily life. The city's combination
9:37
of neighborhood retail, transit access,
9:39
and growing bike infrastructure allows
9:42
many households to reduce or eliminate
9:44
the need for a car. At number nine, we
9:46
have Minneapolis. The Twin Cities blend
9:48
lakeside neighborhoods, compact
9:51
downtowns, and a growing transit
9:53
backbone that includes light rail and
9:55
expanding bus rapid transit corridors.
9:58
The Minneapolis St. Paul Metro is home
10:00
to approximately 3.7 million people and
10:03
a significant black population
10:05
concentrated in specific urban
10:07
neighborhoods. The metro's black
10:09
communities have forged institutions and
10:12
political representation that shape the
10:14
city's public life. Minneapolis's
10:17
planning favors access to parks,
10:19
neighborhood, stores, and services
10:21
within short distance. And the light
10:23
rail lines link key employment corridors
10:26
to dense neighborhoods. The Twin Cities
10:28
provide all the ingredients for car-free
10:31
life. Decent transit, walkable
10:33
neighborhoods, and a cityscale
10:34
commitment to making everyday errands
10:37
easy without a car. And for the last
10:39
one, we have Baltimore. So, we're headed
10:41
back over to the East Coast. Baltimore
10:43
often surprises newcomers with its
10:45
walkable historic neighborhoods, places
10:48
where row houses, corner stores, and
10:50
transit stops that create a life that
10:52
doesn't hinge on a car. The Baltimore
10:54
Metro's black population is large and
10:57
historically central to the city's
10:59
identity. Churches, fraternal
11:01
organizations, blackowned businesses,
11:04
and cultural institutions are interwoven
11:06
into neighborhoods like West Baltimore
11:09
and East Baltimore. Mark and light rail,
11:12
plus robust bus services, provide
11:14
commuter and local options, and many
11:16
city neighborhoods score well on
11:18
walkability. For black households who
11:20
prize neighborhood life and the ability
11:23
to walk to their daily needs,
11:25
Baltimore's historic cores and transit
11:27
corridors make car-free living a real
11:29
choice. Across these 10 metros, we see
11:32
common features that make car-free life
11:34
feasible. a meaningful transit spine,
11:37
aka subways, light rail, commuter rail,
11:40
or robust bus networks, bike
11:43
infrastructure, and local retail that
11:45
supports everyday life within a short
11:47
walk. But living without a car still
11:50
depends on choices. Within a metro,
11:53
where you live matters hugely. Many of
11:55
these regions have sprawling suburbs
11:57
where a car is still required. The
11:59
walkable, transit-rich neighborhoods are
12:01
often the more expensive ones, and
12:04
rising housing costs push longtime
12:06
residents out of buried districts that
12:08
make car-free life easy. I really wish
12:11
that all of these were even an option
12:13
where I live in Southern California that
12:15
is known to have horrible public
12:18
transport system. But let me know how
12:20
things are where you live and if you're
12:22
tired of driving everywhere in hours and
12:25
hours and hours of traffic every week
12:28
like I am. That's all I have for you
12:30
today and I'll catch you on the next
#Urban Transit