1 car in the 5 towns- possible?

amother

Mon, Jun 23 2014, 10:34 pm

We are considering a move to the 5t. Currently we live in the city and manage nicely with one car. Will we need to get a second one of we move, or is it manageable with just one? Anyone here do it? Dh would be the one with the car all day at work, I would have to manage shopping appointments school etc without.

bookworm10

Tue, Jun 24 2014, 12:45 am

depends where in the 5t you live. Near central avenue? Then maybe.

We did it for a year. It was really hard. I walked to work and back, and my kids were babysat at home. I barely shopped. If I needed to take kids to the doctor, I would have to wait for a ride or for my husband.

I have friends that have one car- but their husbands take trains or are home at certain hours so they can do errands.

amother

Tue, Jun 24 2014, 7:32 am

I live in the five towns. It would be very hard. Would you live walking distance from your kids schools, I guess that's the only way it would be possible.. Unless all of your kids are old enough to take the bus. You might feel stuck at home a lot. Probably better off of walking distance from central avenue area.

chanar

Tue, Jun 24 2014, 8:42 am

I would say the same as all the pp. unless you live really close to central, like within a couple mins walking distance, and if you have preschool age kids, the schools would have to be also walking distance, then maybe maybe. Still.. Just going to dr appts or Costco or target etc.. It would be challenging..

amother

Tue, Jun 24 2014, 9:01 am

I could have written this post!

I'm literally in the middle of a move to the 5 towns and trying to work out the logistics too.
I think we're getting a second one, but not right away. BH I can afford the second car, but we had a few accidents so our insurance will be VERY VERY high. think like $600 a month. (we had a totaled car this year).

but in the meantime, we are going to start with 1. we are moving about a 5 minute walk from the train. I commute to midtown, so that's easy. my husband commutes to brooklyn, so his train ride would be a little longer to transfer at atlantic avenue. I think its 1.5 hour. doable, but lengthy and tiring. the only reason I would really need the car is to pick up one child from school.

honestly, I think anything is possible. if we only use one car it will save us about $600 a month. pretty significant. in the scheme of things, it's a little inconvenient, but despite the fact that I'm moving to the 5T, I'm not trying to keep up with anyone. I just don't care enough.

amother

Tue, Jun 24 2014, 9:09 am

We only have 1 car and we don't live near Central Avenue or a train station. The only way it works is that DH takes the LIRR to work. He either gets a ride to the station or takes a cab. Most evenings I pick him up from the station to save the cab fare. That way I have the car to do carpool, run errands, etc.

I can't imagine getting around the 5 Towns without a car. It's not set up for that. There's very little public transportation.

amother

Tue, Jun 24 2014, 9:19 am

amother wrote:

but, you DO make it work. you have only one car. it IS possible.

amother

Tue, Jun 24 2014, 9:24 am

amother wrote:

but, you DO make it work. you have only one car. it IS possible.

Sorry if I wasn't clear. I meant I couldn't imagine getting around if DH took the car and left me without one all day.

If one spouse can commute using LIRR leaving the car to the other spouse, then it's totally doable.

Sometimes it would be nice to have a second car though.

amother

Tue, Jun 24 2014, 9:34 am

amother wrote:

im the amother you responded to.
I agree. whoever is actually 'around' the 5 towns needs the car for most of the time. I grew up on LI and im coming back so I know what it's like. DH is from brooklyn and when he suggested I could take the bus home with my son from preschool, I couldn't help but LAUGH. there is virtually no public transportation aside from LIRR. and if there is, it is certainly not reliable by any stretch of the imagination.

SplitPea

Tue, Jun 24 2014, 9:46 am

We lived in far rockaway and bayswater for 2.5 years with only one car. BUT dh took the but into work every day (walking 15 minutes to get to the stop and then 15 minutes from the last stop to his office) Its impossible to get along here without a second car. (or without someone taking public transportation into work) I could see POSSIBLY if you lived right on central but even then I could see it being very hard and you needing to call the car service a lot.

Think about getting kids into schools. Preschool do snot have bussing and sometimes finding playgroups within walking distance is hard. There are not grocery stores on every corner, and unless you see Dr ash who makes house calls what would you do about dr appointments?

mommyhood

Tue, Jun 24 2014, 10:00 am

amother wrote:

Op here. Can't I just set up carpools for school? I don't mind walking where I need to go, I do that now. Can Seasons deliver?

Carpools require you to drive a certain number of times a week will your dh be home for that?

amother

Tue, Jun 24 2014, 10:03 am

mommyhood wrote:

Carpools require you to drive a certain number of times a week will your dh be home for that?

Wow, I really am a city person, had no idea that's how it works embarrassed

In any event, dh would prob be able to do morning runs, but not afternoon. Is there such a things as paying to be in a carpool? I can't be the only person in existence who can't drive a carpool.

amother

Tue, Jun 24 2014, 10:08 am

amother wrote:

Wow, I really am a city person, had no idea that's how it works embarrassed

In any event, dh would prob be able to do morning runs, but not afternoon. Is there such a things as paying to be in a carpool? I can't be the only person in existence who can't drive a carpool.

I imagine if you made a friend you could 'hire' them to drive. but yea, generally carpool is a 'take turns' type of situation.

preempservices

Tue, Jun 24 2014, 10:14 am

School carpools would be a big issue. For other lifestyle things you might want to get creative - could a Zipcar type of thing work for you once in a while?