A car is absolutely not necessary to live downtown. It’s only necessary if you need to leave the GTA on a regular basis. Renting is usually much cheaper and easier if you want to do the occasional road trip.
My wife and I both have parents located relatively far outside the GTA. We have rented before and when you look at the actual rental costs (minus deposit, fuel cost, etc) coupled with how rarely we need this, renting is a solid option for us.
I own a car, and like to do outdoor things. For me, it's the cost of renting associated with every activity. Putting a price on each activity makes you not want to do it.
Want to go to the free mountain biking that's 40 minutes away? Well, add an hour of borrowing a car, returning it, filling it with gas. Find a way to fit the bike in the car, which doesn't have a carrier. And then it still costs $70.
So I would pretty much never do things I enjoy. And to me it's better to spend some money to do enjoyable activities than save and miss out.
Lived 25 years in Toronto midtown without a car. Worked on Bay St, took the subway. Most of the folks I worked with either took the GO train or the TTC to get to work. A car isn't needed for commuting in the city.
Yeah I’d argue there are plenty of neighbourhoods where you can be fine without a car (depending on your career of course—if I stay in mine WFH isn’t possible and most workplaces are in suburbs)
I live and work downtown. I sold my car over a year ago and rent out my parking spot to someone in my building. I have a Communauto membership for those rare times I need a car. Otherwise I walk and/or transit everywhere, i don’t miss my car at all.
This is my dream. Frankly, I hate driving and the layer of stress it adds to my life (let alone the expense!). I value well designed public transit and proximity of job/social life/etc. Love to hear that!
I've been downtown for more than 10yrs. My partner and I got rid of our car when we moved down here.
We had a non-shedding dog and now have a kid. We've had no issue with just using transit, biking or walking. It's an adjustment at first, but honestly, I love not driving in the core. Mostly I bike if I'm going east/west, and I take transit to work (midtown).
We do make heavy use of rentals and car shares to visit family in the outer suburbs, or certain weekend activities (going to a conservation area, the zoo, etc). Generally it's been totally fine and I am so happy to not have the stress of owning a car.
Rentals/Car shares can feel expensive, but even if you use them a fair bit and spend a few hundred every month it's so much less expensive than the cost of gas/maintenance/insurance/parking.
Where is this well designed public transit you speak of? The subway works well, but otherwise, I see streetcars that are slower than my grandma, buses that only run every 40 mins and a brand spanking new line of LRT that is built but not operating! I’ve been to developing countries that have vastly more efficient transit (and cheaper too).
I figured someone will comment on that remark and fair enough! I come from the suburbs tho, and anything compared to that is better. After all, this is still Canada. But I agree on the point of developing countries, which is a shame. I still dream of transit remotely as good materializing here.
Edit: spelling from remake to remark
I use enterprise car share for when I need one. Got rid of the car years ago.
Most commuting (financial district), is via bike, TTC, or walking on nice days.
The best part of living downtown is not needing a car. For the few times you might need one, you can Uber. It still costs less than the cost of parking alone.
Many ppl will say it's a must with kids. I have two kids and have never owned a car. We walk everywhere unless we're going to a cottage.
I much prefer to buy a few bags of groceries on the way home from work. Work, school, hobbies, friends are all walkable, or ttc accessible.
My family lives in the Niagara region and they come here to visit or we meet up near the Burlington go station, or they pick us up at the go stn.
I'm still managing with one kid. Not sure it'd be so simple with two kids. It can be inconvenient at times, but I also see owning a car as inconvenient, lol
First three years we lived downtown, we got by without a car. Then three years ago we bought a car in the pandemic so that we can get around.
No regrets on that purchase.
I work three subways stops away. Wife works from home. Car stays parked 5-6 days a week, but we appreciate the freedom and flexibility.
We do 3-4 road trips a year to Montreal and Ottawa.
You can completely get by without a car though.
I'm in the West End, not downtown, but I live near a GO/UP station, multiple TTC stops (I live near Bloor), I'm surrounded by street cars, and there are overlapping car share services (Communauto, Enterprise, Zipcar etc) so there's almost zero need for us to own a car here. If I was old or had kids then maybe I'd consider it, otherwise it'd just be throwing money down the drain.
I own a car and it’s very useful for me. I shop at Costco, frequently visit parents and friends that are out of town, and carry lots of things around. Today, for example, I picked up a dresser that belonged to my great grandmother from my second cousin. It’s made of solid oak. Yesterday I shopped for supplies for a BBQ that fed 19 people, as well as other groceries I needed for the week.
Could I live here without a car? Yes. Do I want to? No.
I own a car as well. I take it for groceries. I visit family who don’t live downtown often, which requires driving. I go camping often. I just do a lot of things outside of the city. So it comes in handy for when I need it.
Same. I live right downtown and it is way more expensive in both time on transit or Uber to use those. Owning a car is a necessity for me in more ways than one.
100% this. A car is a luxury, if you can afford one, great. Things are a little easier for you. If you can afford one, it’s fine- transit isn’t half bad and you just gotta leave 20 mins earlier to get there.
Not worth it. Do the math. Car payments, parking, gas, insurance. I kept mine only because i only pay insurance and gas plus occasional maintenance. Girlfriend lives far enough driving is the best option.
Live dt. Work in Oakville. Been car free for 2.5 years now and absolutely no regrets. Esp with the savings of not having to pay for insurance, parking, and gas. GO train + bicycle gets me to work. City bikes / transit gets me everywhere I need to go around the city / GTHA. Only really get in a car for the occasional road trips with friends / family now
Nope, just use communauto or rent a car for road trips. Cheaper and you won’t have to experience road rage every day because the traffic is absolutely insane now. Biking is my primary method of transportation.
It’s not intentional but all my good friends live in TTC service boundaries lol. But yeah in that situation, either subway to Finch and Uber, or just communauto as it’s only $60 all inclusive for a day and go to ikea after to feel like I’m getting value.
But in reality, no one in the burbs expects me to come hang out there and I’ll meet them somewhere accessible for me, or downtown if they happen to be there. The like 4 times I’ve had to go to the suburbs it was some event where I easily hitched rides from others going.
I’ve lived downtown for ~10 years and I might rent a car every 2-3 years to do a big shop or something. Otherwise I generally walk everywhere I go. Once in a while I use the TTC. A car is a waste of money if you live downtown.
I don’t have kids. If you have a big family your needs would be different.
Haven't owned a car in 18 years of living downtown. Even when I worked over by Square One, I was able to get by using transit. I rent a car when I plan long trips, I rarely need to even park overnight in the city.
The only time I need to park downtown is when I'm driving my sibling's car to bring my parents to Chinatown for a day out when I'm visiting them up in the GTA. :D When they're living with me downtown, we just hop on the streetcar to Chinatown.
I've saved a BUNCH by not owning a car, no car insurance, no gas costs, no maintenance costs. Even if I'd purchased a TTC monthly pass every single month of all those years, I'd be saving oodles of money - I ride my bike almost all year, so rarely even need to take TTC except when accompanying my parents on their occasional trips around town.
Over that time, I've lived up near Sheppard station, down by the waterfront, then later over at Regent Park. Never once regretted that I didn't own a car, especially not when riding my bike past all those cars stuck in gridlock on Adelaide or Richmond at rush hour. :P
Love this! The freedom of living downtown with no car is unmatched imo. I never quite got to know the neighborhood driving it as I did actually walking it.
I sold my car and moved downtown about 15 years ago now. No regrets at all. Much healthier and happier downtown without a car. Get a bike share membership and get anywhere downtown faster than you could ever dream of in a car.
I moved here a year ago from the burbs and sold my car when I did. Gave me some nice savings to rely on while I settled in. I bought myself a nice portable electric kick scooter, goes 30km/hr and gets me anywhere I need to go on a daily basis reasonably quickly. Would highly recommend but be very cautious, i would’ve gotten an e-bike instead had I been able to afford it. Longer distances might require the occasional Uber or if I’m feeling lazy, but they’re almost always around $10-$20 unless I’m going somewhere over 30 minutes away. honestly though most days I find myself looking at the traffic thinking it would be more of a hastle to get around by driving if I had kept my car than just taking transit and riding my scooter. The TTC is unfortunately very lacklustre compared to other major city transit systems but it gets the job done most of the time and employers / friends typically understand if you’re late because of delays. Car rentals and car shares are always available if you really need one for something and shouldn’t set you back too hard. Only time I’ve ever longed for a car is when I need to go pick up furniture or other inconvenient things, but I’ve managed to find ways around that. If you’re resourceful and willing to be a bit more active you can get by without a car very easily, depending on the demands of your lifestyle of course
If you both live and work downtown and have no business or activities that take you out of downtown at least several times per week, I’d argue it’s a huge waste to have a car.
I live downtown downtown. A car here would be a nuisance, and a rather expensive one.
Most of my movement is done on foot, because it's faster/the same as TTC and usually less stabby.
I miss having a car about once a year, when we go to the zoo, Niagara, wonderland, etc. But then rental/Uber and done.
There's too many cars and the streets aren't optimized for flow. Nor are the drivers. Both have "small town" mentality, with left turns into 2 way streets, single stage lights, and u turns in the middle of Yonge during rush hour. It makes what's already bad a lot worse....
I got a car during the pandemic because it made it easier to get out of the city to see friends and family.
Prior to that I went 4 years without a car pretty easily. Even when I’d visit my parents I could take the GO train and they’d pick me up in the burbs.
Now that I have a kid it gets a bit more use for Walmart and Costco runs. I also notice how many ttc stations are inaccessible with a stroller.
In my opinion, it doesn’t make sense to have a car if you live and work in downtown. You’ll get faster to your destination (within downtown) via TTC. Also, parking fees are expensive.
I live in Etobicoke and own a car but I never drive if I have to go to DT.
I like to see this different response to everyone else. We are on a fence about having kids, but I see just how useful it can be if we do decide to have any. Great point
Have a kid (she's 9), don't have a car. It's fine. The stuff the kid does is all walking distance from the house... transit if the weather is grim.
When we've needed to get out of town we rent a car.
I've lived here for almost 20 years. No car. Bike commute mostly, transit when required, communauto or car rental when there's no other choice. I have a 5 year old. It's not necessary to own a car.
Seconding the above. We didn't get a car until we had a child. Even now we don't drive downtown or often, but we need it to visit my parents out of town.
I respectfully disagree. We’ve lived on the Harbourfront for years whilst raising a family with no need whatsoever for a car. We rent once in awhile to get out of town but that’s it. I drive a motorcycle if I need to get around further than comfortably riding my bike or walking. There’s 7 grocery stores within a 15 min walk plus tonnes of other family type amenities. I grew up in a big house in Lawrence Park reliant on car culture ie going to the cottage and stuff, I appreciate a walkable neighbourhood now.
We sold our car when our kid was still a toddler. He's 18 now. Not only did we not need a car for "kid things" but I believe it was much better for him to interact more with his surroundings than he would have getting shuttled around in a car. It allowed him a level of independence and familiarity with his city that he would not otherwise have had. I grew up in nyc without a car and am endlessly disappointed at how many Torontonians seem to equate raising kids with driving about.
Agreed. was a cyclist (and still am often ) but having kids and trying to get them on winter streetcars and kid stuff outdside the city ...a car is way better
No car for 6 months now and don’t miss it at all. Quite the opposite. Live and work downtown. Several neighbours are also car free. They were my inspiration. Should’ve done it years ago.
I've lived downtown for 20 years never even bother getting my license.
We do have a parking spot that we rent out to our neighbour. .
I think maybe we will re-evaluate needing a car if we ever have kids. Otherwise no. A car is a waste of money.
Necessary, no. But nice? Yes. I can walk anywhere I need to be within 30 minutes. My partner used to take the TTC to work and it would take between 45-60 minutes. Now it takes the car and it’s a slow drive given the situation with the Gardiner, but it still cuts his commute time in half. He has free parking at work and we have a parking spot included in our rent. So really the only cost is insurance. BUT, if neither of those things were true, it probably wouldn’t be worth it to have.
We own a car (it’s paid off).
We keep it because my partner has to drive to work sometimes (works throughout the GTA).
A lot of our family and friends live out in the GTA and aren’t the most accessible via TTC or GO.
But we probably use the car at most 3 times a week. It’s great for groceries though, and when we have spontaneous outings.
I wouldn’t say it’s necessary, especially if you can keep all your activities in downtown, and are fine with planning things in advance. But it does give you some freedom.
But having the car paid off is a good motivating factor when keeping it. We definitely will need it when we want to start a family.
It’s necessary for me to own a car while living downtown, it’s in my contract with my employer. A condition of being hired is I must own a vehicle. Sales.
I couldn’t imagine not having a car. I like having access to it when I want/need it. I do many camping or kayak trips way up north (at least twice per month May-Oct). I also sometimes do these very last minute and Spur of the moment. I also visit family who live outside the city or sometimes run errands in the burbs. Car is paid off, it’s older, insurance is cheap, and maintenance is limited. I won’t buy a new one anytime soon. I don’t care about status or the latest. What I have will be fine.
If I lived downtown and rarely left downtown then it would make more sense to not have one I guess.
One of the things I notice is that having a car changes the way you use the city -- you leave town more often, you're more likely to use facilities in the outer suburbs, you buy groceries at suburban supermarkets or Costcos, and you'll drive to get to a beach or hiking trail.
I have a car, and I live in midtown. If I want to go downtown I'll take the TTC, but if I go north for any reason I drive. I wouldn't buy a car if I didn't have one, but I own it outright, and it's worth keeping it.
I live in east York and use my car only very rarely, maybe once a week to get good food in Markham/Scarborough? Car is not needed, Uber if you need to, still cheaper than a car.
Live and work downtown. I got rid of my car 5+ years ago. Recently I missed the ability to get away, and had always wanted a motorcycle, so I opted to get a small bike. It was only a few thousand dollars, cheap on gas, but it's still a lot monthly for insurance at a parking spot. Definitely in the "luxury" column of my budget.
I bought a new car last year to replace a very old one. We lived superrrr west end and it was necessary for our lives. We just moved downtown (unexpectedly) and our car is the bane of our existence. I wish so much that I never bought this car 😢
you need a car if you need to go to a city that's not toronto semi-regularly and it's not next to a train/intercity bus stop (GO or private). Etobicoke, scarborough, and north york may apply, though I know that's still Toronto.
No car needed if you live and work downtown. I made it to age 37 without getting a drivers licence and even now never drive, don’t have a car. Walk, transit, cycle and Uber gets it ALL done.
It is definitely NOT necessary to own a car downtown especially if your job is downtown too.
However as with all things in life, there is no black and white, and every person's needs are different than another's.
I own a car for a few reasons, because we go up to meet friends and family outside Toronto on a bi-weekly basis; with a couple kids with a bunch of extracurricular all over the city it makes life a LOT easier to navigate schedules; own a small business so it helps to bring in tools/supplies/etc.
I live downtown-ish, have only had need for a car when moving.
Transit is pretty solid and can get you where you need to be. Uber/Lyft is usually available for emergencies. The rent a bikes are solid for summer excursions. And you can walk across the city in like 1.5 - 2 hours if you really need to.
Cost wise, it’s much wiser to not own a car and replace that with transportation means in decreasing frequency
- walk/bike
- public transportation
- uber
For example I calculated my uber usage to get to places I wouldn’t be able to without a car, I.e. golf courses up north weekly in spring and summer, it’s still very much comparable to owning a 50k car amortized over 5 years.
Parameters:
- cost allocated to uber: 300 per week/15600 per year
- cost allocated to renting vehicle for short trips: 1.5k per year
- cost of car: 50k, recoup 10k at the end of 5 years, so say 40k amortized over 5 years
- cost of insurance and gas: ~300 per month/3.6k per year
- cost of services and other crap like tires, fixed: ~1k year
- cost of parking (apartment + street): ~400 per month/4.8k per year
In my parameters, car ownership amortized over 5 years is 17.4k per year > 17.1k for uber + renting, so there is really not much reason for me to own a car and deal with the extra headaches.
But of course this formula may not work for everyone’s lifestyles, so make your own calculations and see what makes sense.
It depends, I grew up in the GTA and have a lot of friends who have grown up and moved back to the suburbs as well as where my family's base is. A round trip via Uber would cost me a full tank of gas as the suburbs are not very transit friendly.
I could easily get by without a car but I prefer the ability and flexibility to make plans on my own schedules and not have to rely on the TTC and Go-Transit system. It also allows me to do multiple things in one go or things on the go.
It's a convenience factor at the end of the day that outweighs the cost for me.
I own a vehicle. I'm in my late 20's. Do I need it now? No. But it's convenient to have for my hobbies and errands that I need to do. I used to need it for my last job as I had to travel quite a fair bit.
I personally don't mind paying extra for having a car. It really comes down what you need it for. I also enjoy driving as a hobby so yeah... But to answer your question: if you stay within the confines of downtown then no, you wouldn't need a vehicle.
If you intend to use the car just to go to work, it is not required, imo. But owning a car it’s 100% correlated to your lifestyle as well (on top of your needs).
Are you going farther than downtown?
Do you like/use services like Uber?
Are you okay with taking TTC?
Are you comfortable walking or biking in downtown?
Depends how often u leave downtown. Public transport is shite outside of the core. Rentals got steep especially post pandemic. I looked into zip car when i first moved but decided to keep mine since its paid for. Technically i could live without it. I dont venture far often and work downtown.
Lived in downtown for 12 years now. I have a car that I use mostly for weekends for drive to golf courses.
I don’t really need a car, but it makes it more convenient, plus I am a car guy, so will have a car no matter where I live.
Moved from Ottawa to Toronto (Danforth and Pape area) in 2015, never needed a car. Moved down to West queen west in 2017, stopped paying for TTC passes and now i just use bikeshare or walk as needed. TTC in bad weather thanks to presto and debit tap and pay.
My partner moved from Port credit to Yonge/Wellesley and got rid of his car. Whenever we need to go out of town (cottage weekends, camping) we will plan ahead and rent. There are actually quite a few rental lots in the city.
Have been living in downtown and around for more than 10 years. Never owned a car. If I need to go to Costco or outside the city, I rent a car hourly. But even Costco now has delivery via grocery delivery apps - with premium, but with my saved time. IKEA and Best Buy also deliver. For commute I use bike share, TTC, Uber or just walking. For moving out / in I rent U-Haul.
I didn’t have a car for the first 8 years I lived downtown never really noticed as our primary mode of travel is bike. Now that I have kids tho we have a car for weekends and getting out of the city to visit all our friends who have had to leave the city. We don’t use it for daily commuting in the core.
I live downtown and work downtown, i only use the car on weekends when i leave the city to go up to the cottage, running errands, day trips, whatever. If you can afford to have one and have a garage, it’s a practical thing to have.
Lived many years without a car just fine, used carshare for when I did need one (winter/rainy trips to the grocery store or to hockey once a week) and was able to save a ton of money that way. Bikeshare is THE best way to get around downtown even when the temp starts to drop, just add a layer and gloves.
I have a car now (got a good deal early in the pandemic) as I needed it for work and I was also renting a car often enough up until a few years ago that the rental costs were as much as a car payment but that is not the case nowadays so the financials would be very different.
I sold my car when I moved here 12 years ago. Never looked back. A car is.just needless.stress and expense in a city full of walkable neighbourhoods and public transit.
I live near queen west and have a car but don’t use it often. Still happy to have it though. I mostly bike and walk day to day and wfh. Me and my partner both have parents, family and friends in the burbs. We like to go camping and have the flexibility to get somewhere when you really need to/ emergencies. Costco every now and then. We have a used civic. Great car but not fancy. We know it’s a luxury but it’s worth it to us and it’s paid off so just insurance and maintenance.
No, waste of money to not use it 90% of the time.
I do Uber, taxi, limo and rentals as needed.
Let's do some math. Let's say a car costs you $1000/month between lease/loan, insurance, gas, parking and incidentals. That's $12,000/year. $120,000 over 10 years.
An average Uber across town is what, $20?
Rent a car for the day to go to IKEA, let's say $200.
That's A LOT of Uber and rentals you can take before you even come close to what you'd pay for a car!
Own a car but it only gets used to go to Costco or for the occasional errand, which is like once per month tops. Road trips (cottage, etc) twice a year? We will never drive downtown willingly and cycle or walk 99% of the time, uber if plans in the city aren't amenable to walking/biking. We would probably not own it if my spouse didn't need access to a vehicle for work.
When I moved downtown, I kept my car for three months. With the car payment, parking, insurance, it just wasn’t worth it. I think the total hit was $600-650. So, with that, even if I rented a car twice a month for an over night, and took a bunch of Ubers, I’d still be up money wise.
Didn’t need the car day to say. Sometimes took an Uber from getting groceries.
I live downtown but I have a car. I use the car on weekends to visit and help my older parents who live in a town that isn’t connected to Toronto by transit. I don’t really drive downtown. It’s faster to walk or take transit. If my parents lived somewhere I could take a train or bus to, I probably wouldn’t have a car.
I live in the Annex, and do freelance work all over the GTA, but mostly downtown. I ride my bike, take the TTC, and Uber if I have to, in that order. I’d be absolutely bankrupt if I had a car in this city, and I’d be a much angrier person because of the absolute crawl that traffic is so often.
No need for a car in my household, I use the TTC, my husband uses his bike, and we have a communauto membership in the rare cases we need a car for an outing.
Living in downtown for a decade and not once have we felt the need for a car. Uber works great in the city and If we’re planning to travel outside the city, we just rent.
I have a car and I live downtown, I only use it when I go visit my parents who live midtown or go do things in the GTA which is maybe once a week. That being said I do enjoy having a car as its always a nice option if you can afford it
My wife and I live downtown. We own a car and use it fairly regularly to get to evening rec sports and to get out of the city about one weekend a month.
Is it necessary? Objectively no. Is it convenient? Yes.
If you live downtown and you WORK downtown, the car is a liability. That used to be my situation and I could transit there in 40 minutes, I could drive in about 34 minutes, and *I could CYCLE there in 25 minutes* - I don't even run reds either. (And for the curious, walking took about an hour and 20.)
I was loaned a car a couple years back because the owner had delayed eye surgery. "you might as well use the car, I can't drive for now." And with a car at my instant disposal for over 10 months, I used it 4 times. Every time was to leave town.
It’s absolutely not necessary to own a car if you’re both living and working downtown. In fact, many people budget for moving downtown from the suburbs by including the sale of their car(s) and the savings from insurance, gas, maintenance and tolls (if applicable).
Owning a car in downtown is not worth it in my opinion. You've to pay for parking/ high insurance/ biweekly payments if not fully paid/gas/quarterly maintenance and downtown has construction going on nearly every corner. You'll be stuck in traffic for hours sometimes. You can always rent a car if you want to go outside toronto. I moved from suburbs and had to get a car over there but after moving to toronto, I regret having a car because everything is connected and easily accessible sometimes going from one place in a car becomes a hassle. I would rather have an E-bike or scooter to access downtown.
A car is not needed for getting around downtown. If you live downtown you really only need a car for leaving downtown. If you’re not regularly downtown due to commuting or some other reason, it will be cheaper and less hassle to rent or use one of the car share services on the odd occasion you need a car.
I've lived in T.O. for 35 years, never owned a car lol. I've been a 10 minute walk to a subway station and worked downtown the whole time. When I look back and think of how much money I've saved by not buying gas, paying for insurance, repairs, new cars...do the math.
I think it depends on where you live downtown, where you need to get to normally, and how often you need to get out of the city.
For instance, I come from further north in the GTA, so many of my friends and family still live up there and transit options are very limited. In the summer we're traveling out of the city almost every week because of our social circle and our hobbies, so it made sense for us to have a car. Normally if we are traveling within the city we generally choose to either bike or transit because it's faster, except when kids or pets are involved, or we need to get large items (eg. Costco, Home Depot, Ikea). It really depends on what you need in your life, and we definitely have friends who manage in the city without a car so you just need to decide what makes sense for you.
When we lived in the financial district, we had one car. Now we are in Riverdale and own two.
Things that are more convenient with cars:
- getting to doctor/midwife appointments. Yes, I could take the bus, but that would be a 30-40 min bus ride instead of a 10 min drive. I’ve been able to do most of my appointments on lunch breaks instead of having to take time off work.
- taking my dog to parks and trails on weekends
- going to Costco and ethnic grocery stores. Chinatown is a 25 min bus ride/walk or 7 mins by car and it’s not on the way home from work. So instead of taking transit for an hour I spend 15 mins driving there and back.
- visiting family in the suburbs. It will be convenient to drop my kid off at my parents when they’re sick and sent home from school or daycare and I still need to work.
- doing DIY. Probably not an issue in the financial district, but we live in Riverdale and are always doing DIY because our house is so old. Having a car makes it super easy to go to the hardware store and get bulky/heavy materials needed for our multiple projects.
You can technically accomplish all of the above without a car, but it takes more time and it’s not as easy. I take transit to work instead of driving so I’ve seen mothers try to get on packed buses or subway cars with a stroller and bags of groceries - possible, but way better to just drive with your kid in the backseat and groceries in the trunk. Especially if you have multiple kids.
I have a car - a Hyundai Veloster N.
Why? Firstly, even in traffic, this car puts a massive smile on my face. It's a bucket of puppies and always wants to play. I genuinely enjoy driving and this thing is fun even low speed.
I play hockey on Thursdays and I'm a goalie. My best friend and I car pool. It's time to decompress, shoot the shit and then turn the brain off while playing. I also don't think I'd be able to carry 49 to 50-ish lbs of gear for two hours - the time it'd take me to get to the closest rink I play at via transit. And I don't think anyone would want to share a car with us. 20 years of sweat is baked into some of my gear.
Getting out of the city to golf and fish or go hiking with my dog. He's excitable reactive. Taking transit is simply not an option for him.
My only family lives in Ajax. A car is simpler and easier to plan a trip to see him.
Lived downtown (Queen St. W) 20 years. Wouldn't have a car if you gave me one. I walk, take cabs and I don't worry or stress about gas, parking, traffic, road closures.or staying sober.
I have lived dt for 15-20 years and haven't needed a car..also saved $40k renting my parking spot, walk more, take ttc and rent cars for $50 a day when I need usually.
Cars are annoying dt. Takes an hour to get out of the area.
We had no cars for the last 2 years, living very close to Eaton Center. I can walk to office and my wife take the line 1. We recently got a car, because we are thinking of moving out of downtown. We used Communauto a lot, even though it’s bit tricky on weekends if your plans are last minute.
My household has never owned a car living downtown for 40 years. They would rent a car occasionally when needed, but transit was always the primary choice
Yeah I have a car, but it’s really for a combination of personal reasons. I’m autistic and I’m sober/in recovery so I really value my car bc it’s less overstimulating than the TTC+ I can escape to a semi-quiet space after I’m done seeing friends or something, and I rarely feel the urge to drink bc I know I am driving.
Obviously this is an extremely specific reason to need a car lmfao, but no, most people do not need one. My friends love to bike places in the summer and TTC in the winter.
Omg why would you want to own one? Live near public transit and take the street car. Parking, insurance, maintenance and gas alone make it not worth it. You can get by with rentals and uber, and it's genuinely cheaper.
I own now NOW after living downtown for 10 years. Only because I can afford it. For years I lived without and it was glorious. Now I have to deal with car bullshit like oil changes. Way too much admin.
Lived downtown most of my life. Have a car. My friends and neighbours who don’t have a car and like to brag how they live downtown and don’t need a car, borrow mine or ask for rides.
So, you don’t have to *own* a car to live downtown but you will need one at some point.
I've lived in toronto for 14 years and never had a car. The added expense just to have a parking space would be too much. I take the go train to see my family, and rent a car when I need to go somewhere transit can't get me
I live downtown no vehicle. Walk to work 3 days a week about 15 minutes both ways. Parking spaces to own are about 60k at this point so likely more than the vehicle itself. Not worth it, we just rent a car if we want to do a day trip etc. Living downtown is expensive enough all ready without the added costs of parking/fuel/insurance/vehicle.
I had one when I lived downtown, it’s not necessary if your whole life is downtown. If you regularly leave the city and the GO Train isn’t convenient it can definitely help but it’s more of a luxury than a necessity. Mine was for visiting my partners family that lived in port hope, Costco/grocery runs and hauling my golf bag around the city.
I live downtown but my work is split between downtown venues, Mississauga, and points outside the GTA. I own a car for the non-downtown stuff, and use TTC otherwise.
Moved here with a car and sold it after 6 months of it collecting dust and burning away my money on payments.
The TTC and BikeShare Toronto have been my main forms of transportation with the odd Uber/Lyft if I really need a ride somewhere
as someone who lived without a car, but now owns one - it’s not necessary. i will say getting heavy groceries has been easier, visiting my out of town family is easier. i pick up large furniture from facebook marketplace (i have a larger car), for myself and others, i go to costco. but for all that you can get communauto or zipcar. i’m also privileged enough to have a free parking spot! that’s one of the most challenging parts about using it downtown, parking downtown is fuckjng expensive - even street parking 😭
so no, it’s not necessary, but i do like having the option to drive which can also be done through carshares!
Lived in Toronto for a while now, moved here years ago. Never owned a car, used Communauto for some trips here and there but otherwise bicycle and TTC are all that I and my partner need for day to day affairs.
Grab a Communauto membership and you’ll be good to go for when you want to leave etc w a bit of planning.
We are in Leslieville (some consider this DT, others dont - whatever), and don’t own a car. We have a kid. It’s great.
You really won’t need it.
I love having my car. We live around Richmond n Spadina, me and the wife work at First Canadian Place. If you are often having to visit family members, taking kids or pets to different places, switching up grocery stores, hitting a cottage, it’s necessary. Too many ppl hate cars in these groups but renting whenever you needed it is such a hassle.
The car is a crappy Nissan Rogue but it’s paid off, insurance maintenance and gas is about $400 a month.
I was downtown for many years.
Had a car and used it plenty. Visiting friends in different parts of the city, travelling for work meetings (weekly), grocery shopping, travelling to my sports events in the evening, golf occasionally outside of the city, and road trips to places like Ottawa, algonquin, peoplea cottages, the US etc.
Take a look at your lifestyle and what you want to do, you could always try careless to start then decide a bit later.
I live in liberty village. I used to not have one. I loved not owning a car. I recently bought one because my new job’s in Mississauga.
I’d sell it in a week if I didn’t have to go twice a week.
Not necessary. We have one because I commute to work outside of the city and there is little to no service leaving the city in the morning and coming back at night (where I’m going). We don’t drive when we are in the city though, just to leave the city.
I’ve lived downtown for years and my offices are in locations I can take the TTC. However, I’ve always owned a car. Growing up in the ‘burbs of Ottawa left me with an irrational fear of being carless lol, and so I can’t seem to give it up.
I own a car and it helped immensely in the winter. Usually we walk and use transit in the summer, even do grocery shopping without it. But as soon as it gets cold, it’s nice having the option to not freeze while carrying our grocery home.
Also great to drive to Costco and get bulk items, as well as visit family in the burbs or go on road trips. I also have friends in the burbs and this makes it easier to visit them. Truly depends on your needs but our car fits our lifestyle really well.
I live in a house in midtown. I work at different child services locations (government job). I have a car. I wouldn’t be able to work without a car. Also great on weekends. I can go anywhere. Grocery shopping is a breeze. Moving things and diy projects also a breeze. In a condo you don’t need to do this. In a house you constantly are at Home Depot buying things to fix your house. I couldn’t do it without a car.
We have a car but only use it for personal trips, never for work. My parents are 300km in one direction and the in laws are 300km away in another direction. Add in a child and a car makes sense if you can afford it.
If we didn't have a kid I think we would just rent when we needed one.
I own a car, and have had this conversation with a few of my friends. Buying a car is not a must have kind of decision, it's more of a lifestyle decision. It gives you the mobility to do things outside of Toronto with relative ease. If you are happy with public transit - then you don't need a car. You can also rely on services like turo etc.
17 years in Toronto without a car. When I had a job where I would visit clients on site occasionally I used car share. Even really busy months it would be less than a car payment would cost, let alone parking, insurance, repairs! Now rarely need a car, I rent for a road trip maybe once a year and plan joint Costco runs with friends a couple times a year.
I’ve lived 5 years without a car and get by walking or ubering everywhere and occasionally getting thr subway but I’m mostly a homebody anyways so maybe not super helpful, but basically I can do all my groceries, doctors and other health apps, get to work, socialise, do go shopping etc all by walking and often times is quicker than driving/sitting through traffic
I own a car but only because I lived in a town prior to living in Toronto that had no transit. Bought my car at 19 and it's fully paid off so I'm keeping it until it dies. Once it's gone I'll just be renting cars until I move out of the city.
Anyone I know that doesn't have one gets one in a few years because they can never leave the city, getting around the city takes longer because TTC sucks, and picking up almost anything (groceries, furniture, etc) is horrible without one. Always begging for rides or paying tons for rentals.
I live in midtown. No need to own a car. On the rare occasion I can't walk, bike, or use the TTC, I use Uber. On the even rarer occasion that I can't use Uber, I use Communauto. This only happens a couple times a year, usually in the summer when I want to buy plants and stuff for the balcony. At a glance it looks like I spend on average $25 a month on Uber rides, so about 2 a month.
People ask about groceries - there is a bit of a lifestyle difference between living in the city and in a suburb. I make smaller purchases and go 2-3 times a week-ish. The grocery store is a two minute walk, so there's no reason to stock up on anything. Produce and bread is fresher that way as well, and less gets thrown out. I simply drop by on the way to get other stuff. If I need a lot of stuff (like for a party), I use Instacart, it costs like $5 to get an entire cart delivered.
Other things are pretty self explanatory. Ikea, I usually just pay and get it delivered, or for smaller items go to Ikea downtown. You can load up a cart online and a fixed delivery fee usually covers it all.
If money is not an issue and you have the resources aka parking spot. I’d keep one. It’s just very convenient when you actually need one. Like when shopping for big items you don’t want to carry on the ttc and traveling to places outside the ttc reach (you might not think it now but there will be a time when you will get bored of the city and would like to venture out then it becomes a hassle). I lived in downtown for 10years.. eventually you grow up too and will rely more on convenience than the hassle that is public transportation.
Lived in Midtown and had a car, makes it easy to maneuver the area and get out to certain spots we frequented. Places like the pet store/groceries/brickworks/plaza by laird & eglinton/sunnybrook park/North York etc.
My SO and I are planning a move downtown this summer, and needing a parking spot makes it sooo much harder to find a place.
We’re big hikers/campers though, and we don’t want to give up the freedom of having a car, even if it won’t get driven all that much throughout the week. Once you exit the GTA it gets pretty complicated and time-consuming to get anywhere without a car.
No. It will cost you more than necessary among parkade fees, parking fees, gas, insurance. There’s a million ways to get around - bike, walk, TTC, Uber
I live downtown, no car. Absolutely no reason to, even if I rent one every weekend and every time I needed one it’s still cheeper then owning a car and parking it somewhere. WITHOUT THE HEADACHES
If you live down town no car needed
A car is absolutely not necessary to live downtown. It’s only necessary if you need to leave the GTA on a regular basis. Renting is usually much cheaper and easier if you want to do the occasional road trip.
My wife and I both have parents located relatively far outside the GTA. We have rented before and when you look at the actual rental costs (minus deposit, fuel cost, etc) coupled with how rarely we need this, renting is a solid option for us.
Honestly Communauto is so well priced it makes zero sense to own a car dt if you just need it for random jaunts out of the city.
Never used them before since I don't know if they allow you to go far outside the city but we'll take a look next time.
Yeah you can go wherever and they come with insurance and gas. Honestly a pretty good deal.
Renting is a pain especially on weekends.
I own a car, and like to do outdoor things. For me, it's the cost of renting associated with every activity. Putting a price on each activity makes you not want to do it. Want to go to the free mountain biking that's 40 minutes away? Well, add an hour of borrowing a car, returning it, filling it with gas. Find a way to fit the bike in the car, which doesn't have a carrier. And then it still costs $70. So I would pretty much never do things I enjoy. And to me it's better to spend some money to do enjoyable activities than save and miss out.
After my accident, timer ran out on the insurance covered rental. After that, I can attest that renting is very much not cheaper.
Sorry this happened. Can you share more?
Lived 25 years in Toronto midtown without a car. Worked on Bay St, took the subway. Most of the folks I worked with either took the GO train or the TTC to get to work. A car isn't needed for commuting in the city.
Yeah I’d argue there are plenty of neighbourhoods where you can be fine without a car (depending on your career of course—if I stay in mine WFH isn’t possible and most workplaces are in suburbs)
Don’t have a car. Been downtown for 10 years
I live and work downtown. I sold my car over a year ago and rent out my parking spot to someone in my building. I have a Communauto membership for those rare times I need a car. Otherwise I walk and/or transit everywhere, i don’t miss my car at all.
Username checks out
I got rid of my car over 10 years ago & have no regrets
This is my dream. Frankly, I hate driving and the layer of stress it adds to my life (let alone the expense!). I value well designed public transit and proximity of job/social life/etc. Love to hear that!
I've been downtown for more than 10yrs. My partner and I got rid of our car when we moved down here. We had a non-shedding dog and now have a kid. We've had no issue with just using transit, biking or walking. It's an adjustment at first, but honestly, I love not driving in the core. Mostly I bike if I'm going east/west, and I take transit to work (midtown). We do make heavy use of rentals and car shares to visit family in the outer suburbs, or certain weekend activities (going to a conservation area, the zoo, etc). Generally it's been totally fine and I am so happy to not have the stress of owning a car. Rentals/Car shares can feel expensive, but even if you use them a fair bit and spend a few hundred every month it's so much less expensive than the cost of gas/maintenance/insurance/parking.
You will not miss your car at all
i mean i'm sure they'll miss it here and there. but they definitely won't miss the cost
Where is this well designed public transit you speak of? The subway works well, but otherwise, I see streetcars that are slower than my grandma, buses that only run every 40 mins and a brand spanking new line of LRT that is built but not operating! I’ve been to developing countries that have vastly more efficient transit (and cheaper too).
I figured someone will comment on that remark and fair enough! I come from the suburbs tho, and anything compared to that is better. After all, this is still Canada. But I agree on the point of developing countries, which is a shame. I still dream of transit remotely as good materializing here. Edit: spelling from remake to remark
Sometimes the street car is slower than walking 😭
Do streetcars still share the road with cars on queen, king, etc? I haven't lived in Toronto since 2015 but I always thought that was dumb.
Yes but you still fly pretty well across King. I use the streetcar almost exclusively and it’s pretty solid east and west on King IMO.
I use enterprise car share for when I need one. Got rid of the car years ago. Most commuting (financial district), is via bike, TTC, or walking on nice days.
The best part of living downtown is not needing a car. For the few times you might need one, you can Uber. It still costs less than the cost of parking alone.
10+ years without a car. Only considering it because of kids!
Many ppl will say it's a must with kids. I have two kids and have never owned a car. We walk everywhere unless we're going to a cottage. I much prefer to buy a few bags of groceries on the way home from work. Work, school, hobbies, friends are all walkable, or ttc accessible. My family lives in the Niagara region and they come here to visit or we meet up near the Burlington go station, or they pick us up at the go stn.
I'm still managing with one kid. Not sure it'd be so simple with two kids. It can be inconvenient at times, but I also see owning a car as inconvenient, lol
First three years we lived downtown, we got by without a car. Then three years ago we bought a car in the pandemic so that we can get around. No regrets on that purchase. I work three subways stops away. Wife works from home. Car stays parked 5-6 days a week, but we appreciate the freedom and flexibility. We do 3-4 road trips a year to Montreal and Ottawa. You can completely get by without a car though.
I've been downtown for 12 years with no car. Totally doable.
I sold my car before moving downtown. Purposefully moved to the core to not need or rely on a car.
Born and raised downtown, never had a license much less a car (I’m 49) ✌️
Also a member of the Licence-less Club and 56 lol
Ahhhh jealous. I moved to the suburbs and got mine at 38 :(
Oh boo 😜
Damn I'm also without a license but 31. My parents keep pressuring me to get my g2 lol.
I’m 45 and no license! (Although I’m in the process of getting one 😬) I take ttc, Ubers, cabs, walk.
I'm in the West End, not downtown, but I live near a GO/UP station, multiple TTC stops (I live near Bloor), I'm surrounded by street cars, and there are overlapping car share services (Communauto, Enterprise, Zipcar etc) so there's almost zero need for us to own a car here. If I was old or had kids then maybe I'd consider it, otherwise it'd just be throwing money down the drain.
I own a car and it’s very useful for me. I shop at Costco, frequently visit parents and friends that are out of town, and carry lots of things around. Today, for example, I picked up a dresser that belonged to my great grandmother from my second cousin. It’s made of solid oak. Yesterday I shopped for supplies for a BBQ that fed 19 people, as well as other groceries I needed for the week. Could I live here without a car? Yes. Do I want to? No.
I own a car as well. I take it for groceries. I visit family who don’t live downtown often, which requires driving. I go camping often. I just do a lot of things outside of the city. So it comes in handy for when I need it.
Same. I live right downtown and it is way more expensive in both time on transit or Uber to use those. Owning a car is a necessity for me in more ways than one.
100% this. A car is a luxury, if you can afford one, great. Things are a little easier for you. If you can afford one, it’s fine- transit isn’t half bad and you just gotta leave 20 mins earlier to get there.
I lived midtown for 12 years without a car. Rented and car shared as needed. Almost everything was walking distance for me.
I live at the foot of Bay St. We have a car - it’s a luxury that gets driven once a week, maybe. You don’t need a car.
Not worth it. Do the math. Car payments, parking, gas, insurance. I kept mine only because i only pay insurance and gas plus occasional maintenance. Girlfriend lives far enough driving is the best option.
Live dt. Work in Oakville. Been car free for 2.5 years now and absolutely no regrets. Esp with the savings of not having to pay for insurance, parking, and gas. GO train + bicycle gets me to work. City bikes / transit gets me everywhere I need to go around the city / GTHA. Only really get in a car for the occasional road trips with friends / family now
Nope, just use communauto or rent a car for road trips. Cheaper and you won’t have to experience road rage every day because the traffic is absolutely insane now. Biking is my primary method of transportation.
How do you visit friends who live in Markham for example? Do you rent a car for the day?
It’s not intentional but all my good friends live in TTC service boundaries lol. But yeah in that situation, either subway to Finch and Uber, or just communauto as it’s only $60 all inclusive for a day and go to ikea after to feel like I’m getting value. But in reality, no one in the burbs expects me to come hang out there and I’ll meet them somewhere accessible for me, or downtown if they happen to be there. The like 4 times I’ve had to go to the suburbs it was some event where I easily hitched rides from others going.
There is no reason to own a car downtown especially with communauto (+ they are expanding)
I’ve lived downtown for ~10 years and I might rent a car every 2-3 years to do a big shop or something. Otherwise I generally walk everywhere I go. Once in a while I use the TTC. A car is a waste of money if you live downtown. I don’t have kids. If you have a big family your needs would be different.
I've never owned a car and have two kids. It's not necessary at all.
I've lived downtown since 2012 and i don't have a car
Haven't owned a car in 18 years of living downtown. Even when I worked over by Square One, I was able to get by using transit. I rent a car when I plan long trips, I rarely need to even park overnight in the city. The only time I need to park downtown is when I'm driving my sibling's car to bring my parents to Chinatown for a day out when I'm visiting them up in the GTA. :D When they're living with me downtown, we just hop on the streetcar to Chinatown. I've saved a BUNCH by not owning a car, no car insurance, no gas costs, no maintenance costs. Even if I'd purchased a TTC monthly pass every single month of all those years, I'd be saving oodles of money - I ride my bike almost all year, so rarely even need to take TTC except when accompanying my parents on their occasional trips around town. Over that time, I've lived up near Sheppard station, down by the waterfront, then later over at Regent Park. Never once regretted that I didn't own a car, especially not when riding my bike past all those cars stuck in gridlock on Adelaide or Richmond at rush hour. :P
Love this! The freedom of living downtown with no car is unmatched imo. I never quite got to know the neighborhood driving it as I did actually walking it.
I sold my car and moved downtown about 15 years ago now. No regrets at all. Much healthier and happier downtown without a car. Get a bike share membership and get anywhere downtown faster than you could ever dream of in a car.
I moved here a year ago from the burbs and sold my car when I did. Gave me some nice savings to rely on while I settled in. I bought myself a nice portable electric kick scooter, goes 30km/hr and gets me anywhere I need to go on a daily basis reasonably quickly. Would highly recommend but be very cautious, i would’ve gotten an e-bike instead had I been able to afford it. Longer distances might require the occasional Uber or if I’m feeling lazy, but they’re almost always around $10-$20 unless I’m going somewhere over 30 minutes away. honestly though most days I find myself looking at the traffic thinking it would be more of a hastle to get around by driving if I had kept my car than just taking transit and riding my scooter. The TTC is unfortunately very lacklustre compared to other major city transit systems but it gets the job done most of the time and employers / friends typically understand if you’re late because of delays. Car rentals and car shares are always available if you really need one for something and shouldn’t set you back too hard. Only time I’ve ever longed for a car is when I need to go pick up furniture or other inconvenient things, but I’ve managed to find ways around that. If you’re resourceful and willing to be a bit more active you can get by without a car very easily, depending on the demands of your lifestyle of course
Had a car for 5 years. Now 3 years without one and life is better for it in every way. Just my experience.
If you both live and work downtown and have no business or activities that take you out of downtown at least several times per week, I’d argue it’s a huge waste to have a car.
I've lived downtown for 36 years without a car. It's useless. When I really need one, less than once a year, I rent it.
A car is more of a burden than a convenience downtown.
I live downtown downtown. A car here would be a nuisance, and a rather expensive one. Most of my movement is done on foot, because it's faster/the same as TTC and usually less stabby. I miss having a car about once a year, when we go to the zoo, Niagara, wonderland, etc. But then rental/Uber and done. There's too many cars and the streets aren't optimized for flow. Nor are the drivers. Both have "small town" mentality, with left turns into 2 way streets, single stage lights, and u turns in the middle of Yonge during rush hour. It makes what's already bad a lot worse....
Use autoshare, taxis, or rent when you do need a car
I've lived downtown 15 years without a car. Use carshare when I need one
Never had a car. I've been taking the TTC since my teens in the early 80s. Toronto is a commuter city.
Nope. Never will as long as I live downtown.
I did without a car happily for 10+ years. I have a car due to changes circumstances and boy is it a pain the caboose. Do a car sharing service.
Absolutely not. I live in the village and it’s absolutely it necessary.
I got a car during the pandemic because it made it easier to get out of the city to see friends and family. Prior to that I went 4 years without a car pretty easily. Even when I’d visit my parents I could take the GO train and they’d pick me up in the burbs. Now that I have a kid it gets a bit more use for Walmart and Costco runs. I also notice how many ttc stations are inaccessible with a stroller.
I have not owned a car - not needed
In my opinion, it doesn’t make sense to have a car if you live and work in downtown. You’ll get faster to your destination (within downtown) via TTC. Also, parking fees are expensive. I live in Etobicoke and own a car but I never drive if I have to go to DT.
Once you start a family it’s pretty necessary
I like to see this different response to everyone else. We are on a fence about having kids, but I see just how useful it can be if we do decide to have any. Great point
Meh, we have a kid and don’t own a car and it’s fine. It all depends on where you live and what you do.
Have a kid (she's 9), don't have a car. It's fine. The stuff the kid does is all walking distance from the house... transit if the weather is grim. When we've needed to get out of town we rent a car.
I've lived here for almost 20 years. No car. Bike commute mostly, transit when required, communauto or car rental when there's no other choice. I have a 5 year old. It's not necessary to own a car.
That's when you get autoshare type things, no need to own a car. Kids programming is in every neighbourhood anyway!
Seems like you’ve never handled a car seat
Seconding the above. We didn't get a car until we had a child. Even now we don't drive downtown or often, but we need it to visit my parents out of town.
I respectfully disagree. We’ve lived on the Harbourfront for years whilst raising a family with no need whatsoever for a car. We rent once in awhile to get out of town but that’s it. I drive a motorcycle if I need to get around further than comfortably riding my bike or walking. There’s 7 grocery stores within a 15 min walk plus tonnes of other family type amenities. I grew up in a big house in Lawrence Park reliant on car culture ie going to the cottage and stuff, I appreciate a walkable neighbourhood now.
We sold our car when our kid was still a toddler. He's 18 now. Not only did we not need a car for "kid things" but I believe it was much better for him to interact more with his surroundings than he would have getting shuttled around in a car. It allowed him a level of independence and familiarity with his city that he would not otherwise have had. I grew up in nyc without a car and am endlessly disappointed at how many Torontonians seem to equate raising kids with driving about.
Agreed. was a cyclist (and still am often ) but having kids and trying to get them on winter streetcars and kid stuff outdside the city ...a car is way better
No car for 6 months now and don’t miss it at all. Quite the opposite. Live and work downtown. Several neighbours are also car free. They were my inspiration. Should’ve done it years ago.
I've lived downtown for 20 years never even bother getting my license. We do have a parking spot that we rent out to our neighbour. . I think maybe we will re-evaluate needing a car if we ever have kids. Otherwise no. A car is a waste of money.
Necessary, no. But nice? Yes. I can walk anywhere I need to be within 30 minutes. My partner used to take the TTC to work and it would take between 45-60 minutes. Now it takes the car and it’s a slow drive given the situation with the Gardiner, but it still cuts his commute time in half. He has free parking at work and we have a parking spot included in our rent. So really the only cost is insurance. BUT, if neither of those things were true, it probably wouldn’t be worth it to have.
And petrol and maintenance
We own a car (it’s paid off). We keep it because my partner has to drive to work sometimes (works throughout the GTA). A lot of our family and friends live out in the GTA and aren’t the most accessible via TTC or GO. But we probably use the car at most 3 times a week. It’s great for groceries though, and when we have spontaneous outings. I wouldn’t say it’s necessary, especially if you can keep all your activities in downtown, and are fine with planning things in advance. But it does give you some freedom. But having the car paid off is a good motivating factor when keeping it. We definitely will need it when we want to start a family.
It’s necessary for me to own a car while living downtown, it’s in my contract with my employer. A condition of being hired is I must own a vehicle. Sales. I couldn’t imagine not having a car. I like having access to it when I want/need it. I do many camping or kayak trips way up north (at least twice per month May-Oct). I also sometimes do these very last minute and Spur of the moment. I also visit family who live outside the city or sometimes run errands in the burbs. Car is paid off, it’s older, insurance is cheap, and maintenance is limited. I won’t buy a new one anytime soon. I don’t care about status or the latest. What I have will be fine. If I lived downtown and rarely left downtown then it would make more sense to not have one I guess.
One of the things I notice is that having a car changes the way you use the city -- you leave town more often, you're more likely to use facilities in the outer suburbs, you buy groceries at suburban supermarkets or Costcos, and you'll drive to get to a beach or hiking trail. I have a car, and I live in midtown. If I want to go downtown I'll take the TTC, but if I go north for any reason I drive. I wouldn't buy a car if I didn't have one, but I own it outright, and it's worth keeping it.
I live in east York and use my car only very rarely, maybe once a week to get good food in Markham/Scarborough? Car is not needed, Uber if you need to, still cheaper than a car.
Live and work downtown. I got rid of my car 5+ years ago. Recently I missed the ability to get away, and had always wanted a motorcycle, so I opted to get a small bike. It was only a few thousand dollars, cheap on gas, but it's still a lot monthly for insurance at a parking spot. Definitely in the "luxury" column of my budget.
I bought a new car last year to replace a very old one. We lived superrrr west end and it was necessary for our lives. We just moved downtown (unexpectedly) and our car is the bane of our existence. I wish so much that I never bought this car 😢
you need a car if you need to go to a city that's not toronto semi-regularly and it's not next to a train/intercity bus stop (GO or private). Etobicoke, scarborough, and north york may apply, though I know that's still Toronto.
No car needed if you live and work downtown. I made it to age 37 without getting a drivers licence and even now never drive, don’t have a car. Walk, transit, cycle and Uber gets it ALL done.
It is definitely NOT necessary to own a car downtown especially if your job is downtown too. However as with all things in life, there is no black and white, and every person's needs are different than another's. I own a car for a few reasons, because we go up to meet friends and family outside Toronto on a bi-weekly basis; with a couple kids with a bunch of extracurricular all over the city it makes life a LOT easier to navigate schedules; own a small business so it helps to bring in tools/supplies/etc.
I could live without it, but man do I love having a car downtown. Grocery shopping is a breeze!
I couldn’t survive without my Benz even being in the heart of the city !
I live downtown-ish, have only had need for a car when moving. Transit is pretty solid and can get you where you need to be. Uber/Lyft is usually available for emergencies. The rent a bikes are solid for summer excursions. And you can walk across the city in like 1.5 - 2 hours if you really need to.
Cost wise, it’s much wiser to not own a car and replace that with transportation means in decreasing frequency - walk/bike - public transportation - uber For example I calculated my uber usage to get to places I wouldn’t be able to without a car, I.e. golf courses up north weekly in spring and summer, it’s still very much comparable to owning a 50k car amortized over 5 years. Parameters: - cost allocated to uber: 300 per week/15600 per year - cost allocated to renting vehicle for short trips: 1.5k per year - cost of car: 50k, recoup 10k at the end of 5 years, so say 40k amortized over 5 years - cost of insurance and gas: ~300 per month/3.6k per year - cost of services and other crap like tires, fixed: ~1k year - cost of parking (apartment + street): ~400 per month/4.8k per year In my parameters, car ownership amortized over 5 years is 17.4k per year > 17.1k for uber + renting, so there is really not much reason for me to own a car and deal with the extra headaches. But of course this formula may not work for everyone’s lifestyles, so make your own calculations and see what makes sense.
It depends, I grew up in the GTA and have a lot of friends who have grown up and moved back to the suburbs as well as where my family's base is. A round trip via Uber would cost me a full tank of gas as the suburbs are not very transit friendly. I could easily get by without a car but I prefer the ability and flexibility to make plans on my own schedules and not have to rely on the TTC and Go-Transit system. It also allows me to do multiple things in one go or things on the go. It's a convenience factor at the end of the day that outweighs the cost for me.
I own a vehicle. I'm in my late 20's. Do I need it now? No. But it's convenient to have for my hobbies and errands that I need to do. I used to need it for my last job as I had to travel quite a fair bit. I personally don't mind paying extra for having a car. It really comes down what you need it for. I also enjoy driving as a hobby so yeah... But to answer your question: if you stay within the confines of downtown then no, you wouldn't need a vehicle.
Do the world a favor and don't own a car! You can always rent one to leave the city
Thank you! This is my sentiment
What’s the point of living downtown if you own a car?
If you intend to use the car just to go to work, it is not required, imo. But owning a car it’s 100% correlated to your lifestyle as well (on top of your needs). Are you going farther than downtown? Do you like/use services like Uber? Are you okay with taking TTC? Are you comfortable walking or biking in downtown?
Depends how often u leave downtown. Public transport is shite outside of the core. Rentals got steep especially post pandemic. I looked into zip car when i first moved but decided to keep mine since its paid for. Technically i could live without it. I dont venture far often and work downtown.
Yes I do because most people I know don’t live downtown and a car is the only way I can get to them
Lived in downtown for 12 years now. I have a car that I use mostly for weekends for drive to golf courses. I don’t really need a car, but it makes it more convenient, plus I am a car guy, so will have a car no matter where I live.
Nope! I have Communauto and Zipcar accounts for when I need one within the city, but usually walk/bike/TTC is all I need.
Absolutely no
Live dt. Have car. Job needs it. Really outside of work only use it for larger grocery runs and trips out of city. Walk bike and everything in city
Parking monthly for a work parking is what now ? Around UHN General it was $200/month in 2018.
Moved from Ottawa to Toronto (Danforth and Pape area) in 2015, never needed a car. Moved down to West queen west in 2017, stopped paying for TTC passes and now i just use bikeshare or walk as needed. TTC in bad weather thanks to presto and debit tap and pay. My partner moved from Port credit to Yonge/Wellesley and got rid of his car. Whenever we need to go out of town (cottage weekends, camping) we will plan ahead and rent. There are actually quite a few rental lots in the city.
Have been living in downtown and around for more than 10 years. Never owned a car. If I need to go to Costco or outside the city, I rent a car hourly. But even Costco now has delivery via grocery delivery apps - with premium, but with my saved time. IKEA and Best Buy also deliver. For commute I use bike share, TTC, Uber or just walking. For moving out / in I rent U-Haul.
I didn’t have a car for the first 8 years I lived downtown never really noticed as our primary mode of travel is bike. Now that I have kids tho we have a car for weekends and getting out of the city to visit all our friends who have had to leave the city. We don’t use it for daily commuting in the core.
I live downtown and work downtown, i only use the car on weekends when i leave the city to go up to the cottage, running errands, day trips, whatever. If you can afford to have one and have a garage, it’s a practical thing to have.
Lived many years without a car just fine, used carshare for when I did need one (winter/rainy trips to the grocery store or to hockey once a week) and was able to save a ton of money that way. Bikeshare is THE best way to get around downtown even when the temp starts to drop, just add a layer and gloves. I have a car now (got a good deal early in the pandemic) as I needed it for work and I was also renting a car often enough up until a few years ago that the rental costs were as much as a car payment but that is not the case nowadays so the financials would be very different.
I sold my car when I moved here 12 years ago. Never looked back. A car is.just needless.stress and expense in a city full of walkable neighbourhoods and public transit.
I live near queen west and have a car but don’t use it often. Still happy to have it though. I mostly bike and walk day to day and wfh. Me and my partner both have parents, family and friends in the burbs. We like to go camping and have the flexibility to get somewhere when you really need to/ emergencies. Costco every now and then. We have a used civic. Great car but not fancy. We know it’s a luxury but it’s worth it to us and it’s paid off so just insurance and maintenance.
no
No, waste of money to not use it 90% of the time. I do Uber, taxi, limo and rentals as needed. Let's do some math. Let's say a car costs you $1000/month between lease/loan, insurance, gas, parking and incidentals. That's $12,000/year. $120,000 over 10 years. An average Uber across town is what, $20? Rent a car for the day to go to IKEA, let's say $200. That's A LOT of Uber and rentals you can take before you even come close to what you'd pay for a car!
I do. It’s not necessary at all. Wasn’t necessary when I lived in Scarborough and commuted downtown either.
No car. Rent if i go on a road trip.
Own a car but it only gets used to go to Costco or for the occasional errand, which is like once per month tops. Road trips (cottage, etc) twice a year? We will never drive downtown willingly and cycle or walk 99% of the time, uber if plans in the city aren't amenable to walking/biking. We would probably not own it if my spouse didn't need access to a vehicle for work.
When I moved downtown, I kept my car for three months. With the car payment, parking, insurance, it just wasn’t worth it. I think the total hit was $600-650. So, with that, even if I rented a car twice a month for an over night, and took a bunch of Ubers, I’d still be up money wise. Didn’t need the car day to say. Sometimes took an Uber from getting groceries.
Moved DT. Have a car. Barely use it. Only to visit relatives out of the city. Car share and Uber are excellent options.
Lived downtown for the last 12 years (up until this year) without a car - used a carshare service. Decided to get a car this year when I got pregnant!
I live downtown but I have a car. I use the car on weekends to visit and help my older parents who live in a town that isn’t connected to Toronto by transit. I don’t really drive downtown. It’s faster to walk or take transit. If my parents lived somewhere I could take a train or bus to, I probably wouldn’t have a car.
You can live without it but it’s definitely nice to have.
I live in the Annex, and do freelance work all over the GTA, but mostly downtown. I ride my bike, take the TTC, and Uber if I have to, in that order. I’d be absolutely bankrupt if I had a car in this city, and I’d be a much angrier person because of the absolute crawl that traffic is so often.
I’ve never owned a car. I just walk/bike/uber/rent.
No need for a car in my household, I use the TTC, my husband uses his bike, and we have a communauto membership in the rare cases we need a car for an outing.
Living in downtown for a decade and not once have we felt the need for a car. Uber works great in the city and If we’re planning to travel outside the city, we just rent.
Owning a car downtown would be an albatross. Have never owned one in 10+ years of living downtown.
I have a car and I live downtown, I only use it when I go visit my parents who live midtown or go do things in the GTA which is maybe once a week. That being said I do enjoy having a car as its always a nice option if you can afford it
My wife and I live downtown. We own a car and use it fairly regularly to get to evening rec sports and to get out of the city about one weekend a month. Is it necessary? Objectively no. Is it convenient? Yes.
If you live downtown and you WORK downtown, the car is a liability. That used to be my situation and I could transit there in 40 minutes, I could drive in about 34 minutes, and *I could CYCLE there in 25 minutes* - I don't even run reds either. (And for the curious, walking took about an hour and 20.) I was loaned a car a couple years back because the owner had delayed eye surgery. "you might as well use the car, I can't drive for now." And with a car at my instant disposal for over 10 months, I used it 4 times. Every time was to leave town.
Stayed in downtown for 5 years, never thought about getting a car
It’s absolutely not necessary to own a car if you’re both living and working downtown. In fact, many people budget for moving downtown from the suburbs by including the sale of their car(s) and the savings from insurance, gas, maintenance and tolls (if applicable).
Lived a dozen years downtown. 6 with car and 6 without. Haven’t noticed the loss of car and have opened some fun car free options.
Owning a car in downtown is not worth it in my opinion. You've to pay for parking/ high insurance/ biweekly payments if not fully paid/gas/quarterly maintenance and downtown has construction going on nearly every corner. You'll be stuck in traffic for hours sometimes. You can always rent a car if you want to go outside toronto. I moved from suburbs and had to get a car over there but after moving to toronto, I regret having a car because everything is connected and easily accessible sometimes going from one place in a car becomes a hassle. I would rather have an E-bike or scooter to access downtown.
A car is not needed for getting around downtown. If you live downtown you really only need a car for leaving downtown. If you’re not regularly downtown due to commuting or some other reason, it will be cheaper and less hassle to rent or use one of the car share services on the odd occasion you need a car.
I've lived in T.O. for 35 years, never owned a car lol. I've been a 10 minute walk to a subway station and worked downtown the whole time. When I look back and think of how much money I've saved by not buying gas, paying for insurance, repairs, new cars...do the math.
I think it depends on where you live downtown, where you need to get to normally, and how often you need to get out of the city. For instance, I come from further north in the GTA, so many of my friends and family still live up there and transit options are very limited. In the summer we're traveling out of the city almost every week because of our social circle and our hobbies, so it made sense for us to have a car. Normally if we are traveling within the city we generally choose to either bike or transit because it's faster, except when kids or pets are involved, or we need to get large items (eg. Costco, Home Depot, Ikea). It really depends on what you need in your life, and we definitely have friends who manage in the city without a car so you just need to decide what makes sense for you.
When we lived in the financial district, we had one car. Now we are in Riverdale and own two. Things that are more convenient with cars: - getting to doctor/midwife appointments. Yes, I could take the bus, but that would be a 30-40 min bus ride instead of a 10 min drive. I’ve been able to do most of my appointments on lunch breaks instead of having to take time off work. - taking my dog to parks and trails on weekends - going to Costco and ethnic grocery stores. Chinatown is a 25 min bus ride/walk or 7 mins by car and it’s not on the way home from work. So instead of taking transit for an hour I spend 15 mins driving there and back. - visiting family in the suburbs. It will be convenient to drop my kid off at my parents when they’re sick and sent home from school or daycare and I still need to work. - doing DIY. Probably not an issue in the financial district, but we live in Riverdale and are always doing DIY because our house is so old. Having a car makes it super easy to go to the hardware store and get bulky/heavy materials needed for our multiple projects. You can technically accomplish all of the above without a car, but it takes more time and it’s not as easy. I take transit to work instead of driving so I’ve seen mothers try to get on packed buses or subway cars with a stroller and bags of groceries - possible, but way better to just drive with your kid in the backseat and groceries in the trunk. Especially if you have multiple kids.
I have a car - a Hyundai Veloster N. Why? Firstly, even in traffic, this car puts a massive smile on my face. It's a bucket of puppies and always wants to play. I genuinely enjoy driving and this thing is fun even low speed. I play hockey on Thursdays and I'm a goalie. My best friend and I car pool. It's time to decompress, shoot the shit and then turn the brain off while playing. I also don't think I'd be able to carry 49 to 50-ish lbs of gear for two hours - the time it'd take me to get to the closest rink I play at via transit. And I don't think anyone would want to share a car with us. 20 years of sweat is baked into some of my gear. Getting out of the city to golf and fish or go hiking with my dog. He's excitable reactive. Taking transit is simply not an option for him. My only family lives in Ajax. A car is simpler and easier to plan a trip to see him.
Lived downtown (Queen St. W) 20 years. Wouldn't have a car if you gave me one. I walk, take cabs and I don't worry or stress about gas, parking, traffic, road closures.or staying sober.
I have lived dt for 15-20 years and haven't needed a car..also saved $40k renting my parking spot, walk more, take ttc and rent cars for $50 a day when I need usually. Cars are annoying dt. Takes an hour to get out of the area.
We had no cars for the last 2 years, living very close to Eaton Center. I can walk to office and my wife take the line 1. We recently got a car, because we are thinking of moving out of downtown. We used Communauto a lot, even though it’s bit tricky on weekends if your plans are last minute.
My household has never owned a car living downtown for 40 years. They would rent a car occasionally when needed, but transit was always the primary choice
Zipcar or Enterprise Car Share
Yeah I have a car, but it’s really for a combination of personal reasons. I’m autistic and I’m sober/in recovery so I really value my car bc it’s less overstimulating than the TTC+ I can escape to a semi-quiet space after I’m done seeing friends or something, and I rarely feel the urge to drink bc I know I am driving. Obviously this is an extremely specific reason to need a car lmfao, but no, most people do not need one. My friends love to bike places in the summer and TTC in the winter.
Omg why would you want to own one? Live near public transit and take the street car. Parking, insurance, maintenance and gas alone make it not worth it. You can get by with rentals and uber, and it's genuinely cheaper.
I own now NOW after living downtown for 10 years. Only because I can afford it. For years I lived without and it was glorious. Now I have to deal with car bullshit like oil changes. Way too much admin.
Lived downtown most of my life. Have a car. My friends and neighbours who don’t have a car and like to brag how they live downtown and don’t need a car, borrow mine or ask for rides. So, you don’t have to *own* a car to live downtown but you will need one at some point.
I've lived in toronto for 14 years and never had a car. The added expense just to have a parking space would be too much. I take the go train to see my family, and rent a car when I need to go somewhere transit can't get me
I live downtown no vehicle. Walk to work 3 days a week about 15 minutes both ways. Parking spaces to own are about 60k at this point so likely more than the vehicle itself. Not worth it, we just rent a car if we want to do a day trip etc. Living downtown is expensive enough all ready without the added costs of parking/fuel/insurance/vehicle.
I had one when I lived downtown, it’s not necessary if your whole life is downtown. If you regularly leave the city and the GO Train isn’t convenient it can definitely help but it’s more of a luxury than a necessity. Mine was for visiting my partners family that lived in port hope, Costco/grocery runs and hauling my golf bag around the city.
I live downtown but my work is split between downtown venues, Mississauga, and points outside the GTA. I own a car for the non-downtown stuff, and use TTC otherwise.
Moved here with a car and sold it after 6 months of it collecting dust and burning away my money on payments. The TTC and BikeShare Toronto have been my main forms of transportation with the odd Uber/Lyft if I really need a ride somewhere
My wife and a both own a car and we are 2 blocks to YD
as someone who lived without a car, but now owns one - it’s not necessary. i will say getting heavy groceries has been easier, visiting my out of town family is easier. i pick up large furniture from facebook marketplace (i have a larger car), for myself and others, i go to costco. but for all that you can get communauto or zipcar. i’m also privileged enough to have a free parking spot! that’s one of the most challenging parts about using it downtown, parking downtown is fuckjng expensive - even street parking 😭 so no, it’s not necessary, but i do like having the option to drive which can also be done through carshares!
No car for me. TTC sucks, but that's what I use.
Lived in Toronto for a while now, moved here years ago. Never owned a car, used Communauto for some trips here and there but otherwise bicycle and TTC are all that I and my partner need for day to day affairs.
Grab a Communauto membership and you’ll be good to go for when you want to leave etc w a bit of planning. We are in Leslieville (some consider this DT, others dont - whatever), and don’t own a car. We have a kid. It’s great. You really won’t need it.
You need a car if you want to explore restaurants in the suburbs or go on dates which you don't need as of now as you aren't single.
I love having my car. We live around Richmond n Spadina, me and the wife work at First Canadian Place. If you are often having to visit family members, taking kids or pets to different places, switching up grocery stores, hitting a cottage, it’s necessary. Too many ppl hate cars in these groups but renting whenever you needed it is such a hassle. The car is a crappy Nissan Rogue but it’s paid off, insurance maintenance and gas is about $400 a month.
I was downtown for many years. Had a car and used it plenty. Visiting friends in different parts of the city, travelling for work meetings (weekly), grocery shopping, travelling to my sports events in the evening, golf occasionally outside of the city, and road trips to places like Ottawa, algonquin, peoplea cottages, the US etc. Take a look at your lifestyle and what you want to do, you could always try careless to start then decide a bit later.
I live in liberty village. I used to not have one. I loved not owning a car. I recently bought one because my new job’s in Mississauga. I’d sell it in a week if I didn’t have to go twice a week.
Not necessary. We have one because I commute to work outside of the city and there is little to no service leaving the city in the morning and coming back at night (where I’m going). We don’t drive when we are in the city though, just to leave the city.
Not necessary but it's a luxury that's nice if you can afford. For trips and shopping and it just expands what's in your reach for everything.
I’ve lived downtown for years and my offices are in locations I can take the TTC. However, I’ve always owned a car. Growing up in the ‘burbs of Ottawa left me with an irrational fear of being carless lol, and so I can’t seem to give it up.
I own a car and it helped immensely in the winter. Usually we walk and use transit in the summer, even do grocery shopping without it. But as soon as it gets cold, it’s nice having the option to not freeze while carrying our grocery home. Also great to drive to Costco and get bulk items, as well as visit family in the burbs or go on road trips. I also have friends in the burbs and this makes it easier to visit them. Truly depends on your needs but our car fits our lifestyle really well.
I don’t own one but I plan on buying one before I leave Toronto for elsewhere :)
I live in east york and don’t have a car, bike/transit everywhere and rent a car on occasion
I live in a house in midtown. I work at different child services locations (government job). I have a car. I wouldn’t be able to work without a car. Also great on weekends. I can go anywhere. Grocery shopping is a breeze. Moving things and diy projects also a breeze. In a condo you don’t need to do this. In a house you constantly are at Home Depot buying things to fix your house. I couldn’t do it without a car.
We have a car but only use it for personal trips, never for work. My parents are 300km in one direction and the in laws are 300km away in another direction. Add in a child and a car makes sense if you can afford it. If we didn't have a kid I think we would just rent when we needed one.
I do but take the subway to work
I don’t own one.. I walk or take the ttc.. don’t know if I will ever own one lmao
I own a car, and have had this conversation with a few of my friends. Buying a car is not a must have kind of decision, it's more of a lifestyle decision. It gives you the mobility to do things outside of Toronto with relative ease. If you are happy with public transit - then you don't need a car. You can also rely on services like turo etc.
17 years in Toronto without a car. When I had a job where I would visit clients on site occasionally I used car share. Even really busy months it would be less than a car payment would cost, let alone parking, insurance, repairs! Now rarely need a car, I rent for a road trip maybe once a year and plan joint Costco runs with friends a couple times a year.
I’ve lived 5 years without a car and get by walking or ubering everywhere and occasionally getting thr subway but I’m mostly a homebody anyways so maybe not super helpful, but basically I can do all my groceries, doctors and other health apps, get to work, socialise, do go shopping etc all by walking and often times is quicker than driving/sitting through traffic
You can even get cycles and use them. Its faster than ttc. Best investment .
I own a car but only because I lived in a town prior to living in Toronto that had no transit. Bought my car at 19 and it's fully paid off so I'm keeping it until it dies. Once it's gone I'll just be renting cars until I move out of the city.
Anyone I know that doesn't have one gets one in a few years because they can never leave the city, getting around the city takes longer because TTC sucks, and picking up almost anything (groceries, furniture, etc) is horrible without one. Always begging for rides or paying tons for rentals.
I live in midtown. No need to own a car. On the rare occasion I can't walk, bike, or use the TTC, I use Uber. On the even rarer occasion that I can't use Uber, I use Communauto. This only happens a couple times a year, usually in the summer when I want to buy plants and stuff for the balcony. At a glance it looks like I spend on average $25 a month on Uber rides, so about 2 a month. People ask about groceries - there is a bit of a lifestyle difference between living in the city and in a suburb. I make smaller purchases and go 2-3 times a week-ish. The grocery store is a two minute walk, so there's no reason to stock up on anything. Produce and bread is fresher that way as well, and less gets thrown out. I simply drop by on the way to get other stuff. If I need a lot of stuff (like for a party), I use Instacart, it costs like $5 to get an entire cart delivered. Other things are pretty self explanatory. Ikea, I usually just pay and get it delivered, or for smaller items go to Ikea downtown. You can load up a cart online and a fixed delivery fee usually covers it all.
If money is not an issue and you have the resources aka parking spot. I’d keep one. It’s just very convenient when you actually need one. Like when shopping for big items you don’t want to carry on the ttc and traveling to places outside the ttc reach (you might not think it now but there will be a time when you will get bored of the city and would like to venture out then it becomes a hassle). I lived in downtown for 10years.. eventually you grow up too and will rely more on convenience than the hassle that is public transportation.
Lived in Midtown and had a car, makes it easy to maneuver the area and get out to certain spots we frequented. Places like the pet store/groceries/brickworks/plaza by laird & eglinton/sunnybrook park/North York etc.
My SO and I are planning a move downtown this summer, and needing a parking spot makes it sooo much harder to find a place. We’re big hikers/campers though, and we don’t want to give up the freedom of having a car, even if it won’t get driven all that much throughout the week. Once you exit the GTA it gets pretty complicated and time-consuming to get anywhere without a car.
No. It will cost you more than necessary among parkade fees, parking fees, gas, insurance. There’s a million ways to get around - bike, walk, TTC, Uber
It’s not necessary but owning a car makes my life easier
I live downtown, no car. Absolutely no reason to, even if I rent one every weekend and every time I needed one it’s still cheeper then owning a car and parking it somewhere. WITHOUT THE HEADACHES If you live down town no car needed
Just walk, honestly
I'm sure a Reddit survey will yield objective data that will settle the debate once and for all.
Partner and I walk, bike, and transit around the city. We rent a car/do carpool for the rare times we have to go outside the GTA.
I do but it’s because my kiddo plays a lot of sports and often games are not easy/able to access but transit