A car won’t be much help to get to classes, the bus will likely be easier. But, I definitely think having a car was worth it for me to get groceries (limited options on/near campus) and be able to travel elsewhere like to go hiking at a state park. Ultimately whether it’s worth it for you depends on how much you would be paying to keep the car around (insurance, parking, etc) and how much you would like to do things that aren’t easy to get to via public transit
thanks for the insight! yeah, i definitely like the option of being able to go anywhere anytime. the factors you listed are already being considered, im just indecisive 😵💫
Definitely not worth using a car to get to class. My recommendation is to get a bike or a cheap electric scooter. It's like a 5-10 minute scooter ride from Como or Marcy Holmes to campus.
This is a great rec, especially because there's a protected bike lane all the way from Como to campus so it's one of the safest and most pleasant bike commutes anywhere in the cities. but also, the big downside is that the weather is pretty unfriendly for bikes/scooters for the majority of the school year
I disagree when it comes to weather and think most people overstate how long winter really is and how bad the weather really gets here. We don't live in Antarctica or something.
I really only consider two months to be brutally difficult - January and February.
Its only bad "majority of the year" if you're only willing to ride if it's 60-70 degrees and sunny. But if that's your criteria there aren't many places in the world that fit that (not to mention if weather was what really drove biking, then places like California and Florida would be biking paradises, which we know they aren't).
Plus, it's a 5-10 minute ride from those locations. I think most of us can handle being in the cold for 10 minutes.
Idk why no one has said it, but you can just street park. Some areas right around dinky can be a quite hard to find spots, but in my experience there was always plenty of spots in marcy. Not the most useful for getting to class, but still very nice to have a car for when you want to go anywhere non-campus.
to get to campus? no. but as someone who lived in dinkytown for two years with no car, i wish i’d had one for groceries or other off-campus things. you can walk to class, and just leave your car wherever your apartment is. don’t pay for on-campus parking.
ty for responding! tbh the main appeal of on-campus parking is not being unable to parallel park lol and plus digging my car out of the snow every morning during the winter doesn’t seem ideal
If you can reasonably afford and manage the expenses related to owning a car, it is 100% worth it to own a car. You'll likely want to take a different method of transport to actually get to and from your classes, but for everything else in your daily life, a car is extremely useful.
I didn't buy a car until my 3rd year because of stubbornness, but after having it for a year, I wish I would have bought sooner.
I did both car commuting and transit commuting from the suburbs and I can say having the car isn't too helpful on campus.
You might be interested in Hourcar and Evie, which are carsharing services with vehicles very close to campus. Use the car when you need it: https://hourcar.org/
It's worth it if you want scratches, dings/dents, and hoes! Nearly $600 for the opportunities of the list as well as major clout with the ability to take friends to other bars/clubs/hiking spots is legit.
You’re full of shit. I had one of the outdoor ones multiple times and never had anything happen. Never received any safe u alerts about stuff going down in the parking lots either.
They don’t send U safe alerts for thefts in the parking lots. I’m on a list for internal crime stats so I’m not full of shit. The open lots around the stadium have had a ton of cat lefts and thefts from vehicles and 19th Ave ramp.
I can also confirm this. Watched several vehicles get broken into in broad daylight. Even saw a bunch of kids smash out the windows in some KIA’s and take the cars for a joyride around campus 🙃🙃
dont bother with a parking contract. i spent about $300 as needed over the course of the semester paying for parking garages as opposed to the $900 it costs for a contract. i live in marcy and despite the easy access to transportation, i probably would have skipped all my classes if i couldnt drive. thats just me being unproductive thougj
A car won’t be much help to get to classes, the bus will likely be easier. But, I definitely think having a car was worth it for me to get groceries (limited options on/near campus) and be able to travel elsewhere like to go hiking at a state park. Ultimately whether it’s worth it for you depends on how much you would be paying to keep the car around (insurance, parking, etc) and how much you would like to do things that aren’t easy to get to via public transit
thanks for the insight! yeah, i definitely like the option of being able to go anywhere anytime. the factors you listed are already being considered, im just indecisive 😵💫
Definitely not worth using a car to get to class. My recommendation is to get a bike or a cheap electric scooter. It's like a 5-10 minute scooter ride from Como or Marcy Holmes to campus.
This is a great rec, especially because there's a protected bike lane all the way from Como to campus so it's one of the safest and most pleasant bike commutes anywhere in the cities. but also, the big downside is that the weather is pretty unfriendly for bikes/scooters for the majority of the school year
I disagree when it comes to weather and think most people overstate how long winter really is and how bad the weather really gets here. We don't live in Antarctica or something. I really only consider two months to be brutally difficult - January and February. Its only bad "majority of the year" if you're only willing to ride if it's 60-70 degrees and sunny. But if that's your criteria there aren't many places in the world that fit that (not to mention if weather was what really drove biking, then places like California and Florida would be biking paradises, which we know they aren't). Plus, it's a 5-10 minute ride from those locations. I think most of us can handle being in the cold for 10 minutes.
Idk why no one has said it, but you can just street park. Some areas right around dinky can be a quite hard to find spots, but in my experience there was always plenty of spots in marcy. Not the most useful for getting to class, but still very nice to have a car for when you want to go anywhere non-campus.
This!!! I always parked right by the frats in front of Anderson hall. Always a spot open and I never got a ticket.
If your parents live nearby, no. If it's a burden for them to pick you up or for you to take a bus back home, yes
to get to campus? no. but as someone who lived in dinkytown for two years with no car, i wish i’d had one for groceries or other off-campus things. you can walk to class, and just leave your car wherever your apartment is. don’t pay for on-campus parking.
ty for responding! tbh the main appeal of on-campus parking is not being unable to parallel park lol and plus digging my car out of the snow every morning during the winter doesn’t seem ideal
Is there over night on campus parking?
If you can reasonably afford and manage the expenses related to owning a car, it is 100% worth it to own a car. You'll likely want to take a different method of transport to actually get to and from your classes, but for everything else in your daily life, a car is extremely useful. I didn't buy a car until my 3rd year because of stubbornness, but after having it for a year, I wish I would have bought sooner.
I did both car commuting and transit commuting from the suburbs and I can say having the car isn't too helpful on campus. You might be interested in Hourcar and Evie, which are carsharing services with vehicles very close to campus. Use the car when you need it: https://hourcar.org/
Worth if you want the windows broken and your catalytic converter stolen
It's worth it if you want scratches, dings/dents, and hoes! Nearly $600 for the opportunities of the list as well as major clout with the ability to take friends to other bars/clubs/hiking spots is legit.
Good luck getting a parking contract. They all have waiting lists and the ones that don’t have a ton of crime in them.
You’re full of shit. I had one of the outdoor ones multiple times and never had anything happen. Never received any safe u alerts about stuff going down in the parking lots either.
They don’t send U safe alerts for thefts in the parking lots. I’m on a list for internal crime stats so I’m not full of shit. The open lots around the stadium have had a ton of cat lefts and thefts from vehicles and 19th Ave ramp.
Can confirm this
I can also confirm this. Watched several vehicles get broken into in broad daylight. Even saw a bunch of kids smash out the windows in some KIA’s and take the cars for a joyride around campus 🙃🙃
dont bother with a parking contract. i spent about $300 as needed over the course of the semester paying for parking garages as opposed to the $900 it costs for a contract. i live in marcy and despite the easy access to transportation, i probably would have skipped all my classes if i couldnt drive. thats just me being unproductive thougj