San Francisco ranked best city to live without a car

Cars are dangerous. They also cost a lot of money in both purchase and upkeep. Which is why, among so many other reasons, San Francisco is an ideal place to call home. Folks can live here for years without having to use or drive a vehicle. Today Baghdad by the Bay ranks tops on Redfin’s The Best Cities for Living Without a Car list.

“Redfin compiled the latest Walk Score rankings to see which U.S. cities with populations greater than 300,000 have the highest composite Walk Score, Transit Score and Bike Score rankings,” notes Redfin. “These are places where you could forgo having a car and still be able to get around town in a variety of ways, whether it be by foot, bike or public transit.”

The realtor site goes on to point out that, while San Francisco scored second place in walking, biking, and transit, “the overall score is the highest in the nation.”

Other cities making the list: New York City, Boston, and Washington D.C., who placed second, third, and fourth, respectively. Oakland came in tenth place.

San Francisco has focused on its public transit and pedestrian-focused projects over the last few years. It’s also nice to see a new downtown store open without the need for constructing a new parking lot.

Unfortunately, as living a car-free life becomes more and more popular—public transit and a strong cycling community are two vehicle alternatives the city famously offers—the cost of living in San Francisco and other walkable cities has soared beyond approachability.

• Trader Joe’s opening downtown SF location next week [Curbed SF]
• The best cities for living without a car [Redfin]