I have to state from the outset that I do not drive. Never have. I’m a New Yorker. In my past NYC offices, about only 25% had a car. When we had a car, the cheapest parking lot we could find was literally 50 blocks north. But it was cheap at $250 a month. With that said, the car life in New York city is fascinating.

Those who own a car in the city but don’t park it in a garage, have to divide their days by whether it’s alternate street parking day and how many hours you have before having to move the car to another spot. That always seemed too hectic and tedious for me. Why would anyone need a car to dictate the flow of their day?

While many people do not have cars in New York City, there are still many cars on the streets. I’d like to say it is mostly cabs and people from the neighboring states of New Jersey and Connecticut. And, that is one of the cool (although simsimultaneously annoying) things about the cars in New York. There are so many out of state cars. It shows how New York is a hub and a place to meet people from all over. When I lived in California, you primarily saw license plates from California. We stood out for a while with our New York car.

There is a different rhythm in New York that is evident by the cars. Not only out of state cars, but also the sheer number of taxis. Those taxi drivers are an interesting part of the NY fabric of life. They spoil you into believing (or it used to be until Uber came along) that wwherever you went, you can step to the curb and flag down a cab. The NYC taxis symbolize that sense of instant gratification.

Then you have the delivery trucks. They are everywhere. I am mightily impressed by those drivers navigating the tight streets of New York. Because the parking is limited and the streets are tight, most delivery trucks expect to get a parking ticket due to being double-parked. And, yes that cost is passed onto us the consumers.

When I ride the train and look out, I love looking at the traffic in New York. It says so much more about New York than just how many people there are. Its just like in Los Angeles, those traffic jams and car chases are real and are certainly an indicator of more interesting dynamics. Cars aren’t for me. But surely a story or two can be told about everyday life in a big awesome city.