Thought this might be a good follow up to my previous post about the Denver car optional lifestyle.

So my new lifestyle is feeling good. I’m speaking of the fact that I gave up my car, rented out both of my two parking spaces, and have decided to get around via foot, pedal, public transportation and scooter (hey, it’s only $1 in gas roughly once a week…. that’s still green to me). I’m also looking into the various car share programs for those emergency situations where a car is needed. I already new about the connect by Hertz program that is being started from the base of SPIRE at 14th and Champa and a friend turned me on to e-Go Carshare. She and her husband share one car which he primarily uses since he doesn’t work downtown like she does. She is a kindred spirit in that we both love traveling in any way except by car. However she sometimes has client trips that require a car so she has the system scoped out. Here is the scoop on rates.

e-Go Carshare

Economy cars are generally older model cars, some of which are manual transmission.  Most of these cars have lock boxes rather than keyfob technology.

Standard cars are newer model cars, such as a Toyota Prius, Honda Fit, or Ford pick-up truck.  All standard cars are automatics and are equipped with keyfob technology.

• Free Wheelin Plan
  • Economy Cars
    • $10 / month
    • $2.50 / hour + 0.30/mile
    • $49 / day
  • Standard Cars
    • $10 / month
    • $4.00 / hour + $0.30/mile
    • $65 / day

• Peace of Mind Plan
  • Economy Cars
    • $0 / month
    • $4.50/hr + $0.30/mile
    • $59 / day
  • Standard Cars
    • $0 / month
    • $6.50 / hr + $0.30 / mile
    • $75 / day

They also have something called a Go Trip if you need a car for a full day or more and includes the first 100 miles for free.  Just check with them for rates.  Also they advertise that Night Owls can rejoice because they don’t charge hourly from 11 PM to 6 AM.  Hmmmmm… does that mean I can  take it from 10 PM until 6 AM and only pay for an hour?  Sounds like a good time to do errands.. that can’t be right can it?  They also have quite a few locations close to me (16th downtown or one in th highlands) so I’m going to have to check them out.

Connect by Hertz

• Connect Plan
  • $50 annual membership
  • $25 application fee
  • 180 free miles per day
  • From $8.00 per hour with free gas
• Connect 50
  • $50 per month, no annual fee
  • $25 application fee
  • 180 free miles per day
  • From $7.65 per hour with free gas
  • $50 driving credit per month
• Connect 125
  • $125 per month, no annual fee
  • $25 application fee
  • 180 free miles per day
  • From $6.80 per hour with free gas

But the magic part of Hertz is that right now you can sign up and have your $75 waived ($50 membership + $25 application).  Since their are just getting ready to open their very first Denver location they are doing this promotion to get new folks signed up.  The code you need to enter is 1886465 and I believe they have it on the big signs right in front of SPIRE.  Of course all new SPIRE residents get this deal to.

So my friend and I were discussing this and it’s kind of nice that you could take advantage of the promotion at Connect by Hertz AND the Peace of Mind plan at e-Go Carshare and have no monthly fee but have options for cars in case an emergency trip comes up.  Since it takes about a week or so to process either application it makes sense to get set up before you need a car, not when you need a car.

So this is the final piece of my car optional lifestyle.  I hardly used my car at all for the past year, renting out both parking spaces just made it official that I didn’t have a car.  I’ve got a new lightweight get around town bike, sold the funky Electra cruiser, and keep my scooter tuned up.  Jenny turned in the lease on her car and is now keeping my truck for her occasional photo shoots out of town and she helps me take my 100+ lb pup Bear to the VRCC Doctor appointments (dog medical appointments are emergencies to me).  So I recycled my car to someone who now doesn’t have a lease payment.  Hmmmmm… what next?  Ah the next post will be about groceries I think.

If you are out there trying to live car optional I hope these tips help.  I’ll keep you posted on what my first car optional year is like.  It’s easy to scoot and bike in the summer months but this winter I think you will find me exploring some new winter bike gear.  Brrrrr… I think I’ll just enjoy the summer. I had some easy rain scoots the last couple days that reminded me that the weather will not always be so perfect.  It’s okay, I’ve braved worse storms.

If you are thinking about making the switch I will share one more observation.  I see the world so much more clearly from two wheels.  When I am biking around town (my favorite choice) it’s much slower, much more tactile.  The scooter feels the same way and their is no chatting on the phone, sending texts, or other distractions.  I might catch myself observing the scenery but that’s about as distracting as it gets.  What you also notice is how many folks are drifting in their lanes or driving dangerously while they chat on their phones and text or worse.  I did it.  I remember trying to discipline myself to stop.  But when that phone rings everyone answers it.  For most people its all about business.  I’ll have to do a post about this thought later as well but it’s funny to think about how technology changes us.  I saw a history excerpt from the 70s or 80s discussing how technology was going to make our lives easier and give us more leisure time with family and friends.  Nope.  It just brought out the competition in everyone to get more work done every second of every day.   Pbbbbbbbbtttttt.  It took me getting out of my car to see how dangerous that can be on the road.  And if you are missing the scenery when you drive what are you missing in your life by being constantly distracted?

Enjoy your weekend Denver.  Just some thoughts.

In the article “High-Rise, or House With Yard?” a family takes a close look at the cost comparison between living in the Suburbs or living in the city. I am guessing that most would assume the more expensive option would be the city loft. Well that’s not the case in this analysis. That big house in the suburbs can actually be more expensive. I’ll tell you how they got to this conclusion.

Before I begin I’ll make one thing clear… this is not a square footage to square footage comparison. Basically, the city residence was half the square footage of the suburb home. The purchase price was higher for the city home, just not the square footage (okay.. that is what you would expect). That is often the trade off between these two. When you live in the city I like to think you trade some private space for so much more community space. Maybe you don’t have the fenced backyard but you do have public parks, green space, bike trails and other outdoor features outside your front door. Perhaps you don’t have as big of a kitchen, or a breakfast nook or media room. Instead you have (for Denver) three stadiums, movie theaters, stage and life theater venues, restaurants, coffee shops and bars. You have less space within your private domain but if you don’t mind sharing you have so much more to experience.

I’ll come back to the sharing aspect.

So you might be asking… if the mortgage on the city is higher how can the suburb be more expensive. Two big factors stand out to me. The first is transportation. Denver hasn’t quite made it to a car optional city for most (although I’m giving it a shot right now) but the transportation factor for cost is major. Car loans, car insurance, gasoline, car maintenance, parking, etc. all add up to one great big expense every month. City living with bicycle commutes, light rail and other public transportation, or simply using your own two feet is a wonderful and healthy lifestyle change that puts more money in your pocket.

The second big expense is tied to all that extra square footage in the form of utilities and maintenance. That’s right… that extra square footage is more expensive to heat, cool, and keep maintained. Over the course of a year these various suburb related expenses add up to make city living a cheaper alternative. For me that is great news because I love the city lifestyle. But I also love the social impact my new lifestyle offers.

Of course, looking at it with a BP oil leak perspective both of these expenses are also likely to grow in importance over time. Fuel costs are likely to continue to increase bringing both fuel and utilities higher and higher. Even with electric cars or other alternatives it is likely that fuel from all sources will continue to go up in price. As everyone points their fingers at BP, government oversight or any other third party for the devastating and tragic oil leak in the gulf I find myself blaming myself. After all, I’m the one using all that oil based gasoline for my fuel, my utilities, and my oil based products and services. Heck, I’ve flown more air miles in the past 5 years than most probably do in a lifetime. The best way to help protect the environment is not to blame the producer of the oil but instead to correct my own personal consumption.

So here is my own personal plan….

• I live in a condo downtown
• I travel the city by bike, foot, and for longer distances scooter ($1 a week in gas) or public transportation
• I gave up my car (although I have access to one when I need it)
  • The car optional lifestlye started July 1… so wish me luck
• I rented out my owned parking spaces (so I save car expenses and created income from the choice)
• I shop locally and support local businesses

Granted, it’s not much and I still have more than my share of transgressions but this article was just a terrific reminder of the cost realities of the two lifestyle choices.  Something to consider.  The couple in the article did end up selecting the suburb house for the needed square footage even with the higher expense after their children were born but others discussed in the article chose downtown living.  It was always the city lifestyle that was preferred… it was the square footage that was the main driver of a suburb choice.  How much private space do you need?  I told you I was coming back to this point.

I value my private space.  I do.  I lived in a residence in a suburb about twice the size of my current square footage now.  I had more space, more bedrooms, more rooms, more yard… more more more.

And only after living in downtown Denver in a shared high rise did I realize how much that suburb lifestyle also meant a lack of community.  I just like people.  I like meeting and greeting my neighbors in the hallways, at the gym, picking up my mail, or at the local coffee shops and restaurants.  I don’t want to live in spacious isolation, I want discussions and laughter and an exchange of ideas.  Granted, not everyone is friendly but you take the good with the “challenging”.  Even within the downtown condo lifestyle I would rather live in a larger denser building than a small condo.  Before this I lived in a building that had fewer residences.  Sure, it had nicer counter tops and cabinets and touted itself as a more private building but for me that wasn’t a plus.  I’d rather see others and know my neighbors that never see a soul.  Now I know that in the ‘burbs folks do build relationships with neighbors.  But I there is something about life in a city, a dense city, that is unique and magical.  Try it sometime and maybe you can trade in that car payment for a new bike and some funds for the local coffee shops.

Regards Denver, check out the New York Times article here.
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. ]]> http://www.theurbanbrain.com/denver/index.php/2010/07/05/high-rise-or-a-house-with-yard/feed/ 2 http://www.theurbanbrain.com/denver/index.php/2010/07/02/union-station-july-1st/ http://www.theurbanbrain.com/denver/index.php/2010/07/02/union-station-july-1st/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:03:16 +0000 mike http://www.theurbanbrain.com/denver/?p=2013

It’s definitely moving forward.  These shots were taken at about 6 am before construction for the day had started.

You know that boarded up ugly old building on the corner of 15th and Little Raven.  The one that is an ugly eyesore with the fenced off trash yard next to Confluence Park.  Yes, that one.

It’s coming down.  As I’m writing this I can see the cranes scraping everything away.  Does this mean that the Ray Supa project is moving forward?   They had that big vote/debate about the zoning changes last year (or has it been longer… I forget) to put in a tower structure.  Is this building coming down today because it was an eyesore that encouraged squatters or does this mean that a new project is about to be underway.  Demolition or Development… what is the next step?  Anyone have renderings of what the new corner will look like.