>>>And fwiw, until there 4 drivers in the house, we had one car. My mom used to drive my dad to work so she could have the car for the day.
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>>Same here about my folks. As a matter of fact, we didn't even have a car for the period between about 1959 and 1967. Living in the city, where the neighborhood had all the stores that you'd need within walking distance and plentiful public transportation, there was no need. The same was true of other folks in the area. This included my best friend from high school (1961), who's family didn't own a car then and hasn't since. My folks bought one when the moved to the suburbs (it's kind of required there< g >).
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>My folks still live in the city neighborhood where I was raised (though it's only 10 minutes from my suburban home). One car was fine when we were kids. There was a bus stop for one line at the end of my block and a stop for another line that went right to the subway a block-and-a-half away. I rode the bus 20 minutes to the Y for swimming lessons starting when I was, maybe, 8. I think I was 12 when I rode the subway with a friend to see the Phillies.
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>Marshal and I consciously chose a community that has public transit. The train that goes downtown is walking distance. My kids have ridden the bus to the mall more than once. Best of all, we now have 3 ice cream parlors within walking distance. <g>
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Tamar,

My wife and I didn't really have much choice. Cartersville is about 50 NW of Atlanta and when we moved here 20 years ago, was (and in some cases, still is) pretty rural. When we first moved here, there were about 10,000 people in the city and 15,000 total in the county. Now there are 15,000 in the city and around 60,000 total in the county. Still no public transportation. We moved here for business reasons (her mother had followed a business opportunity down here and we came to work for her).

Earlier this month, we visited my daughter in Valparaiso, IN. The main reason for the trip was to see the "grand-babies" (as my wife calls them), but also to scout location near Chicago for us to move to in the next few years. We both fell in love with Valparaiso. Reminded my wife of Evanston, IL where we first lived after we were married. It's a college town, like Evanston. In fact, I've spent a lot of my life in "college towns". The Hyde Park neighborhood, where I grew up, is the home of the University of Chicago.:-)

Anyway, the reason I mention it, is that there are a lot of places in Valpo within walking distance of the main residential area, including a wonderful ice cream palor.< s >