I’m going to be shopping for a car soon.  I’ve been living in the city for a little over two years now and haven’t really needed a car.  Those of you who have lived in a downtown city know what I mean; you can pretty much just walk or take public transportation wherever you want or need to go.  There are cabs, subways, and trains.  I remember when I first moved here, though.  I had no idea how to take public transportation and I got kind of overwhelmed.  I knew there were subways that went all over the place but I didn’t know which was which and I didn’t know how to know which stop to get off at, etc.  I’ll be honest, Google Maps helped a lot with that, but after I rode it a few times I kind of got the knack for how it all worked and was doing it like a pro (assuming professional subway riding was a real thing).

But I just took a job in the suburbs of all places.   Most people move to the city because that’s where all the cool exciting jobs are.  People even commute from the burbs into the city for their cool city jobs.  I feel like I’m doing it backward.  And since there is no train station nearby where I’m going to be working, I’m going to have to drive, which means I’m going to have to buy a car, which means I’m going to have to look into cheap car insurance in Orlando, and I’m also going to have to get a parking space.

Let me tell you about parking in a big city.

It sucks.

It’s expensive.

There are a few options.  You can park on the street.  Sometimes this is free.  Sometimes you can only park in certain areas with a permit.  But finding an open spot is tough.

You park in a parking garage.  These are quite pricey for the first hour and still pretty pricey after that.

You can also buy (or rent) a parking spot which may be on the street on in a garage.  This is probably the best option but can be expensive depending on the area.  I’m talking one to three hundred per month.  Of course, it beats having to drive around forever looking for an open spot in the winter, but it’s just another expense.

I have no idea what kind of car I want, either.  I’ll probably look for something used but in good condition.  Actually, I don’t even think I’ve driven in the last 2 years.  I hope it’s like riding a bike and you always remember how to do it.