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Working in the downtown of a Large City(Advice needed)

My company has announced that they are moving to the downtown of a Large City.

Frankly, having only worked in the suburbs I am terrified at the prospect of dealing with the
large crowds of people, difficulty parking ( or taking public transportation).

However, with the economy like it is a new job does not seem likely.

Any advice from those of you who do work in a downtown situation?

Thanks
 
I work in downtown Chicago.

Large crowds: Keep your head up. Walk assertively. Don't pysch yourself out. Its not as daunting as it seems. Not everyone is a mugger or panhandler

Difficulty parking: If you can walk somewhere, or take a cab or take public transport, do it!

Public transport: Ask around for what are the best and worst routes. Keep your wits about you. If you dont feel safe, move to another car. If the idea totally freaks you out, like i said earlier, take cabs or walk.
 
If it is a nice downtown city then you should be set. Traffic will be a beast unless they have the roads accessible and properly built (unlike the stupid city I'm soon to be leaving). Being in downtown has huge perks too. Better views, usually a stronger pulse, always better mom and pop restaurants, etc.

Mind if I ask what city you are talking about? That would help a lot on feedback.
 
I live in Boston and I drive to the farthest subway stop and take it in. I love working downtown. There are lots of options for lunch and you can get out and walk around a little when its nice outside and sometimes I make a surreptitious runs to local wetshaving brick & mortars.
 
You'll be fine, just don't be a dummy. During rush-hour try to take public transit. Avoid highways. Be calm, confident, and forthright and everything will be alright. Remember that the people in the Big City aren't bad, they're just people.
 
Move closer to the city, sell your car and never look back. I wish I could work and live in a city where I didn't have to own a car. Walk or public transport everywhere. Life would be awesome.
 
Been working in NYC most of my adult life...fantastic! Being able to take public transportation (get an iPad!) is a luxury, I don't have to worry about traffic or the weather (except when there's a blizzard or hurricane). Love the pulse of the city and in my case I can walk past Pasteur's on my way home.
 
Buy a parking pass at a garage near your new office. Prepare to spend a lot of time in your car. Pack your lunch. Its not a big deal. I work downtown at the other large city in Ohio and have for the past 8 years. You'll get used to it so give it time.
 
Big +1. My days in DC were the best of my life. No car, no maintenance, no gas, no worries. If I was late to work it was due to a metro delay. I read the paper, slept, or enjoyed a book to and from work. I hate car ownership though.

Move closer to the city, sell your car and never look back. I wish I could work and live in a city where I didn't have to own a car. Walk or public transport everywhere. Life would be awesome.
 

oc_in_fw

Fridays are Fishtastic!
I am assuming you are talking Cleveland, since you list yourself in Brunswick. C-Town has great public transportation- a bus or train can get you just about anywhere. The redline ends in Brook Park- that looks like your best bet. It will take you right to the Terminal Tower. If you are working on the square, you are set. If you need to take a bus, get a transfer when you get on the train. I lived in the 'burbs for nine years, and went to the downtown library (pure greatness, by the way) at least once every two weeks. Also saw Floyd, the Who, the Stones, and Jimmy Page downtown. I NEVER drove, and never had a problem. At 15 I lost a wristwatch to a guy doing 3 card monte, but I should have known better. He didn't make me do it, and it was a good learning experience :biggrin:
 
You'll be able to do all your shopping and errands at lunch, have hundreds of great restaurant choices all around you, a place to sit and people-watch over coffee (hint: sundress season!). What's not to love?
 
The first time I went to London on my own I had to get from King's Cross to Richmond and I was a bit nervy. Then on the Tube I saw a woman looking at me in a funny, sort of uncertain way. I looked at her (for more info) and she quickly turned away, in panic. Two days later when I was on the bus a guy asked the driver if he went to a certain stop and the driver said "Dunno mate, it's my first day". Since then I've been to Beijing, Tokyo, New York, Prague, Shanghai etc all on my own. Thing about big cities is, nobody knows who you are, so don't be scared.
 
If you can, get a smaller car, hatchback preferably. Much easier to park and navigate cities. Not to mention being able to fit in the compact spot in parking ramps.
 
Just find a public parking garage near where you will work unless your company has a parking lot. Because you don't want to rely on finding a space on the street. And you will get to know the parking staff. Buy a monthly pass and save money. I used to drive up to Cleveland a couple of times per day. It's not that bad. You will find your favorite route and will get used to it. Maybe buy a GPS (I prefer Tomtom) if you are unsure of the best routes. And it will help you find new and cool places to go to in Cleveland. You'll find your favorite little spot for lunch.
 
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oc_in_fw

Fridays are Fishtastic!
You'll find your favorite little spot for lunch.
Mine used to be the deli one block NW of the Tower- it is now a parking lot. My hot dog guy used to be on 2nd and Frankfort- there is still one there. Not sure if it the same guy, google satellite doesn't have quite that resolution :001_smile
 
I work in downtown Cleveland, and it's the furthest thing from a big city. It has its good days and bad for me. It certainly lacks the "pulse" you get in a NYC of Chicago. Depending where you'll be, though, you should have easy access. Parking in most areas is relatively inexpensive for a major city (save some of the financial district garages and the Tower City garage). From Brunswick you can catch the park & ride or even drive up to the Strongsville park & ride for more time options. I think by the time you hit your car and drive to the Brookpark Rapid station and park you're better off with the bus thing (I think it's an express).

I am not a city person, but I've been here almost 16 years and the lunch options are WAY better than my suburban Chicago job. No car, no traffic, etc. Plenty of nice options if you can take just a five minute walk (I tend to food court it when it's raining or I'm in a hurry). If you have access to a car or enough time to grab a bus down Euclid, run down to Gust Galluci's on Euclid between Midtown and the Clinic (E 65-ish). Old school Italian market with an awesome deli in the back. Some of the best sandwiches in my life came from there. I love Dave's Cosmic Subs on E6th (but also available in some 'burbs) along with Tea House Noodles next door. Also Porcelli's next to that. Very casual sit-down Italian. I can give recs for other parts of town, too.

Depending on the night, it's sometimes dead after work, but once summer is here things pick up and it's a nice vibe. Near the Gateway/Public Square area there is always something happening. The casino opens in a week and could make or break my experience. Up on E 9th you're a short walk to the lake. I had colleagues who would walk to Voinovich park and eat lunch every day. Warehouse district is a nice walk (though down/uphill) to the river.

Cleveland is a "large" city land-wise and still has some world-class offerings (esp medical and artistic and-some might argue otherwise-athletics) but it's pretty small people-wise. You find you see the same people a lot and, in my business at least, you know a lot of them, too. It's almost akin to a very large college campus in that respect. Unfortunately, it's also got that maturity level, too. It probably won't ever be a first-tier U.S. city again. The 50s are long gone. There's a strong sense of apathy where those who can afford not to live there have left. (I assumed the cheapest housing was always furthest from the city until I moved to another city. LOL) The affluent or energized urban crowds are a small force. I wish them well. There's too much great natural resources and offerings for the city and its residents to waste it all. The revitalization (how many times in my short life have I heard this now?!) will bring more people and money in and hopefully hit that tipping point a la the early/mid 90s when things turned around. The problem in Cleveland isn't developing something great. It's keeping it going.

PM me if you have questions about parking, traffic, anything, really. Good luck!
 
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Thanks for all of the advice. I'm starting to feel a little better about this.

Badger and Blade has become my favorite forum.
 
Without meaning to sound like a dimestore psychologist, my guess is that your trepidation has more to do with change itself (moving a working environment from one place to another) than with the idea of working in a big city.

In either case, however, you'll adjust to it in a day. The key is to try to minimize the tension of getting into work each day. For this reason, if you can avoid driving in by taking public transportation do it by all means. Not only may you save money (both on parking and gas), but you'll avoid the tension and frustration of rush hour traffic.

Assuming that your new office is located in a 'nice' part of downtown (as opposed being in a warehouse district or bordering the slums), try, if you can, to take a walk at lunch to get to know your surroundings. Figure out which restaurants, stores, bars and other amenities or close by. If you're a guy, girl-watch (or vice versa). You'll be amazed at how quickly the energy and vibe of working in a city can sink in.
 
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