Car-less in New York City

For the first time in 50 years I don't own a car. I gave my white 1997 Jeep Cherokee to my son, sold my elderly mother's Honda, sold my beloved Miata convertible and moved from Seattle to New York City. Everyone said I wouldn't need a car in in New York. "Nobody has cars there", they said. This hasn't proven to be at all true. It is mind boggling how many cars there really are. Cars are everywhere along with trucks, buses and 13,000 yellow cabs. They will run you down if given half a chance. They honk their horns incessantly. I wonder how they all keep running. I've only seen one gas station in all of Manhattan. Of course, I haven't been searching since I don't need fuel.
Recently I was reminded of how long old habits can persist. I walked out of my apartment building, saw a white 1997 Jeep Cherokee across the street. Without thinking, I automatically started walking towards it as I began fishing in my pockets to find the ignition key. Just in time, a man hops in the Jeep and drives away. Oh yeah, I am car-less in NYC.
Living car-less does have advantages. I have no car payments, no insurance payments, no gas credit card bills. It's no longer necessary to remember the last time I had the oil changed or when the 60,000 mile servicing is due. I'm also lucky I don't have to pay big bucks to park. Then there are the deductibles to pay after each fender-bender. They have disappeared. It's mind boggling how being car-less in New York City simplifies one's life.
There are complications though. I've had to learn the ways of the mysterious underground world of New York that they call the subway. Where I come from a subway is a sandwich. It's downright scary to be lost in that underground labyrinth of routes. schedules and mobs of people who seem to know where they are going. Then there are the buses, ferries, and the trains. I've also had to learn the intricacies of hailing and tipping cabs. Being car-less makes you more dependent on other forms of transportation and you wear out your shoe leather a lot quicker. By the way, I'm not alone. Judging by the others doing the same things I'm doing, there are millions of people here without cars.
No longer sleep-less in Seattle.