It depends on where you live. Tons of people go car free in CA, even in LA. Rent a car for the road trip, or a truck for ikea. A mile might be a short distance, but a long time and a longer park depending on the time of day. There are a lot more people motorcycling/biking/skateboarding/scootering in LA than ten years ago, because there are too many cars, not enough spots, and not enough space on the road to move them. And if you work downtown there are lots of places you can live that fall along the limited rail lines.