<p>I'm coming to Stanford this fall as a Master's student, and am wondering if I should bring my car with me. I've heard that it can cost about $500 to get a parking permit... other than that, how much of a hassle is it finding parking etc? </p>
<p>Is having a car on campus very useful, or do most people not need one at all?</p>
<p>You won't need it on campus, as parking can become difficult - it's much easier to just bike on campus. A car, however, will be supremely useful in shopping, getting out of the bubble, etc. I don't think a parking permit is too expensive - it might be worth its cost later on if you don't want to depend on the Marguerite too much.</p>
<p>I've lived in the area all my life. If you're just planning on staying on campus all the time, car isn't necessary. But if you expect to do anything useful/fun off-campus, you have to have a car. Of course...even with a car there isn't that much fun to be had around. I mean, there's nice restaurants and stuff, but you'll probably have to drive out to SF to do most anything else.</p>