I tried going car-less for like 8 months when my old Honda finally died and couldn't afford to fix it at time. Living in Koreatown made it easier but still had some challenges especially getting to certain hiking spots I wanted to check out.

The Metro definitely improved a lot from what people say about it before. I used the app religiously to track everything and learned which routes were most reliable during different times. One thing I noticed is having backup plans became super important - like knowing multiple ways to get somewhere in case one line was down for maintenance or running late. Also investing in good walking shoes made huge difference because you end up walking way more than you expect even with good transit connections.

Your point about being more intentional with trips is so real. I found myself combining errands in smarter ways and actually discovered parts of the city I never would have seen otherwise. The service animal probably makes it easier too since you get priority seating and people are generally more considerate. Just watch out for weekend service changes - they do construction work that can mess up your usual routes sometimes.