Can one live on Street Parking alone?

we have been street parking for the past couple of years. it pretty much sucks. We live in morningside heights and almost always end up parking on riverside drive or morningside drive. If you don't get a spot by 5 or 530PM, it becomes much harder. Any time that I have tried to move the car in the AM, it has been a complete failure unless it is near the time of street cleaning.

There is no secret to successful street parking that I'm aware of. It is tedious, a chronic chore, infuriating, and when you read something wrong or there is a special condition your car gets towed and you spend hours or days unraveling the ensuing chaos. If you can't afford a garage, then this is a necessary evil and there's no point discussing it. If you are in a position to pay for parking--do it. I say this to people with wrecks, people with new cars, even people with coveted street parking permits--everyone. Garage is better.

Yes there is a secret to street parking. Find the street where the verboten time changes -- from, say, 9:30 - 11 to 11:30 - 1. This gives you the ability to move your car at 10:45 am, just before you have to, to another place where there will be a space and you don't have to sit too long.

Just curious, how much would a garage cost versus the savings you could expect from lower insurance rates (I know my car insurance is much lower because I garage my car), and how much easier would your life be if you didn't have to look for a spot. Since you're in Manhattan, I would think you don't use your car most days so if you have to get a garage a few blocks away from where you live to save on the monthly expense, it's not the worst thing.

It's been many years since I have. Back then you could afford getting 4 tickets a month and be cheaper than monthly parking.
I don't miss the stress of trying to find a spot either.
Given today's atmosphere, more expensive tickets, more do nt park areas,city's financial situation,etc. I don't think I'll ever go back to street parking.

BTW, try and get a one year contract, they will try and hold you ransom every 6 months otherwise.

When I got rid of my car last year, the garage was running $400 per month, up from ~$300 a couple of years earlier. That initial pricing, which seemed like a bargain at the time, was based on the age of the car (an ancient MB,) apparently because that impacts the garage's insurance costs. My own insurance was only about $600 per year, and I don't know how much more it would've been for street parking.

As kylewest said, the street's a nightmare, so just bite the bullet and garage the thing.

Loftdreams - I've played that game a few times on riverside Drive. It was like a video game - very intense with every fighting for those spots.

check out: http://nyc.bestparking.com/index.php#1

managed to get a good deal using this for myself and some friends.

My office is is Dumbo and street cleaning there is only once a week. Most spots there are now cleaned between 8:30-10 so it is pretty easy to just run errands (gas up, oil change, car wash, etc.) during that time period once a week and just be back and parked by about 9:30-9:45. That 15-30 minutes of sitting in the car waiting on the ticket brigade to dissipate has become my weekly "quiet time".

Yes, I did it years ago but I had a reverse commute. Got the occasional ticket because I didn't move by 7 or 8am. I also parked it outside the city on weekends at the train station (at the time $2/day), because trying to find parking Friday night is way too hard.

I bite the bullet and garage, but have heard good things about Zipcar. Anyone here use them? is it a viable option for a w/e or occasional user?

I use zipcar all the time - just be sure to book for weekend use a week before, and months before for a holiday weekend. Hertz has also started a zipcar-like service.

"Garage is better."

Not always.

For decades, CBS News staffers have been parking their cars at the Holiday Inn garage (formerly the "Inn on 57th"), under a special deal negotiated between the garage and the television network. There had always been anecdotal stories about scratches on the cars, stuff missing or just "moved around" inside the cars, and odometer readings that reflected far more than the garage attendants required to move the cars around during the day.

A desk assistant at CBS News/Radio noticed that on several occasions, her odometer read a full THIRTY MILES more than when she dropped it off at the garage (she paid particularly close attention, since she draws just a tiny salary and gasoline is so dear). She complained, and it got nowhere.

Two weeks ago, an editor in the same newsroom got a call during her shift -- from the NYPD. Her car was involved in an accident in Harlem.

Seems the garage attendants were operating an illegal car rental service with clients' cars.

And this is at a "safe" garage, with which their employers had negotiated a special deal.

hmm. that stinks nodiggity. we've rented for the past five years whenever we need a vehicle (i.e. leave the city). this isn't an option for everyone, but if it works for you it could save you money (if garage parking) and hassle.

and i've heard bad things about zipcar (mostly dirty cars or cars not where they're supposed to be). glad to hear a positive review.

I use Connect By Hertz. They have a cars accross the street from my house and more around the corner so its almost like having my own (assuming I reserve). No problems so far. The cars may not be pristine but they are far from gross and I've never minded the condition. Already have my res for Thanksgiving Day. I think this "time share" option is ideal for Manhattan although I still suffer from car envy.

thanks folks. good idea Lofty, I have seen so many signs with diff. times, maybe I'll get the hang of it.
the best parking site confirms my rate today was pretty good for my area columbia county...$21 for in by 9 out by 6. I can't rent uwsmamasita, I am in and out from the Island all week. sigh. Guess it's not a bad problem to have. gots to go move my car now. LOL
oh, and heard there's a new apple store opening on the uws manana, and they are giving out some free stuff...t-shirts, not ipods ;)

"My office is is Dumbo and street cleaning there is only once a week. Most spots there are now cleaned between 8:30-10 so it is pretty easy to just run errands (gas up, oil change, car wash, etc.) during that time period once a week and just be back and parked by about 9:30-9:45. That 15-30 minutes of sitting in the car waiting on the ticket brigade to dissipate has become my weekly "quiet time"."

So, what you're saying is you're in the two hour parking area all day?

Been meaning to sign up for Hertz Connect, they have 10+ cars within a 5 min walk of me. Zipcar is esp. handy for their collection of pickup trucks & SUVs for those home renovation projects. 99% of my car usage is solo and to haul stuff around, so cleanliness isn't an issue for me.

I still say they should abolish street parking as it is now, and charge people who want to use it.

"So, what you're saying is you're in the two hour parking area all day?"

No, only the main drag along Front St. is 2 hour parking. Everywhere else is regular alternate side parking. The key is just knowing what streets are cleaned on what days and being there about 15-30 minutes ahead of time. I've seen the little scooter cops roll by at 9:55 ticketing on a a 8:30-10 street but they don't care if you are in the car reading the paper.

> No, only the main drag along Front St. is 2 hour parking.

Washington Street is also 2 hour parking...

There are 2 houses in Harlem I like. One has a garage but is a total headache of a reno, the other is very well renovated but has no garage. Late at night, Harlem is definitely not a nice place to walk home alone after finding a spot. On the other hand, there are way more parking spaces there than in the rest of the city. Anybody has any experience parking in Harlem?

mimi Every time we tried to park when viewing apartments in Harlem, we were able to find a spot within 5 or 10 mins. This was during both week and weekend. The only time we had trouble is when there was a festival and on Sunday mornings which are awful for parking in Harlem because of all of the churches.

I don't see how one can survive entirely on street parking in NYC. Maybe you can if your willing to park 2 miles away from where you live and you have a small car. I have a minivan and countless times I have had to pass up spots because the spot was a few inches too small. Maybe you can photshop one of those DOT or NYPD parking permits to place on your dashboard. But you didn't hear it from me...

also, as far as the hokey that goes on in garages, make sure all of your valuables are out of the car or locked in the glove compartment (and if they are in the glove compartment, make sure the attendant's key does not have the ability to open it up). Leaving your iPod in the cup holder is asking for trouble.

Good evening Mr. Prez...

I have a Mini for heaven's sake. And it doesn't help!
I am too afraid to take the spots that are perfectly sized... Cuz I don't want to piss anyone off and be too close. It's brand spanking new.
And what is the deal with NYP plates in front of FOX 5? What is NYP?

And I agree with all you say here. Le citi mini is empty in arrival to the garage

And mon Dieu, do you want to be the car nearest a hydrant?
Without a measuring tape?
As always, you help so much citi people...
I'm gonna let go... And go to le garage as needed.

New York Press?
Juz came to me.
Duh.

Real real easy if you work at home, and live in the right area. UWS is perfect. And if you're not an early morning person, make sure you live in an 11:00-12:30 area. A garage would be about 550 a month. There are also other perfect foolproof times to find parking, but I'm not about to give that secret away. And you get to hang out with all the building superintendents. The alternate side street game is a really interesting culture.

Mimi: I know a family who lives in Harlem, they park on the street BUT they are home before dark usually.

Best parking option-- Park & Lock. Regular suburban-sized spaces, enclosed, and you park and retrieve your own car.

I once lived in a building where the supers had a nice little gig moving the residents' cars to comply with alternate side parking. That's a good option if you must keep your car on street and your super knows how to drive. They just double park cars until alternate side period is over, then scoot over to a good space at the right hour. A LOT of New Yorkers who have drivers licenses really don't know how to drive or park (and many of them even work at garages), so be careful with who is handling your car in this town, or it will get damaged.

Hey, Prez, thanks for leaving those spaces for me and my Honda Fit!

depends where you live. very easy where i live in WB. only use the car on weekends, so got tired of paying for a lot,etc..

We recently gave up the family car that we only used a few times a year (funny, we parked at that Holiday Inn garage mentioned above - only $300/mo -- but we never checked the odometer and the garage before that had dinged up the car pretty well)...we are finding holidays to be difficult so far. We had trouble with the car we reserved for Rosh Hashanah through Zip Car (first car wasn't returned on time, then we were sent 30 blocks away to another car that turned out to be late too). And we didn't get the memo about booking a car 6 months in advance for Thanskgiving. Found out last night we are way too late. If anyone has any suggestions for finding a car just for Thanksgiving Day, I'd love to hear.

Teri

try signing up for hertz connect now and see if there are any cars

thanks nyc10023 - I checked out Hertz Connect but I'm not a member yet and it seems to say that it will take a week or two to become one (first approval, then mailing the card).

What's the point of having a plate announce your profession?

In Manhattan, the only sane choice is to suck it up and pay for a garage. (Unless you work from home.) Find the cheapest one within a reasonable distance.

But when I lived in Williamsburg, there was one industrial block that never got cleaned, and you never had to move your car. I have no idea how that was possible, but it was very convenient!

brickunderground - Don't know where you live, but you can often do much better renting cars on holidays from the airports, which might be especially convenient if one is on the way to your destination. And, at least by Manhattan prices, they are usually cheaper, making up for the cost of cab or any drop off charge if you want to return it near home.

Mimi, we live in Hamilton Heights and park on the street. Finding a spot can take up to ten minutes at a busy time, but not more and we've never had to give up because no spot was available. I do not know how comfortable I'd be walking alone from the car to our house at very late hours (I have never done it, because in fact I don't drive so I'm always with my husband in the car), but up until 11 would be fine. Very late nights, my personal preference would be to take a cab. Is the garage place on Strivers? My husband was attracted to the prospect of a garage, but I preferred the original detail/woodwork in the Hamilton Heights and Mt. Morris houses. I say take the house you most love! Good luck to you.

Tks mommyesque! I am looking mainly in Strivers and Mt Morris. They seem to be very, very different neighborhoods. Prices are still not realistic, and sales are few and sparse. I'll probably wait a bit more.

I've found this site helpful. http://primospot.com/

It's not always correct but pretty accurate for the most part.

Very cool, looking2.

Hi everyone, I am the owner of http://primospot.com. I think you can accomplish what you are trying to do using our site. That was the whole reason that we started it, to figure out how to navigate the on-street parking. There are two features on the site you definitely want to take a look at.

1) the "about to be free" spots. These show up on the map with a star. These are the on-street spots that the regulations are about to expire. In other words if the rule on that side of the street is 9:30-11AM M-F and its Monday at 10:30 (less than an hour before the rule will "let up"), then this is the optimum place to look for parking.

2) SMS reminders. Once you find a parking spot, go back to the web site set a reminder on that spot. The site will send you a text message when its time to move the car (you can adjust but it "knows" when the time is up and defaults to 5 minutes before.

Enjoy and please let us know in our feedback section how you guys like it or if you find ways we can improve the service.

Mike

WOW Mike! This is AWESOME! I hope it works on my blackberry but even if it doesn't, I am still going to put this to great use :))

{Manhattan real estate agent.}

Not only can I live on street parking alone, it's one of the reasons I live where I live! People always complain that Red Hook is inaccessible, but if you have a car it's dreamy. I live on what passes for a busy street in my neighborhood, and I can always park within a block of my home. And access to Manhattan is incredibly fast - last night I drove to the Upper East Side in a half hour, parked on Madison and 62nd at 6:55pm, then drove home in 25 minutes. I know, I'm the culprit for whom congestion pricing was devised, but I have to admit I love driving in New York...
Tina
(Brooklyn broker)

honda fits are great..had one as a second car for a while and parked it on the street...teen's learning to drive now and wanted siomething a bit safer..they're all airbagged up but would lose badly vs a suburban---

primospot.com is a nice idea, but much of the information on there is outdated, so double check before you go. Many streets in NYC have had their cleaning days and hours modified over the past couple of years, but the site still shows the old regulations. Street parking is never going to be easy - if it were, everyone would do it.

I can relate to you o this Tina. Living in Washington Heights on Edgecombe ave. is a breeze for parking and since trading in our old "clunker" 4Runner for a Honda Fit it's now even easier.

StF62, we have recently updated Red Hook and Fort Greene, those areas we knew were out of date. Are there other places that need our attention ? Reply back here or in our feedback section and we will definitely fix them.

Fluter, we are working on a BlackBerry version, but unfortunately the BlackBerry SDK from RIM only supports 10 markers on the map, so we are looking at other solutions. In the meantime, you can use our general mobile site which is free at http://www.primospot.com/m

Hi orff, Brooklyn Heights and parts of downtown Brooklyn have old info. Glad to see you're on top of it!