Thursday, September 15, 2011

Parking In NYC

By John Riley


If you're planning on coming to NY City with an automobile, consider that parking in NYC could be a serious challenge. If you don't plan in advance and follow some straightforward rules you will be fined, your automobile may be towed or you might pay dearly in parking fees.

Here's a basic rundown on NYC parking:

Garages

Hourly charges in NYC garages can create serious dents in your wallet and in midtown can run well over $40 an hour.

Keep in mind that you can find coupons for nyc parking on the web and some websites even offer iphone apps that will help you in finding deals on an ad-hoc basis.

There are generally early bird specials for individuals that bring their automobiles in the parking garage before 10:00 am.

Sometimes it is a good idea parking in a garage a little bit further from where you want to get and take the subway, bus or walk to your destination. For example, parking garages near Ninth and Tenth Avenue typically charge much lower costs than mid town garages and you can find fabulous deals for the whole day.

If you are moving into New York permanently and have a vehicle, consider signing up for a monthly parking plan.

Monthly plans can run around 300 - 400 bucks a month with some garages charging surcharges for SUV's, but it is possible to find cheaper deals.

Street parking

Here is the understatement of the month - Street parking in NYC is tough!!

There are areas in the city that it's incredibly difficult to find a vacant space at any point of the day. Regardless of whether you find one - parking meters are pricey and at most places you'll need to come back every hour or two to add more coins or pay more at the parking muni meters

On Sundays meter parking is free.

In any event always!!! Meticulously read the signs close to where you would like to park. Go one or two meters to your left and to your right and ensure you understand completely the sign that applies to your parking space. Figuring out what the various signs mean is complicated especially to folks coming to NYC for the first time. If you're undecided ask. The best folks to ask are policemen or shop owners right near where you are parking.

Check out the NYC DOT parking laws website for more info.

It's also important to follow the guidelines about Alternate Side Parking

During certain days and hours you are not allowed to park on certain sides of the streets for cleaning and traffic flow purposes. There are ad hoc radio headlines on the suspension of these rules, generally as a result of rough weather such as snow, but there are also pre scheduled suspension of the Alternate Side Parking for holidays. You can check out the 2011 suspension calendar at the NYC DOT website.




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