Circling a parking-free Times Square during theater hours, forking over a quarter million bucks for a residential parking space, or essentially squatting in a car to keep the same spot for 11 years—sounds like the stuff of urban legends. But these tales are absolutely true. NYC’s assorted parking woes continue to dominate headlines, from the case of a dispute gone so sour it caused a local woman brain damage, to the flurry of charges levied against the NYPD for ticket-fixing.
We navigated through some of the city’s trickiest regulations and most salacious statistics, and even enlisted parking expert Erik Feder, of Tired of Parking Tickets, to spill a few trade secrets.
It’s a sobering reality that the cost of a permanent parking space in the city could net you a sizable home elsewhere in the country. Doozies over the last few years include The Empire Condominium on 78th and 3rd, where parking was up to $14,400 a year in 2010, still small change compared to the $110,000 price tag at 60 State Street in Brooklyn Heights that same year, and not to be outdone by one of NYC’s all-time highs, a whopping $225,000 at 246 West 17th Street in 2007.
Unsurprisingly, Manhattan garners the top two slots among the nation’s five most expensive parking districts, with Midtown and Lower Manhattan clocking in at $541 and $533 per month, respectively. The current most expensive spot is $1,125 per month (24-hour, indoor garage valet parking, plus supplemental charges) at Imperial’s 9 E 67th Street lot, between Madison and 5th, while just a few blocks away, their lot at 245 E 63rd Street between 2nd and 3rd has the comparably bargain basement monthly price of $414. (Bestparking.com)
If you’ve wondered why street parking is so much more expensive these days, it’s because of Park Smart, created to encourage faster turnover for metered parking by increasing rates in areas of higher demand, and vice versa. The program was so successful in the West Village and the notorious “No-Park Slope,” area of Brooklyn, increased meter prices are likely here to stay.
Parking violations bring in $600 million in annual city revenue, not counting bogus tickets. “The lion’s share of that comes from Manhattan,” says Feder, who estimates that there are over 500,000 cars coming into and out of the hub on weekdays. “That’s a million bridge and tunnel crossings with a lot of cars needing to park. Over 27,000 tickets are written daily on average in NYC.”
Another reason why drivers are squeamish about parking: wanting to avoid hefty fines, which typically max out at $115 but can go up to $185. This angst works in favor of intrepid researchers willing to suss out seemingly unbelievable spaces, like Feder’s faves, in the theater district (especially 44th St. between 8th and 9th on the south side of the street) that become legal at 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. His site breaks down what he describes as some of the city’s “funkiest and craziest” regulation signs, offers a map book detailing comprehensive street parking info, provides a free newsletter with parking tips, and will soon launch a national parking app.
Feder also weighs in on a long-running NYC rumor—George Costanza did it on “Seinfeld,” but is anyone really paid to run cars for Alternate Side Parking? Often referred to as a “parking ballet,” ASP is a result of the city’s street cleaning rules. “I’m sure it happens,” says Feder. “People double-park on the other side, wait for the street cleaner to go by and then pull right in. This is illegal, but in some parts of the city they’ll decide it’s okay, and in other parts you might get a ticket.” Basically, you take your chances. But hey, it could be worse.
