NYC - Street Parking around Battery Park

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Arrrrighty NYC'ers, what is the story behind street parking in NYC around battery park area? Do they have any? meters? book ahead? max time? Handicap accessible? I called the hotel and their parking structure is not tall enough for my van, they suggested parking it on the street
 
What's the plan? If it was me, I'd park outside the city and take the train in. I just spent a few days down in Manhattan, and in theory cars are allowed down there. But...
 
Park outside the city and take the train in and walk or use the subway. Manhattan is congested enough already. When we visit we usually stay in Massapequa on Long Island and take the train to Penn Station and use the subway. Hour ride in on the train. FYI peak travel times are more expensive!
 
Don't take a car into Manhattan. Just don't!
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I use ParkWhiz to find a place to leave my car when I get to Manhattan and don't even think about driving while I'm there, but have always found a garage in Manhattan that is close to my hotel. I also use ParkWhiz for Boston and have only had one sorta bad experience parking at Simmons College near Fenway...it was self parking and the underground garage was cramped and chaotic. Have used it for surface lots and hotel valet parking near Fenway/House of Blues with no issues.
With a tall van, you might need to call any garages you find using the app directly to make sure they can accommodate you.
 
Can't take the train, Grandma can't walk more than half a block or so, so either I park in NJ and rent a smaller car and let the hotel valet it or uber to battery park to the hotel.

I can drop the girls off at the hotel and drive to some off side surface lot or parking structure which can accommodate oversized vans and park it there.

Thanks for parkopedia, I will call and find out who has oversized access.
Have to try Parkwhiz next
 
Originally Posted By: supton
What's the plan? If it was me, I'd park outside the city and take the train in. I just spent a few days down in Manhattan, and in theory cars are allowed down there. But...


Sooooooooooo much easier. When I was there last, it cost me $25 a day to take the bus in and out each day I was there. The car was safe back at the hotel and I didn't have to worry about exorbitant parking fees
 
Originally Posted By: Miller88
Originally Posted By: supton
What's the plan? If it was me, I'd park outside the city and take the train in. I just spent a few days down in Manhattan, and in theory cars are allowed down there. But...


Sooooooooooo much easier. When I was there last, it cost me $25 a day to take the bus in and out each day I was there. The car was safe back at the hotel and I didn't have to worry about exorbitant parking fees


Yes, but grandma is coming with us and she can't walk far or get up and down stair easily :-(. Plus I have my 6 year old, she tires easily too.
 
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
Don't take a car into Manhattan. Just don't!
c03c3b346c13f3df64473613e321f81d--so-funny-funny-cats.jpg



Agree but I have no choice,

Talking about parking: I used to park at downtown Baltimore around Inner Harbor when I stayed at the Renaissance. Those dang parking meters took my money and never spit out a parking ticket, still kinda mad about it.
 
Grandma will be an enormous impediment to your time in NYC as it is a walking city. You will be delivering her door-to-door everywhere you go?
So you're not doing subways or busses, right? You'll be cabbing or Ubering all over town, right?

Why does she have to come? You wouldn't take her climbing around the Grand Canyon, would you?
And I'm not anti-grandmas. Don't even go there.

Why don't you pick a hotel which accommodates your vehicle? Married to Battery Park are you?

PM me and I'll tell you where to park in NJ where you'll be a 20 minute bus ride from Midtown.
If I post it here I'll be finding BITOGers changing their oil where I park.
 
The secret to finding parking on street is to drive something slightly smaller than your average car. A mini, two door jeep etc... can find spots all day long. How long you can stay there is another story...

Don't think for a moment you're going to be driving grandma around. Unless it's on a quiet weekend or after 9pm.

On the plus side the weekends tend to be quiet over the summer with everybody in the Hamptons.
 
Just had to take my 8 year old daughter to Mt. Sinai Hospital in Manhattan.

If you don't have some sort of EZ-Pass get one. The toll to cross the George Washinton Bridge is $12.50 with it, cash is $15. www.e-zpassny.com

Try the SpotHero app for parking.

Try to move around on "off peak" hours. Tolls, etc. go up during rush hour times.

NYC parking meters take credit / debit / cash. There's one for each "section". Find the closest one to your vehicle, put the $ in, it gives you a little receipt that you display on your dashboard. http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/meterpark.shtml

And now to be 100% brutal and honest: Having grown up in Yonkers and the Bronx, you're a serious target with a van with Michigan plates, a 6 year old, and Grandma. Sorry to say it, but you're asking for trouble.

Leave the van someplace else safer and rent a tiny car with NY or NJ plates on it for your Manhattan time since you don't wanna bus / train, etc. Also, be ready to be trampled over walking on the sidewalk with Grandma and a 6 year old holding you back from the flow of people. Have your wallet in your front pockets, tell the girls no purses, walk around with your head held high like you own the place, don't look lost, and don't look like a tourist with your head craned up to see all the skyscrapers. When you're looking up someone's in your pocket, if you make eye contact with someone and look at the floor, that's a sign you're weak.

I hope this post is taken as helpful because it's meant to be. I'm just trying to have you mentally prepared.

It's not called the concrete jungle for no reason...
 
Originally Posted By: copcarguy
Also, be ready to be trampled over walking on the sidewalk with Grandma and a 6 year old holding you back from the flow of people. Have your wallet in your front pockets, tell the girls no purses, walk around with your head held high like you own the place, don't look lost, and don't look like a tourist with your head craned up to see all the skyscrapers. When you're looking up someone's in your pocket, if you make eye contact with someone and look at the floor, that's a sign you're weak.


Pfft.. its not that bad, this is not the N.Y.C of the 1970's or Paris, street crime is fraction of what it used be.
smirk.gif


Moreover, Manhattan in the summer is loaded with tourists from all over. Enjoy yourself and have a good time. (Manhattan prices on the other hand are where people really get robbed).

Renting a smallish car is a good idea. New York is big and you can cover way more ground that way. Plus, you have somewhere to stash your stuff instead of lugging it around: food, water, umbrellas, etc. Just read the parking signs very carefully, they love handing out parking tickets in the popular areas.
 
Originally Posted By: Rock_Hudstone
copcarguy said:
Pfft.. its not that bad, this is not the N.Y.C of the 1970's or Paris, street crime is fraction of what it used be.
smirk.gif



I'm sure Miosotis Familia would beg to differ... May she rest in peace.

My point was the best thing to be is: aware of your surroundings.
 
Originally Posted By: copcarguy
Originally Posted By: Rock_Hudstone
copcarguy said:
Pfft.. its not that bad, this is not the N.Y.C of the 1970's or Paris, street crime is fraction of what it used be.
smirk.gif


I'm sure Miosotis Familia would beg to differ... May she rest in peace.

My point was the best thing to be is: aware of your surroundings.


Crazy people aside, the crime rate in NYC is way down.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-...ticle-1.3018309
 
If you visit on weekend parking on street was not awful in that area. Vehicle I had was Acura MDX with 4 bikes on tow hitch rack so longer.
 
Originally Posted By: copcarguy

Leave the van someplace else safer and rent a tiny car with NY or NJ plates on it for your Manhattan time since you don't wanna bus / train, etc. Also, be ready to be trampled over walking on the sidewalk with Grandma and a 6 year old holding you back from the flow of people. Have your wallet in your front pockets, tell the girls no purses, walk around with your head held high like you own the place, don't look lost, and don't look like a tourist with your head craned up to see all the skyscrapers. When you're looking up someone's in your pocket, if you make eye contact with someone and look at the floor, that's a sign you're weak.



I would second this. A variation of the strategy when oilBabe and I were in Italy. We didn't need a car in Rome, so when we drove to Positano and then to Tuscany (I know, opposite directions from Rome) we took a cab to the airport and just hopped on the Autostrada.

You could adopt a similar strategy. Park your van at one of the local airports in long term parking and rent something more city friendly for your time in the city if you feel the need to have a car.

It will cost more, but comes with fewer hassles than parking and retrieving the larger vehicle.
 
What are the taxi fees like? Might not be cheap but sometimes one doesn't have a choice in the matter.
 
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