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May 1, 2009
parking? how bad is it?
Just wondering, how bad is Park Slope parking, particularly thinking of the 9th st, 7th ave area? After much discussion, I've convinced my elderly parents to move to Park Slope and get a 2-family with me. It seemed like a good compromise, me coming from an East Village co-op and them coming from Long Island (though dad originally from BK).
However, my dad is unbelievably(!) tied to his car and wants an area of PS with easy (or easier) parking. Does this exist? How long does it take to find a spot at night?
Not looking for suggestions on easier neighborhoods for parking, just a real assessment of PS parking situation. How often do buildings with parking spots come on the market? They're older so walking blocks from where they park is not going to work.
Thanks for any suggestions!
Comments
they won't be happy. parking in ps is tough. 7th and 9th yr 2 blocks from the hospital. Having said that, coming from Manhattan, you'll find ps parking easy.
Either get them a garage, or get them a new condo w onsite parking. there's a garage on 11th street or so...
Posted by: denton at May 1, 2009 9:01 PM
Dad will enjoy the exersise.
Posted by: hannible at May 1, 2009 9:10 PM
Windsor Terrace/Kensington offer easy street parking. Also, the neighborhood is quiet and safe, so may be very appealing to older folks.
Posted by: ksquared at May 1, 2009 9:55 PM
The only times when you can find a spot with certainty in Park Slope is during alternate side parking hours. Unless you own a home with a garage, or rent garage space, your dad will never find something that resembles the ease of parking in a driveway on Long Island. 9th St. & 7th Ave. will be one of the harder places to find parking (busy commercial strip, 7th Ave. is metered). Once you live in PS for a while you'll get used to the rhythms of parking on your block and finding a space will be a little easier (assuming your father is willing to walk a few blocks, or sit in the car until a space opens). There are a few commercial garages in the neighborhood; not sure what they cost. Every once in a while, you can find an ad like this one on Craigslist (which, if for real, won't last long): http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/prk/1149622083.html
Posted by: vinca at May 1, 2009 10:03 PM
Is your dad working? Does he plan on regularly using his car for errands or is it for the occaissional trip out of town? My friend lives on that block and she is a SAHM with kids at school during the day.
She tells me she can only deal with the parking because she is at home to work with the alternate side parking hours. In fact, she plans her Fairway/Costco shopping days around those hours and makes sure she is back 30 min before it's OK to park on that side and leave the car there to unload her groceries.
Otherwise she won't use it for errands but for a trip out of town. When she was working, she just sucked it up and paid for the garage on 11th street. That was 6 years ago and I think she told me it was $400/month at the time.
Posted by: HmmWhichNeighborhood at May 2, 2009 9:51 PM
If you go further into the south slope, I think the parking gets easier. But it's never "easy" like it is to park in your own driveway. I'm on 9th street, and I've definitely done the "circle for 45 minutes looking for parking" thing. And the downside for you is in that area parking on the blocks between 5th and 6th are the best, which is a hike to 7th. Also, I hope he's got kind of a crappy car, because nice cars get broken into in the slope a lot.
I guarantee that if he's coming from the suburbs, street parking in the slope will NOT be acceptable.
You may get incredibly lucky, but I wouldn't expect a house with a spot to come on the market--it's not terribly common. My recommendation would be to spring for a spot in a local garage (I think there's one on 11th). It'll cost money, he'll have to walk a couple blocks to get it, but it's not too far to walk and it will always be there when he wants it.
That said, if he's elderly, he'll probably end up losing his license at some point. In that case, it's so much better to be in the city--he can walk (or scooter!) around the neighborhood, which is incredibly dense with stores and activities and all kinds of interesting things. He can go to wine tastings on 7th and 9th and then scooter home! You can't do that in the suburbs! Take the bus to BAM and see art and interesting shows, to the botanic gardens and see beautiful orchids. Walk to the bandshell and see really good bands. Heck, he can sit on the stoop and watch the adorable kiddies go by in their strollers. And being on 7th in the Slope will be fantastic--excellent buses, and a train stop right there.
Posted by: bkrules at May 3, 2009 11:58 AM
"Just wondering, how bad is Park Slope parking, particularly thinking of the 9th st, 7th ave area?"
Very bad.
"However, my dad is unbelievably(!) tied to his car and wants an area of PS with easy (or easier) parking. Does this exist? How long does it take to find a spot at night?"
No. You can be fortunate enough to come home and find someone pulling out but not likely. You can also drive in circles for up to an hour before you find something which is more likely. If you dad is at home during the day and can schedule his outings around alternate side parking days and times, he will more than likely always be able to find parking nearby. This method rules out spontaneous excursions by car though. Will your parents be comfortable riding public transportation? My elderly father still rides the buses but will no longer ride the trains. He also uses car services quite often to get to and from his doctors appointments. Car service is a great option for short trips on the days that your dad doesn't want to move his car and lose his parking spot.
Posted by: Chosen at May 3, 2009 12:41 PM
ksquared you posted exactly what they asked not to do:
"Not looking for suggestions on easier neighborhoods for parking, just a real assessment of PS parking situation."
(Windsor Terrace/Kensington offer easy street parking. Also, the neighborhood is quiet and safe, so may be very appealing to older folks.
Posted by:ksquared at May 1, 2009 9:55 PM)
Posted by: advertmoron at May 4, 2009 2:20 PM
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