Car Ownership on the UWS: Checking it Twice

There's a vice squeezing residents who must own or want to own a car.

Two recent UWS Patch questions asked, "Can anyone recommend a parking garage [on the UWS] reasonable rates?" and "Can anyone recommend a garage or outdoor space ---with reasonable rates?"

Jerry Seinfeld and 'Write A Letter To Santa'

I used to live on West 83rd, between Amsterdam and Columbus. There's a fire station whose trucks use a megaphone to force drivers off the narrow street so they can, I don't know, save lives. Then there's Jerry Seinfeld's private car garage. I kept waiting to see Jerry ambling up to grab his car, but I never did.

So Jerry has a garage on the UWS. If you make his kind of money, maybe you'll think the expense is 'reasonable'.

If you want affordable garage space for your car, well write a letter to Santa maybe.

Less Buses, Non-Functioning Elevators, Reduced available spaces, and Paid Parking

While we can give the city credit for trying to reduce carbon emissions and cars, they've failed to give UWS residents, particularly the primarily 55+ year old dominating demographic, and a solution. The MTA has reduced the MTA bus schedules,

While the city goal is to reduce cars and congestion they're not providing the alternative; more accessible public transportation. The city dreams of less cars and more people taking public transportation, yet they haven't addressed the horrific elevator, or lack thereof, problem in the subway system AND they're removing the number of buses running along the Upper West Side, and elsewhere.

Bydecreasing the MTA 104 bus schedule, and one of the lowest ratings for accessibility in the nation. "Since the American Disabilities Act (ADA) passed in 1990, many cities have improved their public transportation accessibility. New York City has not. We’re one of the worst, ranked 130 of 150 cities"

Gas, Insurance, and Parking Oh My!

Probably not a news flash: gas is at least 20 cents higher per gallon locally. Insurance is higher as well. "The average insurance rate for drivers in Manhattan tops $4,400 per year." We've earned the highest cost in the nation, $606.37 vs. $260.08 in Washington, DC that takes second place.

There's a tiny beacon of light here: There's a

Parking Tax Exemption The city does offer a tiny condolence card to city residents a tax exemption, which is really a decrease in the tax percentage charged for parking.

Work Arounds, Solutions, Compromise, Bigger Compromises and the Final Compromise

Post a 'Car Garage Rental Wanted' on Craigslist listings showed ONE garage available for rent on the Upper West Side; but it was in Yonkers. (It takes an hour by public transportation, a half hour by car [but of course, the car's in Yonkers] or a four and a half hour walk to get there.

Post a request on Nextdoor: You could post up on Nextdoor.com, where people who are looking for doctors and pet sitters search for local needs, but again, I wouldn't hold my breath.

If cost is the Number One consideration, think outdoor park: it's cheaper. NYC Parking Authority has an Upper West Side parking map embedded in the site, as well as other info .

Offset the price of owning a car in NYC when you're not using it. I didn't want to recommend any, but here's an article on who and how.

Move to a building that offers garage parking. Here's a site dedicated to apartment buildings with car garages. Most likely the monthly bill for owning/renting and owning a car is less expensive if you're in that type of building.

Rent a car only when you need it. The least expensive option when living on the Upper West Side of Manhattan rather than own it. There are some options here: car renters with a Costco card (even if you're not near one or use it for food) get some of the best car rental rates. Also, you could rent a car from someone who owns a car and is renting it out, or a ZipCar.

Little Old Ladies, Obituaries and... It's possible there's a little old lady down on Riverside Drive who owns a parking garage spot she no longer uses. You could check the obituaries: people do that for rent control apartments. It's low, very very low, and really, what would Santa think?