8 Ways to Save Big on Manhattan Parking
1. Reserve Parking Online
Download the parking.com app and reserve your parking spot online saving you loads of money if you book in advance. Additionally, there is convenience involved with this approach as you are able to easily find and compare the rates for the spots in the area you are visiting.
Download the Parking.com APP that allows you access features such as
- Search for parking in cities across the U.S. by entering an address, landmark name, or neighborhood to see available parking nearby.
- Compare rates and pick the best parking option near your destination.v
- Reserve and pre-pay in advance to guarantee your parking spot.
- Download mobile coupons to enjoy discount parking at select locations.
- Get turn-by-turn directions to the parking garage or lot from your current location using your device’s native navigation app.
- Send a text message to eligible locations letting attendants know when your car should be ready for pick-up.
- Receive in-app alerts reminding you of when your parking time or parking coupons are about to expire.
- Never forget where you parked with the in-app reminder.
- Bookmark all your favorite parking locations so you can reserve or create a mobile coupon even faster for your next visit!
- Manage your monthly parking account through the parking app.
2. Arrive at a Location Early
A lot of times, people are forced to park in expensive garages because they were running late for work or a meeting. Rather than frantically circle around the street looking for a parking space, finally give up, and pay a heavy expense; consider using the parking.com app to find you’re the nearest parking garage to your destination and reserve your parking online.
As a rule of thumb, when planning your trip in a heavily congested area as Manhattan, take the trip time estimate from your GPS and, depending on how long it is, add 10 to 15 minutes to it so you run less risk of running late while parking.
3. Consider Monthly Subscription to Parking
The privilege of having a personal parking spot in places like Manhattan can cost as much as what other people pay for rent in some places. Rather than paying a high premium for a few feet of pavement space, consider a monthly subscription.
There are many Manhattan parking garage services available, and they offer their customers parking at any of their locations at extremely competitive rates. Additionally, most will sign you up on a lower monthly rate in the spring and summer, when the traffic density in the city tends to be less.
To find the best NYC Monthly Parking Rates near your destination, you can search parking.com for NYC monthly rates.
4. Take Advantage of Pretax Parking Plan
If you are paying to park at your job location, consider asking your employer if they offer a pretax parking plan. Taking advantage of this policy will allow you to take money out of each paycheck to pay for parking, reducing your income tax bracket slightly, and helping you save some money.
Additionally, your employer could have special discounts or subsidized parking rates available. Read your employment policy or check with the HR department to see what parking programs are offered by your place of employment.
5. Know the Parking Schedule
Manhattan, like the rest of the city, has an alternate parking schedule, which means that for a few fours on certain days, parking is off-limits on streets to accommodate the street cleaning schedule. Due to how busy the streets usually are, Manhattan tends to have more street cleaning days compared to other boroughs. Furthermore, some streets offer free parking during off-hours and you can make use of online tools such as NYCdot to find the availability of such hours.
Knowing such schedules will help you avoid expensive parking tickets or overnight parking tickets when a free street spot is impossible to find.
6. Learn to Parallel Park
Learning to parallel park is an essential skill if you are navigating through the streets of the city to find a place to park. Parallel parking allows you to make the most out of any space available for parking on a street.
Given that street parking in Manhattan tends to be generally cheaper (or even free on certain days), learning this skill can help you save big and allow you to get your car to fit snuggly in the tightest of parking spots.
7. Check the Night Hours
Night rates at NYC garages can significantly differ from day time rates. Many parking spots offer a fixed rate for night time and hourly rate on the day rate. Picking up your vehicle a few hours after transition can add up to a significant amount in fees. When parking for the night, be mindful of the hours and the rates that they charge.
8. Park and Ride
In some cases, parking outside of Manhattan where space is not an issue and taking a bus to the destination in the borough would be considerably cheaper and convenient. Use our app to find the best bus station parking locations near Manhattan.
Final Thoughts
More than in other places, owning a car in Manhattan is an expensive luxury. One of the biggest contributors to this is the cost of parking here. However, by following these helpful tips mentioned here, you will be able to save big in your yearly parking expenses.
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