Owning a car in New York City?

Question

What's it like owning a car in New York City? I would pretty much only use it in situations where it was raining or I had to go a long distance. Otherwise I walk alot and am comfortable walking about 7 miles in a day without getting grumpy. Is it likely to get stolen or vandalized? I know its hard to park most places, but I'm sure there's always some garage or less popular area around the corner where I can park and just walk x amount of blocks. If you own, have ever owned, or have ever known anyone who owns a car in NYC please tell.

Answer 1

in most places during the day, you will most likely not be able to find a spot in the city on the street.  u can find a garage to park in but there all expensive if your there more than an hour or 2

Answer 2

I owned a car when I lived in Manhattan and drove to work in NJ.  this worked out because you can park on many streets after 6 PM until 8 AM.

You can't park your car on the street very easily because of alternate side of the street parking regs, which require you to move your car for certain hours two days out of five week days.

You can always park in a garage but it's very expensive.

I got rid of my car after I lost my job in NJ.  

Answer 3

Owning a car in the outer boroughs is feasible.  Owning a car in Manhattan is not, unless you have lots of money for a permanent spot in a garage.  

And yes, it's not only possible but very likely that your car will be stolen or vandalized at some point, the longer you keep it.  And the more you use garages, the more likely you'll eventually find it damaged.

Most of midtown Manhattan doesn't permit parking, period.  In parts of the city where parking is permitted, there's a thing called Alternate Side of the Street Parking, which forces you to move your car a couple of times a week to permit the street cleaning trucks to come through.

By the way, be aware that mandatory auto insurance, even the bare minimum of coverage, is at sky-high rates for people driving in New York.  And it does no good to try to claim that your car is still in your home-town.  The first time the police check your insurance or you are in an accident, the truth will come out and your policy will be cancelled.

If you want to try anyway, go ahead.  Lots of people do keep cars.  Just wanted you to be aware of some of the problems associated with keeping a car in New York.  Most people walk (as you say you enjoy), and use buses and subways.  They save a lot of stress and money that way!