Hello, Beautiful...

Let me introduce you to the newest member of our family.As the sinister engine sounds and warning lights of our old car have been increasing over the last year, at about the same rate as its value has been decreasing, we've been casually shopping for a minivan to replace it. Every month or two we'd check the classifieds and Cars.com to see what was around in terms of year, make, mileage and price, but nothing impressed us enough to pounce.

Then last week out of the blue Ed checked online again and found one that had just been listed earlier that day. He called me immediately. The year was right, the stats were right, the price was right.

And the color was right. Do you know how rare it is to find a nice used black minivan for sale? It was the first black we'd seen for months in a 100 mile radius.

Mmm, rich dark shell:
With a light, creamy interior:
It's like it reminds me of something, I don't know. We were the first ones to call the guy. We looked at it that night and told him the next day we wanted it. A few days later when we transacted, he told us he'd had multiple other callers interested, offering to buy it on the spot.

And rightfully so. This thing is HOT. Luckily, I've never had a minivan complex like so many parents do. It's not the beginning or end of an era, unless you consider vehicular bliss an era. I love minivans, and now I love my minivan. And having a place to park it; I'm still not over that luxury. It's 7 years newer than our other car, and chock full of features I need to learn how to use. I am a willing student.So around here, we're sitting back. We're looking for excuses to drive somewhere.

And we're loving the ride.

Things I Won't Miss #1: Parking Hassles

We've been over the parking issues here but that doesn't mean they've gone away. Parking continues to dictate where we go and when and I'm looking forward to a little freedom from that. It will be nice to at least have the option to drive somewhere after 4pm, or to go to the post office, library, or doctor's office and not drive around for 30 minutes looking for a parking spot. Not to mention the state our bumper is in after 3 years of parallel parking (though we've gotten good at it). Or the panic when we wake up and think, "What day is it? Where's the car?" Or the letdown of finally finding a meter spot only to discover you're out of quarters. No, the parking hassles are something I won't miss.

Small Mercies: Parking Diaries III

It's a sad day when you have to willingly and voluntarily submit to the iron fist of the #!@%# NYC Sanitation Department. For us, that sad day was today.

It's a long story - isn't everything? Just depends on how much detail we go into, so I'll keep to the facts. In two days Ed is going on a week-long male-bonding fishing expedition in Canada, a more than well-deserved vacation. For at least a month, Ed has been working horrific hours, around the clock, and has not been able to do much in the way of preparation for this trip. Luckily not that much has to be done EXCEPT retrieve his fishing gear from our storage unit that's across the neighborhood and has normal-people hours of 8am-10pm. Very reasonable hours of operation for the average person, but Ed has not been able to get over there, not even on the weekend, because of his work schedule.

So this was the first morning he didn't have an early meeting or conference call, so he got up and went over there to get his stuff, and planned on arriving at work a little later than usual. I reminded him that, it being Thursday, he would have to park on a Friday street upon return to avoid the wrath of Sanitation. He came back about 45 minutes later with his gear, but stressed out about the traffic report on the radio that indicated the route his bus takes was heavily jammed and delayed. Then as he rushed to take a shower, mentioned as an afterthought that he hadn't found a parking spot and was in front of a fire hydrant with the blinkers on.

So I went down and drove around for at least 1/2 hour looking for a spot anywhere within a 15 minute walk. I knew I had to get back soon so Ed could leave, so I swallowed the frustrated lump in my throat and took the only option I could see left to me: I parked in front of our building, on a Thursday morning street sweeping side. I take the girls to a music class on Thursday mornings - we walk there, so I knew that by parking here it would stay here through the 9:30-11am sweeping period, and I was guaranteed a $45 ticket and sticker of shame. Just no way around it.

When I got back from music class sure enough, an orange ticket envelope on my windshield, but - and here's the small mercy - no sticker. I have never heard of this happening, and all possibilities seem unlikely: they ran out -OR- they forgot -OR- they felt like being nice? I can't see any of those being the case so I attribute it to divine intervention. And I'm not being flippant here. Different little things help different people at different times, and no one knows it better than our Creator. In my case today, lack of a big annoying sticker on my car window went a long way for me - a very long way.

Going Places: Parking Diaries II

So last weekend I got a parking ticket and sticker of shame, and this week I almost forgot to move the car to the alternate side...twice, so I figured it must be time to write some more about parking. This time we're talking about parking when we go places in New York, but let me just make one more comment about parking at home. I just got back from moving the car for sweeping tomorrow. And in doing so I left Hazel in front of Blue's Clues and Ginger in the baby swing. I walked out, locked the door, left the building, crossed the street, drove the car to a spot two blocks away, and walked home. Every single time I do something like that - leave the girls alone - either to park or switch laundry or get the mail - I feel slightly sick and envision all manner of horrible things happening, from a cut to a fire, and social services taking them away from me. Then I envision putting shoes & jackets on, taking them outside, buckling them both in car seats, driving two blocks, then walking them home (and inevitably receiving a tantrum from Hazel because she doesn't want to go back in) and I swallow hard and consider it worth the risk. It's just quicker and easier. I do try to do it when they're both sleeping, but sometimes I forget (or sometimes they don't sleep at the same time all day). Ok, enough from the guilty conscience.

I learned early on that when I'm going to drive somewhere in New York City, the biggest concern is parking (and traffic, but that's a topic for another day.) If possible, I call ahead and ask how the parking is in the area, and, if relevant, the street sweeping days & hours. Sometimes there is a parking lot or garage nearby. Sometimes there is meter parking. And sometimes there's just no parking, so I don't go. Once I called a store and they said street parking was crowded but they had an arrangement with a diner down the block that their shoppers could park there. Never would have known if I hadn't called. But for the most part parking takes time and money, and may be several blocks or more from my destination, so that also means ALWAYS take the stroller.

My ticket last week was an interesting one. I went to the grocery store at 8am on Saturday. This store has a small parking lot so I drove there, but over half of the spaces were blocked by big trucks making their deliveries in the back, and the other spots were filled. I noticed the meter spots on the street were mostly open; I attributed this to the early hour, and parked in one, sure to deposit my quarters. When I came out 45 minutes later I found a ticket on the windshield and sticker on the window. I was annoyed at getting a ticket undeservedly, and at the hassle I'd have to go through to contest it. Then I looked up at the parking signs and discovered that street sweeping on that main street is 8-8:30 every day except Sunday. After almost 2 years I should have looked at the signs - you always have to look at the signs. But I'd gotten lazy - I always park in the lot there, so I didn't know the rules on that street. And I'd never seen a daily 8-8:30 sweeping sign - they're usually once a week. There went $45 I could have used for laundry.

In my early days here, I had several experiences of driving to a place, circling for parking, becoming overwhelmed at the one-way streets, parking signs, and traffic, and just turning around to come back home. But I've gotten smarter as I've learned the patterns. For the most part, I know the alternate side parking for the streets around the pediatrician office, dentist, library and most of the parks we like that are too far to walk, and make my appointments and plans accordingly. Meter spots are always best because they're usually closer to where you're going, but always in demand. But I also learned the hard way that some meters are 2 hours, and some are only 1. Garages are always very convenient, too, but quite pricey. The few times I've driven into Manhattan, I've always parked in a lot or garage. Street parking is not worth the enormous investment of time spent looking for a spot you'll probably never find. For a couple of hours we've spent anywhere from $12-35, depending on the area, day and time of day. I think the most was $40 for a few hours in the theater district at night. Two hours on a Saturday near the temple was about $25. Plus tolls of course...

I could go on but I want to mention Dr. Donald Shoup - UCLA Urban Planning professor and author of The High Cost of Free Parking (call out to D-Pulse!). This guy has made urban parking his academic and professional focus, and in my opinion that's good. Parking could use him. I haven't read his book, but I have read a few articles and watched this film (which I highly recommend), so I have the gist of his ideas, which I'll lay out here:

Street parking either costs too much, or in more cases, too little, especially if it's free. A solution to many urban problems, including air pollution, traffic, pedestrian safety, cleanliness, and of course parking, is to find the "right" cost of curb parking. The right cost would be the lowest price that leaves 15% of spaces vacant at any given time. I assume in NYC this price would be more than 25 cents per half hour (what meters cost in many areas) and less than $10 per half hour (what some garages charge.) Revenue from this parking policy should go straight back into improving the specific locality - fixing up the pedestrian realm so it's a place more people want to be.

Anyone involved in the parking world seems to either be a Shoupista or Anit-Shoupista. I'm not so polarized, but since I already pay out my rear end to park in Manhattan, I'd be happy to pay whatever it takes if it means there are readily available spots. It's hard to imagine 15% of curb parking open in NYC, but I'm all for it, especially if the revenue goes to improving pedestrian conditions (or, say, um, putting elevators in more subway stations so I could actually take a stroller...)

Anyway, the point is that parking is a mess. What it means for me is that I go out less, buy less gas (usually one tank per month), walk more and shop online more. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but has taken serious getting used to for a suburban girl like me. Of course having two kids further complicates driving outings, whether parking is an issue or not. That's why all the saved gas money went into a v.e.r.y. s.e.r.i.o.u.s. d.o.u.b.l.e. s.t.r.o.l.l.e.r. Now what I need is a new pair of walking shoes!

Question: Watch the 6-minute film interview with Dr. Shoup and tell me - how do you think this would work in your town or city (or place you've been that has a parking problem...)?

The Big Apple Can Bite Me: Parking Diaries I

Parking in New York City. There's too much - too, too much to say about it. I've got to break it up or it will be so long and boring no one will want to read my blog anymore. But it's got to be said. My friends and family have got to understand the circumstances I'm expected to live under. Those that have visited have an idea. Let me shed some light for the rest of you...

Let's start with parking at home. Later we'll move on to going places, but for now we'll just talk about coming home from them. I live in a neighborhood of Brooklyn where maybe 75% of the population has cars, which is high for NY but we probably do have more street parking and there are streets where houses have driveways. But my street has lots and lots of apartment buildings, so street parking is a premium.

Here are the parameters I have to work with, or rather around: alternate side parking (street sweeping), the night rush, and other restrictions. And let me just clear up any questions - there is not a parking lot for every building. Some have a small parking lot with a long wait list (like years long), but most, including mine, do not. You're on the street, and you're on your own.

Alternate Side Parking
The entire city is apparently street-swept once or twice a week. Every street that allows parking at some time has signs that describe when that street will be swept, and you're not allowed to park there. This was a mind-blowing concept when I first arrived. "You mean I can't park here ANY Friday from 8-10am?!" Outrageous. Totally unjust. Now I don't even think about it. It's second nature to take note of the parking signs when I come home, so I know when I'll have to move the car. In our first NY apartment it was no problem. We lived on a corner - one street had Monday sweeping on one side, Tuesday on the other. The other street was Thursday on one side, Friday on the other. So if it was Monday night, I couldn't park on the Tuesday side because it was going to be swept the next morning, but I had three other curbs to choose from. In our new apartment, every street within 5 blocks is Thursday/Friday sweeping, so come the end of the week you need to really claim your spots carefully. For example, all week I've been parked in a "Friday spot", so this afternoon while the girls napped I snuck out and moved it to the Thursday side.

So what happens if you forget and leave your car where you shouldn't? A pain in the butt, that's what happens. Uniformed people in little striped cars that say SANITATION drive around and give you tickets for $45 and a bright chartreuse sticker on your back window that does not come off without much Goo Gone and razor blades. These are informally called "stickers of shame," and they inevitably draw knowing smiles from onlookers. We've gotten a handful of these. At least the sanitation people have the same attitude toward holidays as other government agencies - take as many as you can. And in New York you gotta take Jewish and Muslim holidays as well as traditional government days. So that's something.

My friend here Corey used to live in an even denser-populated neighborhood of Brooklyn and she would tell me stories of working around alternate side parking regulations. People would go outside the second it was in effect and move their cars to the other side of the street, double parked, and sit in them for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until it was over and move back, just to ensure having a spot. It's not quite that bad in Bay Ridge but still annoying. In Manhattan, oh I don't even want to think about it, but some people make it work. In fact, it's an even bigger part of life for car-owners there. For some, it is life (see The Alternate Side Parking Reader.)

The Night Rush
The most important thing to know about living here, and by "here" I mean our apartment building, and which we learned the hard way, is that if you come home after 4:30pm, be prepared. Have snacks, have stroller, have books, have time. You may be parking far away, and it may take a long time. During the day it's no problem finding spaces within a block. Enough people drive to work that there are lots of free spots. That makes life as a stay-home-mom somewhat livable. I can run an errand during the day and park when I get back (actually, I can't run any errands ever, but it's not because of parking - it's because of incompatible schedules of 2 kids!) But hypothetically, one could run an errand. When we first moved here Hazel and I drove to a park to play and came home around 5. I had to park 4 blocks away, and carry a sleeping toddler, diaper bag and 10 shirts from the cleaners on hangers home...while pregnant. I only had to experience it once to know to ALWAYS take the stroller in the car, just in case.

In general, I don't need to go out at night so it's not too much of an issue. It's not like Ed comes home at an earthly hour and I can go out to do something. But sometimes, on the weekend mostly, we do come home in the evening and the key is patience. I tend to drive around in expanding concentric blocks looking for spots. Ed double parks in a strategic spot and watches like a hawk for people leaving. He tends to get luckier than I do, but we have been known to wait 20, 30, 45 minutes - once I waited an entire hour and finally went and parked by our old place and walked the 15 minutes home. Time of my life gone that I'll never get back.

Restrictions

• You can't park near a fire hydrant. Nobody knows the exact distance, so everyone eyeballs it and crosses their fingers. And be careful because on streets like ours, packed with pre-war apartment buildings (=kindling just waiting for a space heater to spark) there are 4-6 hydrants per block.
• You can't overlap a crosswalk. It doesn't have to be a painted-lines crosswalk, just a dipped-curb-at-the-corner. We learned that our first week here with a $115 parking ticket.
• You can't overlap driveways, obviously.
• You can't park in front of a church. I'm still figuring this out, but every church, and there are a lot of them, has no parking signs out front.
• You can't park in front of schools because of the morning and afternoon buses. This is a bummer because schools are big and all that curb space goes open so much of the time.
• You can't park anywhere near where you want to. This is not a strictly enforced rule, but rather an observation. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if they do enforce it.

Stay tuned for more on tickets, meters, and the Shoup philosophy...