jack_ie

Hi Everyone!

I'm planning to move to a big city where cars are not necessary to get around and really, in fact, make commutes within the city more cumbersome.

I do want to keep my car for those times when I will need it for longer trips but don't know of a cost-effective way to store and maintain it under such circumstances. For example, I know that if you let a car sit for more than 2 days at a time without starting it and letting it run for awhile, it will likely not start or remain in good condition. Also, I know that parking can be expensive.

So I would like to hear from all dwellers in cities where cars are not necessary as to how you store and maintain your cars.

Thanks,

Jack_ie

sunlover

I used to live in downtown chicago and never gave up my car. true you you don't ned it to get around the city but if you wanted to go out to the suburbs you had to have it. I lived in a high rise and there was an indoor parking garage attached. As long as your car is parked in an indoor heated garage there are not real problems with it sitting. Now parked outdoors (especially in the cold winters of chicago) tht a different story! If you live somewhere where a garage is available, you can actually buy one of the spots and own it (yep they come with a deed, separate mortgage, the works) or you can rent one on a monthly basis. I rented one in my building for $200/month which is pretty cheap for chicago and considering the amount of gas money I saved it actually equalled out. I personally used my car about once a week. i would never have driven to work or around my neighborhod but on the weekends (especially Sunday afternoons) I would take the car out and run all my errands getting everything done in one swoop (grocery, Target, home Depot, wherever I needed to go) and alot of these things you had to go to the suburbs to get!

djkbooks

Depending upon the state and the big city, and how often you will be using your car, you may find that renting a car occasionally is much more economical than paying for the car, the insurance, and monthly garage fees.

rb_travelerxATyahoo

You might wish to contact Senior Citizen Centers in the "burbs" with an offer to rent a garage. Often people will have given up their car, but still have a garage, and could use some extra income. I don't think a couple of days is a problem, but would not extend the periods of non-activitie to a couple of weeks.

gail

I remember the "not letting car sit around for more than 2 days" thing - but I am not really sure that is as true today as it used to be. Besides, lots of elderly people (my mother included) do not use their cars very often and they run forever. Unless you really know differently, check with a mechanic. Twenty years ago I lived in Boston downtown and kept a car garaged in a rented place - used that car at most once/week and I think it would have outlived me if I had kept it.

Quinty

Am I missing something here?

I go on vacations for a month a time and my car is not run during that period. No problem.
I just don't understand the basis of worrying if a car is run, unless it is extremely cold weather. It is often in the 20s-40s here and the vehicles always start right up (but we do not maintain long periods of time below freezing).

By the way, Sunlover- you blew me away with your tidbit about parking. $200/month and that's cheap! Wow, city living really is a different way of life. Thanks for the insight.

Andrew

Some cities (Portland) have car share clubs you can join. So when you absolutely must have a car, you can use one. If you want to leave town for a weekend, rent a car. Otherwise, pick an area to live with good bus/train service and get around that way or with a bike. Works for several of my friends here who do not own cars.

Andrew

HowardR

The obvious question: What big city are you talking about?

sunlover

I know to some $200/mo sounds like a lot to rent a space for your car. but when you consider the other option is to buy a space which most are running right around $30,000 for one space in Chicago, its not that bad. (Ha Ha)

anyway another deciding factor is how long you have had your car and how long you intend to live in the city. another reason i wanted to keep my is that it was practically brand new, I bought it new 9 mos before moving to chicago. If I had sold, I would have eaten alot since cars depreciate so fast in the beginning. Also I knew I was only going to live in chicago for 3 years. I didn't want to sell my car and then have to buy another one 3 years later!

Anthony

If you think $200/month sounds like alot, that's CHEAP in Manhattan. In many neighborhoods, indoor parking is between $450-$650/month in Manhattan. $200 & under a month is considered very cheap.

puddy

In parts of Manhattan, parking can easily cost you $600, especially in Midtown and Upper Manhattan.

GoTravel

Downtown Chicago has got to be one of the best deals for a big city in the country! One of my best friends moved from Buckhead (Atlanta) to downtown Chicago (1/2 block off Michigan Avenue at The Water Tower) and pays $150 less a month for rent than she did in Atlanta. She has a gorgeous condo with views of Lake Michigan. The big plus is that the men are so good looking in Chicago.

JungleCat

When I lived in Boston, I parked my car in a suburb, Quincy. It was a bit of a pain in the neck when I needed it but still, it was only a subway token away.

An alternative is to sell your car and just rent one when you need it. I know many people who do this.

suzanne

When I moved to Brooklyn from Manhattan I bought a cheapo car because I thought I'd need it. It DID help when I first moved in and needed to buy lots of stuff, but after a few months it was just a waste. Parking lot fees plus insurance cost over $300/month...it just wasn't worth it for the one weekend a month I was using it! So I donated it to charity and now rent a car whenever I need one, which is about once every two months.

dilbert

I lived in Manhattan for a while and I worked in downtown Brooklyn.

Where I lived there was plenty parking. You just had to move your car by 8:00 AM. Simple...I drove to work in Brooklyn where there was plenty room on the streets.

If I had a day off during the week I had to park the car somewhere where I didn't have to move it. I gave up trying to do this in Manhattan. I drove to Queens where there are streets in safe neighborhoods that had no parking restrictions whatsoever. I did this with a new Ford Explorer. Obviously it was not registered in NYC. That would be too expensive.

The subway fare will be $2.00 now. That is way more than the gas you would use if you drove. That is, if you can find street parking for free. Since I worked in Brooklyn it was readily available. Forget about it in Manhattan during the day.

This really was not an inconvenience at all. I had a car and I was able to get anywhere with it.

I even parked it in Queens on an unrestricted block for 8 days when I flew from LaGuardia Airport on vacation.

Email me with any parking questions about NYC. I never pay to park.

Faina

My co-worker leased a car with a friend, so the friend uses it to go to work Mon-Fri, and she has it on weekends.

Frank

If you are going to let the car sit from Monday through Friday and only use it on weekends it's much more cost effective to rent on weekends. In Manhattan as others have said, it will easily cost $1000 to $1500 per month for parking, insurance and car lease. You can rent a Cadillac or Lincoln TC for $120 per day in Manhattan, that includes insurance and gas. As you can see, you can do a lot of car rentals for the price of keeping a car in the big city.

jor

Since I live in a city "where cars are not necessary" why would I need to store a car?? Sort of looking for a stable for a horse ;- )

djkbooks

If your car will not start after not being used for a while, just get a better battery.

joesorce

Renting occasionally is SO much easier. Many car companies will even pick you up. No insurance premium each year, no registration and maintenance bills, well worth it. Many gold credit cards will cover most of the insurances that you need when renting.