parking in new york city
 

Going to manhattan this weekend and need info on parking in city. Someone mentioned the park and ride in North Bergen off of I95, near Lincoln tunnel. Does anyone know if cars can be left here over the weekend, or can someone suggest a good parking garage in midtown Manhattan. Thanks.

Indicate where you will be staying in the city since that could affect your parking options. For example, many no parking rules are not in effect on Saturday and Sunday making it possible to park on the street. There are many parking lots and garages in the midtown area if that is where you will be staying. 24 hour parking rates range from $20 to $30 a day. If entering the city there is a park and lock garage almost at the tunnel exit. When you get to Manhattan follow the signs directing you uptown. After you exit the tunnel you will bear to the left. Go straight ahead to 42nd Street. The garage will be directly in front of you across 42nd St. There are less expensive parking garages and lots of NJ. When you factor in the cost of the parking, cost of transportation to the city and then cost to your final destination you might find your savings to be minimal. This would certainly be the case of there are two or more people traveling.

You can leave cars over the weekend but the buses run less frequently on weekends and traffic getting in and ourt won't be too bad depending on your arrival time. Entering NYC through the Lincoln Tunnel between 4 and 7:30PM on a Friday you may encounter a 30-40 minute delay - earlier or later on Friday or any time on Saturday morning should be a breeze. Leaving on a Sunday will be no problem - most of the traffic is incoming. After exiting the tunnel you can drive straight to where the exit road ends at 42nd and you'll be facing a "park 'n lock" garage that's about $24 per day (24 hours). I prefer to turn right on 40th Stree just after leaving the tunel and use the first garage on 4oth Street. I don't know the name and address but it's on the right a just past 9th Avenue as you head east on 40th - the first garage on that block (the second garage is pricier). It's $18 for 24 hours and its location makes leaving really easy - just leave on 40th, make first left on 8th Ave and first left on 41st - this takes you straight back out to the tunnel - really simple.

Thanks for your quick replies! To clarify: I will be arriving around 10:30am Friday, and staying until late Sunday afternoon. Does this make a difference in finding room at the 40th street garage or others on Friday? I am trying to avoid 39$ per day hotel charge for mini van.

oops!, forgot to mention, staying at crowne plaza at 1605 Broadway.

Your arrival and departure times should make for a very easy time getting in and out. I've never seen the garage on 40th completely full. There are actually slightly better deals in the area that do get full but are mostly outside lots with daily/monthly specials used by people who drive in to work. In the unlikely event that they're full you could always loop around to 42nd and park at the park n' lock but I think you'll have no problem on 40th. Just step out to 9th Ave with your bags and grab a cab - should be a $4-5 cab ride at most.

Owen, Thanks again for your most helpful info! From this and many other of your (and other fodorites) previous posts, I've gotten great info to plan my weekend. Can't wait to get there!

Sometimes the cost of parking in Manhattan is exaggerated. Yes you can pay $30 for one hour in midtown, but you can also find cheaper places that are not too far away from the theatre district. I often find less expensive places a few blocks from Broadway on 9th, 10th or 11th Avenues. It's really not a difficult distance although I guess some don't mind paying the premium for being directly next door to their hotel/theatre/restaurant etc. A lot of these garages further west are the ones NYers use for parking their cars because they are less expensive.

Hamlet makes a good point - parking is available further out from midtown to the west for as little as $10 per day including taxes. In many cases these are open lots rather than garages but for a daytime parking these outer lots are a great option.

The last 3 times I drove to Manhattan from Washington, getting into the city on a Friday night wasn't a big deal. Some traffic, but wasn't sitting for hours. However, EACH time we left on Sunday, late afternoon, we were stuck in horrible traffic for more than an hour, simplying trying to get into Lincoln Tunnel (after that, it was free sailing). And had the added benefit of one time being hit by a cab, which then took off. Also, 2 of the 3 times we parked in garages in mid-town, the car came back with damage, which, of course, the garage denied inflicting (odometer in one case had moved by 45 miles!) <BR> <BR>Needless to say, we now fly or take the train.