(Excerpt from ghoshwritten article on parking struggles in NYC)
As his family grew, he realized so did everyone else’s on the block. With two fire hydrants, both on the right hand side of the street, the spaces are limited. “I’ve been living on this block my whole life, and I’m lucky to find a parking spot. I have to call my wife an hour before I get home to have her look and hold a spot for me.”
Hernandez, however, is against parking garages. “There’s not many close to home, and the ones that are around here are very expensive.” Not only does the money not agree with his pocket, but he’s encountered a problem one mid-summer night with a parking garage. “I got home late from taking my kids to Six Flags.” Instead of waiting for parking so late at night, he decided to give the parking garage a try. “I went to the garage, paid the outrageous fee, and when I got my car the next morning, the front light was broken, along with a 3 inch dent on the passenger door. I’ll take my chances with my car on my block where I at least know everybody.”
Solutions are hard to come across, but Edwin Acevedo has his own. About 15 years ago, when he was 20, he had his first car stolen off his street. After that he bought a garage. With a personal garage two doors down from his house, he hasn’t a worry. “There’s no calling friends and family. There’s no double parking, there’s no issues. People are usually calling me asking to borrow my garage.” Although he feels safe, he sees what his neighbors go through with the parking situation. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone outside and seen broken windows, slashed tired, graffiti on the windows.”
Carmen Sanchez moved to the neighborhood five years ago. She lives in an apartment complex with no parking lot. “Most apartment complexes have parking spots, but not this one, not most of them here. I’ve had so many issues with my car, window broke, radio stolen, shaving cream, I had to give up and just sell it.” Sanchez found that it was cheaper and safer overall to cut her losses and sell her car instead of constantly repairing it.
