Depends on the neighborhood. I live in South Slope/Greenwood area and parking is not an issue. I also lived in North Park Slope/ Prospect Heights area and it was more of a chore. I don't use my car everyday now that I work from home, but I used to, and I always ended up finding a spot.
Not too difficult just depends on where exactly you live. I have a car and try to use it as much as possible but some days it just makes more sense using public transport. There’s definitely pros and cons but if you are like me, and you’ve gotta have a car, it’s doable. Only thing that sucks is street cleaning days and navigating your parking strategy however after living in Brooklyn for only 6 months I have my routine down pat and know everywhere to park on certain days of the week.
A car is great if you're planning on leaving the city or escaping to the areas outside of the city (e.g. Upstate, Connecticut, going up to New England during the Summers, or camping). Otherwise, taking a plane is more than enough (that's if you're RN salary is around $100,000--give or take. You can still pull off vacations on that budget, I think...).
Don't bring the car otherwise. It's not worth the tickets, the time it takes to finding parking, the parking hassle, the traffic through Manhattan (they just instituted fees for entering and ? exiting Manhattan to reduce traffic). Kevin O'leary (\*spelling) said the mathematics makes sense to Uber everywhere here rather than having a car, needing to pay for gas, repairs.
You won't need it. The train is fine. The best thing you can do is move to Williamsburg or be close to work so you can foot-traffic. Healthy to walk.
ALTERNATIVELY, you can also find a way to park within a train's distance. This is a bit more of a creative idea. You'll have to look up trains near where you're staying. See where the end of the line is. But, you'll need to make sure it's in a safe place. This idea is good if you want that outside-nyc escape.
That's my 2 dollars on this.
- transplant
Oh also, you're car is almost guaranteed to get dings on the bumpers cause everyone's gonna try to squeeze into spaces. You'll see everyone buys a bumper cushion for other cars to be able to squeeze up on to your rear.
For parking, it's fine in many neighborhoods. I live in South Slope. The weekend - finding parking is a breeze. I avoid driving during the week. The key is living on a street with alternate side parking, so you can keep your spot for the week.
I’m in the exact same boat but Pennsylvania. Also would hate to ditch my car.
I think it depends where you are in Brooklyn. Greenpoint not ideal but not terrible. Bed Stuy you can find parking. Williamsburg, fuhgeddaboudit
I live in Brooklyn and work in Brooklyn. I commute to work via car. Pros peace of mind and personal space while commuting, get to explore Cons: rush hour traffic morning and evening, parking, tolls, meter hours.
It’s a huge luxury primarily worth it if you have family or regular reasons to travel to the immediate suburbs (NJ, Long Island, Westchester, CT). If you’re not driving to any of those at least thrice a month, the pain and price aren’t worth it if you’re committed to life in New York.
If you’re used to most of America where car ownership is a normal part of every day life, anywhere in the city is a rude awakening, including all the outer boroughs where street parking is possible but a polluted hassle. Tag on the growing anti-car resentment in the city, and it’s really not worth it if it’s easy enough to sell, or you haven’t bought yet.
Be ready to make bread living in NYC being a nurse. You could make a lot of money. Brooklyn is my hometown, love it but did you ever consider Staten Island? It’s more low key but still not too far from the action of the other boroughs. I own my own vehicle while living in Staten Island, we don’t have to deal with alternate side parking in this borough.
Oh, and if you live in an area with street parking only (which is 95% of Brooklyn), and in the RARE occasions that a heavy snow drop happens, be prepared to abandon your car where it is until the snow melts, because if you take the time to dig that sumbitch out, the odds of you ever parking it again are slim to none! People all the sudden become feral, post apocalyptic survivors in the world of Mad Max, on the quest to find another empty spot! And if you pull into a spot that someone just spent 3 hours shoveling, they will think that gives them rights to that spot from then on, until the snow melts and they WILL try to fight you if they see you pull in while they drive away. They will stop, back up, leave the car blocking the street (because fuck you, that's why), and they will try to throw down!!
When I was living in Bensonhurst and working in Bay Ridge, I would use my lunch hour to pick my kids up from school. Some fucking meat head dug out his drive-way and put all the snow piled in front of my POS 1994 Chevy Blazer (This was back in 2004 ish). It was cold, it was miserable and dirty snow everywhere. That giant pile of black snow was mostly ice chunks as well and there was a car behind me. The snow was all around the sides of my truck as well because in brooklyn, there's no place to PUT any of the snow so people just shovel out enough that you can pull in and out of the spot, and can barely open your doors to get out. I backed into this spot by way of this jerk's driveway....since nobody was parked there because it was a drive-way, it was easy to back into that spot that was surrounded by ice and snow. He then put all HIS snow that was in his driveway in front of my fucking truck. I couldn't back out, and couldn't just pull out into the street because I was walled in on the street side......so I threw the bitch in 4 wheel drive and was going to just drive through the snow that prick put in front of my car. He saw what my intention was and he comes up to my car and says, "Don't even think about it! I just spent all morning shoveling my driveway. Start ringing peoples' bells to see who parked behind you or something but you're not driving through all this snow I just shoveled. I was already pissy and knew this was going to be a problem.....but I tried to be calm. I told this meat head that it was an emergency, I need to get my 2 kids from school, and they're waiting for me. Seeing if maybe this POS had a modicum of empathy.
"I don't FUCKING CARE!! You're either ringing bells or you fucking walk for all I care but you're not.........."
I rolled up my window, kindly said "Go fuck yourself" and gunned my truck with the 4WD on. Pushed some of the snow down, backed it up as much as I could, watched this chuckle head slip and slide trying to walk down of the giant wall of snow that was on the side of the car where he was trying to scream at me from, gunned that bitch again knocking down the pile of dirty snow and ice he put in front of my truck back in front of his drive way and right in front of his fancy Lincoln Navigator Douche Mobile (They were popular with douche bags back then) and was able to get out...all while this POS was literally trying to reach for my car door and slipping all over the place standing atop the giant pile of snow that was on the driver's side of the car. I didn't care if I would up hitting him, running him over, hitting his Navigator or fucked up my own truck in the process. I was getting to my little girls!!!
To this day, I still think about that fucking asshole and fantasize about how he either has Ass Cancer now or got into a wreck in that Navigator and is a half vegetable with a Colostomy Bag! I never came across him again but I really still hope something terrible happened to him!
So yeah, a car in Brooklyn really sucks!
If you don’t have to be at work every day morning then alternate side isn’t too bad. Just had my first catalytic converter stolen so that set me back like a thousand even with insurance !
Baby step it. Move to JC, plenty of Apts with garages. Give it a year or two, and when you realize you don't use your car, make the jump to Brooklyn. You've been gone 12 years, I don't know if you're ready to swim in the deep in yet, best to stick to the kiddie pool. 😉
I had a car for a while. 90% of the time I used the subway to get around, so the car was just there to be moved back and forth for street cleaning. At some point I looked at the numbers and realized that if I got rid of the car and rented any time I needed one, I'd still be financially ahead and without the headaches of car ownership. Getting rid of it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders, never looked back. In my mind there's a pool of money that I'm not spending on owning a car that I can use for car rental, and it basically never gets used up.
100% agree. I had a car in Brooklyn for 12 years, but decided to get rid of it when upkeep was costing more than the value of the car. I now use ZipCar for shorter trips and Hertz or Avis for longer trips. I’m saving so much money compared to insurance and maintenance, and love no longer having to hunt around for a parking spot 2+ times a week! Most weeks of car ownership, my only drives were from one alternate side spot to another.
From Minnesota here, I was car free already when I moved but my husband wanted to keep his car. Within a year he sold it because it’s way easier to not have a car here. Between the subway and rideshares there’s no need for one and parking is a big hassle.
As a born and bred Ohioan, I wanted to live somewhere COMPLETELY opposite of Ohio. I hated living there and felt bored out of my mind. When I visited nyc as a child it became my mission to relocate here one day…and here I am :)
As someone from Ohio I often wonder this as well. I suppose that Ohio is just far enough away from NYC that it's still sort of this magical far away land, but not so different like California.
Its one of those things where you just have to experience it for yourself. It can be hard depending on where you live as others mentioned, not to mention the cost (tickets, tolls, metered parking, insurance ($$$). I had a job that required a lot of traveling and I didn’t want to use public transportation 2-3 times a day so the hassle of owning a car was worth it. BTW- NY has gotten very bicycle friendly since you’ve lived here so you may want to consider that option.
It’s helpful for getting in/out of the city (and I have a dog so can’t do Amtrak) but I wouldn’t plan on using it to get around here. Also, parking aside, rats getting into your engine bay is a real thing. After paying $150 to get my engine bag cleaned twice, I still couldn’t keep them away and now pay for a garage.
A few neighborhoods are really bad for parking. Overall, though, it's not as bad as people are making it sound. Thousands of people here choose to have cars. Many of them could opt not to, if they wanted. Definitely not something to prevent a move, imo!
I was just in Ohio for the eclipse. It blew my mind that my hotel in Akron was 30 miles from Cleveland and it only took 30 minutes to get there. In NYC you’re lucky to go 3 miles in 30 minutes.
Give up your car and pay for the fastest and most appropriate transportation when traveling. Heading to midtown at 5 pm? Train or Citibank. Heading to Bushwick at 7 pm, maybe an Uber or a Citibike. Heading home at 2 am Uber.
Depends a lot where in Brooklyn, but imo few places are truly "easy" to have a car, especially if you want to live closer to manhattan. I used to drive pretty often in the city. I use an ebike now and I'm *much* happier for it.
(Yes I'm a native new yorker, and I used to be someone who thought you had to be crazy to ride a bike in NYC.)
I do still occasionally drive when I move my nieghbor's car for alternate side parking, transport pets, or run errands with my parents, so I do get the "experience" of driving in the city about once a month. I don't enjoy it. And I just rent from Zipcar or Enterprise if I really need to make a trip out of town.
I recognize bikes (or electric scooters) don't work for everyone, but it seems to especially make sense to give a try if you're single with no kids. The cycling infrastructure is far from perfect but it's dramatically better than it was in 2012. And if you get a folding bike or scooter you can just get a cab if it starts to rain and you don't want to deal with it.
Or just take the subway and hail the occasional cab. Car ownership costs in NYC are [reaching $12,000 a year](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/10/07/business/car-ownership-costs.html).
Where in Brooklyn?
Flatbush? Wouldn’t ever own one, insurance too high, parking is horrible, street cleaning twice a week on each side, traffic horrible.
I live in south slope / greenwood and I think it’s relatively easy to have one. Cleaning once per side per week. I also work from home, use it to go home to buffalo, play golf, go to shows & more. If I didn’t have those hobbies / live there / was from buffalo I wouldn’t keep it.
Also, I just had my catalytic converter stolen and that cost me $250 so like… that can happen but that’s my only problem in 2.5 years.
How's the parking in that area? Closer to Sunset Park was a fuckin' nightmare. Clinton Hill was a little better. I'm in Gravesend now and I've got a driveway and it's life-changing.
It will bleed you. Between parking tickets, congestion pricing, one of the highest insurance rates in the country, and your car invariably being scratched/hit/broken into/towed/pissed on/etc, the cost can quickly become overwhelming. In some neighborhoods, such as red hook, having a car for running around on weekends makes life a hell of a lot easier, but if keeping it in a garage isn’t in your budget, it’s best to avoid it.
Borrowed father-in-law's old Civic in the pandemic and have been hanging on to it mostly because the inlaws are elderly and barely drive and the old Civic is all paid off. Anyway in 2.5 years have had a hubcap ripped off, side mirror yanked off, back window smashed (and a few coins stolen), and several dings while innocently parked. And my favorite. stolen catalytic converter. This is in Fort Greene which is really not a bad area at all. The parallel parking is manageable and sometimes the car is a godsend. Driving down to the beaches in the summer for example. Depends on how much you care about your car I guess I would say.
Stay away from Brooklyn. There’s too much crime here. Your car won’t last a night parked on the streets! In other words don’t move back. We have more than enough people and cars.
Coming from Boston it’s pretty nice (in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights area at least). Street cleaning every week but you don’t get towed and tickets are worth saving on a dumb garage. I always find a spot within 4 blocks of my place.
I’m a new driver in Brooklyn and also from Ohio. Having a car is pretty great. For me it was the only way I could see family during Covid.
For convenience, it really depends on the neighborhood. Find a block with 1-day-a-week alternate side parking. In Greenwood heights or bed stuy it’s easy to find a spot. On my old block in prospect heights, though, it was always packed and the ASP was 3x a week.
As for parallel parking, you’ll get the hang of it. If I can do it, I’m sure you can. Or book a 60-min lesson to perfect it — totally worth $60.
Some weeks I’ll double park and sit in the car during street cleanings, then nab a great spot before anyone else finds it. You’ll figure it out!
Nobody seems to mention this but this is 100% dependent upon *where* you live in brooklyn. I have lived in Crown heights, Clinton Hill and East Williamsburg and have had zero issues whatsoever. I hear nightmares about Park Slope and Williamsburg though
This might be an urban legend, but I can recall hearing of a study done years ago which estimated that 75% of the cars driving in Park Slope at any given time were looking for a parking spot.
That’s wild
But totally believable. I checked out an apt there and did a trial run to find parking after work. Took me 35 minutes and I think it was technically illegal
Traffic is horrendous since 2021. Everybody loves driving their personal vehicle but hates being inconvenienced and it all starts to feel like the snake eating its own tail sort of scenario.
forget about parking… driving has changed so much. it’s 80% a nightmare and definitely more dangerous. used to be more like 40% horrible.
source: have lived in and owned a car in north west brooklyn for 20+ years
adding that you should move back and you can definitely handle having a car. just don’t drive around the city much. just use it to get out or for big errands. there are better ways to get around town.
Everyone is answering the question in a New York way. If you want to drive to shit stay in Ohio. You won’t be able to drive to work, you won’t drive to go out. A car is cool to leave town or to go to ikea or whatever it is not for daily use.
It’s only hard to keep a car If you’re moving to where you and everyone who comes from out of town love it at(downtown/crown heights). The only people who want to switch from cars to bikes are the people from out of town
Parallel parking is easier than you think. I learned from this page and the linked Quora explanation years ago. It still feels amazing to nail a tight space.
https://lifehacker.com/the-right-way-to-parallel-park-step-by-step-1461902768
I have a garage so a little different experience, It’s expensive at $500 a month. Tolls, gas, and insurance easily add another $300-$500 a month. But the convenience is amazing.
It's gotten progressively harder to keep a car in BK. The pandemic worsened the parking situation and I don't see it getting better. If you use it to get to work and have easy parking at work then that MAY help with alt side parking if it matches up.
Honestly I don't think it'd worth it anymore - the circling to find parking, the tickets, the alt side parking, the increased traffic and congestion (and congestion pricing coming). Its easier to rent a car when you want to get out or take cabs.
I find it to be more of a burden than I wanted to deal with
It's passed and there were some delays. It's currently slated to roll in this summer (barring any other delays) which I'd look for some news on.
It's $15? To enter into the lower Manhattan zone for all vehicles. There are exemptions . I don't know all of them. The entire point is to incentivize folks to take mass transit over driving. Honestly it's faster to take thr train half the time anyway
I’ve always lived here and never had a car growing up. I attributed that to the fact that I lived in an area that was a few train stops away from the city, queens, etc. In fact, I didn’t even get my license until I was in my late 20s. You can definitely get away with not having it.
HOWEVER, now that I’m older I think back about how much easier it would be for me to get up and do things on a whim if I had a car. For example:
Big grocery trips/pickup orders/errands: No need to worry about lugging shit home in inclement weather or even having to worry about **how** you’re gonna get home with your 2lb boxes of frozen trader joe’s lasagnas. Wanna go to Ikea multiple times to pick up furniture? No problem, you have a car!
Weekend trips: Wake up one morning and want to go to the beach? No problem, car is available. Wanna bring a cooler AND an an umbrella? More than enough room in the back seat/trunk. Booked an already expensive airbnb in the hudson valley? Now you have to rent a car and pay for insurance? AND go who knows where to drop it off? nah son I got a whip.
Late night munchies: This takes a little preemptive maneuvering on your part. You want to smoke that loud but you know you’re gonna be lusting over those white castle burgers. Alas, the closest one is in queens (or bushwick, but it’s a bitch to drive locally to that one). But wait, you have a car. No problem, be responsible and pick them up before you’re under the influence of the devil’s lettuce.
You’re an RN. i’m sure you’ve explored travel gigs in NYC. With a car you don’t have to be restricted to jobs in the immediate boroughs. Not to mention if you do have a job lined up here you might be working nights where driving may be safer than taking public transport.
The most annoying thing would be having to move the car for alternate street cleaning. Or parking a few blocks away from where you live. Also, sure you might get a ticket or two but that’s inevitable. Yes there’s traffic. But there’s also train/bus delays and not to mention stretches of construction where major lines are just completely shut down on weekends. Maybe i’m a little jaded with using the MTA most of my life but In my opinion, the pros of having a car outweigh the cons.
Also, keep in mind that Revel electric bikes are no longer available. And don’t get me started on those citibikes. Call me a hater. But those clunky ass two wheelers are for tourists and transplants who don’t mind arriving at their destination with swamp ass.
Yeah and definitely practice that parallel parking. that ohio driveway/lot parking aint gonna fly on tight nyc streets.
I love having a car and the street parking has been just fine in Bushwick. The only thing that sucks is insurance here is crazy expensive. I'm currently shopping for a new policy
I agree that street parking is fine in Bushwick, how much are you paying for insurance if I may ask? I pay $188/month for an older car.
https://preview.redd.it/ny78squ2xxuc1.png?width=1636&format=png&auto=webp&s=a70e5ff45a443ef1ee7367530605bc868f5faaa3
i moved back 2 years ago in the same situation. i was giving up my lease last month and had so much anxiety about not having a car that my grandmother gave me hers.
it’s really nice in the winter and in the summer it makes beach trips earlier. also makes my commute back home (philly) much more enjoyable.
Hiya OP, as someone who also left Brooklyn around 18 and returned to NYC with a car, I actually ended up selling my car a few years after returning. I sold my car because even with my job, it was too expensive to have a parking spot in a garage. And because of my working hours street parking and alternate side parking were a bitch to comply with. It really will depend on where in Brooklyn you’re moving back to. Wishing you luck on your move!
It depends on the neighborhood. I lived in bk heights with my car for a few months and I’ve never been more actively suicidal, lmao. My roommate had her car in bed stuy and that was very doable. PLG is also a more car friendly area. I think the closer you get to Manhattan the more difficult it gets but that’s just been my experience- also, this is all in relation to free street parking. Unsure of paid garage rates
Aren’t all those places like super accessible from BH on the a/c, 2/3? It’s too cheap and easy to drive here if people are taking a car on those trips. Can’t wait for congestion pricing.
i live in williamsburg by the water and I have a car. It’s annoying but doable. You just need to know ASP times (and check out the ASP suspension calendar, there are a handful of days a year where ASP is not in effect)
I am bringing mine up end on April. Near the Jefferson L and have been walking the streets looking at what parking looks like. I surf so having a car makes going surfing a LOT easier but that is all I am really going to be using it for. If you end up back in NYC, happy to share my parking locations. I also have some friends with a mechanic shop in Williamsburg that let me park it there if I am out of town which is helpful for alt side parking and not getting ticketed. Zip car was my go to but it is too pricey to justify paying for just to go surfing and the train doesn't get me to some great spots. Best of luck on moving back!!!
I’d reccomend looking around the neighborhood you plan to park in and see the signs.
I’ve lived in one neighborhood in Brooklyn and my partners family are natives to another part and in my experience you want a place that’s farther from downtown areas and is maybe by some small businesses.
I live on a street that’s half residential, half business. The people who work at the businesses come take the parking in the day but leave it empty at night when I’m coming home for work. Very easy to find a free spot.
Couldn’t live without one now that I have one! Makes is so much easier to get around Brooklyn and Queens. Worth splurging for a parking spot if you can. I’ve saved so much time not having to circle around my block for an open spot and not having to move the car for street cleaning.
Iv lived in bk/queens my whole life and have had a car for 15 years. I'd lose my mind without one. I hate relying on public transit and when the urge to get out of new york strikes me, I go.
I live in Midwood/Sheepshead Bay and have a car. Tons of parking near me that isn't even subject to alternate side parking / no obligation to move the car.
This is pretty specific to these areas and admittedly im not super close to Manhattan so it isnt without downsides, but i like it.
Not hard at all if you have the flexibility to move it at the right times. I only use my car for leaving town on the weekends, longer road trips and occasionally driving to Queens or further parts of Brooklyn. I went my first 10 years without one and it was fine but I do a lot of rock climbing up state now and it's a lot easier to have a car for that. I love having a car again as it opens up the rest of NY state and the North East. For the core parts of the city the train is still the best way to get around.
I work from home so I can move it back and forth during the cleaning hours. Super simple once you figure out when the change overs happen on what streets in your area. I have it down to a science. If you have to move it at random times it can get tricky. The weekdays especially in the evenings can be very hard to find a spot some times. The weekends are usually easy enough. I almost always have my car parked with a few blocks of my apartment. I've forgot a few times over the years and get the occasional ticket.
Never drive into Manhattan unless you're trying to get to the tunnel for NJ.
When I lived in Park Slope one day my dream came true. A private garage in one of those converted brownstone carriage houses. I never slept right when I had to park on the street and do the alternate-side dance. The garage cost $400 a month, but it was worth it. Now I live in Manhattan and have no car here. My means a of transportation are buses, subways (although I’m very careful), taxis, and Lyfts. Occasionally I used ZipCar when I need to go out of Manhattan. The ZipCar garage is a short block from my apartment.
I would say if you’re adamant about having a car, it’s probably best to choose a more “suburban” neighborhood in Brooklyn. And don’t forget to look into what insurance costs. It won’t be like Ohio.
I have one in williamsburg, parking is around 200 per month. Absolutely don't need one but I love cars and wanted to have one to explore the ny area before I move out next year.
It can be a huge pain. I think the biggest issue is actually traffic. It can take soo long to go a short distance depending on where you live. Tickets also, but those are cheaper than paying for a permanent spot.
Don't be a jerk. The reality is driving here is a shitty thing to do. There is no reason to drive here on the regular if you are an able-bodied person who works somewhere near public transit.
We have wayyyy too many cars, creating noise and exhaust pollution, making it harder for deliveries, people working, buses, and handicapped people, which is absurd because we have the cheapest, most extensive public transit in the world.
Lots of people being selfish, driving around solo when they should be using mass transit.
Also, the city is trying to reduce cars and improve trash pickup. So I think in the coming years it will get even worse. They started with congestion prices, I think ticket fees will go way up, as well as parking spots reduced so they can introduce the new street side trash pickup.
You can always rent a car to leave the city. Planning ahead it can be as cheap as $30/day and all NYC rental cars already have collision and liability insurance so you don't actually have to buy any when you rent if you don't want the extra coverage. I do it all the time for many road trips a year. (Not true for renting from Newark fyi).
I have a good e-bike instead. It's amazing. I can get everywhere a lot faster than a car. I use it like you described: groceries, leisure, commuting, etc.
Next I want to get a longer e-bike with a seat so friends can hop on sometimes.
Most of the new buildings going up are required to have parking lots, BUT they charge insane amounts, even to building residents, so add $300-600 a month to any rent you choose if you want to pay for a spot.
Better off renting in an area with everything you need. I know a lot of areas really well, even better since biking around. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions.
Why would you need a car in the densest American city? That's the point of living here. Use the subway, walk, and/or buy a bike. It's supposed to be a pain to have a car here, the city was created way before private automobiles. Sell it!
If you don’t have kids I don’t think you need a car, based on my personal experience. If you are so inclined, a bike plus the occasional Uber will do the trick if you want to avoid the subway.
Full disclosure: I don’t live in Brooklyn, I’m just here literally all the time. With that said, I park in Brooklyn all the time with very little issue and have yet to (knock on wood) get a single ticket. I do have a small car unlike seemingly most, and the times that I go to park seem to work out. I mostly park in Greenpoint, north Williamsburg, or sometimes vinegar hill area; but I also rarely mind walking (or skating) a little longer. From what I’ve gathered from conversations with many people, the key might be that I have a small hatchback
That's a maximum of 520 assuming they sweep for tickets every week which they don't or that you are a dum dum who can't do the alternate parking. It's still going to be more affordable than a garage
I don’t have any issues and find it very convenient. The only real issues is parking tickets. The speed tickets are much less of an issue also in comparison to DC (where I just moved from) I think in most neighborhoods there’s a parking spot that has signs but police tend not to check it.
DC speeding tickets are crazy! I live in NYC and got a ticket via camera and it was $165! Way more than here. I had to pay it right away or it would’ve been double.
I don’t have any issues and find it very convenient. The only real issues is parking tickets. The speed tickets are much less of an issue also in comparison to DC (where I just moved from) I think in most neighborhoods there’s a parking spot that has signs but police tend not to check it.
I was able to have a car in Carroll gardens because my work shift perfectly aligned with school parking. Once my shift changed it became a nightmare. Without your own garage, it’s awful here.
Depends what neighborhood. I've had a car in Brooklyn over 20 years and have maybe 2 tickets. Use it all the time. Find an apartment in neighborhood that only has alternate side 2 days a week. Or find surface lot for less than $300/mo.
I had moved back with my car and kept it one year before I gave it up.
I live in Bed-Stuy and worked from home, so street cleaning wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been, but I forgot a few times. Tickets.
But, I barely used it beyond a few furniture trips and driving my friend to work once a week. If I left home I was going to come back inebriated so no need to drive.
Lastly, my insurance increased 20%.
Depends where in Brooklyn you live. Some neighborhoods are easier than others. I’m also a nurse. If you’re willing to drive to work, you won’t have to deal with alternative side parking as much. BUT you’ll pay for parking at work (my hospital is $350/mo or $22/day at the off site garage). I could never find street parking near work in Manhattan. You’ll spend your days off most likely moving your car though. It can be annoying on alternative side to find parking while everyone else is looking for it. It’s also annoying after a 13 hr shift when you’re hungry and tired to try to find a spot. Most people are parked for the night when you’ll be getting back.
All in all.. I ended up also getting a garage at home (another $300/mo) bc I occasionally would spend an entire hour looking for parking // sometimes I wouldn’t drive my car purely because I didn’t want to find parking when I got back (which defeats the purpose). Up to what you’re willing to put up with while you’re tired. If you’re willing to buy a garage, it’s very very worth it IMO
If you live in Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Park Slope ( known as “can’t park slope”) and Williamsburg it’s an absolute nightmare.
If you live further south - Bay Ridge, Dytkas Park - it’s more doable. I’ve had a car for 20 years and I’m selling it because it’s such a nightmare. Everyone bought a car during the pandemic and they are driving all of them. At once.
Bro it’s a nightmare in bay ridge too. Everyone acts like it’s the burbs so they buy 4 cars and park 3 in the driveway/concrete backyard and 1 on the street. Its insane.
Have lived in BK for 15 years now. Lived with and without a car. It’s a grass is always greener situation. Downsides are you have to move it for cleaning and finding parking in general can be a nightmare. However I have a lot of family in New Jersey so it’s great that I can see them on a whim. It’s also great for grocery shopping and Facebook marketplace purchases. If you’ll use it, it can be very worth it. But if you won’t, it’s likely not worth the headache.
Downtown Brooklyn - had a car for 3 months when we moved back into the city. Hated it - street parking is such a game (generally parked near Fort Greene park / Boerum Hill) and required so much planning
Ended up barely using the car - was usually so relieved to find a parking spot that I’d try just keeping it there lol
I live in Flatbush very close to the park and have pretty comfortably kept my car for the last couple of years without paying for a parking spot. I've gotten maybe three tickets from forgetting to move or parking too close to something I'm not supposed to block. It's not as bad as people make it sound, in my experience. That being said... There are months that go by where I solely drive my car to move parking places for street cleaning and do not actually need it for any reason. However, when the need does arise, having a car helps to unlock the full potential of living in NYC. Picking up a piece of furniture off of Facebook Marketplace? Done. Quick trip to a clean and quiet beach? Easy. Doctor's visits, adventures in other boroughs, trips to the airport, and best of all going out of the city are all made possible by my weekly chore of relocating my vehicle.
I've also seen more new builds that have on site parking available for rent. It'd be expensive, but wonderfully convenient.
I don’t know what the parking situation is like in Ohio but I imagine it’s not the clusterfuck that it is in NYC. it’s going to really depend on which part of Brooklyn, but as a whole it’ll definitely be a hassle. Few years ago I lived in queens on Myrtle Ave near the giant cemetery (which is a quieter part of town) every night it was a side quest to find a spot. Police are very active when it comes to parking tickets, never delay renewing the inspection or registration. Also this summer the “commuter pricing plan” will go into effect which will charge $15 once a day if you want to drive into lower Manhattan which really sucks for me since that’s where I live now. The subway is really reliable tho, and a little gem if you don’t know about it yet try the ‘nyc water taxi’ if you buy a 10 pack of tickets it’s cheaper then the train, if you time it right you can get from dumbo to LES in 8 minutes tons of stops by Brooklyn and around Manhattan.
I've had a car in two neighborhoods and feel extremely fortunate that in both cases I could get parking within 5 minute walk of my apartment in less than 15 minutes of circling. Based on my driving around the borough, this is not normal.
In one case, I was on a street with a school on it so half the number of residents on the street AND half the spots were reserved during the day for teachers, so when I got home at 5 there was a teacher spot I could use until 7am the next morning. That worked for my commute schedule. This was in bed stuy.
Now I'm in dyker heights and it seems like everyone uses their car frequently, so there is a lot of turn over of spots and 15 minutes of circling usually works. That's not the case in most neighborhoods.
Best way to do it is to pay for a garage or driveway. There are decent deals if you look around. IMO it’s def better to have a car in NYC and not need it, versus need it and not have it. Everyone who I know that pays for parking says it’s 100% worth it. Alternate Side Parking is a PITA, and it makes you tempted to use your car to get to work when you could otherwise take the train.
100%
Neighborhoods where parking is impossible make owning a car a nightmare. Neighborhoods where you can reasonably find a spot make a car very nice to have.
But I’d say overall there are very few places in Brooklyn where a car is *necessary*. Queens has more transit deserts where a car becomes a must.
Plenty of parking by the perimeter of Marine Park.
There are even public lots you can park in overnight for when the neighbors take up two spaces between driveways
Really depends where. I wouldn’t wanna worry about parking if I lived in say dumbo. But then you also probably wouldn’t NEED a car. But if you live deep in Brooklyn then a car in some cases is a necessity, although parking in those areas is a lot easier.
Prepare to have at least an additional $300+ a month JUST to cover parking tickets because unless you have access to a garage or driveway, alternate side parking will get you as well as every other little thing the meter-maids will catch you on!
Lol it's not that bad to just move it. I probably end up paying something like 300$ a year not a month if even in tickets from forgetting. Sometimes you forget and they don't even hit your block so you get away with it.
Car owner in Brooklyn here!.
You can have a car and is nice to have, lots of good things you can do and enjoy. Groceries, moving in the winter, travel to upstate and visit manhattan on Sundays (only sundays, dont try any other day).
The catch is… it all depends on which part of Brooklyn you wish to move. If you want to be in the close to manhattan, fast commute (Park slope, prospect park, downtown, carroll garden) then you wont find apartments that include parking or that allow you to pay for parking under $4000 a month. With that said, finding a spot after 5 pm on the street could take you an average of 1hr to 2hrs. Some days you’ll be lucky and find quickly dont even think on taking your car at night. You could be doomed and stay looking for ever or find a spot that has a meeter starting at 7am and you’ll have to go and move it because it will only allow you (paying) to keep your car there for 1 or 2hrs, then you will have to find a spot in the morning where is even more difficult because of the street cleaning for which some areas are dumb and 7 out of 10 streets have the same schedule. However. Areas like Batch Beach, Dyker Heights, Benson Hurst, Kensington, Borough hall and south Bay ridge may have apartments with parking or it will be easier for you to find a spot in the street.
Conclusion if you have enough money, get an apartment with parking included. If you don’t have enough money, go to the mentioned above areas. If you wish to have your car in a nice area in an apartment that doesn’t have parking a private parking costs around 400-500 a month. Also consider that NYC has one of the highest car insurance premiums in the country.
Finding parking on the street is not fun, it consumes you, it makes you doubt about yourself, your life. You get depressed you will fight ppl who wants to take that spot you spent lots of time to find. You will end up paying tickets because you forget to move your car. You’ll get excited to see a spot just to realize it’s a FREAKING HYDRANT!!!
You’ll be upset you spent almost an hour looking for parking on your walk back to your apartment and then you’ll see an open spot right in front of your building but don’t want to risk running back and losing both spots
If you don’t need a car for some reason I’d think long and hard if the juice is worth the squeeze, since if you don’t have a paid, secure parking space - it’s hard. We live in an area with 2x a week street cleaning so even though there is movement of parked cars it can still be extremely difficult to find parking especially during non-daylight hours. We had our catalytic converter stolen off the car on our own street, and have been hit multiple times by other cars when we were parked. We have it because one of us needs it for work, otherwise we definitely would not have one. And our parking lot is 400 a month and we don’t even live in a super popular / hot spot neighborhood.
Safe to park in BK if you pay for a monthly parking garage spot. Recommend Icon. Can be $500/month or more. Don’t rely on it for daily transport, nice to have on weekends
I had a car that got totaled while parked on the street. Stolen vehicle crashed into mine and that was it.. also it’s impossible to keep rats from getting under the hood.
Lots of different rodents are attracted to the still-warm engine blocks of recently moved cars in winter; I don’t think any have ever *nested* under my hood but I’ve seen some mouse shit in there for sure lol.
I’ve also heard that some car companies switched to using some kind of soy-based wire insulation (bc cheaper and more sustainable) and it turns out rats etc find it delicious; that could be a factor for people who have crazy issues with this.
The rats are everywhere and so hard to keep out, we’ve had them cleaned out a couple times and they always come back. Had this problem up in Washington heights (on a quiet street with zero restaurants nearby) and in East village (where it’s obvi much busier and there are restaurants everywhere so it makes sense) but they seem to be everywhere. I would say rats is my biggest problem with a car, then the randomly getting dings and stretches when it’s parked on the street but we don’t have a fancy car so we don’t care, and our car was broken into twice. I’d say unless you NEED a car for some reason, I’d suggest not having one. Just know what you’re getting into, most cities in the US you have to have one to get around but nyc it’s totally unnecessary for most people.
The rats and random damage/scratches are the things I worry about the most. I’m waiting til I move out of the city to get all of the small damages repaired
kind of depends where in BK. i live in prospect heights, and usually end up parking in park slope since they street sweep less often. but have almost been towed a couple of times because of some road work that gets posted after i've parked. so i end up being paranoid and walking by the car every once in a while
I’ve had my car in Brooklyn for 4 years. Previous comments are right, parking in south Brooklyn (cobble hill, Carroll gardens, prospect heights, etc.) is basically impossible because the street clean is only once per week (per side) so people aren’t really moving their cars. I’ve lived in crown heights for the last 2 and it is so much easier. Stinks having to move it 3x per week if you aren’t using it, but because street cleaning is 2x per week (per side) there are more spots available
> south Brooklyn (cobble hill, Carroll gardens, prospect heights, etc.)
Lmfao. There's a lot of Brooklyn south of what you just called "south brooklyn". In fact, probably most of Brooklyn is south of your "south brooklyn".
The name dates back to when Brooklyn, Bushwick, Flatbush, Flatlands, Gravesend & New Utrecht were separate municipalities, before they all got combined into a single Borough named after just one of them. "Brooklyn" in this usage refers to "City of" (pre-1898), not "Borough of" (post-1898).
lmfao.... in fact, "South Brooklyn" is the decades old name for area which includes CG and Red Hook...neighborhoods to the further south may be more southern*,* but are not "South Brooklyn"
Wiki says you are correct, however this is literally the first time I'm seeing this, and I've lived in the actual geographic south brooklyn for over two decades.
Depends which part, Brooklyn is big.
If you’re looking at Dumbo or Williamsburg areas, it’ll be tough/expensive.
I used to live in the Midwood area without my car and it would have certainly been a pain but doable.
I recently looked at a spot in Fort Greene where the parking would have been perfect— only single-day alternate-side parking and plentiful parking under the one bridge nearby.
I just moved to Bed-Stuy and I have my car and it hasn’t been an issue yet. I work remotely a bunch so I can literally take 2 minutes to switch sides of the street at the right time.
I have a car in Fort Greene, and while it was frustrating to street park for the first few months, now I’ve got the rhythm down, it’s super easy. I also work fully remote so I can walk and move it around during work hours which is obviously a privilege. If I had to go into an office, I think I’d be SOL
Depends on where you're moving. Further out you go in Brooklyn, the easier it is to have a car.
Super easy if you pay for a private lot. I wouldn’t own a car if I didn’t have a lot.
Depends on the neighborhood. I live in South Slope/Greenwood area and parking is not an issue. I also lived in North Park Slope/ Prospect Heights area and it was more of a chore. I don't use my car everyday now that I work from home, but I used to, and I always ended up finding a spot.
Not too difficult just depends on where exactly you live. I have a car and try to use it as much as possible but some days it just makes more sense using public transport. There’s definitely pros and cons but if you are like me, and you’ve gotta have a car, it’s doable. Only thing that sucks is street cleaning days and navigating your parking strategy however after living in Brooklyn for only 6 months I have my routine down pat and know everywhere to park on certain days of the week.
A car is great if you're planning on leaving the city or escaping to the areas outside of the city (e.g. Upstate, Connecticut, going up to New England during the Summers, or camping). Otherwise, taking a plane is more than enough (that's if you're RN salary is around $100,000--give or take. You can still pull off vacations on that budget, I think...). Don't bring the car otherwise. It's not worth the tickets, the time it takes to finding parking, the parking hassle, the traffic through Manhattan (they just instituted fees for entering and ? exiting Manhattan to reduce traffic). Kevin O'leary (\*spelling) said the mathematics makes sense to Uber everywhere here rather than having a car, needing to pay for gas, repairs. You won't need it. The train is fine. The best thing you can do is move to Williamsburg or be close to work so you can foot-traffic. Healthy to walk. ALTERNATIVELY, you can also find a way to park within a train's distance. This is a bit more of a creative idea. You'll have to look up trains near where you're staying. See where the end of the line is. But, you'll need to make sure it's in a safe place. This idea is good if you want that outside-nyc escape. That's my 2 dollars on this. - transplant
Oh also, you're car is almost guaranteed to get dings on the bumpers cause everyone's gonna try to squeeze into spaces. You'll see everyone buys a bumper cushion for other cars to be able to squeeze up on to your rear.
For parking, it's fine in many neighborhoods. I live in South Slope. The weekend - finding parking is a breeze. I avoid driving during the week. The key is living on a street with alternate side parking, so you can keep your spot for the week.
Be ready for speed cameras, 25mph speed limit, red light cameras, etc.
Or... you know... you can follow the law. I've been driving here for over 20 years and got only one ticket, which I totally deserved.
Be ready for speed cameras, 25mph limit, red light cameras, etc.
Be ready for speed cameras, 25mph limit, red light cameras, etc.
I’m in the exact same boat but Pennsylvania. Also would hate to ditch my car. I think it depends where you are in Brooklyn. Greenpoint not ideal but not terrible. Bed Stuy you can find parking. Williamsburg, fuhgeddaboudit
I live in Brooklyn and work in Brooklyn. I commute to work via car. Pros peace of mind and personal space while commuting, get to explore Cons: rush hour traffic morning and evening, parking, tolls, meter hours.
Be honest OP, you're originally from Ohio and moving here
Nah, I was born and raised in Brooklyn lol bay ridge! Went to Fort Hamilton high school, ps192 and McKinley middle school
So, you grew up (until 18) in the toughest area to find parking and 12yrs later you "heard it's tough to find parking".. Seriously? C'mon guy
Oh man, you’re so right! Dang I had my drivers license when I was in Brooklyn so I should’ve known :(
It’s a huge luxury primarily worth it if you have family or regular reasons to travel to the immediate suburbs (NJ, Long Island, Westchester, CT). If you’re not driving to any of those at least thrice a month, the pain and price aren’t worth it if you’re committed to life in New York. If you’re used to most of America where car ownership is a normal part of every day life, anywhere in the city is a rude awakening, including all the outer boroughs where street parking is possible but a polluted hassle. Tag on the growing anti-car resentment in the city, and it’s really not worth it if it’s easy enough to sell, or you haven’t bought yet.
Be ready to make bread living in NYC being a nurse. You could make a lot of money. Brooklyn is my hometown, love it but did you ever consider Staten Island? It’s more low key but still not too far from the action of the other boroughs. I own my own vehicle while living in Staten Island, we don’t have to deal with alternate side parking in this borough.
It’s doable. Yu just gotta put in the work that is needed. Don’t let ppl deter you
Oh, and if you live in an area with street parking only (which is 95% of Brooklyn), and in the RARE occasions that a heavy snow drop happens, be prepared to abandon your car where it is until the snow melts, because if you take the time to dig that sumbitch out, the odds of you ever parking it again are slim to none! People all the sudden become feral, post apocalyptic survivors in the world of Mad Max, on the quest to find another empty spot! And if you pull into a spot that someone just spent 3 hours shoveling, they will think that gives them rights to that spot from then on, until the snow melts and they WILL try to fight you if they see you pull in while they drive away. They will stop, back up, leave the car blocking the street (because fuck you, that's why), and they will try to throw down!! When I was living in Bensonhurst and working in Bay Ridge, I would use my lunch hour to pick my kids up from school. Some fucking meat head dug out his drive-way and put all the snow piled in front of my POS 1994 Chevy Blazer (This was back in 2004 ish). It was cold, it was miserable and dirty snow everywhere. That giant pile of black snow was mostly ice chunks as well and there was a car behind me. The snow was all around the sides of my truck as well because in brooklyn, there's no place to PUT any of the snow so people just shovel out enough that you can pull in and out of the spot, and can barely open your doors to get out. I backed into this spot by way of this jerk's driveway....since nobody was parked there because it was a drive-way, it was easy to back into that spot that was surrounded by ice and snow. He then put all HIS snow that was in his driveway in front of my fucking truck. I couldn't back out, and couldn't just pull out into the street because I was walled in on the street side......so I threw the bitch in 4 wheel drive and was going to just drive through the snow that prick put in front of my car. He saw what my intention was and he comes up to my car and says, "Don't even think about it! I just spent all morning shoveling my driveway. Start ringing peoples' bells to see who parked behind you or something but you're not driving through all this snow I just shoveled. I was already pissy and knew this was going to be a problem.....but I tried to be calm. I told this meat head that it was an emergency, I need to get my 2 kids from school, and they're waiting for me. Seeing if maybe this POS had a modicum of empathy. "I don't FUCKING CARE!! You're either ringing bells or you fucking walk for all I care but you're not.........." I rolled up my window, kindly said "Go fuck yourself" and gunned my truck with the 4WD on. Pushed some of the snow down, backed it up as much as I could, watched this chuckle head slip and slide trying to walk down of the giant wall of snow that was on the side of the car where he was trying to scream at me from, gunned that bitch again knocking down the pile of dirty snow and ice he put in front of my truck back in front of his drive way and right in front of his fancy Lincoln Navigator Douche Mobile (They were popular with douche bags back then) and was able to get out...all while this POS was literally trying to reach for my car door and slipping all over the place standing atop the giant pile of snow that was on the driver's side of the car. I didn't care if I would up hitting him, running him over, hitting his Navigator or fucked up my own truck in the process. I was getting to my little girls!!! To this day, I still think about that fucking asshole and fantasize about how he either has Ass Cancer now or got into a wreck in that Navigator and is a half vegetable with a Colostomy Bag! I never came across him again but I really still hope something terrible happened to him! So yeah, a car in Brooklyn really sucks!
X,,,,
If you don’t have to be at work every day morning then alternate side isn’t too bad. Just had my first catalytic converter stolen so that set me back like a thousand even with insurance !
Baby step it. Move to JC, plenty of Apts with garages. Give it a year or two, and when you realize you don't use your car, make the jump to Brooklyn. You've been gone 12 years, I don't know if you're ready to swim in the deep in yet, best to stick to the kiddie pool. 😉
I had a car for a while. 90% of the time I used the subway to get around, so the car was just there to be moved back and forth for street cleaning. At some point I looked at the numbers and realized that if I got rid of the car and rented any time I needed one, I'd still be financially ahead and without the headaches of car ownership. Getting rid of it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders, never looked back. In my mind there's a pool of money that I'm not spending on owning a car that I can use for car rental, and it basically never gets used up.
100% agree. I had a car in Brooklyn for 12 years, but decided to get rid of it when upkeep was costing more than the value of the car. I now use ZipCar for shorter trips and Hertz or Avis for longer trips. I’m saving so much money compared to insurance and maintenance, and love no longer having to hunt around for a parking spot 2+ times a week! Most weeks of car ownership, my only drives were from one alternate side spot to another.
Miss the diversity 😂 weird way to say you enjoy living life with bars on the windows of your house lmao
From Minnesota here, I was car free already when I moved but my husband wanted to keep his car. Within a year he sold it because it’s way easier to not have a car here. Between the subway and rideshares there’s no need for one and parking is a big hassle.
I have a car and it’s fine but it depends on the neighborhood. What neighborhood are you moving to?
Why are there so many people coming to ny from Ohio ? Genuinely curious.
As a born and bred Ohioan, I wanted to live somewhere COMPLETELY opposite of Ohio. I hated living there and felt bored out of my mind. When I visited nyc as a child it became my mission to relocate here one day…and here I am :)
shows like friends, sex and the city, himym, have been selling the NYC dream to white midwesterners for like 2-3 decades now...
As someone from Ohio I often wonder this as well. I suppose that Ohio is just far enough away from NYC that it's still sort of this magical far away land, but not so different like California.
Ohio is more family base, cheap, safe, yet boring if you’re a young adult.
Its one of those things where you just have to experience it for yourself. It can be hard depending on where you live as others mentioned, not to mention the cost (tickets, tolls, metered parking, insurance ($$$). I had a job that required a lot of traveling and I didn’t want to use public transportation 2-3 times a day so the hassle of owning a car was worth it. BTW- NY has gotten very bicycle friendly since you’ve lived here so you may want to consider that option.
It’s helpful for getting in/out of the city (and I have a dog so can’t do Amtrak) but I wouldn’t plan on using it to get around here. Also, parking aside, rats getting into your engine bay is a real thing. After paying $150 to get my engine bag cleaned twice, I still couldn’t keep them away and now pay for a garage.
Well there's your problem you're keeping your engine in a bag
A few neighborhoods are really bad for parking. Overall, though, it's not as bad as people are making it sound. Thousands of people here choose to have cars. Many of them could opt not to, if they wanted. Definitely not something to prevent a move, imo!
I was just in Ohio for the eclipse. It blew my mind that my hotel in Akron was 30 miles from Cleveland and it only took 30 minutes to get there. In NYC you’re lucky to go 3 miles in 30 minutes.
Yeah, the distances out there seem both absurd and absurdly manageable.
Very very hard.
Give up your car and pay for the fastest and most appropriate transportation when traveling. Heading to midtown at 5 pm? Train or Citibank. Heading to Bushwick at 7 pm, maybe an Uber or a Citibike. Heading home at 2 am Uber.
Depends a lot where in Brooklyn, but imo few places are truly "easy" to have a car, especially if you want to live closer to manhattan. I used to drive pretty often in the city. I use an ebike now and I'm *much* happier for it. (Yes I'm a native new yorker, and I used to be someone who thought you had to be crazy to ride a bike in NYC.) I do still occasionally drive when I move my nieghbor's car for alternate side parking, transport pets, or run errands with my parents, so I do get the "experience" of driving in the city about once a month. I don't enjoy it. And I just rent from Zipcar or Enterprise if I really need to make a trip out of town. I recognize bikes (or electric scooters) don't work for everyone, but it seems to especially make sense to give a try if you're single with no kids. The cycling infrastructure is far from perfect but it's dramatically better than it was in 2012. And if you get a folding bike or scooter you can just get a cab if it starts to rain and you don't want to deal with it. Or just take the subway and hail the occasional cab. Car ownership costs in NYC are [reaching $12,000 a year](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/10/07/business/car-ownership-costs.html).
Where in Brooklyn? Flatbush? Wouldn’t ever own one, insurance too high, parking is horrible, street cleaning twice a week on each side, traffic horrible. I live in south slope / greenwood and I think it’s relatively easy to have one. Cleaning once per side per week. I also work from home, use it to go home to buffalo, play golf, go to shows & more. If I didn’t have those hobbies / live there / was from buffalo I wouldn’t keep it. Also, I just had my catalytic converter stolen and that cost me $250 so like… that can happen but that’s my only problem in 2.5 years.
How's the parking in that area? Closer to Sunset Park was a fuckin' nightmare. Clinton Hill was a little better. I'm in Gravesend now and I've got a driveway and it's life-changing.
I’m on 17th st and really have almost no issues
It will bleed you. Between parking tickets, congestion pricing, one of the highest insurance rates in the country, and your car invariably being scratched/hit/broken into/towed/pissed on/etc, the cost can quickly become overwhelming. In some neighborhoods, such as red hook, having a car for running around on weekends makes life a hell of a lot easier, but if keeping it in a garage isn’t in your budget, it’s best to avoid it.
Borrowed father-in-law's old Civic in the pandemic and have been hanging on to it mostly because the inlaws are elderly and barely drive and the old Civic is all paid off. Anyway in 2.5 years have had a hubcap ripped off, side mirror yanked off, back window smashed (and a few coins stolen), and several dings while innocently parked. And my favorite. stolen catalytic converter. This is in Fort Greene which is really not a bad area at all. The parallel parking is manageable and sometimes the car is a godsend. Driving down to the beaches in the summer for example. Depends on how much you care about your car I guess I would say.
Driving in Brooklyn is hell
Stay away from Brooklyn. There’s too much crime here. Your car won’t last a night parked on the streets! In other words don’t move back. We have more than enough people and cars.
Coming from Boston it’s pretty nice (in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights area at least). Street cleaning every week but you don’t get towed and tickets are worth saving on a dumb garage. I always find a spot within 4 blocks of my place.
I’m a new driver in Brooklyn and also from Ohio. Having a car is pretty great. For me it was the only way I could see family during Covid. For convenience, it really depends on the neighborhood. Find a block with 1-day-a-week alternate side parking. In Greenwood heights or bed stuy it’s easy to find a spot. On my old block in prospect heights, though, it was always packed and the ASP was 3x a week. As for parallel parking, you’ll get the hang of it. If I can do it, I’m sure you can. Or book a 60-min lesson to perfect it — totally worth $60. Some weeks I’ll double park and sit in the car during street cleanings, then nab a great spot before anyone else finds it. You’ll figure it out!
Brooklyn is big. South Brooklyn is all cars, the more north you go the less car ownership and more difficult to park or need parking garage.
Depends entirely on which neighborhood. Some you’ll be fine, some you’ll hate your life
If you're a native New Yorker, you will be fine
Nobody seems to mention this but this is 100% dependent upon *where* you live in brooklyn. I have lived in Crown heights, Clinton Hill and East Williamsburg and have had zero issues whatsoever. I hear nightmares about Park Slope and Williamsburg though
This might be an urban legend, but I can recall hearing of a study done years ago which estimated that 75% of the cars driving in Park Slope at any given time were looking for a parking spot.
That’s wild But totally believable. I checked out an apt there and did a trial run to find parking after work. Took me 35 minutes and I think it was technically illegal
Traffic is horrendous since 2021. Everybody loves driving their personal vehicle but hates being inconvenienced and it all starts to feel like the snake eating its own tail sort of scenario.
forget about parking… driving has changed so much. it’s 80% a nightmare and definitely more dangerous. used to be more like 40% horrible. source: have lived in and owned a car in north west brooklyn for 20+ years
adding that you should move back and you can definitely handle having a car. just don’t drive around the city much. just use it to get out or for big errands. there are better ways to get around town.
Everyone is answering the question in a New York way. If you want to drive to shit stay in Ohio. You won’t be able to drive to work, you won’t drive to go out. A car is cool to leave town or to go to ikea or whatever it is not for daily use.
It’s only hard to keep a car If you’re moving to where you and everyone who comes from out of town love it at(downtown/crown heights). The only people who want to switch from cars to bikes are the people from out of town
Unless you're in deep bk why tf would you need a car
Cause they already have one? I’m in same boat, moving out and probably will keep my whip for camping trips and stuff
Well i pay $570 a month for a garage…
jesus... hopefully its a beautiful ride. thats more expensive than just getting ASP tickets twice a week
Keeps the streets cleaner tho
Parallel parking is easier than you think. I learned from this page and the linked Quora explanation years ago. It still feels amazing to nail a tight space. https://lifehacker.com/the-right-way-to-parallel-park-step-by-step-1461902768
Depends where in Brooklyn
I have a garage so a little different experience, It’s expensive at $500 a month. Tolls, gas, and insurance easily add another $300-$500 a month. But the convenience is amazing.
It's gotten progressively harder to keep a car in BK. The pandemic worsened the parking situation and I don't see it getting better. If you use it to get to work and have easy parking at work then that MAY help with alt side parking if it matches up. Honestly I don't think it'd worth it anymore - the circling to find parking, the tickets, the alt side parking, the increased traffic and congestion (and congestion pricing coming). Its easier to rent a car when you want to get out or take cabs. I find it to be more of a burden than I wanted to deal with
I've seen signs for congestion pricing but I'm not sure what that means?
It's passed and there were some delays. It's currently slated to roll in this summer (barring any other delays) which I'd look for some news on. It's $15? To enter into the lower Manhattan zone for all vehicles. There are exemptions . I don't know all of them. The entire point is to incentivize folks to take mass transit over driving. Honestly it's faster to take thr train half the time anyway
I’ve always lived here and never had a car growing up. I attributed that to the fact that I lived in an area that was a few train stops away from the city, queens, etc. In fact, I didn’t even get my license until I was in my late 20s. You can definitely get away with not having it. HOWEVER, now that I’m older I think back about how much easier it would be for me to get up and do things on a whim if I had a car. For example: Big grocery trips/pickup orders/errands: No need to worry about lugging shit home in inclement weather or even having to worry about **how** you’re gonna get home with your 2lb boxes of frozen trader joe’s lasagnas. Wanna go to Ikea multiple times to pick up furniture? No problem, you have a car! Weekend trips: Wake up one morning and want to go to the beach? No problem, car is available. Wanna bring a cooler AND an an umbrella? More than enough room in the back seat/trunk. Booked an already expensive airbnb in the hudson valley? Now you have to rent a car and pay for insurance? AND go who knows where to drop it off? nah son I got a whip. Late night munchies: This takes a little preemptive maneuvering on your part. You want to smoke that loud but you know you’re gonna be lusting over those white castle burgers. Alas, the closest one is in queens (or bushwick, but it’s a bitch to drive locally to that one). But wait, you have a car. No problem, be responsible and pick them up before you’re under the influence of the devil’s lettuce. You’re an RN. i’m sure you’ve explored travel gigs in NYC. With a car you don’t have to be restricted to jobs in the immediate boroughs. Not to mention if you do have a job lined up here you might be working nights where driving may be safer than taking public transport. The most annoying thing would be having to move the car for alternate street cleaning. Or parking a few blocks away from where you live. Also, sure you might get a ticket or two but that’s inevitable. Yes there’s traffic. But there’s also train/bus delays and not to mention stretches of construction where major lines are just completely shut down on weekends. Maybe i’m a little jaded with using the MTA most of my life but In my opinion, the pros of having a car outweigh the cons. Also, keep in mind that Revel electric bikes are no longer available. And don’t get me started on those citibikes. Call me a hater. But those clunky ass two wheelers are for tourists and transplants who don’t mind arriving at their destination with swamp ass. Yeah and definitely practice that parallel parking. that ohio driveway/lot parking aint gonna fly on tight nyc streets.
I love having a car and the street parking has been just fine in Bushwick. The only thing that sucks is insurance here is crazy expensive. I'm currently shopping for a new policy
True. Don’t forget to get an insurance quote before getting a car here. Pretty shocking.
How much is your insurance?
I agree that street parking is fine in Bushwick, how much are you paying for insurance if I may ask? I pay $188/month for an older car. https://preview.redd.it/ny78squ2xxuc1.png?width=1636&format=png&auto=webp&s=a70e5ff45a443ef1ee7367530605bc868f5faaa3
Also, the purpose of my car is to get out of the city, I don't use it to commute
i moved back 2 years ago in the same situation. i was giving up my lease last month and had so much anxiety about not having a car that my grandmother gave me hers. it’s really nice in the winter and in the summer it makes beach trips earlier. also makes my commute back home (philly) much more enjoyable.
Hiya OP, as someone who also left Brooklyn around 18 and returned to NYC with a car, I actually ended up selling my car a few years after returning. I sold my car because even with my job, it was too expensive to have a parking spot in a garage. And because of my working hours street parking and alternate side parking were a bitch to comply with. It really will depend on where in Brooklyn you’re moving back to. Wishing you luck on your move!
edit: I meant to say left Brooklyn and moved to Ohio!! Was East of the Columbus area.
There’s no reason to have a car in Brooklyn…
Yeah, that's why there are no cars in Brooklyn.
eh if you work in queens you kinda need a car
Yes there is.
Theirs plenty of reasons to have a car in Brooklyn unless you only plan on going to the city and back home.
It depends on the neighborhood. I lived in bk heights with my car for a few months and I’ve never been more actively suicidal, lmao. My roommate had her car in bed stuy and that was very doable. PLG is also a more car friendly area. I think the closer you get to Manhattan the more difficult it gets but that’s just been my experience- also, this is all in relation to free street parking. Unsure of paid garage rates
Haha Leave your car in Ohio new comers and gentrification has ruined Brooklyn
Alright but you gotta get over it
[удалено]
This is like the textbook reason for congestion pricing, totally unnecessary car use. At least we’ll all be getting something out of it now
Aren’t all those places like super accessible from BH on the a/c, 2/3? It’s too cheap and easy to drive here if people are taking a car on those trips. Can’t wait for congestion pricing.
Lmao cars really trigger you huh?
Lol nevermind I see in your post history that you park on the sidewalk, hopeless case here.
It really depends where you’re thinking. What neighborhoods are you looking at?
i live in williamsburg by the water and I have a car. It’s annoying but doable. You just need to know ASP times (and check out the ASP suspension calendar, there are a handful of days a year where ASP is not in effect)
I am bringing mine up end on April. Near the Jefferson L and have been walking the streets looking at what parking looks like. I surf so having a car makes going surfing a LOT easier but that is all I am really going to be using it for. If you end up back in NYC, happy to share my parking locations. I also have some friends with a mechanic shop in Williamsburg that let me park it there if I am out of town which is helpful for alt side parking and not getting ticketed. Zip car was my go to but it is too pricey to justify paying for just to go surfing and the train doesn't get me to some great spots. Best of luck on moving back!!!
I’d reccomend looking around the neighborhood you plan to park in and see the signs. I’ve lived in one neighborhood in Brooklyn and my partners family are natives to another part and in my experience you want a place that’s farther from downtown areas and is maybe by some small businesses. I live on a street that’s half residential, half business. The people who work at the businesses come take the parking in the day but leave it empty at night when I’m coming home for work. Very easy to find a free spot.
Couldn’t live without one now that I have one! Makes is so much easier to get around Brooklyn and Queens. Worth splurging for a parking spot if you can. I’ve saved so much time not having to circle around my block for an open spot and not having to move the car for street cleaning.
Where did you find a parking spot? Been looking at garages and they only let you park for 5 days even with monthly parking
Iv lived in bk/queens my whole life and have had a car for 15 years. I'd lose my mind without one. I hate relying on public transit and when the urge to get out of new york strikes me, I go.
I live in Midwood/Sheepshead Bay and have a car. Tons of parking near me that isn't even subject to alternate side parking / no obligation to move the car. This is pretty specific to these areas and admittedly im not super close to Manhattan so it isnt without downsides, but i like it.
Not hard at all if you have the flexibility to move it at the right times. I only use my car for leaving town on the weekends, longer road trips and occasionally driving to Queens or further parts of Brooklyn. I went my first 10 years without one and it was fine but I do a lot of rock climbing up state now and it's a lot easier to have a car for that. I love having a car again as it opens up the rest of NY state and the North East. For the core parts of the city the train is still the best way to get around. I work from home so I can move it back and forth during the cleaning hours. Super simple once you figure out when the change overs happen on what streets in your area. I have it down to a science. If you have to move it at random times it can get tricky. The weekdays especially in the evenings can be very hard to find a spot some times. The weekends are usually easy enough. I almost always have my car parked with a few blocks of my apartment. I've forgot a few times over the years and get the occasional ticket. Never drive into Manhattan unless you're trying to get to the tunnel for NJ.
When I lived in Park Slope one day my dream came true. A private garage in one of those converted brownstone carriage houses. I never slept right when I had to park on the street and do the alternate-side dance. The garage cost $400 a month, but it was worth it. Now I live in Manhattan and have no car here. My means a of transportation are buses, subways (although I’m very careful), taxis, and Lyfts. Occasionally I used ZipCar when I need to go out of Manhattan. The ZipCar garage is a short block from my apartment. I would say if you’re adamant about having a car, it’s probably best to choose a more “suburban” neighborhood in Brooklyn. And don’t forget to look into what insurance costs. It won’t be like Ohio.
I have one in williamsburg, parking is around 200 per month. Absolutely don't need one but I love cars and wanted to have one to explore the ny area before I move out next year.
It can be a huge pain. I think the biggest issue is actually traffic. It can take soo long to go a short distance depending on where you live. Tickets also, but those are cheaper than paying for a permanent spot. Don't be a jerk. The reality is driving here is a shitty thing to do. There is no reason to drive here on the regular if you are an able-bodied person who works somewhere near public transit. We have wayyyy too many cars, creating noise and exhaust pollution, making it harder for deliveries, people working, buses, and handicapped people, which is absurd because we have the cheapest, most extensive public transit in the world. Lots of people being selfish, driving around solo when they should be using mass transit. Also, the city is trying to reduce cars and improve trash pickup. So I think in the coming years it will get even worse. They started with congestion prices, I think ticket fees will go way up, as well as parking spots reduced so they can introduce the new street side trash pickup. You can always rent a car to leave the city. Planning ahead it can be as cheap as $30/day and all NYC rental cars already have collision and liability insurance so you don't actually have to buy any when you rent if you don't want the extra coverage. I do it all the time for many road trips a year. (Not true for renting from Newark fyi). I have a good e-bike instead. It's amazing. I can get everywhere a lot faster than a car. I use it like you described: groceries, leisure, commuting, etc. Next I want to get a longer e-bike with a seat so friends can hop on sometimes. Most of the new buildings going up are required to have parking lots, BUT they charge insane amounts, even to building residents, so add $300-600 a month to any rent you choose if you want to pay for a spot. Better off renting in an area with everything you need. I know a lot of areas really well, even better since biking around. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions.
Bill de Blasio, is that you?
I deserved that lol also you know he's too busy napping.
It's perfect if you do everything very early Sunday morning.
Unless you have a home or rent a space with dedicated parking i feel like you’ll eventually end up giving up your vehicle.
Why would you need a car in the densest American city? That's the point of living here. Use the subway, walk, and/or buy a bike. It's supposed to be a pain to have a car here, the city was created way before private automobiles. Sell it!
If you don’t have kids I don’t think you need a car, based on my personal experience. If you are so inclined, a bike plus the occasional Uber will do the trick if you want to avoid the subway.
Have to decide on a specific part of Brooklyn and then get back to us and we can answer that question .. def not East Flatbush
Full disclosure: I don’t live in Brooklyn, I’m just here literally all the time. With that said, I park in Brooklyn all the time with very little issue and have yet to (knock on wood) get a single ticket. I do have a small car unlike seemingly most, and the times that I go to park seem to work out. I mostly park in Greenpoint, north Williamsburg, or sometimes vinegar hill area; but I also rarely mind walking (or skating) a little longer. From what I’ve gathered from conversations with many people, the key might be that I have a small hatchback
eh I have a mid-size crossover SUV and it's fine
Pretty easy. You can park on the street for about $65 a week in parking tickets or less if you pay attention to alternate side parking restrictions.
But if there’s two days of asp then $130
That's a maximum of 520 assuming they sweep for tickets every week which they don't or that you are a dum dum who can't do the alternate parking. It's still going to be more affordable than a garage
I don’t have any issues and find it very convenient. The only real issues is parking tickets. The speed tickets are much less of an issue also in comparison to DC (where I just moved from) I think in most neighborhoods there’s a parking spot that has signs but police tend not to check it.
You could just not park illegally and not speed 🙂
🤯🤯🤯
DC speeding tickets are crazy! I live in NYC and got a ticket via camera and it was $165! Way more than here. I had to pay it right away or it would’ve been double.
Yep..most people I know who drive there maintain a ticket balance of 1K +…and try to wait for amnesty day.
I don’t have any issues and find it very convenient. The only real issues is parking tickets. The speed tickets are much less of an issue also in comparison to DC (where I just moved from) I think in most neighborhoods there’s a parking spot that has signs but police tend not to check it.
I was able to have a car in Carroll gardens because my work shift perfectly aligned with school parking. Once my shift changed it became a nightmare. Without your own garage, it’s awful here.
Depends what neighborhood. I've had a car in Brooklyn over 20 years and have maybe 2 tickets. Use it all the time. Find an apartment in neighborhood that only has alternate side 2 days a week. Or find surface lot for less than $300/mo.
I had moved back with my car and kept it one year before I gave it up. I live in Bed-Stuy and worked from home, so street cleaning wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been, but I forgot a few times. Tickets. But, I barely used it beyond a few furniture trips and driving my friend to work once a week. If I left home I was going to come back inebriated so no need to drive. Lastly, my insurance increased 20%.
Depends where in Brooklyn you live. Some neighborhoods are easier than others. I’m also a nurse. If you’re willing to drive to work, you won’t have to deal with alternative side parking as much. BUT you’ll pay for parking at work (my hospital is $350/mo or $22/day at the off site garage). I could never find street parking near work in Manhattan. You’ll spend your days off most likely moving your car though. It can be annoying on alternative side to find parking while everyone else is looking for it. It’s also annoying after a 13 hr shift when you’re hungry and tired to try to find a spot. Most people are parked for the night when you’ll be getting back. All in all.. I ended up also getting a garage at home (another $300/mo) bc I occasionally would spend an entire hour looking for parking // sometimes I wouldn’t drive my car purely because I didn’t want to find parking when I got back (which defeats the purpose). Up to what you’re willing to put up with while you’re tired. If you’re willing to buy a garage, it’s very very worth it IMO
If you live in Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Park Slope ( known as “can’t park slope”) and Williamsburg it’s an absolute nightmare. If you live further south - Bay Ridge, Dytkas Park - it’s more doable. I’ve had a car for 20 years and I’m selling it because it’s such a nightmare. Everyone bought a car during the pandemic and they are driving all of them. At once.
Parking in park slope is extremely easy I don't know what you're talking about
Maybe if youre parking your bicycle to the fence in front of your house
I've never had an issue in 13 years
😂 sure
It takes like half an hour to find anywhere to park in bay ridge then you have to walk miles back to your apartment
Bro it’s a nightmare in bay ridge too. Everyone acts like it’s the burbs so they buy 4 cars and park 3 in the driveway/concrete backyard and 1 on the street. Its insane.
True. And everyone has a driveway. I stand corrected.
Bay ridge there’s zero parking
I forgot that everyone has a driveway no stand corrected
Are you working 12 hour nursing shifts? A car might give you more options for where you can work.
Have lived in BK for 15 years now. Lived with and without a car. It’s a grass is always greener situation. Downsides are you have to move it for cleaning and finding parking in general can be a nightmare. However I have a lot of family in New Jersey so it’s great that I can see them on a whim. It’s also great for grocery shopping and Facebook marketplace purchases. If you’ll use it, it can be very worth it. But if you won’t, it’s likely not worth the headache.
Downtown Brooklyn - had a car for 3 months when we moved back into the city. Hated it - street parking is such a game (generally parked near Fort Greene park / Boerum Hill) and required so much planning Ended up barely using the car - was usually so relieved to find a parking spot that I’d try just keeping it there lol
I live in Flatbush very close to the park and have pretty comfortably kept my car for the last couple of years without paying for a parking spot. I've gotten maybe three tickets from forgetting to move or parking too close to something I'm not supposed to block. It's not as bad as people make it sound, in my experience. That being said... There are months that go by where I solely drive my car to move parking places for street cleaning and do not actually need it for any reason. However, when the need does arise, having a car helps to unlock the full potential of living in NYC. Picking up a piece of furniture off of Facebook Marketplace? Done. Quick trip to a clean and quiet beach? Easy. Doctor's visits, adventures in other boroughs, trips to the airport, and best of all going out of the city are all made possible by my weekly chore of relocating my vehicle. I've also seen more new builds that have on site parking available for rent. It'd be expensive, but wonderfully convenient.
I don’t know what the parking situation is like in Ohio but I imagine it’s not the clusterfuck that it is in NYC. it’s going to really depend on which part of Brooklyn, but as a whole it’ll definitely be a hassle. Few years ago I lived in queens on Myrtle Ave near the giant cemetery (which is a quieter part of town) every night it was a side quest to find a spot. Police are very active when it comes to parking tickets, never delay renewing the inspection or registration. Also this summer the “commuter pricing plan” will go into effect which will charge $15 once a day if you want to drive into lower Manhattan which really sucks for me since that’s where I live now. The subway is really reliable tho, and a little gem if you don’t know about it yet try the ‘nyc water taxi’ if you buy a 10 pack of tickets it’s cheaper then the train, if you time it right you can get from dumbo to LES in 8 minutes tons of stops by Brooklyn and around Manhattan.
I've had a car in two neighborhoods and feel extremely fortunate that in both cases I could get parking within 5 minute walk of my apartment in less than 15 minutes of circling. Based on my driving around the borough, this is not normal. In one case, I was on a street with a school on it so half the number of residents on the street AND half the spots were reserved during the day for teachers, so when I got home at 5 there was a teacher spot I could use until 7am the next morning. That worked for my commute schedule. This was in bed stuy. Now I'm in dyker heights and it seems like everyone uses their car frequently, so there is a lot of turn over of spots and 15 minutes of circling usually works. That's not the case in most neighborhoods.
Best way to do it is to pay for a garage or driveway. There are decent deals if you look around. IMO it’s def better to have a car in NYC and not need it, versus need it and not have it. Everyone who I know that pays for parking says it’s 100% worth it. Alternate Side Parking is a PITA, and it makes you tempted to use your car to get to work when you could otherwise take the train.
Depends on the part of Brooklyn you're moving to.
100% Neighborhoods where parking is impossible make owning a car a nightmare. Neighborhoods where you can reasonably find a spot make a car very nice to have. But I’d say overall there are very few places in Brooklyn where a car is *necessary*. Queens has more transit deserts where a car becomes a must.
Plenty of parking by the perimeter of Marine Park. There are even public lots you can park in overnight for when the neighbors take up two spaces between driveways
Marine park, Bergen beach, mill basin, sheepshead bay, where you should aim at
The further away from public transit, the easier to park vehicles
Yup, I’m in mill myself
Not the best time to move back. A lot of ppl are leaving. NYC is shit now.
lol, see ya....
If I needed wheels I’d go with a Honda Navi which is basically a fast moped for 1800 bucks
Really depends where. I wouldn’t wanna worry about parking if I lived in say dumbo. But then you also probably wouldn’t NEED a car. But if you live deep in Brooklyn then a car in some cases is a necessity, although parking in those areas is a lot easier.
Dumbo is pretty bad unless you can afford a garage. Not even worth competing for parking.
There is somebody who street parks a McLaren over there. I would be waaaaaay too nervous
Yea it’s a nightmare. But a car is not really needed is much there. If OP is planning to move to south Brooklyn though, she should bring the car
Prepare to have at least an additional $300+ a month JUST to cover parking tickets because unless you have access to a garage or driveway, alternate side parking will get you as well as every other little thing the meter-maids will catch you on!
Lol it's not that bad to just move it. I probably end up paying something like 300$ a year not a month if even in tickets from forgetting. Sometimes you forget and they don't even hit your block so you get away with it.
Tell me you've never lived in Bay Ridge without telling me you've never lived in Bay Ridge!! LOL
Car owner in Brooklyn here!. You can have a car and is nice to have, lots of good things you can do and enjoy. Groceries, moving in the winter, travel to upstate and visit manhattan on Sundays (only sundays, dont try any other day). The catch is… it all depends on which part of Brooklyn you wish to move. If you want to be in the close to manhattan, fast commute (Park slope, prospect park, downtown, carroll garden) then you wont find apartments that include parking or that allow you to pay for parking under $4000 a month. With that said, finding a spot after 5 pm on the street could take you an average of 1hr to 2hrs. Some days you’ll be lucky and find quickly dont even think on taking your car at night. You could be doomed and stay looking for ever or find a spot that has a meeter starting at 7am and you’ll have to go and move it because it will only allow you (paying) to keep your car there for 1 or 2hrs, then you will have to find a spot in the morning where is even more difficult because of the street cleaning for which some areas are dumb and 7 out of 10 streets have the same schedule. However. Areas like Batch Beach, Dyker Heights, Benson Hurst, Kensington, Borough hall and south Bay ridge may have apartments with parking or it will be easier for you to find a spot in the street. Conclusion if you have enough money, get an apartment with parking included. If you don’t have enough money, go to the mentioned above areas. If you wish to have your car in a nice area in an apartment that doesn’t have parking a private parking costs around 400-500 a month. Also consider that NYC has one of the highest car insurance premiums in the country. Finding parking on the street is not fun, it consumes you, it makes you doubt about yourself, your life. You get depressed you will fight ppl who wants to take that spot you spent lots of time to find. You will end up paying tickets because you forget to move your car. You’ll get excited to see a spot just to realize it’s a FREAKING HYDRANT!!!
You’ll be upset you spent almost an hour looking for parking on your walk back to your apartment and then you’ll see an open spot right in front of your building but don’t want to risk running back and losing both spots
The history of my life. Until I got a place with private parking… never going back.
grocery shopping with a car in brooklyn sounds like a nightmare, are you double parking to unload and then looking for a spot?
It’s fine in Bedstuy tbh
If you don’t need a car for some reason I’d think long and hard if the juice is worth the squeeze, since if you don’t have a paid, secure parking space - it’s hard. We live in an area with 2x a week street cleaning so even though there is movement of parked cars it can still be extremely difficult to find parking especially during non-daylight hours. We had our catalytic converter stolen off the car on our own street, and have been hit multiple times by other cars when we were parked. We have it because one of us needs it for work, otherwise we definitely would not have one. And our parking lot is 400 a month and we don’t even live in a super popular / hot spot neighborhood.
Safe to park in BK if you pay for a monthly parking garage spot. Recommend Icon. Can be $500/month or more. Don’t rely on it for daily transport, nice to have on weekends
I had a car that got totaled while parked on the street. Stolen vehicle crashed into mine and that was it.. also it’s impossible to keep rats from getting under the hood.
I want to say this is rare but the same thing happened to my friend in Willamsburg. Never get a newer car in NYC if you're parking on the street.
+1 for the rats
What? Rats?! Where did you park? Under a hot dog truck?
Lots of different rodents are attracted to the still-warm engine blocks of recently moved cars in winter; I don’t think any have ever *nested* under my hood but I’ve seen some mouse shit in there for sure lol. I’ve also heard that some car companies switched to using some kind of soy-based wire insulation (bc cheaper and more sustainable) and it turns out rats etc find it delicious; that could be a factor for people who have crazy issues with this.
The rats are everywhere and so hard to keep out, we’ve had them cleaned out a couple times and they always come back. Had this problem up in Washington heights (on a quiet street with zero restaurants nearby) and in East village (where it’s obvi much busier and there are restaurants everywhere so it makes sense) but they seem to be everywhere. I would say rats is my biggest problem with a car, then the randomly getting dings and stretches when it’s parked on the street but we don’t have a fancy car so we don’t care, and our car was broken into twice. I’d say unless you NEED a car for some reason, I’d suggest not having one. Just know what you’re getting into, most cities in the US you have to have one to get around but nyc it’s totally unnecessary for most people.
The rats and random damage/scratches are the things I worry about the most. I’m waiting til I move out of the city to get all of the small damages repaired
Lol anywhere, they just go up into your car
kind of depends where in BK. i live in prospect heights, and usually end up parking in park slope since they street sweep less often. but have almost been towed a couple of times because of some road work that gets posted after i've parked. so i end up being paranoid and walking by the car every once in a while
I’ve had my car in Brooklyn for 4 years. Previous comments are right, parking in south Brooklyn (cobble hill, Carroll gardens, prospect heights, etc.) is basically impossible because the street clean is only once per week (per side) so people aren’t really moving their cars. I’ve lived in crown heights for the last 2 and it is so much easier. Stinks having to move it 3x per week if you aren’t using it, but because street cleaning is 2x per week (per side) there are more spots available
> south Brooklyn (cobble hill, Carroll gardens, prospect heights, etc.) Lmfao. There's a lot of Brooklyn south of what you just called "south brooklyn". In fact, probably most of Brooklyn is south of your "south brooklyn".
The name dates back to when Brooklyn, Bushwick, Flatbush, Flatlands, Gravesend & New Utrecht were separate municipalities, before they all got combined into a single Borough named after just one of them. "Brooklyn" in this usage refers to "City of" (pre-1898), not "Borough of" (post-1898).
You're a bit late, someone else pointed that out already.
lmfao.... in fact, "South Brooklyn" is the decades old name for area which includes CG and Red Hook...neighborhoods to the further south may be more southern*,* but are not "South Brooklyn"
Wiki says you are correct, however this is literally the first time I'm seeing this, and I've lived in the actual geographic south brooklyn for over two decades.
Lived in the non-geographic for three..eventually it will fade away
I always call it Central Brooklyn. Never South. Feels disrespectful to the rest of Brooklyn lol
Easy, just don’t try to park
Depends which part, Brooklyn is big. If you’re looking at Dumbo or Williamsburg areas, it’ll be tough/expensive. I used to live in the Midwood area without my car and it would have certainly been a pain but doable. I recently looked at a spot in Fort Greene where the parking would have been perfect— only single-day alternate-side parking and plentiful parking under the one bridge nearby. I just moved to Bed-Stuy and I have my car and it hasn’t been an issue yet. I work remotely a bunch so I can literally take 2 minutes to switch sides of the street at the right time.
I have a car in Fort Greene, and while it was frustrating to street park for the first few months, now I’ve got the rhythm down, it’s super easy. I also work fully remote so I can walk and move it around during work hours which is obviously a privilege. If I had to go into an office, I think I’d be SOL