Which amenity would draw you to a building more—parking or storage space?
For many of us, nirvana would come in the form of endless storage space—imagine not having to shove things under your bed or in the corners of already crowded closets. For others, a parking space to call your own would make living here all the more heavenly. Meet five New Yorkers with definite opinions on this topic:
All you need’s a MetroCard No apartment I've ever lived in has had enough closet space for all my shoes, let alone bulky items like air-conditioner units. Plus, I need a car in New York City like I need Trump in the White House: I'd rather pay for MetroCards and cab fare than auto insurance.—Camille, Carroll Gardens (pictured below)
Oh, to skip alternate-side car-sitting! I lived in Ridgewood for 15 years. Approximately five of those 15 years were exclusively spent in my car, desperately trying to find a parking spot on alternate-side days and post-snowstorms. My kids learned the days of the week as ‘Sunday, Monday, Mom Moves the Car Day...’ We finally moved to a neighborhood where I actually have a driveway. I would gladly pick an apartment with room for nothing but the clothes on my back. I now know what it is to park at will and conveniently and I. AM. NEVER. GOING BACK.—Shana, Middle Village
Free to roadtrip If it was included in the price of the apartment, there’s nothing I’d want more than a parking spot, especially right now as I’m in major "shedding possessions" mode. They weigh me down but having a car accessible at a moment's notice would give me freedom!—Laura, Midtown
No ifs, ands, or buts Items in the back of a closet are forgotten and a storage unit becomes a transitional stage for expendable junk fated for donation. Throw in the hassles of negotiating the city’s vast and varied street parking rules, the agony of digging out a car post snowstorm and trying to find a parking space again if you dare to move it and the rare but real possibility of a random act of vandalism—I’d take a parking space any day of the week.—Eric, Inwood
Who drives anyway? This is New York I don’t drive, I don’t own a car and my mother saved all my childhood clothes, none of which fit in my oven anymore. An extra storage space of my own would be heavenly.—Lisa, Upper West Side
Verdict: A slight edge to parking!
