Planet 9

CobaltCroc · #1 05-03-2009, 09:26 AM

Hi All,

I'll be driving my new Cayman to NYC next week and will park it overnight. I used to park my car at the garage at Lincoln Center, self park and very safe IMHO. Since they have a lot of construction going on there I would like to find another parking garage. Any ideas? My meetings are always either Uptown or Midtown. I know that many valet garages have very nice and expensive cars, but I also know how they drive them.... cold engine, floor it to the next level, etc...

Any tips? Thanks!

Best,
Philip

gonzo · #2 05-03-2009, 10:43 AM

The one and only time I parked my Cayman in Manhattan was in March. I was staying at the Waldorf-Astoria and used their garage with valet service. No issues with any damage or mistreatment of the car. I am not sure whether they park cars for non-guests, but you could call and find out. They charged me $50 for overnight parking. My only issue with them was I believe one of their attendants absconded with a pair of my cheap sunglasses that I left on the dash. Good luck.

Cayman718 · #3 05-03-2009, 12:05 PM

I park in Manhattan pretty often. I always tip $5 when I drop off the car and let them know I'll be tipping when I return as well. I ask them if they can keep it somewhere safe because it's perfect and doesn't have any dings or scratches. They usually leave it right up front.

Superman · #4 05-03-2009, 10:15 PM

Where to park in NYC? LOL.

Let's see, I had a BMW Z3 keyed all over the hood in NYC on a beautiful Summer night. So the next day, not yet 24 hours after the key incident, I used a parking garage in NYC. I asked the parking attendant to put the the car "someplace safe" and tipped him well too. He then proceeded to back into a concrete pole! I heard the sound and was not even out of the garage yet. Oh... the parking service paid for the repair. When I called them they asked me, "is this repair for the Mercedes or the BMW"?

Rent a SUV to drive to NYC. Be sure to take the full damage zero deductible insurance. Leave the Cayman home!

CobaltCroc · #5 05-04-2009, 07:57 AM

Yeah, I'm thinking of renting a car, but the second I'll leave the city I'll regret it... Once you are clear of all the potholes the drive home is awesome - in the cayman, and really annoying in the rental car...

There has to be a good place to park.... Maybe I'll ask Jerry Seinfeld - he has a real nice garage on the upper west side for his babies.

Exit125 · #6 05-08-2009, 10:45 AM

I like the battery parking garage downtown. It's self park, safe, and there are tons of exotic cars parked there every day. It's basically on the west side highway by the battery tunnel.

I've seen too many parking attendants damage cars to trust them.

**Magnetic K** · #7 05-08-2009, 06:00 PM

When I drive into NYC, I try to take one of my beater cars. The one that has no collision insurance, over 10 years old, so that if it is dinged, scratched, or broken into, I would care less than with a Porsche.

However, one option would be to park where the real estate is more expensive than yours, so that you are less of a target. The Time Warner Center Mandarin Oriental parking garage. Your car will be considered part of the plebian crowd, next to the Rolls, Bentleys, and Ferraris. A good spot for the upper west side parking, while dining at Jean George, Per Se, or Masa. This option is not inexpensive.

Otherwise, take the beater and park on the street, to save $50.

CobaltCroc · #8 05-11-2009, 08:05 AM

Thanks for all the suggestions. I ended up parking at Lincoln Center again, which worked out fine. But I like the battery park garage idea, I'll check it out next time.

The biggest issue is driving down and back through Jersey, the amount of debris on the road combined with all the potholes makes driving kinda of a nightmare. Once I reach the Delaware Water Gap I always feel better.

Although the roads in PA suck too...

But when I drive a rental car (I don't have a beater), I almost pass out of boredom and wish I had my croc.

But everytime I drive the cayman to the city I come home with at least 5 new rock chips... The accountant says that I need to drive it to see my clients if I want to write off part of the car.