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Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Baby won't you park my car
A couple of the most often asked questions that I hear when showing properties are: "Where's the closest garage?" and "Do you have any idea how much they charge?" Here's a tool that can help answer those two questions with a great level of choice and details. NYC Garages helps find places to park your car on a monthly or daily basis, complete with maps and pricing. You can search by neighborhood, address, cross street, or even by attraction.
It's another cool example of a Web "mash-up" using the Google Maps API, with a database of parking rates and locations covering most of the major operators in town. Locations are mapped with icons that are color coded from lowest to highest price; with mouseover balloons revealing detailed contact information for each facility. It claims to include all prices which can vary according to vehicle size, and/or daily specials. With over 1000 garages being tracked, the site's disclaimer does say that it strives for accuracy, but does not guarantee it. So it's best to check with the operator before deciding to leave your car.
"This site is the brainchild of Benjamin Sann. And you won't believe this: he started the project when he was 16 (he's now 18). He collected the data by biking every block to collect rates and precise locations twice: once for the initial entry, the second time months later to verify."
At less than a year old, the site is still being built out. Currently, the search area covers Manhattan from the Financial District through the 90s, with locations to the north (and presumably the boroughs too eventually) promised to be 'coming soon'. The basic functionality works quite well, but the site has room for improvement. Most notably, it could really use some help with typography and graphic design. It would be nice to see printer friendly pages, and the ability to email data available too. But don't get me wrong, it's a useful tool that can help plan an evening out and point to the best deals on a garage in your neighborhood.
visit nycgarages.com
