How many times have you driven around the block looking for a place to park.
I live in a neighborhood with some parking issues. There is some on street parking in the neighborhood but who is the parking for? During my lifetime we have gone from being a one car family, to a two car family, to a car for every driver in the house type family. This may be as big a change in the "modern family" as any that have happened. On the other hand there are also more folks riding bicycles, and a lot of folks that really don't want to own a car, if they can get away with it.
About 30 plus years ago I had a friend buy a one bedroom apartment at the southern end of South Beach. The apartment included a parking space in the garage. Buying early in the preconstruction phase of the multi story development he also bought a private garage for what at the time seemed like a lot of money for the time for the ability to close a garage door and even have space for over flow stuff from his apartment. He initially thought of it as a good investment because re rightly thought that some really rich folks would be buying places at South Point and they would be sure to need a place to house their Bentley, Ferrari, etc. He was an astute investor and eventually sold his garage space for a really healthy profit.
The Condominium Association where I live has put up no parking/ towing signs to keep visitors and workers in nearby shops and restaurants from parking in front of our buildings. The signs have done their job. If you are unable to use public transportation, meters,or parking lots are available but they can be pricey. Some places validate parking fees in lots near their stores but the parking and daily storage of vehicles is an issue of expense, convenience and privilege that isn't going away easily.
$1.25 an hour to park on the street can add up, if the parking is available. Parking in a lot can cost even more per hour and daily rates may be $10.00 or more.
Local governments are doing their best to maximize their income from parking fees and ticketing over time parking. In the City of South Miami parking issues for new businesses and zoning issues regarding parking are discussed ad nauseam. The Winn Dixie grocery store has hired a security guard to keep freeloaders from filling up the lot, with some success as he blows his whistle at violators. But even police officers feel the need for a free ride as Coral Gables finest often park at Winn Dixie and go across the street for coffee at Casa Lario, or maybe it's because the Meter Guy in South Miami is a real JO and it's hard to explain parking tickets when you can just as easily eat in Coral Gables a few blocks away.
Meanwhile, Metro Police Officers park mid morning across the street to ticket scofflaws that brazenly park next to no parking signs and discourage others from filling the north side of 76th Street.
Owning a car is one thing, parking it is another, and paying for the right to park is getting more expensive and certainly something to consider in more and more places these days.
The going rate is $18.00 for simple overtime parking and even more for parking in restricted areas.
About 30 plus years ago I had a friend buy a one bedroom apartment at the southern end of South Beach. The apartment included a parking space in the garage. Buying early in the preconstruction phase of the multi story development he also bought a private garage for what at the time seemed like a lot of money for the time for the ability to close a garage door and even have space for over flow stuff from his apartment. He initially thought of it as a good investment because re rightly thought that some really rich folks would be buying places at South Point and they would be sure to need a place to house their Bentley, Ferrari, etc. He was an astute investor and eventually sold his garage space for a really healthy profit.
The Condominium Association where I live has put up no parking/ towing signs to keep visitors and workers in nearby shops and restaurants from parking in front of our buildings. The signs have done their job. If you are unable to use public transportation, meters,or parking lots are available but they can be pricey. Some places validate parking fees in lots near their stores but the parking and daily storage of vehicles is an issue of expense, convenience and privilege that isn't going away easily.
$1.25 an hour to park on the street can add up, if the parking is available. Parking in a lot can cost even more per hour and daily rates may be $10.00 or more.
Local governments are doing their best to maximize their income from parking fees and ticketing over time parking. In the City of South Miami parking issues for new businesses and zoning issues regarding parking are discussed ad nauseam. The Winn Dixie grocery store has hired a security guard to keep freeloaders from filling up the lot, with some success as he blows his whistle at violators. But even police officers feel the need for a free ride as Coral Gables finest often park at Winn Dixie and go across the street for coffee at Casa Lario, or maybe it's because the Meter Guy in South Miami is a real JO and it's hard to explain parking tickets when you can just as easily eat in Coral Gables a few blocks away.
Meanwhile, Metro Police Officers park mid morning across the street to ticket scofflaws that brazenly park next to no parking signs and discourage others from filling the north side of 76th Street.
Owning a car is one thing, parking it is another, and paying for the right to park is getting more expensive and certainly something to consider in more and more places these days.
The going rate is $18.00 for simple overtime parking and even more for parking in restricted areas.
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