Tag Archives: NYC

Pride Week 2015!

As the physical and virtual worlds transform into every color of the rainbow, ParkJockey invites all LGBTQ individuals and supporters to #ParkwithPride for Pride Week 2015! We have teamed up with the “It Gets Better” Project, a non-profit organization whose mission is to communicate to LGBT youth around the world that it gets better, and to create and inspire the change needed to make it better for them. We encourage all NYC and Chicago Pride Week 2015 attendees to reserve their parking in advance in support of the “It Gets Better” project. For every parking reservation, $1 of the proceeds will be donated to the non-profit.

♥ NYC Pride March ♥

One of the most popular NYC parades of the year will paint Fifth Avenue in every color imaginable. For Pride Week 2015, more than 50 floats, 300 marching organizations and thousands of spectators will unify for a celebration of love, equality and PRIDE for one’s’ true color! This year’s grand marshals are actors Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi, activist Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera and artist-educator J. Christopher Neal. Check HERE for a full list of New York Pride Week events. The march begins at Fifth Ave and 36th St and proceeds south to the reviewing stand at Fifth Ave and 8th St before turning west on Christopher St. to Greenwich Street.

To book your parking for the NYC Pride Week 2015 events, click HERE!

♥ Chicago Pride Parade ♥

Chicago’s 2015 Pride Parade will highlight 200 registered performances including floats, decorated vehicles, dance groups, marching bands and walking contingents.The participants represent LGBTQ supporting community programs, clubs, businesses, governmental officials and individual community members. As the most historical Pride Week 2015, officials are estimating the crowd to be in the hundreds of thousands. So the plans are to line the parade route with barricades on both sides of the street from beginning to the end of the parade route. Spectators will be required to remain behind the barricades. Extra police officers and parade marshals will be stationed at various points on the street in front of the barricades along the parade route. The parade starts at noon on Sunday, June 28, 2015, at Montrose Avenue and Broadway in Uptown and ends near the intersection of Diversey Parkway and Sheridan Road in Lincoln Park.

To reserve your parking for the 2015 Chicago Pride Parade, click HERE!

PlumValet Launch in New York

Sunday February 15th, Madison Square Garden, New York City. The end of the NBA All-Star game weekend. It is also the day that ParkJockey has chosen to launch PlumValet, its valet parking service, in New York. What a challenge for a launch: 8 professional valets from our partner, Elegant Valet, 30 reserved parking spots at a Rapid Park nearby, the lowest temperatures in 20 years, and a lot of traffic! But the team is ready. As soon as the first car arrives everything kicks in:

– “Thanks for using PlumValet, my name is Carlos I will look after your vehicle”

– “Use our app to request your car back, please give us 15 min notice”

– “Thank you for using PlumValet. Sign up on PlumValet.com and get your next booking free”

The launch is a success. The users are delighted, they could stop right in front of the Arena and avoid the freezing windchill. All cars were returned safely and there was no need to use our $2 million insurance policy.

We are really proud that all our users trusted us with their cars. That you drop off a brand new Porsche Carrera 4S or a 2005 Toyota Camry, we understand that your car is special to you and therefore it has to be special to our team.

Let us park you next time you are in town and enjoy life more!

Follow @PlumValet on Twitter.

After Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Black Friday

Since we visited the history of the Thanksgiving Day Parade last week, it is only fitting that we give the history of the second scariest day of the year (just below Halloween): Black Friday. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Black Friday are intrinsically linked. According to blackfriday.com, ever since the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924, “the Friday after Thanksgiving has been known as the unofficial start to a bustling holiday shopping season.”

There is some disagreement as to the origin of the term, “Black Friday.” The term was most likely first coined in the 1960s by police officers in Philadelphia to describe the mess associated with congested streets filled with heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic. According to Ben Zimmer’s article “The Origins of ‘Black Friday,’” Philadelphia merchants initially detested the label because of its association with the stock market crisis of 1869. Merchants were worried that customers would have been scared off by the ominous title, preferring to call it “Big Friday.” However, the name “Black Friday” also had another meaning, and that is referring to stores moving from the “red” to the “black.” When accounting records were kept by hand, red indicated a loss, and black indicated a profit. So, despite objections, because of the alternate association, and continued use of the term by the press, the name remained.

In recent years, it has developed more of a negative connotation, with people aggressively waiting hours in lines to be the first to get the specials. But that does not change the fact that everyone agrees Black Friday is the best time to get your Christmas shopping done. You get the best deals you will be able to find all year, and you have all day to visit the stores and find the deals right for you. So brave the crowds and make sure you get out and grab some special deals!

But don’t get stuck in the traffic with no place to park! Book with ParkJockey now and reserve a spot close to your favorite shopping locations, be it in SoHo, Midtown, along 5th Avenue, or anywhere in the New York City area. And, of course, be safe this “Black Friday” and happy shopping!

Book now using the promo code “FRIDAYDEAL” and, in the spirit of Black Friday, get a great discount on your next booking!

A Veterans Day to Remember

On Tuesday, November 11th, the 95th annual New York City Veterans Day Parade, aptly titled “America’s Parade,” will be honoring the men and women who have served and protected our country by marching up 5th Avenue from 26th to 52nd street. Veterans Today describes this Parade as “the largest Veterans Day Event in the nation”. This year, the parade’s theme will be “’Land of the Free/Home of the Brave,’ in honor of the 200th Anniversary of the writing of the Star Spangled Banner. The Featured Service Branch will be the U.S. Marine Corps.

The Parade first started in 1919 after Woodrow Wilson declared Armistice Day a national holiday on Nov. 11. Over the years, Armistice Day became Veterans Day and started to get the serious attention and support that it gets today (over 20,000 participants each year) when the United War Veterans Council formed, taking on the responsibility of organizing the Veteran’s Day Parades in 1945 shortly after World War II.

America’s Parade has become a long standing tradition of honoring our men and women in uniform. However, if you are unable to make the trip into New York City for the Parade, the New York City Veterans Community is organizing the third annual “Veterans Week NYC.” According to Veterans Today, the Week consists of activities like the “Patriots Tour”, which visits war monuments throughout the 5 boroughs, the “Veterans Mass” at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on November 9th, and the “Band of Pride” concert in Times Square on November 10th. Make sure to come into the city to check these events out and support our troops.

Now comes the tricky part. With thousands of people coming into the city to attend these events, finding parking will be very difficult. You can make your trip easier by booking your parking ahead of time with ParkJockey. We have parking in NOMAD by the Parade’s starting point as well as parking in Midtown, Flatiron, and all throughout New York City.

Book now using promo code “VETERANS” and get 10% off your booking.

The 41st NYC Village Halloween Parade

The Village Halloween Parade in New York City is celebrating its 41st year this Halloween. A grand menagerie of giant puppets/puppeteers, costumed celebrants, bands, dancers, and artists will march together, starting on Sixth Avenue and Canal Street in New York City and making their way north along Sixth Avenue. Many of the puppets are made special each year and are unveiled on the night of the Parade. A few favorite puppets are making a triumphant return this year, including the Giant Spider and the Squid on the Jefferson Market Library tower.

The Village Halloween Parade was started in 1974 by Greenwich Village mask maker and
puppeteer Ralph Lee as a trick-or-treating parade for his children and their friends. He kept it up for two years, at which point The Theater for the New City got involved and helped produce the event on a larger scale as part of the City in the Streets program. In 1977, the parade became a not-for-profit organization, discontinuing its association with the Theater for the New City. It has been proclaimed as “the largest celebration of its kind in the world and has been picked by Festivals International as ‘The Best Event in the World’ for October 31.”

In 1994, after 20 years of successful parades, the Mayor of the City of New York, Rudy Giuliani, made a proclamation declaring, “The Village Halloween Parade presents the single greatest opportunity for all New Yorkers to exhibit their creativity in an event that is one-of-a-kind, unique and memorable every year.” The Parade “draws more than 60,000 costumed participants, and spectators [are] estimated at 2 million.”

For those driving in to attend the parade, be prepared for some extra traffic, especially in the downtown area. As for parking, it will be virtually impossible to find street parking and difficult to find garage parking. Your best bet is to book with ParkJockey now, and guarantee your spot at a garage close to the parade. We have parking locations throughout Lower Manhattan, SoHo, and Flatiron, not to mention other lots all over New York City.

Book with us using the promo code “SPOOKED” and you will get 10% off your booking for this ghoulish event. Happy Halloween, all you monsters!

Cracking Down on Parking Fraud

As populations continue to grow in large cities, car usage rises to match the population increase. All of this has made parking even more challenging and complicated. To make matters worse, evidence exists that some drivers are using and selling fraudulent disabled parking decals to steal spots from the disabled. Mark Perriello, president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities describes it as a serious problem, saying “the issue needs to be addressed.”

parking-fraud An article in Government Technology Magazine discussed a new solution being tested by Pondera Solutions. Pondera Solutions is a “product and services firm focused on implementing Google solutions in government agencies.” As mentioned in the article, they are using Google technology to address the emerging disabled parking problem. The Fraud Detection as a Service (FDaaS) is described as “a cutting-edge fraud detection engine that helps identify, predict, and prevent improper use of disabled parking permits.” Jon Coss, CEO of Pondera Solutions, said the FDaaS can help track down fraudsters. He rightly observes that “if someone is at 500 percent of the average [number of replacement cards issued], they are either very forgetful or it’s possible they might be profiting from trafficking these things.”

However, FDaaS does not provide definitive proof of fraud, merely an indicator of it, which requires state or local agencies to follow up on the information. So although it is drawing a lot of positive attention and a number of jurisdictions are considering using FDaaS, it is not a finalized solution to the problem.

So when planning to drive in the city, why take the chance that some driver with fraudulent disabled parking decals will steal your spot? We are firmly against parking fraud and we have your back!

With ParkJockey, you are guaranteed a spot at a convenient location nearest to your destination. We even have a feature where you can specify disabled parking so all of your individual needs are met. No hassles like mystery parking tickets, no worry about fraudulent placards, no time wasted looking for your spot. No matter where you may want to go in the city, be it Flatiron, Tribeca, Midtown Manhattan, or anywhere in the NYC area, ParkJockey allows you to focus on what is important, the destination.

Make sure to use the promo code NOFRAUD next time you park and save 10% off your parking!

ParkJockey expedites your trip to store to get your new iPhone 6!

iPhone 6 is coming out tomorrow!

If you are planning on heading out to pick up your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus on Friday morning, ParkJockey recommends reserving your parking in advance to expedite your trip. Feel free to use and share the ParkJockey One-Touch Parking™” solution and no-cost mobile application to find an Apple store near you and reserve a parking spot for tomorrow instead of spending your time searching for parking during the rush! ParkJockey is now live in U.S. in Chicago, Miami and New York and in the U.K. in London.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ALL AVAILABLE APPLE STORES IN YOUR CITY AND RESERVE PARKING

Avoiding Mystery Parking Tickets: Secret “No Parking” Zones to Watch Out for in Manhattan (NYC)

Did you know that New York City has over 99 distinct parking violations with fines reaching up to $515 for some offenses? Even if you manage to decipher all of the parking signs that litter New York City streets, you can still get hit with fines for offenses that require no notice. For example, parking too close to an intersection, or “blocking the box”, can cost you a whopping $115! As if we didn’t already pay enough city tax!

Buried deep in all of these parking violations, there are some neighborhoods in Manhattan that have their own parking rules. For instance, parking your car in the Garment District (35^th to 41^st streets between 6^th and 8^th Avenues) at anytime between 7AM and 7PM will result in a $115 fine (even on Sundays!). So for anyone looking to stop over in the Garment District, garage parking is an absolute must!

If you find yourself in Murray Hill, don’t even waste your time trying to find street parking. There are 193 member states in the United Nations and it is well known that diplomats hate subways. As a result, street parking is restricted to those with diplomatic or consular plates only. Unless you can use your diplomatic immunity to get out of paying your tickets, good luck not breaking the bank with parking in Murray Hill.

Another area to watch out for is what the city refers to as “The Blue Zone”. The Blue Zone is a huge swath of land in lower Manhattan, stretching from the Brooklyn Bridge all the way down to Battery Park, and from Broadway in the West to South Street in the east. Parking in the Blue Zone from 7AM-7PM Monday though Friday is will run you a $65 bill from the Boys in Blue. Since the law applies generally to the entire area, parking signage is not necessarily required, catching many an unsuspecting motorist off-guard. So take note, you out-of-towners travelling to New York City for the first time!

For New York drivers “in-the-know,” it is no secret that there are a million ways to get a ticket. Some stubborn drivers refuse to park anywhere but on the street, but for those of us that want to maintain our sanity driving in The Big Apple, garage parking is the way to go. Save yourself the hassle and the mystery fines that come with street parking and stay ahead of the game by booking your parking in advance with ParkJockey. In fact use the promo code PKTIX and Save 10%. We promise: booking ahead with ParkJockey will not result in hefty fines, so save your greenies and book with ParkJockey!

Attention Tennis Fans: Save 10% on NYC Parking for the U.S. Open

Parking and the U.S. Open: Save 10% on Parking with the Promo Code: USOPEN

It’s that time of year again….the best time of year. And I’m not talking about Christmas, although there is something magical in the air when the U.S. Open starts in New York City.

On the heels of the U.S. Open Series and the Connecticut Open in New Haven, the best tennis players in the world, along with thousands of fans, flood the streets of New York for two weeks of great tennis.

So, if you, like thousands of others, are coming into town for Labor Day weekend for a day at the Open in Flushing Meadows, then you might want to start thinking about where you are going to park.

ParkJockey can aid you in finding your parking in New York City, whether you are staying in the Financial District, around Madison Square Garden, Herald Square, or near Park Avenue. We’ve got locations all around the city. In fact, if you book with ParkJockey, you can save 10% off normal price of parking in NYC. To get the savings, just enter the promo code: USOPEN

Some of PJ’s best deals are located in the Upper West Side and Upper East Side. In fact, the 90^th Street location in the Upper East Side is only $20 per 24 hours on the weekends ($25 per 24 hours during the week), or you can park your car there for the price of $10 for up to 12 hours. Beat that. Seriously, I challenge you.

Now, please don’t be confused: this offer is not for parking at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, as that parking is operated by the USTA. Instead, this offer enables you to book your parking nearly anywhere in Manhattan with ParkJockey, reserving your spot, thus making sure your spot is safe and secure whist enjoying the savings of 10% off and whilst being in town to enjoy the US Open. FYI, for a limited time, for every 10 bookings through ParkJockey in NYC, you can enjoy the 11^th one for free.

In any case, enjoy the Open, my friends. Book ahead and leave your parking worries at home so that you can enjoy a day in the sun at Flushing Meadows. Oh, and come on Sloane Stephens! Gotta go…the matches are about to start!!

Running in Place

How You Can Waste Years in Traffic Looking For Parking

Wait….How Much Time?

Waiting in traffic sucks. In fact, it only gets worse once you reach your destination and then have to find a place to park your vehicle. It’s a vicious cycle of circling the block and looking for parking until you realize that’s no use, and with the clock ticking, you move on to the lots you passed by earlier only to find the ones closest to your destination are full and you have to circle back to a different lot. Did you know the average motorist will spend 8,325 hours looking for a parking space? In terms of days, that’s 347 days of your life getting stressed that you can’t get back. In terms of gas, that’s 47,000 gallons of wasted gas, or nearly “38 trips around the Earth,” all while essentially going nowhere.

How Slow Can You Go?

With 30% of most traffic in major metropolitan areas coming from people looking for parking spots, it’s no wonder that we all move at a snail’s pace. According to the New York Times, a study showed that weekday traffic in Midtown Manhattan moves at an average of 9.5 miles per hour. That’s “about the speed of a farmyard chicken at full gallop.”

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When To Avoid Traffic

And if you have a case of the Mondays, having to go back to work after the weekend, think again. With respect to traffic in New York City, it’s a case of the Wednesdays, as Wednesdays are the days when traffic is at its worst.

To add insult to injury, late September, when the U.N. General Assembly is in session, coincides with the 25 slowest traffic days of the year when the average speed in Manhattan ranges from 8.6 to 6.9 MPH. Not surprisingly, other large clusters of traffic hover in New York City in November and December, when out-of-towners flood the streets to be part of the magical winter season (and bring their cars with them).

But if you want to know when the traffic is the lightest, then enjoy Manhattan on the weekends, or the Fourth of July when everyone has flocked to the Hamptons.

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More Strife, Less Life

The influx of vehicles into any metropolitan area, let alone NYC, leads to an influx of traffic. According to the NYC Department of Transportation, most cars coming into the central business district of Manhattan come from 60^th Street bridge, aka the Queensboro Bridge. This gateway adds to the nearly 778,000 cars, which can be found below 60^th Street each day. With all these cars on the road, if you don’t have a game plan for where you’ll be parking once you reach your destination, then good luck to you! Have fun sitting in traffic for hours and being late to your meeting 🙂 Instead, avoid the strife and get back to your life. Get back the time you waste trying to find parking and book ahead instead. Alliterations aside, life is too short to waste, so don’t.