No Pcars in Manhattan?

I went to an interview in NYC on Friday which seemed to go very well. Not wanting to count my chickens yet, but they said that I would spend 4-6 months working at the Manhattan office, then move to the main role near Syosset on Long Island. Assuming this all works out, I'm thinking of taking the opportunity to live in Manhattan and take the subway for a few months, then move somewhere near the Long Island office when the time comes. For all you NY people, two questions: 1) I saw no Pcars at all in Manhattan. I'm happy to rent a garage parking space for a few months, but am I going to get the wrong kind of attention when I'm driving in and out of town at the weekends? (Nobody pays any attention to a 996 in LA, which suits me fine) 2) The Long Island office isn't close to a LIRR station or bus route, so I'll need to drive. I'll put winter tyres on the car when needed, but how are the roads? Thanks, and wish me luck!

the roads are fine if you mean snow/ice - just be sensible and it's not a problem. The problem in NJ/NY are the craters in the road (i.e., potholes). These are really a huge issue around here and quite often you just dont see them coming..... There was a thread recently from someone in Jeresy city that (I think) ruined a rim. I have some damage to my wifes car that happened a couple of weeks back.

Hey Simon I am also a UK expat, and I live in Manhattan. The cost of garaging cars in manhattan runs anywhere between 300-650 dollars per month. So be aware of that. Plus they 'valet' park the car for you. I think this involves a blindfold and parking using a technique similar to pin-the-tail on the donkey. So finding a good garage is important. In Manhattan and in LI there are plenty of high end cars, but you need to be sensible where you leave it. Remember most people living in Manhattan either drive around NYC in massive SUVs for the kids, else take cabs or the subway, only using cars on the weekend, or when they're going off the island etc. As for winter driving, the winters on the east coast are hard-core. Most folks over here garage their p-cars for the winter season. At times snow fall can be very heavy, so am not sure a 2wd p-car is ideal for winter communting. Good Luck Phil '95 993 Coupe (Stock)

Having a Porsche on Long Island will be fine, as long as you don't have to drive into the city daily. Having a Porsche in NYC is insane. Best bet might be to store your car in CA (or on Long Island), and wait till you live on the island before bringing the car out of storage.

I have a porsche and lived/work in NYC and live in NJ. Daily driver, usually no problem. Have been doing it for 2-3 years. Agreed about the potholes - my biggest concern. I also have 2wd, but if the snow is bad, i take the train. PM me if you have any questions. Ross

There are lots of nice cars in the City. A P-car is hardly a standout. The issues of keeping/driving a car (any car) are: 1) Traffic - stop and go; fighting taxis, trucks, vans, limos, pedestrians. 2) Parking - scarce; almost always valet; dings and scratches. 3) Crime - vandalism; theft. 4) Roads - potholes, bumps 5) Cost - everything is more expensive in NYC, gas, maintenance, repairs, parking (they will charge you more for a high end car). Consider getting a "regular" vehicle or a beater for the City. Nobody enjoys driving in the City, it's just a necessary evil.

assuming your tolerance is decent (i.e., not too neurotic), go for it. i do the reverse commute from nyc to ct. on a daily basis, i see tons of 911's going the other way into nyc. also, take a quick peak into any garage and you'll see plenty of nice cars-- it is nyc after all. again, as long as you're not too neurotic about your cars (btw, nyc will teach you not to be), driving here is not a problem at all. a little warning, traffic b/w manhattan and LI can be brutal-- i often joke it takes years off each time i do it-- especially in the summer months when you have to deal with hamptons traffic. although it would be the reverse for you, it may grate on you unless LA traffic's already taken it's toll. as for winter driving, since there shouldn't be any hills, you should be fine with a good set of snows or even all seasons.

Having a 911 in the city is great..... but if you are looking to keep a garage queen, forget it.

My point exactly!

Thanks - this is all good advice! My car is an '02 with 76k miles, so I'm not too neurotic anymore. I'm braced for spending $500 or so per month for parking for the summer, then I'll hopefully live within 10 miles of the LI office after that. My car is rwd and doesn't have PSM, but I do like it so I think I'll just be very very cautious in winter, and understand that the insurance is there for the people who might tap me.

any car in NYC is just a car, if you are fine with that, go for it. if you only need to car for weekend, you may find some cheap and reliable monthly parking place for $200/month. did some one said anything in NYC is more expensive? in the winter, rent a SUV, unless you really enjoy driving(or setting in traffic) in the winter. this may works out better than a set of snow tires.

Simon, I don't know anything about driving in NYC ... I just wanted to wish you good luck on getting the job.

ah, the perfect nyc car, then. totally go for it. plus, being a brit, aren't you guys used destroying your nice cars? ; ) was in london a couple years back and remember seeing a relatively new ferrari 456 street parked with a painful array of bumper rash, dents, cracks in the bumpers. stil cracks me up. someone on this board or the 996 board a while back was making the same comments of p-cars in nyc, being street parked and banged up. i've only street parked my 911 a couple times, but routinely street park my bmw's (have scratches/dents as proof).

Rent a place on Long Island. Rent a nice place in Manhattan for yourself. Take the Long Island Railroad to Syosset, or wherever the car is living. When you move out to L.I. to stay, you can cohabitate with the P-car. Until then, she'll be happier outside Fun City than in.

I looked at a 996 that had been owned by a wealthy NYCer and who had it serviced at Manhatton Motors.......I shyed away in part because the bumbers, front and rear had been replaced, lots of body work....they guys at MMotors basically said that was normal for NYC Porsche.....bumpers are used as bumpers up there.... TENNKTM

Thanks for the good wishes. I'll put some more research into this - but it will definitely be easier to take the time to drive the car cross-country in May than in the autumn.

Gents, I have been driving all my P-Cars into Manhattan for over 12 years, without a problem, the laws of it are simple.. 1 - Always park in-regardless of the price - I have never had a problem with valets - 2 - watch the road surface carefully, I have missed potholes large enough to hide a small child in. In regards to being a high end car in Manhattan, I can only say It times my 996 is the cheapest car in some of the lots I have been at..... IMHO....

Does "park in" mean park in a covered garage? TIA

didn't drive a P in manhattan but a low profile tire 3 series and a s-type Jag.. it cost me about 2 tires per 3 months.because of potholes...I have to say that I lived in Manhattan...so used the car to get around...commuting into the city and finding a good garage is a little problem ....since I had a huge rip in my leather in the Jag and frontal bumper damage on the Bmw...because of careless parking attendants.....and of course countless parking tickets goodluck

i think so. don't forget to tip them and explain to them (in a nice way), that u care about your car. remember, MOST new yorker don't care about their cars. but parking attendants will understand your car nuts, so long as your green paper.

With the exception of Nine9Sixer and RCG, I haven't read too may comments from people that actually live in Manhattan. I live here, have owned Porsches since 2000 and various other German sports cars since 1994. I've not had any real problems with the one exception of a cab driver who had a seizure and side swiped my 1992 VW Corrado when I first moved here (no kidding, what luck in the first month). Anyway, it's a breeze as long as you adhere to a couple rules and accept a couple facts of life: 1. This not Florida or southern California. It snows here. It freezes here. It gets hot as hell here in the summer. The roads suffer accordingly. Seams, potholes, unmarked curbs (I guess the yellow paint just wears off) and the odd cinder block on the FDR (a more than occasional sight) all loom ominously. You cannot drive like an oblivious ignoramous if you care about your car here (mind you, clearly thousands of other people don't adhere to this rule). Focus on the road, don't drive on the city streets faster than you can spot road irregularities (slower at night of course) and you'll be fine. I've never had a problem with a bent rim. Ever. And believe me, I occasionally (well maybe more often) push the car hard. Follow this rule, and you'll never find out how much a Sport Classic or Sport Design wheel costs. 2. There is traffic. It's a strange traffic where cars (generally taxis) make left turns from right-most lanes and vice versa, stop for no reason (generally taxis), and in winter occasionally slide out of control (generally taxis). Be aware of cars around you (taxis) and you won't have a problem where you have to make an evasive move into any of the calamitous objects listed in the previous rule. This rule could also be simplified as: AVOID TAXIS. They are schmucks! Taxi juice (yellow smears on cars) is the bane of society. I follow this rule religiously and have had no problems (I'm still trying to put the Corrado and the cab seizure behind me). 3. Snow tires are a must if you commute. It gets cold. It snows quickly. It just makes for a more comfortable state. I've been towed once before on I-95 because it snowed early in the season one year and I was too lazy to have put the winter tires on yet (never again). As a point of consolation, that Boxster S has since been traded in for my current 911 so I no longer have nightmares of the Boxster being dragged behind a truck in a blizzard. 4. For daily parking, get a garage, but don't let it stop you from driving about town at night. I do it all the time...and even park on the street. The key is when you park, give yourself plenty of space in front. The rear bumperettes are easily replaceable if scratched. The front bumper is much more sensitive. Parallel parkers do bump and tap as they squeeze in spaces. If you are concerned, get a garage space, but it's really not necessary. If possible, avoid leaving your car alone for any duration in Harlem or the lower east side. I've not had problems, but I never enjoy being out of line of sight from the car. One last note, just resign yourself to the occasional bumper repainting every two years if you ignore this rule. That's about it. Pay attention and your car will be cherry clean. NYC is just a city that demands a little respect to ensure the protection of your baby, but I've again never had a problem. I'm sure you won't either. For the record, in Florida and Georgia (where I lived prior), my cars where damaged by nonchalant drivers on 3 occasions, two of which occurred when I wasn't even in the car and the last one when a woman hit me from behind in traffic. There are bad drivers everywhere so watch out for them!

Edward: Well Said!

to add what edward said, if you actually care somewhat about your car, you generally have to be "that guy" who's neurotic and watches out for every pothole, expansion joint, construction plate (huge metal plates laid on the ground to cover pending construction holes), and places where road has physically deformed with never-seen-before ridges, bumps, cravasses that make you pitch and buck like a ranger rover course, and swerves wide to avoid them or drives very slow over them. if you don't do this now, you will once you hit your first big pothole and do a full a$$-pucker cringe cuz you think you just damaged your suspension, bent your wheel, and popped your tire. amazyingly, although this has happened several times (coming home at 4am and not so diligent), never had damage. all that being, said, i actually enjoy driving in the city (apart from the traffic). don't hesitate. it'll be fun. and mos def move to new york-- it's one of the greatest cities bar none.

Here here. You said it, brother! PS - There is nothing like driving the FDR or West Side Drive at night when the traffic has thinned. My favorite thing in the world with the city lights and all the bridges.

I have a garage near 57th/Sutton right near the entrance to the 59th Street bridge that handled by 996 well and currently handles the CTT. They are pretty good, and take the time to go over the car to look for damage when you drop off. It is about $410 a month. PM if interested. My mother in law lives in LI and I in New York. You can keep a 996 in the city, but as someone indicated, its just a car. Leaving it on the street is just inviting trouble. I currently have a very nice scratch from tip to tip on my CTT... from leaving it on the street for 30 minutes. If looking for a garage, haggle, and haggle ALOT! Avoid asking for rates at the end or beginning of the month. Also, scope out the people that work there, I tend to avoid with Haitian employees. They expect constant tips, and seem to car little about your car. I bet that in the end, you will keep it in the city. Keeping a car in LI has its share of issues and inconveniences, not to mention that your access is limited. Also, you might want to check insurance rates... make sure your sitting down. Other things to consider are things like rims. 19's will not cut it in NYC, especially this time of year with the pot holes. Also, aftermarket suspension is also tough, depending on what make you have. Good luck on the job interview. What line of work?

Live in Soprano Land and have been commuting into NYC since the early 90's. 1- don't park your car in Manhattan unless you absolutely will be driving frequently driving out of the city during the week. Seems like a waste. Financially, You'd be better off parking just outside of the city on the waterfront in Jersey (Hoboken, Jersey City, Weehawken, Edgewater) just take the 24hour $2 path train or the pricier ferry over the water. You'll avoid traffic jams in the city and getting out of the city or back in the city. Seems like most people who head out of the city during the warm months either go to the Hampton$ or are mercilesly attached to a female unit for shopping in NJ (Short Hills Mall, Garden State Plaza). really at the end of the day you realize that if you live in NYC you rarely have a need for a car and your car will just sit and sit... 2-Tires: I have snows and summers. 6 months for each. I was thinking of getting a set of Carrera replicas and slapping the snows on them. 3-get an EZ-Pass for the tolls. 4-Get gas in NJ 5-Inspect the exterior of the car before you give it to the valet and let him see that you are doing so. I avoid valet's in general but in the City you can't avoid it. Many eateries outsource their parking and if they mess up your car you deal with the parking service and not the eatery. They never tell you this.

never drive your p-car to Garden State Plaza.

did i mention that pca metro ny region, pca n. NJ region, and many other car clubs in NYC will keep you busy, multiply events every weekend.

Dude you DON'T want to drive a 911 in and around NYC - flip it for a used V6 Cayenne until you move the hell out of there!

Always park in a Parking Garage and I generally Tip the attendant 10$ right up from, "Take care of my baby" I can say it in NYC Talk, Spainish...

Thanks again for all the good advice. My plan at the moment is: - X-country drive to Manhattan in May or June - Spend June to September/October working at the midtown office, commuting by subway from a nearby sublet so I have the experience of spending a summer in Manhattan while I'm still young(ish) and single(ish). - Park in one of the recommended Manhattan garages so I can hop in the car on Friday night and go places - In the autumn, move to LI (Bayshore, Long Beach and Huntington all look nice) and commute to the Syosset office by 996. - Shortly after, fit snow tyres and start grumbling about the weather!

PS (a): The role is with a private equity firm. Unfortunately I'm not able to go into more detail at the moment, but it will be fun working for a small company after the last few years at a Megacorp. PS (b): This talk of garages reminds me of Stephan Wilkinson's "The Gold Plated Porsche". In it, he writes of his brief career with Car & Driver when they were in Manhattan, and of the Puerto Rican-run garage they used to store all kinds of supercars they were testing. If you haven't read it, I recommend it for all Pcar/engineering obsessives! PS (c): I'm already plotting how to do one last Silver State drive in September by staging the car with friends in Chicago and/or Salt Lake City over consecutve weekends... PS (d): I'm in on the PSS9 group buy. I hope I'm not going to regret that in NYC...

don't bother with LI. just live in the city-- while you're still young-ish and single-ish.

yup, west side hwy, s/b, from gwb all the way downtown, around the corner by chelsea piers, hitting all the lights, light traffic, 3rd gear, good revs, continue past ground zero onto the fdr, get on the brooklyn bridge, grab some food/beer in dumbo or brooklyn heights, get back on fdr n/b or back up west side hwy-- sweet.

I grew up in the City and have either lived or commuted there virtually my whole life. I love the place, but... I wouldn't drive my P car there for even one night, much less regulalry. Having a Pcar in NYC is just not fun. You spend too many driving moments worried about potholes, parking, and gettiing dinged. Plus, a manual is a nightmare in the city (tip or manual?). Finally, I've got an x73 suspension so I wouldn't last 5 minutes in the City without destroying my car; not sure if the PSS9s will be the same (I think you will be higher than me), but I know it's lower than stock, so you're asking for trouble. Bottom line: NYC sucks out 99.9% of the joy in having a 911. Don't do it.

I do it all the time, have to the misus always wants to go there. But I do have to park way way at the end of the parking lot to avoid the door ding. But I see what you mean that has to be the most congested mall parking lot I have ever seen. I don't even look for a spot I go directly to the farthest point get out and hoof it. Short Hills is nicer but who cares I hate shopping I only go with the misus because there are some decent eateries at the end of trip to justify the torture. your right...totally forgot to mention all the driving clubs in the NYC region. Between PCA in Northern NJ, The SCCA in NJ and LI (avoid their autox tooooo many cars at Nassau Colliseum) and the BMW and NE (formerly m club) events, there is always some car related event going on. You can probably run 40+ autocross events per season and all those nifty councourse and rallys I never go to. here's a good site for the thread starter autox4u.com

You will - I would stay stock if I were you. I was very close to getting the M030 - but people who have it tend to say not worth it given the roughness in the area.... Would definitely be interested to hear what other people think though?

That's a useful point. My front shocks are definitely getting older at 76k, so I'll need to work out what to do.

Nothing like the sound of a Porsche ripping through the tunnel late at night!!!!

AutoX looks a lot of fun, but it's a little scary that a GT3 seat bumps me straight up to the serious levels! Still, at least being dead last in Prepared is easier to explain than dead last in Stock!

M030 is fine in the city. I've driven my father's C4S cab and my buddy's C4S extensively in and about the city. It's not really that much of a difference at lower speeds. Either way, I'd not want to drive into a pothole with either suspension. I also drove an M3 in the city for 3 years and never had an issue. The key is avoid everything that's already been mentioned in prior posts. I don't know if it would definitely damage the car, but it's surely jarring. As for those that don't like driving the car in the city, different strokes I guess. But, I love it. I mean I really love it. I drive everywhere, rarely taking cabs and it's just a question of observing the traffic and road around you. No big hassle once you get used to it. Heck, I ride motorcycles and it's mandatory to do then.

Old PM of mine used to drive his 993TT from the city to Stamford CT, and he had PSS9's, so I don't think it will be a problem in the city. He used the 993 as a daily driver, with no problems. Just no parking on the street and an understanding that in NYC, it is just a car. "the city", HA. You will learn.

That is funny, actually. Do you ever hear anyone else outside of Manhattan refer to their cities as "the city"? Definitely noticed it when I first moved here 13 years ago, but it's a second habit now.

Hey Simon, Expat here as well - lived in NYC for 4 years (but live in Hoboken NJ now) and often drive in the city. In general, people treat cars differently over here (apart from exotic owners) - I've found that there is not as too much respect for other peoples cars in the North East. First day I had the car - parked in an EMPTY diner lot - next car comes and parks right next to me, this guy with a zimmerfame opens his car door into me twice! Lucky no damage, but it didn't even occur that he might be doing anything wrong! Parking in the city consists of reverse until you hit the car behind, forward into the one in front - so I wouldn't suggest parking on the street in Manhattan. Driving is fine - if you've driven in London or any other major city, it's not much different (other than the nice one way streets!) - aggressive driving to the max Potholes - most of the potholes appear late winter /early spring after the winter ice / snow / salt has wrecked the roads. Most of the holes are filled (rather than the road relayed) - if you drive the same routes you'll learn quickly where they are! I've had a number of cars whilst living here, but the P-Car does draw the most respect. People tend to let you pull out, or give you a bit of space, or even pull out of the left hand lane to let you pass on the highway (to completley contradict my 2nd paragraph!). As long as you're aware of the differences between Cali driving and NE driving, you'll be fine (note: you'll find the right hand lane of most highways empty.............I call it the 'p-car lane').

ahh, good 'ole left-lane squatters-- the deep reflective mirror of american culture.

not to hajacking the thread, but you know ppl around jersey city call the new port/grove street area "downtown". i was confused a few times when i just moved to NJ.

I lived in Manhattan for many years with a car, then moved to Brooklyn, and now live in Staten Island. I have worked in Manhattan for the last 11 years. There's a pretty great self-park garage on the uptown side of 42nd street between 9th and 10th. Self parking means no valets, plus it's cheaper. Don't know what their monthly rate is these days, but it used to be $350. I've driven every car I've ever owned in Manhattan, and I even drive to work in times square once a week or so when I feel like I miss my car. I've only owned Audis and BMWs, but have been fastidious about keeping them. I'm still (always) in the market for a 911, and I think the only one I might have trouble with would be a GT3 because I couldn't drive it during the winter. Last month, a truck ran into my bmw 335i's rear quarter panel while I was stopped at a light. The collision was about 4mph and the price tag was $1,200. I already paid for the damage, the other guy's insurance company will reimburse me or not, whatever. This is the cost of doing business here. My first bmw got tagged by a taxi that hit and run. Price tag, $3,400. My Audi got tagged by an idiot in an ML320 who skidded on ice. Price tag, $0 because I haven't fixed it yet. If I buy a Porsche, and I probably will in the next year or two, I'll drive it just like those other cars. I live in a private house though, so I have 2 garage spaces for my babies. But if you want to drive your car somewhere, you have to leave it outside the house eventually. I always park on the street if I can find a nice space, otherwise I pay between $25 and $50 for a few hours at a garage, depenidng on the neighborhood ($25 downtown, $50 in times square). Never park behind or in front of an SUV, not matter how juicy the space looks. These f*ing cars with their cowcatchers will destroy your car, you headlights, and it will cost a lot more than the $40 you'd have been ripped off for parking. Anyway, if I had a porsche with 75k on it, I wouldn't hesitate a second to drive it into Manhattan. I think you may live to regret the PSS9s, but all it means is that you'll have to take it slow on the streets AND highways. I've broken 3 rims over the last 10 years, and all of them have been on FDR drive or BQE, I think the damages cost me $300 the first, $500 for the second, and $700 for the last (expensive wheel and tire). I don't drive on the FDR anymore when I can help it... BQE, I just know all the holes now.

Ok, what do you guys do when the engine is cold? Do you floor it light to light? Do you let the car warm up and pi$$ everyone off by taking it easy light to light? Ive driven in lower Manhattan and if you dont floor it, you get ran over by taxi cabs, eye opening and scary for a Texas boy.

That is only because its better than attaching the word Jersey... downtown Jersey, uptown jersey, Hoboken, New jersey.. etc. Yeah yeah, I lived in Jersey once as well. I know there are plenty of nice spots. Well, typically the car has already been warmed up, as we have to wait for the attendant to get the car. After that, its all about being a New Yorker. I take great pleasure in pissing my fellow NYer's off, as I wait for my oil temp gauge to move. Just think how long it takes a Cayenne Turbo to warm up. Today, I had a guy take a right turn from farthest left lane of the FDR (right near the downtown heliport), at 40 MPH. When I honked and gave him the typical NY love wave, he slowed down to a crawl and asked if I wanted to FIGHT! I love it, only in the City.

Just to close out the thread: I got a better offer in Calabasas CA, so I'll just have to drive up the canyon to work instead of moving to NYC! Thanks to everyone for their help and advice, even so.

Drive mine daily over 4 yrs, 60k miles nyc-LI, no issues. Avoid potholes. I know lots of guys who do the same. No accidents, no theft, no dings, the best two hours of my day to tell you the truth. The LIRR blows, not my thing.

Holy schnikes, Chris. Haven't seen you on the forum in ages. Didn't you get a 997 a while back? How's it treating you?