Parking in New York is so expensive that people pay $15 an hour for someone to drive their car around

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The concrete jungle of New York City is known for more than exorbitant rent prices—the cost to park a car can also be a logistical and financial nightmare.

On average, a parking spot will cost you $250 a month—and that is on the low end, depending on where you’re parking and the size of your car. Metered parking rates tend to be more reasonable, starting at $1 to $2 dollars per hour, depending on where you’re parking. But when you’re parked on the street, there’s the issue of avoiding pesky parking tickets. New York collects nearly $500 million a year from parking tickets, so that means drivers are dropping a pretty penny on fines.

parking ticket photo
Getty Images | Justin Sullivan

In response to the high cost of parking, some New Yorkers are actually opting to pay people to drive their cars around the city. The service is offered through an app called DropCar. Users can opt for the $15-per-hour “Will” service for someone to drive or supervise their car for hours at a time—a significant discount compared to parking spots that cost $20 an hour or more.

Or for $349 a month, you can buy the “Steve” service and DropCar will meet you where you are and park your car in one of its partner garages. For that price, you get 10 pick-ups and drop-offs each month.

And DropCar isn’t the only game in town. There’s also LUXE, which operates a lot like DropCar, but, as its name suggests, sweetens the deal with some luxuries. With LUXE, a valet waits at your beck and call to park your car in either a secured garage or parking lot. LUXE valet drivers will even fill up your tank with gas or wash your car, all while you’re out at dinner or busy at the office. The LUXE website indicates that the service  costs an average of $5 per hour depending on location, but we can only imagine those prices are significantly higher in New York.

new york photo
Flickr | tinto

SpotLight Parking is yet another parking service. To use this app, simply locate one of their “HotSpots” near your destination, reserve it and a parking attendant will meet you there. Once your car is in their possession, they’ll transfer it to a parking garage. From the app, users can monitor their car’s location and request it back at the HotSpot at anytime.

Parking can be a headache—and a major expense. But these new services give drivers some additional options. You can save a little cash, add a lot of convenience and maybe enjoy a dab of luxury, too.

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