Parking, Parking and Bicycle Parking

When you buy a condo its often assumed that you also getting a parking spot. This is not always true however.

You may have to pay extra for your parking spot. On a monthly basis as opposed to outright buying the parking lot when you buy the condo.

Thinking to save money (and get some exercise) you might also say "Hey, I'll just get a bicycle instead and sell the old car."

But do your research first because some buildings don't have the greatest parking spots for bicycles either. Some buildings are bicycle friendly, to both their residents, their guests and whomever happens to be visiting the neighbourhood...

Its called "Being Neighbourly" or just plain nice.

But some building managers are just plain jerks. They want their bike racks to be for residents only so they stick them in the parking garage... or alternatively they do have it outside, but they chop off bikes of people who don't live there. (Often using a sticker to determine who is actually a resident.)

See 565 Sherbourne Chopping Off Bikes.

Its not very neighbourly at all. Its arguably illegal because it involves stealing people's bikes right off the sidewalk. (And bicycle theft often leads to a rash of bicycle thefts in the area, because some people figure its okay to just steal someone else's.)

When it comes to parking you want everyone in the neighbourhood to get along. You don't want people fighting over parking spots, whether they be residents or guests. Its smart just to have extra parking spaces for both cars and bicycles. The moment people start fighting for a parking spot that is when things start to get ugly.

You know... vandalism, scratched cars, potatoes in the exhaust pipe, your car set on fire...

So when picking a condo make sure you understand the condo's policies on both parking for you and for guests. The last thing you want is a feud that is going cost you more than you bargained for.

"Good fences make good neighbours."