The new job continues to go well, and I’ve survived a full month there. The work is consistently web-designerish, and my co-workers are cool.
The only downside (and really it’s hardly that bad) is that because its right in downtown Raleigh (as in the look, there’s the capital building kind of downtown), the parking situation isn’t perfect. Work pays a little bit of the parking, but it’s not free.
I can either park right close to the building I work in and pay a small fortune (eight bucks a day), or I can park four blocks away and pay just over a dollar a day. A dollar a day is fairly reasonable. I decided on the cheap lot for my first month.
The only downside of the cheap parking is that it’s in a not-so-savory neighborhood, in a lot behind a company that builds burial vaults. It’s also right on the other side of a set of railroad tracks, and my lot is on the wrong side of the tracks. I haven’t been accosted or anything, but I have run into some sketchy local folk who always seem to want to chat. I also found a woman’s shoe in my spot one morning, which I imagine has a story behind it.
Another complicating factor is the fact that I just found what I imagine is oft-considered the holy grail of urban automotive storage: consistent street parking. It’s sort of near sketchy-parking-lot, but a block closer to my workplace and requires no monetary contributions on my part. It’s nice – no parallel parking required either.
The only downside of this parking situation is that I have to arrive and claim the spot before 7:30am, or I’m outta-luck. I normally arrive at work pretty early, but always having to be there at 7:30 is kind of tough.
For the next few weeks I’m going to try the street-parking routeand see how it goes. Ultimately I’d like to find a backup street-parking spot that is perhaps a few blocks further away but always available if I’m running late.
So, that’s my anti-climactic parking-related blog post.
Do they have ‘Park-n-Ride’ in the greater Raleigh area?
$8.00 a day is a pretty steep pay cut! The 3 blocks walk will be a health bennifit as well. Especially if there turns out to be some running involved. (sketchy area and all):)
(Sorry, I could not resist. LOL)
I used some sketchy parking in the old days when I worked in Prov. but the price was …if not right…at least… affordable.
Glad to hear that the job goes well and that you are enjoying it. That’s key.
Motorcycle?
Park it anywhere…
Well – there goes your plan for that new 350Z :)! NOT the car you want to park in a not-so-nice area. Back in the day, I used to drive to Boston twice a week to attend BU for a few classes. There was many a night when I did not feel comfortable gettting to my car. Where do the execs park? Maybe that’s the job you need to get.
Part of the UNH culture is “sharking” . There are 3 primary commuter student lots, one near campus, and two you have to take a shuttle to. The one nearest campus fills up my 9:30am most days, and people will drive up to the main pedestrian entrance, sit, and wait for people to come down. Then, very quietly, they’ll follow you to your car and steal your spot. Best thing was, when I lived in the Gables, we had to walk through that lot to get to our apartments, we would bait people on purpose just to annoy them. Ahhh, good times!
KGD
I wonder if Hutch and Ernie still bury people? They always had a burial vault on the truck. They’ll always have business.
xxoomomD