One of
the benefits of living in Manhattan is that you don’t “need” a car to get around. On the weekends however, you may find yourself thinking, ‘wouldn’t it be nice to have a car’ as you drag your bags on the subway. Car rentals can be expensive, frustrating and inconvenient, while grabbing a cab can get costly and sometimes put your life in danger. That’s where Zipcar comes in. You’ve probably seen the little compact Mini Coopers on the road with the big green Z on the side. That’s a Zipcar!
The concept of the company is that it creates an environmentally friendly planet by reducing the number of cars on the road. Users make a reservation and are able to pick up their car right in their neighborhood. The other benefits of using a Zipcar instead of a rental car include: free gas, free insurance, and cars in New York and New Jersey come equipped with EZPass transponders; most even have XM Satellite Radio.
I haven’t personally tried the Zipcar but I’ve heard great things about the convenience of car sharing. The owners actually got the idea from a similar vehicle sharing concept in Europe. They decided to kick it up a notch by adding wireless technology, creating a hassle-free reservation system and strategically placing the cars around key cities and neighborhoods.
If you think that Zipcars is a convenience only available to the people that live downtown, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn that Zipcar already has two locations in Harlem and the addition of a new location at The Kalahari in 2008 will add 3 Toyota Prius’ to the fleet.
To find a ZipCar location near you click here.
Website: Zipcar
Hugo
June 26, 2007
zipcar for me is a godsend.i honestly detest the idea of having to buy a car living in the city. but for times when you need wheels, zipcar coms through. i love it. there are also 2 spots up in the washington heights area. the one nearest me is technically 10 blocks away by riverside church but I cover it quick walking through the bridge over the Valley Aqueduct. I wish they had it closer. I’m curious as to what kind of arrangement the parking lots have with the zipcar so I can interest the parking garage nearest me.