Owning a WRX in New York_ Please advise

[Balthus]

Hello all!

I have a question for all of you on the east coast. It looks like I will be relocating from los angeles to Manhatten. My biggest bummer is my 2004 wrx wagon, I love this car, but fear that its not really feasible in new york. I was wondering how many of you are out there with there cars, do you keep them in jeresy or something like that...Are there great place's to get service done; alignment, tune ups, everything and anything...mod friendly dealers...

I am thinking I may just have to sell my car, and that frickin sucks soccer sized balls...Please advise.

[MDRex]

Can't realy answer your question, but you should try contacting some of the guys from the Subaru Queens Club. They have a huge Suby club in NY and can probably help.

http://www.sqc-ny.com/

[Subie2.5RS2003]

werd, SQC 189

things to remember, be prepared to be honked at a lot and join the crew we're nice people to hang out with, a lot of hook ups etc etc

[wrxwex]

i drive my car in manhattan all the time, its fun, and i don't see any problems

[dome]

are you going to be living in Manhattan in particular or one of the outer boroughs? In manhattan just be prepared because street parking sucks. It's hard to find to say the least. Your other alternative is to pay for a space in a garage, but that can be expensive.

Outer boroughs parking is not so much of an issue.

That said, you'll love NY and you'll be fine with the car...you just have to find a way around the setbacks.

[Balthus]

Thanks so much everybody. I will definatly want to jion you folks and hangout...besides, I like to do my own work on the car as I am sure all of you do, so I will need partners in crime in that respect. I will most likely reside in manhatten, that is the goal. But, I do know alot of people in williamsburg and may swing that way. I know parking is astronomically high in manhatten and I am not sure I would want to keep it there?
Honking is funny, here on the west coast it is FU your an a$$...and on the east coast its not really that, its more of a hey you open your eyes. I don't know, I just know your right, get use to my horn.
I was talking cars with my buddy last night ( he is an evo guy, whatever) and I just cannot sell my car, to depressed to think about that, so I will really try and get it out on the east coast.
Thanks again everybody.

Christopher

[Jack]

Originally posted by Subie2.5RS2003
werd, SQC 189

things to remember, be prepared to be honked at a lot and join the crew we're nice people to hang out with, a lot of hook ups etc etc

Sorry to hijack the thread but Subie2.5rs2003 is there a white wagon with a body kit in SQC? i saw his car in North Carolina, very nice looking

[gusto]

Originally posted by Balthus
do you keep them in jeresy or something like that...

heh...

yeah you can leave it in jersey.

actually i hear theres alot of people that will take them to/from jersey for ya free of charge! you dont even need to give them your keys or permission!!!

[Weasel 555]

biggest mod friendly dealer is in Long Island--Metric Subaru
www.mspt.net

jdm scoobyparts etc
www.fizzautosports.com

www.mauromotorsports.com

www.Z1auto.com

www.ninosautoaccessories.com

www.ravspec.com

Weasel 555
SQC#009

[B4gery]

Depends on where you will live exactly.

Anywhere in Manhattan is prohibitively expensive for mere mortals. You're looking at $300/month or more anywhere from 96th Street and down to the Battery, on the East Side, or 110th Street and down to the Battery, on the West Side. I would refrain from parking above these streets for the most part. Maybe Innwood on the very northern tip of Manhattan

I know of a fairly inexpensive place on 11th Ave. on the West Side, but it's field parking, park your own. Cars are somewhat vulnerable to other drivers and the inquisitive.


It's just like rent.

If you don't mind me asking...what is your price range, both your rent and parking fees, and what expectations do you have?

-B4.

[Balthus]

Well, money figures into alot of this. I do not have alot of it is the biggest problem. Rent I figure will be from 1200 to 2000 depending on the place. I cannot live like alot of my friends who live there; some weird 3000sq ft loft divided 6 times by dry wall, your closet is in somebody else's room, but you have to go through the basement to get to it. And, there is one bathroom.
As my rent increase's, my ability to keep the car decrease's. I figure the car will be about an extra $1000 bucks a month: 300parking, 360payment, 150-200insurance, 200 gas...thats not including oil, and misc...and of course mods mods mods...And I really do not know anything about NY legal E's of car owning. However I do live in the nazi state of cali in terms of emmisions and cars in general.

Thanks again to everyone for the replies.

[Balthus]

Expectations? Hmmm. Well, I would just like to have my car. It would geet used very little. As opposed to now, it gets driven everyday somewhere around 2000 miles monthly. I like to keep it clean, wash it on the weekends, wax it everyohter month...I enjoy changing the oil, and other maintence things. And I do plan on modding somewhat...All of this sounds ridculous to me if I am living in Manhatten. I guess it doesn't sound very Manhatten like...it ssounds southern california like. I will probably have to sell the car, and that bums me out.

[Kenshin]

driving in NY isn't bad.. unless your car is ridiculously lowered.. then forget about a front lip/body kit.

besides that, everything is fine.

welcome to ny?

[Bask Oner]

I live in Brooklyn, one subway stop outside of Manhattan. Parking in my neighborhood is about $275 to $300 per month. I actually park on the street, but it's a hell of a lot of trouble because they sweep each side of the street on two days of the week. On average, I have to move my car four times a week, and if I don't do it between 3pm and 5pm the day before the street sweeping, I'll end up finding a space ten blocks away. Ever since I stopped paying for a lot, my car has been abused. Forget visual modifications and your bumpers, they're toast. Regardless of where you park, your suspension will be toast after a little while too. My cost of owning a car in NYC is currently $460 payment, $388 insurance, etc. When I lived in a $700 a month apartment and parked in a lot, my car was my baby and I modded the living sh*t out of it. Now that I'm in an $1800 apartment and it's parked on the street, it's going to have to be sold.

Regarding shops in the area, I recommend Fizz Autosports in Bayside, Queens for your parts that you don't feel like ordering. They have loads of JDM/WRX parts in stock, and will give you good prices if you're cool with them. Any modification work that can't be done yourself should be done by Precision Tuning in Brick, NJ. Bob and Rich over there could not be more highly regarded by the local WRX community.

As far as finding an apartment goes, I would only consider Williamsburg if you are a seriously artsy person who doesn't mind living in a seriously grungy area. It never really became the wonderful residential area that everyone said it would. Right now, the nice neighborhoods to live in (which are better than Manhattan are Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, and maybe Red Hook. They're all very close to downtown, have a good mix of cool people, and have nice apartments in your price range. The $1800 that I pay is for a one-bedroom apartment in a four year old luxury building. It's got things like climate control and a dishwasher, which are almost unheard of in New York.

[Balthus]

So you are at the bedford stop? I thought that was willamsburg? And I thought redhook was , well, not a good place...kinda gethhooo...

thank you for the first hand knowldge, that sounds pretty familier with what I might be going through...and I do not know if I can take watching that abuse to my car. Kinda figured no suspesnion mods, I was gonna go vishnu stage 1 and thats about it.

Again, thanks for taking the time.