Tow-Away Zone!

The day has arrived. It really is no big surprise, we knew it was coming. But now that it is here, it's frustrating. My fabulous high-rise condo has decided to start restricting street parking. Sigh.

When I moved into the condo, I was (and still am!) thrilled with all of the "extras." A valet. A 24/7 concierge. A huge amenities deck. Walking distance to stores and restaurants. Walking distance to sMARTA. Life in the city is good!

The downside: we live in the city. Most high rises have limited parking for visitors. I knew this, and took it in stride. Imagine if I lived in NYC. There is zero parking there! So with the few large parties I have thrown, I have encouraged people to carpool, or take MARTA. The valet can park a few extras, but you never know who else in the building might be hosting a blowout on the same night. There has always been somewhere for people to cram their cars in. So far, so good.

Well, apparently the City of Atlanta has gotten involved. Street parking is no longer considered ok, and they are going to put up those sad "No Parking" signs. Tear. That means, I may have to ask people to pony up some dollars in the future so that I can pay off the valet to park them all in overflow lots nearby. You all have been warned. Sorry :(

On a slightly related note, I walked to the store the other night, rather than drive. It was wonderful! I forget how close these places are to my home, and how spoiled I am. I had some extra time, and it was a great way to get in a little bonus exercise.

But the weird thing is, no one walks anywhere in Atlanta. Whether we live in town or in the suburbs, it's likely that there are sidewalks, and that a grocery store or pharmacy is within one mile of our front door. But do we walk? Rarely. And what a shame! This time of year is when it's fantastic to be outdoors, and if we were in NYC, we'd laugh at ourselves if we attempted to get our cars out of their coveted spaces and drive. I don't walk when I have to pick up a week's worth of groceries, but what about when you just need that one item? Why not?

So I challenge all of you - walk somewhere this weekend, instead of drive. It's so refreshing. And in any case, you may need to apparently walk to my place in the future, since there literally may be nowhere to park ;)

Happy Weekend!