Long-term car parking in Chicago?

March 31, 2012 10:07 AM

I'm leaving the country for three months. Where do I store my car in Chicago during that time? Graduate student, so the cheaper the better...
posted by besonders to Travel & Transportation around Chicago, IL (5 answers total)

Got anybody who'd let you park it in their driveway? Maybe in exchange for letting them use it when their own car is in the shop.....
posted by easily confused at 10:11 AM on March 31, 2012

Might be worth leaving the keys with someone as well. I left a car for 2+ months (with a new battery) in a covered, secured garage and struggled to get it started when I got back. My Dad's advice is to start it every month or two.

I suggest asking someone in your lab (or in your broader grad school cohort, if necessary) to do it. Offer them $40 and a plate of cookies. Alternately, ask your advisor if your trip is related in any way to your studies.
posted by arnicae at 10:24 AM on March 31, 2012

Response by poster: Unfortunately most of the people I trust are also out of the country during the summer, including all three of my advisors... but I suppose I will keep asking around...
posted by besonders at 10:30 AM on March 31, 2012

Do you have anyone who could take the car, even if they're fairly far away? When you return to the country, you could stop at the airport closest to them, then have a bit of a road trip home!
posted by xingcat at 11:12 AM on March 31, 2012

What xingcat recommends is what I do. I go abroad every summer and have to store my car - lately, I've just driven it to my mother's place. She can start it every now and again so the battery stays charged, and I get a chance to see her before and after my trip. I used to leave it at my apartment (we had off-street parking) but with no one in town who could drive stick, this turned out to not be the greatest solution - hence the change in plans.
posted by AthenaPolias at 11:27 AM on March 31, 2012