A legendary oasis of free parking on Third Avenue will dry up this summer when the city installs new muni-meters between 83rd and 84th streets.
For years, residents and shoppers have enjoyed free parking on the strip, needing only to move their cars during alternate-side parking restrictions on Monday or Tuesday mornings.
The Department of Transportation said it is installing the meters in response to complaints from local businesses, which claim that residents are hogging spaces.
“People park their cars here for days,” said Jimmy Hassan, manager of the bodega on the block. “My customers have to double-park for a pack of gum.”
But installation of meters has some residents feeling cheated because free parking is already rare in Bay Ridge’s commercial districts.
In fact, meters run virtually the full length of Third Avenue — from the Towers to the Narrows — except for this one-block quirk.
“People can’t find parking as it is in this area,” said Kostas Koumbanios who lives in the neighborhood and works at Rustica Café on the block. “This is just going to be a hassle for those who don’t have garages.”
