New York City brings in millions of travelers every year. Some come on business. Others want that quintessential New York vacation.
Either way, maybe you’re headed there this year. Perhaps you haven’t traveled since the pandemic started, but now, you feel ready.
Perhaps you got your vaccination and a booster shot, and you feel like exploring the world’s most iconic metropolis. You can picture yourself enjoying a Broadway show or riding the Staten Island Ferry right now.
If you go there, though, you must store your luggage somewhere safe. We’ll discuss how you can do that right now.
You Can Stow Your Bags at Your Hotel
You want hassle-free luggage storage across the vibrant streets of New York City. Before you head out and start exploring, you must make sure your bags and the possessions they contain aren’t in any danger.
You can leave those bags at your hotel. If you check in, you can look over the room to make sure it meets your approval. You should pull back the sheets to check for bedbugs. That’s common practice in hotel rooms these days, even the more upscale ones.
You can leave your bags and hit the streets. Before long, you might find yourself sitting down at a nice restaurant or checking out an impromptu street performance from a break dancer or musician.
Leave Your Bags at Various Venues
You can sometimes find New York venues that will take your luggage. It varies. If you see a Broadway show or visit a museum, you can probably check your coat. They might take a purse or a small bag as well.
If you have some larger pieces of luggage with you, though, that’s potentially problematic. If you have a large suitcase because you’re staying in the city for several days, MOMA or the Natural History Museum won’t take something like that.
You might leave a bag at Grand Central Station or Port Authority in some cases. They do have lockers, but they won’t accommodate very large bags. You have one additional option, though, and it’s worth looking into.
Bag-Checking Entities Around the City
You should know that bag-checking entities have sprung up around the city in recent years. You can find some different ones, but they basically have the same business model.
You use a website or smartphone app and communicate with these entities. You tell them how many bags you have and when you’d like to drop them off. Then, they will tell you some options they have close to your location.
You will meet an employee at the location you choose and hand over your bags. They can take smaller bags or larger ones, suitcases, large musical instruments in cases, or whatever else you have.
They will stash your suitcases and other luggage somewhere safe. Most of them offer a flat rate for one day of storage.
Once you do that, you can walk around the city unencumbered. You will know that your bag isn’t in any danger. You can also go get it back whenever you would like.
You can do this if you have a hotel room in the city, but it’s not ready yet. You might also do it if you have checked out of your hotel, but you still have a few hours before your flight. Before you head to LaGuardia or JFK, you might stash your bags with one of these services and spend some time in Midtown or some other neighborhood.
You Should Like These Services
You will probably enjoy these bag-checking services. The friendly employees will have recommendations if you’re not sure where you should go or what you should see next.
You can also make sure that the company you choose insures your bags. They should have a policy in place that protects your bag and what’s inside it. You might keep anything extremely valuable with you if you’re worried about it, but for the most part, you can leave any items in the bag and know that no one will steal or lose them.
If you can walk around the city and know your bags aren’t in any danger, you should enjoy your time in New York more. If you don’t have a convenient hotel room or anywhere else where you can stash those bulky suitcases, these services can be a real lifesaver.
Make sure you tip the individual who takes your bags. They will thank you for it.