Some New York Malls Are Now Charging for Parking, Would You Pay?

How would you react if your local mall started charging for use of their 'preferred parking' spaces? Of course there are pros and cons. One one hand it should be one sweet spot to park in. On the other hand you have to pay for it.

A few mall across the United States are now charging for preferred parking spots and the concept is being met with mixed reviews. Are you on the side of thinking this is a great idea or are you thinking, heck no?

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According to USA Today, GGP owned and operated shopping malls are now charging for preferred parking spots, close to entrances, and although the fees tend to be small some customers are not happy about it.

Since I was old enough to drive the challenge of getting a great parking spots at the mall, especially during the holidays, was part of the appeal of the mall experience. With this latest concept, anyone willing to pay can have that spot.

Earlier this year I made a trip to Connecticut and needed to purchase a shirt for a dinner event later that evening. I popped into the SoNo mall in Norwalk and was shocked to learn that all of the spaces came with a fee. Thankfully none of the Capital Region malls charge for preferred parking.

With the rise of online shopping one would wonder if charging a fee of any kind at a traditional mall is ill-advised. It would be pretty nice to have preferred parking during the holidays but on a random Wednesday it just seems annoying.