As the largest train station in the world, it is no surprise that Grand Central Terminal is an iconic landmark in New York. What’s more, the station serves over 750,000 individuals on a daily basis, and when the holidays come around, more than a million people could pass through the station every day. It has 44 platforms, and 67 tracks pass through it.
So, if you live in New York or are just visiting, odds are you will pass by Grand Central at one point or another. You might have a train to catch, or you might just be there to enjoy this beautiful part of American history and to dine in one of its restaurants.
In either case, you won’t be able to enjoy your experience if you are weighed down by too much luggage. So, let’s look into a few storage options that can help you safely stash your belongings and enjoy your time there:
On-site storage
A few decades ago, Grand Central Terminal used to offer its visitors lockers to store their luggage in. But, that all changed after the September 11th attacks. As a precautionary measure, New York had all of the on-site storage facilities in its major stations and terminals removed. This means that you will no longer be able to find storage lockers in Grand Central Terminal, or in any other stations for that matter, including Penn Station and Port Authority.
Storage the sharing way
The sharing economy has disrupted numerous industries, including the hospitality industry (think Airbnb) and the ride-hailing industry (think Uber). Similarly, the sharing economy has tried to fill the sudden vacuum created by the removal of storage facilities, and it has succeeded.
Companies like Vertoe and Stasher will partner up with several different locations, including stores, gift shops, and hotels, to provide you with places to store your belongings. What these companies will do is that they’ll notify you of the closest locations to where you are that have space to store your luggage.
Given their business model, these companies tend to be cheap. For example, Stasher will allow you to store your luggage for an entire day, and all you’ll have to pay is $6 for those 24 hours. Additionally, Stasher will insure your luggage, meaning that if something were to happen, the company would reimburse you for up to $1,000.
To maximize cost-effectiveness, some companies will charge you by the hour, making you pay only for the time you’ve used.
Storage the concierge way
Although companies like Vertoe are cheap, they can be inconvenient for people hauling heavy luggage. Fortunately, there is an alternative: My Bag Check.
My Bag Check maximizes convenience. The company will send a driver to pick up your luggage, store it for you, and then drop it off wherever you want, whenever you want. It is the epitome of comfort. However, there is a cost to this convenience.
My Bag Check is more expensive than LuggageHero or Vertoe. Not only is their daily storage costs higher, but they also add on transportation fees, which means your total bill could range anywhere from $30 to a couple of hundred dollars.
Office storage
Some companies will offer you storage space in an office. For example, Schwartz Travel will let you store your belongings in one of their offices that are open around the clock all-week-round. You can place your luggage in one of the lockers in these offices, and in the event that you are part of a large group or are on a business trip, you might be able to get yourself a sweet deal.