Luggage Storage in Manhattan: A Detailed Guide

You’re in the Big Apple! Manhattan, to be exact — the heartbeat of New York City! But there’s a problem. You’re saddled with luggage on a 23-square-mile island teeming with millions of people and venues whose post-9/11 security measures forbid entry to visitors with large suitcases or baggage. So, luggage storage in Manhattan is a common problem.

Manhattan, the bustling core of New York City, is known for its iconic landmarks, shopping havens, and top-notch dining. However, navigating this urban paradise with luggage can be a daunting task. Thankfully, various luggage storage solutions are readily available to make your visit hassle-free. This guide will walk you through these options, spanning traditional locker rentals to contemporary on-demand services.

On-Demand Luggage Storage Startups In Manhattan

On-demand luggage storage startups provide a service that allows travelers to conveniently store their luggage for a few hours or a few days. This concept has emerged as a solution to the common problem faced by tourists who have to check out of their accommodations early but have a late flight or train, or those who have just arrived in a city but can’t check into their accommodation until later in the day.

Here is how they usually operate:

1. Location: These startups partner with local businesses like hotels, shops, cafes, or other establishments that have secure storage space available. These partnerships not only help the startups with secure and often insured space but also drive additional foot traffic to the businesses.
2. Booking: Customers can book storage space on-demand through the startup’s app or website. The platform will show nearby locations where luggage can be stored, often with reviews and ratings for the quality and security of the service.
3. Drop Off and Pick Up: After booking, customers can drop off their luggage at the designated location. The partner establishment often provides a receipt or a token. When the customers need their luggage back, they can return to the location with the receipt/token and pick it up.
4. Security Measures: To ensure safety, the luggage is often sealed in tamper-proof bags and insured against damage, loss, or theft. Some startups also offer additional services like luggage transportation.
5. Payment: The payment is generally handled through the app or website, and the cost usually depends on the size of the luggage and the duration of storage.

Examples of these types of startups include Stasher, Bounce, LuggageHero, Nannybag, and Vertoe. These startups are essentially creating a shared economy for luggage storage, similar to how companies like Airbnb have created a shared economy for accommodations.

Stasher

Stasher connects travelers with local shops and hotels that have spare storage space. They offer a simple, flat-rate fee for a 24-hour storage period, and all bags are insured.

Bounce

With a pay-as-you-go model, Bounce partners with local businesses to offer secure luggage storage. They boast hundreds of locations across Manhattan, providing both convenience and affordability.

NannyBag

NannyBag is another popular luggage storage platform in Manhattan. They partner with a wide range of businesses, from hotels to shops, ensuring your luggage is stored safely and conveniently.

Vertoe

As a nationwide chain, Vertoe operates numerous locations in Manhattan, offering daily storage at affordable rates. From Times Square to Central Park, Vertoe has convenient drop-off points across key Manhattan neighborhoods.

Traditional Locker Rentals

City CoPilot

City CoPilot operates old-school locker rentals, providing a secure and affordable solution for travelers. They have three locations in Manhattan: Times Square, Lower East Side, and Brooklyn.

Luggage Storage at Manhattan Transit Stations

Amtrak’s Parcel Check at Penn Station

Penn Station provides a luggage storage facility for both passengers and non-passengers, offering a secure and economical solution for those in transit. They charge a per-item fee for up to 24 hours of storage.

Luggage Delivery Services in Manhattan

Luggage Free and Luggage Forward

For a more premium, hands-off solution, services like Luggage Free and Luggage Forward pick up your bags from your location and deliver them to your destination. This can be a convenient solution for those who want to explore the city baggage-free.

Luggage Storage in Museums

The Metropolitan Museum of Art and American Museum of Natural History

Most museums in Manhattan offer cloakroom services, where visitors can store small bags. While not advertised as luggage storage, this can be a handy emergency solution for tourists.

Manhattan, the bustling core of New York City, is known for its iconic landmarks, shopping havens, and top-notch dining. However, navigating this urban paradise with luggage can be a daunting task. Thankfully, various luggage storage solutions are readily available to make your visit hassle-free. This guide will walk you through these options, spanning traditional locker rentals to contemporary on-demand services.

Manhattan Hotel Luggage Storage

There are many hotels in Manhattan that provide luggage storage services, both for their guests and, at times, for non-guests for a fee. Here are some options:

1. The Penn Station Luggage Storage: Located near the Penn Station, this storage facility is a popular choice among travellers because of its convenient location.
2. Row NYC Hotel: Located in Times Square, this hotel offers luggage storage for a nominal fee, even for non-guests.
3. Yotel New York: Based in Hell’s Kitchen, Yotel offers a luggage storage robot, an innovative way to store your luggage securely.
4. The New Yorker, A Wyndham Hotel: This hotel, near Madison Square Garden, offers luggage storage to its guests.
5. The Standard, High Line: In the Meatpacking District, The Standard offers luggage storage.
6. Radisson Hotel New York Times Square: Located near Times Square, they offer luggage storage facilities to their guests.

While most hotels are likely to offer luggage storage facilities to guests, it’s less common for these services to be available to non-guests. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to call in advance to confirm the availability of the service and whether it’s open to non-guests.

What You Should Know About Manhattan: The Basics

Manhattan, one of New York City’s five boroughs, is a 23-square-mile island in the southeast corner of New York State. The East, Harlem, and Hudson Rivers separate it from the mainland, aside from a small patch called Marble Hill and a handful of islands.

The borough boasts about 85 neighborhoods in three main sections: Uptown, Midtown, Downtown. Broadly generalizing:

1. Uptown is where old-money millionaires pass their days pampering in luxurious spas, shopping at elite boutiques, and eating at restaurants so expensive they don’t even put prices on the menu. At night, residents attend performances at Lincoln Center or go for invite-only after-hours cocktail sips at the MET. That said, the Upper East Side is more traditional than the Upper West Side. If the UES is Queen Elizabeth, then the UWS is Meghan Markle. 
2. Midtown is a menagerie of art galleries, office buildings, and theatres. The bulk of Central Park is in Midtown. 
3. Downtown is for revolutionaries, hipsters, artists, and scenesters. During the day, though, it’s crawling with finance folks who work in the financial district. Downtown is where you’ll find funky stores, trendsetting people, mohawks, and body piercings.

Some people consider the West Side another main section of the city, but things downtown are tightly packed, so it’s a small distinction.

Fun Manhattan Attractions

Manhattan is a cornucopia of historical sights, museums, cultural landmarks, outdoor activities, restaurants, and one of the world’s most-celebrated public parks. Tomes have been written about the island’s attractions, but here’s our slimmed-down list of five must-see sights.

Central Park

A lush, 843-acre rectangular public park smack in the middle of Manhattan, Central Park can feel like a magic garden and serves as a country escape from the surrounding urban sprawl. 

Hang out on the pond or picnic on the lawn. If knowledge is your jam, sign up for a tour with a park ecologist to learn about the grounds and woodlands. 

The following streets border Central Park and can be accessed from all:

1. North: 110th Street, aka Central Park North
2. South: 59th Street, aka Central Park South
3. East: Fifth Avenue
4. West: 8th Avenue, aka Central Park West

Lombardi’s Restaurant in Little Italy

Located at 32 Spring Street in Little Italy sits Lombardi’s, the first pizzeria in the United States. Lombardi’s first opened its doors in 1905, and aside from a ten-year hiatus in the 1980s, the restaurant has been serving up outrageously delicious pizza ever since. According to culinary legend, after relocating to Chicago from New York, a guy missed Lombardi’s pies so much he hopped in his car and drove the 788-mile distance to satisfy his craving.

It’s not a big place, nor is it in any way fancy. But if you want a pizza that will elicit tears of joy, make time for a Lombardi’s pie. 

Governors Island

Governor’s Island is a smaller island off Manhattan. In the earliest days, it served as a residential space and even boasts a castle. Then, for decades, the Coast Guard used it as an outpost. Today, it’s home to a specialized public high school that focuses on all things aquatic, and the island is in the middle of a giant refurbishing effort. 

Only two people live on Governors Island full-time, but empty, historic homes, churches, and barracks dot the landscape, many of which are open for exploration. Overnight glamping on the island is also an option, and the “tents” resemble those used on royal safaris.

The MET, Guggenheim, or Natural History

Galleries and museums are a dime a dozen in Manhattan, but the big four are the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, the Museum of Modern Art — aka MOMA — and the New York Museum of Natural History. Pick your intellectual poison. If life-size dinosaurs make you ooh and ahh, head to the natural history museum. If ancient artifacts and grandmaster paintings do it for you, head to the MET. Fans of modern art can choose between MOMA and Guggenheim. 

Top of the Rock

Want a perfect, aerial picture of New York City? Go to Top of the Rock, the observation in Rockefeller Center, the plaza and outdoor ice-skating rink where a giant Christmas tree is famously lit every year.

Manhattan is an electric, exciting city. Don’t burden yourself with packages and luggage when exploring it. Instead, find a Stasher and stow your stuff! But most importantly, have fun!