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We've lived in an apartment with only street parking since DD was born in April 2015. It's pretty busy so we dont' always find a super close spot. Until reading your post, it hadn't crossed my mind as a negative since before she was born. Before signing our lease DH and I were worried that it would be super tough with a baby. It honestly hasn't been a big deal at all. If we end up far I typically wear her on the walk back to our place (even now at 13 months). The worst of it was if she was napping in her bucket seat and I had to lug it back to our place but even that I got used to fairly quickly.

We have no dedicated parking spot and rely on street parking with a resident permit. We are lucky because we rarely need to use our car (one of the perks of being in the city to begin with) and because there are often parking spots available either in front of our building or around the corner when we do need to use the car (which tends to be on weekends). So while I really do want a dedicated spot in our next house, it hasn't been horrible for us. It is actually more annoying just carrying groceries in and out when we are parked around the corner than dealing with LO (either now as a toddler or when she was an infant).

If I had to use our car on a daily basis, it would be an entirely different story because the parking spots around our house go very quickly during work days and I know we'd be walking for blocks. That would have been awful.

So in your case, I'd think about how often and when you will need to use your car, as well as where are the available spots nearby. If you think you will need to park far away every day, you might at least consider getting a stroller or snap and go so you can wheel your baby back home instead of carrying a heavy carseat each way.

@Goldengirl: well where I live, people double park, unload the groceries, then go and find a parking spot. In the winter if the snap and go won't cut it, put baby in the carrier or lug the infant seat. But it sounds like you will be able to avoid the peak parking times which would help. And on the weekends hopefully you and your so can coordinate so you unload everything, baby included, and the other goes and parks. I think it's not ideal but it's doable. Shoveling out from snow would be really hard if you are home alone with the baby though.

@Goldengirl: DH and I both keep strollers in the trunks of our cars. We live in a walk up and don't like lugging the stroller up and down the stairs for walks etc. I have a baby jogger city select which has a massive basket and car seat attachments so in the instance I have too much to carry I just use the stroller and take it back down to the car the next time I go.

Not quite the same situation, but we used to live in an apartment complex with super limited convenient parking and I often had to hike quite a bit with baby. It was totally fine- I could either strap her into the baby carrier or I could put her convertible car seat into the stroller. We were happy to save tons of $$ and were able to afford to finance a brand new Volkswagen instead of spending the money on higher rent. As long as your area is safe, you will make do. Lots of people live like this!!

As far as the groceries are concerned, I had two methods that worked for me- (1) I would go to the store solo with the baby and just get whatever would fit underneath the stroller. If your apartment has stairs you can pull the stroller up backwards and carry the baby in the carrier to get everything in one trip. (2) Go shopping with DH if we needed a lot.

We live downtown in a very big city. We have a parking spot for DH but my car doesn't fit down the laneway.
I can get a spot right in front if our house 90% of the time. It's difficult around six at night when people are getting home but I'm almost always already home at that point.
We have three kids, two that need carrying to the car and that's a pain but doable.
The winter hasn't been too difficult. If the car needs shoveling I have DH do it before he goes to work.
I do grocery pick up and unload at the house and then park if there aren't any spots directly outside or have dh do the pickup.

It's a pain, but once you do it it's not that bad.
We're talking about a fourth and getting #2,#3, and #4 to the car is a sticking point for me in terms of timing. #2 needs to be able to get there on her own without running off.

I have on street permitted parking and it really isn't a big deal with an infant. You know what is terrible? Street parking and snow. I sincerely am traumatized and will never do it again. Parking where I am with snow is terrible.

When I was in a similar situation I totally gave up on the grocery part. I had all heavy/bulky groceries delivered. Or left everything shelf stable in the car for DH to bring in later.

@Goldengirl: Why have you decided you want a car? Honestly, if the parking situation stinks, and its just for weekend trips/big grocery hauls, it might be worth waiting til baby is here, seeing how it goes the first six months renting zipcars as you need them, and reassessing in the spring/summer when you'll have the "lay of the land" with your new place and new baby a bit better.

we have a car in Brooklyn, in a situation similar to @LCTBQE: I really don't drive during the week for the most part. We take it out on weekends and on long vacations. I only move it during the week for street cleaning (another annoying aspect of street parking in most cities you may want to consider). I order most of our big groceries online, and walk or take the subway during the week, because finding parking during the morning/evening change over, or school pick up/drop off, or street cleaning hours, is a HUGE PITA.

But if you've decided to bite the bullet - then yes; like other people have said - double park in front of your house with your hazards on, unload the car (just toss stuff in your lobby/front door), then go with the baby still in the car with you to find a spot, and keep a stroller/snap and go/ergo in the trunk of your car, always.

ETA: As far as the spot goes...maybe wait and see how stressful it ends up being. I've figured out how to manage moving the car for street cleaning with two kids, but the level of stress may just be worth throwing $$$ at it and getting a paid spot once baby #3 arrives - it's hard to move quickly enough to snag spots when you're bundling up/buckling in two little munchkins, let alone three!

@Goldengirl: Soooooo, after I made my first post, my SUV (street parked in front of my house) got sideswiped in a hit and run by a FedEx truck. Know what I'm thinking? It's worth every penny to pay for a parking spot....not that it couldn't get hit in a garage too, but ugh! Just spent an hour and a half ducking my head outside every 3 minutes waiting for the police to come take a report (so FedEx will cover the damage - the guy left a FedEx missed delivery slip , but nothing else) while trying to feed my kids dinner and get them ready for bed. EEEK. Street parking is such a headache!

I felt uniquely cursed in a similar situation but now that I live where I have to drive everywhere the grass is looking greener on the other side! It really encouraged me to do errands with the stroller in all weather.
Re: groceries in particular: With a baby I wore her and put the groceries in the stroller...with the elevator and a big sturdy Bob I could roll them all the way to the kitchen. (Other strollers have more underneath carrying space for groceries though.) When she was walking I would hold her hand and push the stroller with the other (again a good point to consider when stroller shopping). Or I would double park and unload groceries fast into the vestibule with kid in car, and then go park and walk back together.

@Goldengirl: the wagon was my savior, for real. We have this one: http://m.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=55704446&camp=CSE:GooglePLA:55704446:20331218-DSG:LIFESTYLE-CAMPING_BACKYARD_FURNITURE