One of the "most emailed" stories on Boston.com today?

The $250,000 parking space, of course!

As parking spaces go, it's nice enough. While it's outdoors, the smooth brick paving is immaculate.

That's what an anonymous buyer paid in April for a prized spot tucked in the alley behind 31-33 Commonwealth Avenue in the Back Bay &8212; breaking the city's record price for a parking space and underscoring the difficulty residents have scoring a spot downtown.

Some people HAVE to have a deeded parking space. It's that simple. They are willing to pay just about anything to get it. They won't buy, unless they get one.

I have had several clients who felt the same way. One finally settled on a place with valet parking; the other put his foot down and only wanted to see condos in buildings with self-parking.

That narrowed the choices, drastically. The InterContinental and Ritz Carlton Towers, the most luxurious properties in the city, both have valet parking.

Eh. In fact, we've been thinking about giving up our car, completely. It's not worth the money for car payments (Lexuses are expensive), insurance (so are accidents), and towing charges (um, yeah).

I go by limo, most of the time, anyway.

More: Sold: 1 open-air parking space in the Back Bay for $250,000 - By Kimberly Blanton, The Boston Globe