What I look for when scouting areas to shoot. 

When scouting for locations for potential shots I try to keep a few things in mind. 

1. Is it easy to get to? (accessibility)
2. How many angles can I get here?
3. What time of day is best for this location?

1: Accessibility: Because not everyone enjoys climbing on the side of buildings or through fire escapes, It's great to keep in mind locations that people are comfortable getting to. It all depends on the client of product of course, but I think it's great to keep in mind, with lifestyle photography, to make your location easily accessible. 

2: Angles: When shooting product, apparel, lifestyle, etc, I want to take the most advantage of one location because of time and set up. At each spot, I try to have at least three angles that I can shoot to get the most out of the spot. Not to mention, you might find a better angle then you originally thought, and you also don't get stuck with one way of shooting. With parking garages, there are driveways, ledges, stairs, rooftops, etc. great variations. 

3: Time of day: Golden hour is obviously the primary choice. But if you're not able to shoot quite then, then it's good to know what other times certain spots look best. Middle of the day, overcast, semi rainy, etc. Know what kind of mood you are wanting to send, know what you want your product, or objective to be. Some locations might look better at night then in the daytime, that can also depend on the lighting of your actual location. I try to keep their night aesthetic in mind also. 

Here is a parking garage in downtown seattle near pioneer square that I just scouted. I had only been there at night, but the daytime (overcast) opened up my eyes to a much different view of it.

Enjoy! HMU if you want to know more, or if you want to collab and shoot. 

Omar.