hard by, valet

he setting is also unexpected: it is in College Point, Queens, just north of the “valley of ashes” in “The Great Gatsby,” and hard by an industrial park.

Once you’ve fought your way off the bridge ramps (be smarter than me — avoid rush hour), you can hand your keys to a valet.

hard by adverb, preposition LITERARY OR OLD USE
very near:
The house where he lived as a child is hard by the main plaza.

val・et

,

━━ n., v. 従者（として仕える）; （ホテルの）ボーイ; 身の回りの世話をする.