Can we talk about how much harder it is to find a decent parking spot near the waterfront now?

I swear, five years ago I could just roll up to the marina lot on a Saturday afternoon and grab a spot within a few minutes. Now, especially after they redid that whole area off Marine View Drive, it's a total zoo. Last weekend I circled for 25 minutes before I gave up and parked way over by the community college. What happened to the old lot that used to be behind the Grand Avenue Pub? Did they just get rid of it for those new condos? Has anyone else had better luck on the side streets off Pacific?

3 comments

3 Comments

violar3527d ago

I remember when that old lot by the Grand Avenue Pub was my secret weapon for parking. Now it's just another pile of concrete and fancy windows. Last week I saw a man in a little sports car give up and drive right over the curb onto the grass by the boat ramp. I almost applauded him, mostly because I was about to do the same thing myself. The side streets off Pacific are a gamble too, I've had good luck on Harbor Street but you have to get there before 10am or it's a ghost town of bumpers.

murphy.mason27d ago

And it's like that everywhere now isn't it. Every empty spot or hidden gem we used to know gets swallowed up by something shiny and new before you can blink. Pretty soon we'll all just be circling the block like sharks waiting for someone to pull out.

spencer78227d agoMost Upvoted

I get what you're saying but I actually think the parking situation in this city has gotten better, not worse. I live off of 12th and Vine and I've found three new spots to park in the last year that nobody seems to know about yet. The old lot by the Grand Avenue Pub was a nightmare anyway because it flooded every time it rained. People complain about change but half the time the new buildings come with underground garages that add more spaces than we had before. I parked in one of those new garages on Harbor Street last week and there were rows of empty spots at noon. Maybe I'm just lucky but I think there are still plenty of hidden gems if you look off the main drags.