my rant about santa monica parking

[hjt123]

People who can afford to drive will go car free if it's convenient. Santa Monica will have rail in a few years that is really only going to shuttle these people between downtown, USC, and samo. Car free developments should be going up in Hollywood, ktown and downtown. Our system is not yet comprehensive enough for Santa Monica to be an urban, transit-reliant zone. The nearest rail transfer is a stop away from its eastern terminus and people living in a shiny new construction condo in Samo sure as hell wouldn't ride the bus.

However, The Crenshaw line to Hollywood or even Wilshire will be a massive game changer. The connectivity will give tremendous value to the Expo as it will be our best way to move east-west during trafficked hours for far more people.But, until then, it's only situationally useful to the Santa Monica resident.

[disgruntled la native]

Originally Posted by Dunbar42

Be careful what you wish for when it comes to permit zones. My brother's block in Hollywood went to permit parking and now it can be almost impossible for visitors (like me) to find parking after 6pm. I won't rent an apartment in Santa Monica that doesn't come with an assigned parking spot.

With parking in Santa Monica I quickly learned to READ THE SIGNS and realize the metered spots have detectors in the ground so you WILL get a ticket if your meter runs out or you park there when you shouldn't be there.

It's not an ideal situation but residents should have priority over visitors. Just meet your brother at a restaurant or something. Or God forbid park a few blocks away where there are meters and walk over.

[greggd1]

I park in Santa Monica all the time. It's never a hassle to find parking.

You can park in the northern section of Santa Monica for free (that's really what you want right?)


You can park downtown in several public structures and there are several private structures that charge an all day or night rate for secure covered parking...I usually am down there in the evenings and, at most, its about $10.00 if I don't feel like walking. If you can handle a 10-15 minute walk, there is a boatload of free parking and it's away from the downtown gridlock traffic.

Also, there is a huge parking lot by the courthouse which offers 90 minutes free parking...Its a 5 minute walk to the promenade area.

[Dunbar42]

^Also most, if not all, metered spots are free after 6-7pm in Santa Monica. Just read the signs to be sure.

[Monkeymike]

I'm so glad this is a topic. Aside for the fact that it's a pain to get out of Santa Monica, the parking situation is absolutely horrendous. The last time we went it took us a half hour to reach the parking garage from the expressway which was probably a half mile away and then - And I'm not embellishing here - it took us another 30 minutes after entering the garage to find a parking space. By the time I reached that space I was just enraged.

I don't understand the draw unless it's all tourism because I knew the first time I went there that I had no desire to go back. My idea of fun isn't spending 3 hours in a car when I'm a mile from my destination.

[smokingGun]

Santa Monica is a tourist trap, especially the remodeled SM Place. It really doesn't have an active bar/club scene and the eats are the typical Cal-Med-Italian fare that was popular 20 yrs ago. Which is fine if you're in that older demographic, but SM isn't a trendy destination spot, other than the beach or Pier. btw, I always find easy parking in the underground structure of the Main Library on 7th & SM Blvd. You can also see real-time availability at public lots with the ParkMe app, which is pretty convenient.