Nearly impossible parking in downtown Seattle (Pacific: home, luxury, costs)

[vandygirl]

I made the mistake recently of thinking that I could make a quick detour to downtown Seattle and run into my favorite store for a few minutes on my way home. In any other major American city this might have seemed like a good idea, but not in Seattle.

I drove around searching for a parking space near 4th and Pike for about 25 minutes before I just gave up and drove home. I guess high parking meter costs don't really matter if there are not enough spaces to park, anyway. Sometimes even the dreadfully expensive lots are full.

It seems like the only way I can shop downtown is to drive back home and catch a bus. That same five minute detour to a store downtown by car would end up taking 45 minutes (10 minutes to drive back home, 10 minutes waiting for the bus, 20 minutes riding, 5 minutes walking from the bus stop to the store) via public transit. All of that just to pick up a luxury item for myself? Nah.

[Inkpoe]

Was the parking lot @ 2nd and Pike full?

[Xanathos]

1) 4th and Pike is just about the busiest spot in the entire downtown area. If you think you can easily find parking at the center of any downtown area at a given time, you haven't been around much. And if you were there between 3-6, thanks to local policies a lot of the street is off limits for parking.

2) The nation's highest parking rates haven't taken effect yet, have they?

3) You spent 25 minutes trying to find a spot near 4th and Pike, but didn't just park under Pacific Place at 6th and Pine and walked to your favorite store? It would have taken you 5 minutes to make that walk, yet you spent 25 minutes circling. Think about that for a moment.

[Boompa]

The idea is to use public transit. It's not the suburbs, you may have to get out of the car and walk a block or two

[seattlenextyear]

In any other major American city? Have you ever tried to park in downtown Boston, DC or NYC?

[Malloric]

There are something like 50+ garages/lots close to 4th and Pike. Worst case scenario use the convention center parking garage. That thing just about never fills up. Sorry, but if it takes you 25 minutes to not find a place to park you are either a cheap skate (me) or unbelievably bad at finding parking. If you think Seattle is bad try parking in San Francisco.

[Hemlock140]

The garage at 7th and Pike is easy in and easy out, and only gets filled up on event weekends like this one with the Flower and Garden Show. One of the reasons for the rate increases was to open up more street parking spots by
having people spend less time in them (certainly not to make money for the City). If you have time to walk, a good place to park to go to the Market is Bell Street Garage at Wall and Alaskan, though it does get close to full when cruise ships are in at Pier 66.

[vandygirl]

Originally Posted by Malloric

There are something like 50+ garages/lots close to 4th and Pike. Worst case scenario use the convention center parking garage. That thing just about never fills up. Sorry, but if it takes you 25 minutes to not find a place to park you are either a cheap skate (me) or unbelievably bad at finding parking. If you think Seattle is bad try parking in San Francisco.

That's funny that you say that. I've never had to circle in San Francisco for longer than 10 minutes to find parking. In San Francisco, street parking is the norm. I admit I don't know Seattle's downtown area that well. If I could find somewhere to park so I could get out and walk around, maybe I would know it better.

The lots cost a lot more than the meters. In Nashville and San Francisco I can pull up and park within three blocks of the store and drop 75 cents into the meter in order to make a quick run.

Seattle is nowhere near as big or congested as DC and NYC. With fewer residents than SF, parking here should be easier. I'm not trying to put Seattle down, but I think easier parking is something that would improve revenue for downtown. Not everyone enjoys the bus.

[vandygirl]

Originally Posted by Xanathos

1)

3) You spent 25 minutes trying to find a spot near 4th and Pike, but didn't just park under Pacific Place at 6th and Pine and walked to your favorite store? It would have taken you 5 minutes to make that walk, yet you spent 25 minutes circling. Think about that for a moment.

I parked in that lot a few months ago. I remember that it took a long time to find an open spot in there.

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by Xanathos

.

2) The nation's highest parking rates haven't taken effect yet, have they?

3) You spent 25 minutes trying to find a spot near 4th and Pike, but didn't just park under Pacific Place at 6th and Pine and walked to your favorite store? It would have taken you 5 minutes to make that walk, yet you spent 25 minutes circling. Think about that for a moment.

It took effect February 2011.



Meter would've cost the OP $4... Parking lot would've cost 6-8 dollars for half to an hour? Most of the parking lots always have some room, at least from my experience. Only time that would be more difficult (but not impossible) would be during holidays.