How easy is it to find free parking ITP? (Atlanta: safe neighborhood, living in)

[ihatecolumbusga]

I'm pretty new to this whole adulting thing so how easy is it to find free parking in Buckhead, Midtown, Downtown and the hipster eastside neighborhoods? And MARTA isn't an option for me because I'm going to be living in a county where it isn't offered because I can't afford to live in a safe neighborhood ITP until I finish my KSU degree.

[MattCW]

It's doable, it really depends on where within those areas you go. You may end up walking farther, but it's definitely possible. Just be careful, some of these places are permit-only street parking, and it's effective at different times. Most of these areas are SFHs with individual driveways so it's pretty stupid.

[ATLTJL]

Highly depends on where you're going and what time.

Just tonight I was meeting several friends at a midtown restaurant. Valet lot filled up. Got a text from one person saying he couldn't find any parking so he was giving up and going home.

This is someone who lives and works a couple miles down the road into town, not just someone who doesn't know how to find intown parking.

So it really just varies. Sometimes you'll have that problem, sometimes you won't.

[Atlanta Scientist]

Park at a Marta station. Lindbergh if you want to hit downtown and midtown. Lenox or Brookhaven for buckhead. Not too familiar with the Eastside but I know East Lake has parking to access Decatur.

[DreamerD]

Originally Posted by ihatecolumbusga

I'm pretty new to this whole adulting thing so how easy is it to find free parking in Buckhead, Midtown, Downtown and the hipster eastside neighborhoods? And MARTA isn't an option for me because I'm going to be living in a county where it isn't offered because I can't afford to live in a safe neighborhood ITP until I finish my KSU degree.

Haha. Same here. For me it depends on where and when. I have been to the Lindbergh area at different times of the day but where I go usually has parking. If it were the Buckhead/Lenox area, I'd probably park at Marta and then walk. Midtown I usually go to at night because parking is free after 9 p.m. where I go. Downtown...I'd probably use Marta but if I plan on staying anywhere really late (which I don't typically do downtown), I'd try to find parking. I would think that with Downtown you'd have an easier time finding parking at night because it's empty. As for day time, if you drive around downtown though like Peachtree Center, there are parking lots you can park in but you have to pay $10. I want to say I paid $5 long ago but that was long ago. Not sure what is considered Eastside but if you mean Decatur, you can park at the train station and walk. If you are worried about walking, perhaps you could take a bus.

[DreamerD]

Don't want to assume you already know this but let's say that where you are in Atlanta there is no parking but across the street there is a plaza full of parking. Please don't park your car across the street and think that because there is a lot of parking they won't ticket your car. As soon as you leave the plaza they will get you.

[Thulsa]

Originally Posted by DreamerD

Don't want to assume you already know this but let's say that where you are in Atlanta there is no parking but across the street there is a plaza full of parking. Please don't park your car across the street and think that because there is a lot of parking they won't ticket your car. As soon as you leave the plaza they will get you.

And by "ticket", we mean they will instantly put a boot put on your car if you cross the street.

[ATLTJL]

Actually, come to think of it.....it's almost impossible to find FREE parking anywhere intown, and that was the question. Most places in midtown you have to pay to park in a garage, feed a meter on a street, or go to a place that has free valet (though you still have to tip, so it's not REALLY free).

The obvious exceptions to this are big box retailers, like if you go to the Edgewood shopping center or the Whole Foods on Ponce you don't have to pay to use their lots. But that's only good if you are going to the stores the spots are for, they do watch and they will boot your car if you walk away.

And, of course, areas that are ITP but not intown like Chamblee, Brookhaven, and even some parts of Buckhead have about the same type of free parking you would expect to find anywhere.

[AtlJan]

In Buckhead south of Lenox, most everywhere is free parking during the day, just like in the suburbs. At night at restaurants, there's often a valet--all you'll pay is tip. If you're going to other intown neighborhoods at night, Lyft is often more convenient than dealing with parking.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

Actually, come to think of it.....it's almost impossible to find FREE parking anywhere intown, and that was the question.

It depends on the area. There's lots of free parking in Little Five Points, East Atlanta Village, Grant Park, Virginia-Highland, Candler Park, and many other Intown areas that attract visitors.

If you're in an area that has high rises, then yeah, you're probably gonna have to pay. But those areas make up only a small portion of "Intown" or "ITP".