[von949]

Originally Posted by demoknite

As downtown becomes more gentrified and "cool", expect parking availability to go down and prices to go up.

This.

It is inevitable. Enjoy it while it lasts.

[tadtam]

I usually Valet Park at Main Street Station. Its very convenient, monitored lot and only $3.
I guess a lot of locals do the same thing because when I was there few months ago ( I forget what event was going on), when I picked up my ride they had a sign that said, VALET PARKING FOR HOTEL GUESTS ONLY.
I am going this Saturday and I intend to get there early to avoid "the parking crowds"..

[PinkString]

I had posted something about this in the chat section. We went down there this last weekend and found out they had changed their parking. No longer park there. We ended up at the Plaza, had to go play on a machine there and wait for someone to stamp our parking receipt, then they refunded it at the cashier. I guess next time it will be Binions parking garage and as long as we are not there over 3 hours, it will work. The pain of it comes into play when we are there longer and have to stop what we are doing, get the car, drive out, then drive back in.
They may want to make it easier for locals to park down there for a small fee, say $1. Let the tourists pay more. Otherwise, if the parking keeps going up and no validation, a lot of locals will stay away. So maybe that is what they want.

[irishspy]

It is Monkey see Monkey do for parking DT too bad and especially for special events where they charged $20.00 and up even if you were just going to the street or casino and not the event. The kicker here is in most major cities $20.00 is a deal to park your car so tourist do not mind paying it and us Locals get slammed.

[Caltovegas]

Is there another casino to park at on the bus line?

[owelles]

Originally Posted by owelles

Also, if you're looking for free, non-valet parking, the California Hotel one block from Main Street Station still has free parking in its garage if you validate your ticket at the cage.

Some people prefer not to have anyone else, including a valet, get behind the wheel of their car at any time.

Unfortunately, I need to correct the information in my earlier post. I parked in the California Hotel garage today, and they charged $5 unless I ate in their restaurants or gambled on their machines. Total ripoff, in my opinion.

Both the California and Main Street Station are owned by Boyd Gaming. If Boyd's management is trying to increase profits by charging for parking, I think it's making a big mistake. I won't be parking - or playing or eating there - and I'm guessing I won't be alone.

[irishspy]

Boyd gambling is becoming a big corporate pain and Fremont ST will be taken over sooner than later by all of them Boyd kicked the Wranglers out of the Orleans after 10 yrs and 1.5 million people attending games over that period they have no more give a ways at any of their properties you have to earn points first to get anything and their slots are tight. Don't be surprised come this summer every weekend parking will cost more as they try to make each weekend a special event so they can charge more. The charm of Fremont ST is going away thanks to the big corporations

[MadManofBethesda]

Originally Posted by owelles

Unfortunately, I need to correct the information in my earlier post. I parked in the California Hotel garage today, and they charged $5 unless I ate in their restaurants or gambled on their machines. Total ripoff, in my opinion.

It's a ripoff because they want to provide free parking for, you know, their own customers, and not people who just want a free place to park but have no intention of spending any money on their property?

Okay, got it.

[owelles]

Originally Posted by MadManofBethesda

It's a ripoff because they want to provide free parking for, you know, their own customers, and not people who just want a free place to park but have no intention of spending any money on their property?

Okay, got it.

My point is that I have been a Boyd customer for many years, including downtown, in part because its parking facilities were convenient to where I liked to go. If I was unsure where to have lunch, for instance, and if I had parked free at Main Street Station, I probably was more likely to wind up eating at one of its restaurants. And I was more likely to have parked at Main Street Station because it was free.

There is a lot of competition for customers among the downtown casinos right now, with The D making a big splash, the Downtown Grand having opened recently and the other, more established casinos trying to maintain their customer base. And if one of the tiebreakers to decide where to go is free parking, yes, that could be enough to swing that place my way.

[PinkString]

When we parked at Main street station for their free parking, we would always play a little inside their casino. We would never just validate and leave like a lot of people might have. And many times we would have a meal there.
I guess we should check out the Grands parking if there is any. That is our new favorite downtown place. And we stop in there at least 4 times a month.
Plus walking through the Plaza after parking is an assault on the senses since they seem to be using the same godawful perfume the El Cortez is using. This is a new thing they adopted. I would rather they just smelled all smoky andpissy like before, since it was less of a putrid smell believe it or not.