Free holiday parking - not this year (Pittsburgh, Liberty: home, garage)

[gladhands]

There as almost no downtown retail. There’s no reason to suspend regular parking fees for the holidays.

[gg]

Originally Posted by gladhands

There as almost no downtown retail. There’s no reason to suspend regular parking fees for the holidays.

I agree to be honest. It isn't like people go downtown to shop anymore. People go to Ross Park Mall or one of the lesser malls around. Downtown really is about entertainment and eating. It is busy down there though. I have been down a few times recently at night and it is very busy with lots of nightlife. I am amazed. Try and find parking on a Friday night down there.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by gg

I agree to be honest. It isn't like people go downtown to shop anymore. People go to Ross Park Mall or one of the lesser malls around. Downtown really is about entertainment and eating. It is busy down there though. I have been down a few times recently at night and it is very busy with lots of nightlife. I am amazed. Try and find parking on a Friday night down there.

Retail will be coming soon I'm sure. More and more people are living Downtown. In my own extended circle of friends I'm aware of a 30ish-year-old professional gay couple (renting on William Penn Place) and a 35ish-year-old professional heterosexual couple (just purchased a condo) who have moved Downtown over the past year from other city neighborhoods. If my budget permits I'd love to splurge with a roommate and get a 2-BR apartment on First Avenue near my office in the conversion they're doing across the street from the parking garage (above Gasoline Street Coffee), as I work on First Avenue, and the walk from Polish Hill bites.

Before long the threshold will be met for having a Downtown Target and/or Giant Eagle Express.

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by gladhands

There as almost no downtown retail. There’s no reason to suspend regular parking fees for the holidays.

You're right, there isn't much of anything at all worthwhile shopping wise down there. Restaurants though is a very different story.

[fleetiebelle]

Originally Posted by gladhands

There as almost no downtown retail. There’s no reason to suspend regular parking fees for the holidays.

There's ice skating at PPG place, the holiday market at Market Square, and different areas decorated for the season. There are special holiday concerts and events (like, Handmade Arcade was this weekend,) etc. People do go downtown for those kinds of things.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Originally Posted by fleetiebelle

There's ice skating at PPG place, the holiday market at Market Square, and different areas decorated for the season. There are special holiday concerts and events (like, Handmade Arcade was this weekend,) etc. People do go downtown for those kinds of things.

And it is packed for these things. I had a hard time parking, even in a paid garage, last weekend when I took my dad and son. $5 for evenings after 4 pm and all day on Sat / Sun shouldn't and is clearly not a deterrent for people. If they were testing to see if the demand was still there despite the lack of parking holiday, it seems like now is as good a time as any to try it out.

[gladhands]

Originally Posted by fleetiebelle

There's ice skating at PPG place, the holiday market at Market Square, and different areas decorated for the season. There are special holiday concerts and events (like, Handmade Arcade was this weekend,) etc. People do go downtown for those kinds of things.

And how much do those people spend? It’s nothing compared with Christmas shopping. I’m okay with those people paying to park.

[Knepper3]

Originally Posted by gladhands

And how much do those people spend? It’s nothing compared with Christmas shopping. I’m okay with those people paying to park.

Yeah, We pretty much park downtown once a year and it is Christmas to see everything. I dont have an issue with paying to park but outside of PPG and Market square for Christmas I cant tell you the last time I've gone downtown for anything other than our Christmas eve tradition of driving up to Mt Washington then through the city as we look at some lights. I do miss the days visiting my grandparents here where going downtown was something special but I don't think that will ever come back.

[PghYinzer]

There are plenty of small shops downtown, but it takes effort to do your shopping there. There is everything at the Christmas market, shops in Fifth Avenue Place, shops along Fifth Avenue near the Fairmont, new womens clothing on Wood Street, a new local only shop under Mellon Square Park, SW Randall (as creepy as that place is), Steel City clothing shop, and even a shop in the Oliver Building. Most of these places are small and carry a very distinct product set, so if you are hoping to just wander aimless around a mall like setting and buy random gifts at chain store after chain store, then no downtown is not your spot. The price points are also higher because most down town retailers do not carry mass produced consumer goods, so it's not for every one.

[ferraris]

Downtown Pittsburgh Partnership has at least corrected their website about it.

Friday, November 30, 2018
We have recently learned there is no free parking at any Pittsburgh Parking Authority Garages, meters or lots during the holiday shopping season. To find real time parking information, please visit ParkPGH.org.

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

The city doesn’t look incompetent, the groups advertising it do.

I don't think many people will make that distinction. We were in town visiting my in-laws and were caught by surprise that parking wasn't free downtown. The holiday market's website said it was free, the news said it was free, it has been free in past years...I don't think it's reasonable to expect visitors to do extensive research and fact checking on something as basic as parking.

And no, knowing about the $6 flat rate ahead of time wouldn't have deterred us, but it would have been nice to not be caught by surprise. I passed up a few garages hunting for the supposedly free one.