Parking Crunch in Canal Park

There is one secret that isn't really a secret -- more like common knowledge that maybe not everyone is totally up on. The only free spots are at DeWitt-Seitz Marketplace, but they are two-hour spots for customers, and they can be hard to come by. 

I generally park somewhere in the Central Hillside or along Minnesota Avenue on Park Point and walk in.

For any event at the DECC, downtown or Canal Park after hours, I park at the Holiday ramp, walk through the skywalk, and leave after the ramp stops charging (usually 6-7 pm, unless the Bulldogs are playing a sold-out game, then the ticket-taker stays late). Don't drive in Canal Park in the summer, it's not worth the headache.

I could tell you the secret, but then I'd have to kill you.

I think since whoever is in charge of parking gave a bunch of parking to the big employer down there, there is no amazing parking option. And I'm bitter over that because, well, there are local businesses I like to frequent, but can't swing it if there's no parking. Yes, I can ride my bike there. But I'm a working mother: either I have to pay my kids to ride their bikes to Canal Park to buy me some salami for my cheese and crackers I like to eat at the beach after work, or it isn't happening. Here's hoping that the Smokehouse reads this and starts selling salami at the Woodland location, even if just for summer.

When I visit Canal Park, I have always found a place to park that involves generally the same amount of walking that parking at the mall requires. Paying for parking is part of the deal with having a car in the first place. I've never NOT found a place to park in the Canal, but have struck out at Mt. Royal and UMD more than once. The caveat I will include is that I have not attempted to park in the Canal during the Marathon, 4th of July or Tall Ships.

Endion still had a good price for parking last summer (was it 25¢ an hour, or not quite that good?) — have they changed the rate there this year? I haven't parked there yet since tourist season started. [I sure would like to see some spots in that lot with a max of 2 hours through the winter, so people who want to use the Lakewalk can actually park. As it is, they're going to find out the downtown workers are filling up that lot and raise the rate/charge in the winter.]

The  lots for Bayfront/Playfront are free when there isn't an event going on.

I've taken to parking for free at the Rose Garden: either along London Road or in the lot between it and Valentini's.  It's just a quick jaunt on the Lakewalk from there to the Canal.