Practical Matters : Pahking Cahs

Having a car in Boston is luxury and a headache. Boston’s many one-way streets confuse even native New Englanders,  traffic jams are horrendous, and Boston’s drivers are famously aggressive.  The best “getting- around” advice is really to take advantage of the T, Boston’s public transportation system.

If you insist on bringing the family buggy, know that public parking in Boston is difficult –  really almost impossible- to find. Many neighborhoods-  including Beacon Hill, the South End  and the North End strictly enforce resident -only parking and have only a handful of metered parking spaces for visitors, which typically have a one-or two-hour maximum time limit. Parking meters in the city are still mostly coin-operated-so bring lots of quarters. Meters run 8 AM-8PM Monday-Saturday and are free on Sundays and holidays. But be warned, Boston parking control officers monitor  constantly and are ruthless. You will be ticketed for any violations!

Public parking lots in Boston are also ruinously expensive- especially on weekdays. In the city, your best public parking option is the huge (1300 car), below ground, Boston Common Garage (Zero Charles St., Boston)(Map). It is conveniently located near Beacon Hill and the Theater District and is one of the city’s  few 24 -hour lots. Rates max out at $27  day and are just $11 on weekends and after 4 PM on weekday evenings.

Image Credit: Boston Convention and Visitor’s Bureau