Living on the South Shore I can tell you that parking in Boston is no fun. I have found myself heading into the city less and less due to the traffic congestion and the lack of parking. Although I cannot do anything about the horrors of Interstate 93, I do have a few Boston parking tips to share. Boston’s parking situation is ever-changing. For instance, it seems just a short while ago that parking on the street in the soon-to-be-called Seaport District was a sure winner.
One note: long ago I threw out the notion that I could park in the city without paying at least 20 bucks. These are reasonable, not miracles. And these sure beat the 50-dollar parking price tag that comes with any Boston sporting or non-sporting event.
Three for the Seaport
Congress Street Lot
Although the Seaport is trendy and constantly undergoing further construction, there are places to park here reasonably. The Boston Children’s Museum is a winner for my kids. Walking far is often not a winner. To remedy that, the LAZ Parking lot at 321 Congress Street is reasonable at roughly 20 bucks on the weekends. Reserve in advance via the LAZ app and you’re all set.
A Street Lot
The following two are about a ten to fifteen-minute walk to the children’s museum but are great jumping-off points for the Seaport or for access to downtown over the Fort Point Canal bridges. This lot is perfect on the weekends; it’s only $5 to park all day that is unheard of in much of the city.
Channelside Parking
Still on A Street, right next to the previous lot, this is best to be reserved in advance via an app or website. When other lots are $30 something during the week (like the first two) try this which is often around $20.
City Place
Time to go downtown. Close to the famous Boston Common Garage, this is also located on Charles Street. It’s a great location for the downtown sites, including the Freedom Trail, Quincy Market, and the Theater District. At $23, it’s not cheap but it could certainly be a lot worse. Access through the City Place Food Court and Transportation Building. It’s a smaller lot with only two levels, but you can definitely save a few bucks from other area parking options.
Post Office Square
The Post Office Square lot is a fantastic location. It’s right in the heart of the Financial District but only steps away from the Freedom Trail, Quincy Market, the North End, and the Aquarium. The catch is it’s only cheap at night when it costs only $9 an evening. The underground garage opens up to a funky cool park.
Around BU’s South Campus
I went to school at Boston University, and, living in the South Campus along Beacon Street, parking was often available. One could even find highly coveted non-resident spots in the nearby neighborhood. Those have since been changed, but the meters along streets, including St. Mary’s, Beacon, and Park Drive are often available. If you’re going in for an evening event, the meters only last until six so throw a couple of quarters in and it’s an (almost) free night of parking.
Although parking in Bean Town is never easy, these Boston parking tips will hopefully get you a reasonable spot in the city. There’s always public transportation as well, but for coming from the south, I just want to get into the city instead of waiting for the train after a long ride in.
