Courtesy of Alfi Storrs | The Crow’s Nest
By Jeffery Caicedo
Have you ever tried to find a parking spot in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, only to be met with frustration of not finding one right away? If so, you’re not alone.
Downtown St. Pete has become too crowded, with a growing population. Having to spend time driving around the area just to find a parking spot has been a living nightmare, especially with all the detours drivers have to take due to the increase of construction.
March was a busy month for downtown, with the Firestone Grand Prix, events at the pier and concerts taking place at Jannus Live throughout the month, the crowd has made it frustrating to see the lovely downtown area.
My wife and I are known for being frequent moviegoers, AMC Sundial 12, located at 151 Second Ave. N., is our second home. We go at least once a week and never had any issues finding a place to park. That is until recently.
These past few weeks luck has not been on our side. We arrive thirty minutes early to ensure we find a parking spot, but still cannot find one. We then try the Sundial parking garage, but they are at capacity or require specific permit.
We felt defeated, and we drove to every corner in hopes someone would vacate a spot for us to snag up, but nothing. Already having missed the previews and being too hard-headed to reschedule our movie watch, we decide to park at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, rent out a RAZOR scooter and rush to AMC.
While it was fun to ride a scooter and take in the beautiful city, we were beyond frustrated with the situation. Unfortunately, this occasion happened a couple more times during the month of March.
Students at the University of South St. Petersburg are also having a rough time with traffic and parking recently.
“I live downtown, and I have witnessed a [larger] influx of people than ever before,” Alexa McClure, a junior, said. “I’ve learned to time when to get to school, but lately, traffic has multiplied and there are closures I have to deal with, making me late to school. it has become an inconvenience because lately the parking meters at school have been closed and I usually park in the overflow lot but now I can’t, it has never been an issue for me before,” she said.
While it’s true that the increasing population is causing issues with parking, don’t be like me––plan ahead. The university sends us email reminders that the parking lots on campus and throughout the city will be occupied for events, even though they get buried along with my other 100 emails, most of the time.
So, how do we avoid a frustrating parking experience? By planning, using alternative modes of transportation, utilizing technology and being mindful of specific events.
By taking a second to calculate your trip, you can overcome your parking woes and enjoy all that downtown St. Petersburg has to offer.
What a terrible article. Have you never been to another city? St Pete parking isn’t that bad.