Avoid Parking Hell In San Francisco By Renting Your Spots

August 24, 2009 at 1:41 PM | by Heidi Atwal | 0 Comments

Anyone who has attempted to park on the car-congested streets of San Francisco knows that the task can best be described with a four-letter word: Fine. We'll admit it; we've been ticketed many a time for letting our car linger too long in one of those rare, coveted street spots. The safer alternative is finding a lot, where charges upward of $20 await. Adding to this list of aggravations is the headache-inducing search for parking, period. What's a Prius-driving San Franciscan to do?

The good people of GottaPark.com�dubbed "Your Community Parking Network"�are attempting to make the ordeal less of a pain-in-the-parking-meter for members of the Zipcar generation. We recently gave the site a whirl, with results that were so-so.

The site's navigation isn't the least bit confusing; just type in an address nearby where you'd like to park, the date, and how long you'll be in the area, and GottaPark pulls up a list of nearby spots. You pick the location, reserve the spot online, and get a print-out confirmation of the reservation. That last part is key, and they highly recommend that you bring a copy when you arrive at the location.

We chose an address in the heart of North Beach (a.k.a. Parking Hell), and while helpful information like distance from our destination and a blurb about surrounding landmarks was provided, we also only got a list of commercial lots. Prices for something within reasonable walking distance ranged from $12-24 for a mere two hours.

To be fair, North Beach is one of the least friendly parking neighborhoods in San Francisco, and highly commercialized to boot. Still, we're hoping that more private residences and smaller lots join GottaPark's network so that a greater array of cheaper options is made available.

Note to homeowners, small business and commercial garage owners: You can make some extra dough by renting out unused spaces at your home or lot and be paid via PayPal.

While there are improvements to be had, this still beats valet; that's for sure.

Related Stories
· GottaPark.com [Official Site]
· What to Do When a Hotel Valet Earns You a Parking Ticket [Jaunted]

[Photo: GottaPark.com]

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