Where, When, and How To Park in San Francisco

Use my guide for getting around the City by the Water- whether by foot, public transit, or car

1. Don’t park here. Seriously. If you can avoid it, that is. San Francisco has pretty good public transit; BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) will get you to SF International Airport (San Bruno) and to the East Bay (Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, etc). Muni is the bus and metro system that will get you around the City. Download the Clipper app on your smartphone to avoid the $3 plastic card fee. 

Pro-tip: when using the Clipper app on Bart, tap just the top corner of your phone to open the gates, as opposed to placing your entire phone on the sensor. 

2. If you MUST drive, use a parking lot. Unfortunately this isn’t always an option and at times you will have to pay for street parking, but it will always be cheaper than getting towed, which can begin at $550! By neighborhood here are my go-to spots:

-Mission Bartlett Garage at 3255 21st St (Dolores Park/Mission District): This is the most secure garage in the entire Mission District. It is 0.4 miles from both Dolores Park, and 24th and Mission (an 11 and 9 minute walk, respectively). I have found that quite a few of the restaurants and bars in the area will validate parking.

-The Castro has two public lots: 4116 18th St and 455 Castro St. Both fill up very quickly and are not particularly secure- depending on the type of activities you are up to in the Castro and the timing of said activities, rideshare is probably your best bet here, and the Metro stops at Church St and Castro Stations. 

-Mission Bay (AT&T Park, Chase Center, UCSF): I am usually able to find street parking in one of two places, depending on what side of Mission Bay I’m in: close to Esprit Park, on Minnesota St, between 19th St & 20th St (Dogpatch) OR off of 7th St & Hooper St (Potrero Hill). Otherwise there is usually plenty of cheap street parking in Mission Bay proper- unless there is a game or other event. 

-Portsmouth Square Garage at 745 Kearny St (Financial District/Chinatown): EIGHT DOLLAR FLAT RATE AFTER 5PM! Need I say more? Did I mention this garage is usually open until 1 or 2AM on the weekends? Definitely check the hours when you are leaving your car; I also love this garage because it is very spacious and can be used as a good “anchor spot” for exploring North Beach, Union Square, Nob Hill, and other parts of Downtown. Many of the surrounding restaurants and bars also validate parking so it never hurts to ask!

Pay by License Plate spots can be as cheap as $0.25/hr- but the tickets for not paying can be as high as $200!

3. Do not leave anything in your car. Anything. Like, not even a chapstick. Seriously. It has gotten a lot better, but yes unfortunately car break-ins are very common, particularly in the touristy areas. 

4. While most of the City is very reachable by public transit, there are a few places you may just want to rideshare to. Destinations like Land’s End, Sutro Baths, The Painted Ladies, The Palace of Fine Arts, Cow Hollow, The San Francisco Zoo, Chase Center, Ocean Beach, Pier 39, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Presidio are places I would recommend either getting dropped off at or using rideshare. Marin County (across the Golden Gate Bridge) is also not as easy to navigate using public transit as San Francisco and the East Bay are. 

5. Finally, here are some local parking secrets (USE AT YOUR OWN RISK): 

-Whole Foods Parking Lot, 690 Stanyan St (Haight Ashbury/USF): this is a smaller lot that they keep a closer eye on, but it is perfect for quick errands like picking up food

-Safeway Parking Lot, 2020 Market St (Castro/Duboce Park): this lot has worked wonders. It’s pretty spacious, so difficult for them to monitor, and after 10pm (when the store closes) your chances of being towed are almost non-existent. I have left cars here overnight- do so at your own risk. 

-Gus’s Community Market, 1101 4th St (Mission Bay): usually I’ll enter the lot with my car and then exit on foot through the store. Sometimes I’ll buy something just in case. They share the lot with the apartment complex so make sure you park in the store designated spots and get in and out of there before the garage closes for the night. I’ve never stayed for longer than 30-40 minutes and would NOT recommend staying here for an entire basketball or baseball game. 

Need a local guide to show you around while you visit the City by the Water? Check out my walking tours, courtesy of The Native Experience