Overnight visitor parking in Brookline?
September 6, 2011 5:44 AM Subscribe
We are moving to Brookline, MA, and have an apartment with a parking space. No problem for us. But what happens when we have a weekend visitor (2-3 times per year). Where can they park?
We are around Havard St. & Aspinwall St.
I've read on the Brookline website that there are overnight visitor spots in various spots around the town (it looks like there are two small city lots by our new apartment). I assume these are snatched up pretty quickly, right? And the problem with having to buy the ticket by 6pm and moving out by 8am the next morning seems to be a pain. Also, I want a backup option in case all of the spots are filled.
Are there any public lots (by day / hour / weekend) around, or other options that we couldn't find?
Is there someplace close in the Longwood Medical area that would work?
I've read on the Brookline website that there are overnight visitor spots in various spots around the town (it looks like there are two small city lots by our new apartment). I assume these are snatched up pretty quickly, right? And the problem with having to buy the ticket by 6pm and moving out by 8am the next morning seems to be a pain. Also, I want a backup option in case all of the spots are filled.
Are there any public lots (by day / hour / weekend) around, or other options that we couldn't find?
Is there someplace close in the Longwood Medical area that would work?
Response by poster: The apartment we are moving into is part of a complex. They have a parking lot, but no extra spots available for visitors.
That might be an option, because there are a ton of little side streets around us that are not on the list.
posted by cavs33 at 6:11 AM on September 6, 2011
That might be an option, because there are a ton of little side streets around us that are not on the list.
posted by cavs33 at 6:11 AM on September 6, 2011
Best answer: First, welcome to the neighborhood!
A resident permit won't let you park overnight - you will still need to find a place to put your car after 2 a.m.
The overnight visitor spots do tend to fill up pretty fast. In general, I think your best bet is to find a hospital (Longwood Medical) or hotel that allows overnight parking for non-patients/non-hotel guests. The Courtyard in Coolidge Corner allows overnight parking for (I think) $40/night--not cheap. I believe Brookline also sells spaces in that parking garage, but there is likely to be a waiting list and it will be a monthly rental, not a by-night/as-needed sort of thing. You'll also need to be out by 8 or the usual hotel parking fees will apply. And the metermaids are stalking the public lots by 8:01, so be careful if you go that route.
Your guests may also be able to park in Allston and walk from there - I'm not sure what the permitting situation is across the border.
posted by athenasbanquet at 6:20 AM on September 6, 2011
A resident permit won't let you park overnight - you will still need to find a place to put your car after 2 a.m.
The overnight visitor spots do tend to fill up pretty fast. In general, I think your best bet is to find a hospital (Longwood Medical) or hotel that allows overnight parking for non-patients/non-hotel guests. The Courtyard in Coolidge Corner allows overnight parking for (I think) $40/night--not cheap. I believe Brookline also sells spaces in that parking garage, but there is likely to be a waiting list and it will be a monthly rental, not a by-night/as-needed sort of thing. You'll also need to be out by 8 or the usual hotel parking fees will apply. And the metermaids are stalking the public lots by 8:01, so be careful if you go that route.
Your guests may also be able to park in Allston and walk from there - I'm not sure what the permitting situation is across the border.
posted by athenasbanquet at 6:20 AM on September 6, 2011
Best answer: Your guests will have to park their car in Brighton and then you can pick them up in your car to bring them back to your apartment. Scout closest Brighton parking beforehand, like all along Commonwealth Avenue. It can be difficult to find a spot there too. When I lived in Cleveland Circle it took me a long time sometimes to find a non-resident spot.
Look on the bright side - you're in Brookline, so your guests will have no need of a car while they stay with you (unless you're in the super-rich Brookline over route 9, but I'm assuming you're more central than that).
posted by Shusha at 6:26 AM on September 6, 2011
Look on the bright side - you're in Brookline, so your guests will have no need of a car while they stay with you (unless you're in the super-rich Brookline over route 9, but I'm assuming you're more central than that).
posted by Shusha at 6:26 AM on September 6, 2011
Don't know if this is practical for you, and I don't know Boston well, however, when I was in Boston, I parked at a transit parking garage (Alewife), and took the subway in. The cost was $5 for 24 hours (I think it's $7 now).
posted by BozoBurgerBonanza at 8:07 AM on September 6, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by BozoBurgerBonanza at 8:07 AM on September 6, 2011 [2 favorites]
For Brookline, parking at Riverside may be easier than at Alewife, since it's on the green line (D, specifically). I'm not sure what the price is, but I expect it's fairly reasonable as a friend of mine parks there every time he comes up for the weekend.
posted by divisjm at 8:35 AM on September 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by divisjm at 8:35 AM on September 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
Oops, that'll teach me to try to understand municipal government documents before coffee.
Parking on the Green Line is a good idea. I used to park at the Woodland station in Newton (tends to be less crowded than Riverside), and it is indeed $7 overnight.
posted by oinopaponton at 8:55 AM on September 6, 2011
Parking on the Green Line is a good idea. I used to park at the Woodland station in Newton (tends to be less crowded than Riverside), and it is indeed $7 overnight.
posted by oinopaponton at 8:55 AM on September 6, 2011
Welcome to the neighborhood. I live just around a couple of corners from that intersection.
Parking at the T lots, as suggested above, will be the cheapest option, but DO NOT LEAVE ANYTHING OF VALUE IN THE CAR, EVER, in those lots. There is minimal security.
Slightly closer than Brighton would be to go up St Paul St all the way to Comm Ave, which is in Boston. That area is on what passes for the campus of Boston University, but sometimes there's parking available. You've got to be gone by 8AM weekdays and Saturday as these are metered spots, and run at 25 cents for 1 minutes, last time I looked.
Another possibility would be to check with your neighbors in the complex to see if anyone will be out of town and not using their spot when your visitors come in.
Brookline doesn't have resident parking permits, per se, except in a few neighborhoods closer to Boston University and the Boston town line. There is no on street parking allowed AT ALL between 2-6AM. They will ticket, and in some cases, tow violators. Not only that, but there is also a two-hour limit during the day, that is more spottily enforced. Even property owners can get stung by that, even if parking literally in front of their home.
posted by qurlyjoe at 11:36 AM on September 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
Parking at the T lots, as suggested above, will be the cheapest option, but DO NOT LEAVE ANYTHING OF VALUE IN THE CAR, EVER, in those lots. There is minimal security.
Slightly closer than Brighton would be to go up St Paul St all the way to Comm Ave, which is in Boston. That area is on what passes for the campus of Boston University, but sometimes there's parking available. You've got to be gone by 8AM weekdays and Saturday as these are metered spots, and run at 25 cents for 1 minutes, last time I looked.
Another possibility would be to check with your neighbors in the complex to see if anyone will be out of town and not using their spot when your visitors come in.
Brookline doesn't have resident parking permits, per se, except in a few neighborhoods closer to Boston University and the Boston town line. There is no on street parking allowed AT ALL between 2-6AM. They will ticket, and in some cases, tow violators. Not only that, but there is also a two-hour limit during the day, that is more spottily enforced. Even property owners can get stung by that, even if parking literally in front of their home.
posted by qurlyjoe at 11:36 AM on September 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
Yeah, Brookline is the only place worse for parking than Somerville (while they are ticket-happy, at least Somerville HAS legal parking options).
Yes, the overnight spots will get snatched up quickly, plus IIRC, you have to move out of them by 8 AM or something similarly ridiculous.
Alewife is sort of on the other side of the world - you'll be far better off parking at Riverside. Looks like there's a lot at Chesnut Hill as well? Looking for a spot in Allston/Brighton is also sensible. There's a for pay garage at Agannis Arena at BU which is near your neighborhood. There's definitely a parking garage across from Children's Hospital, but I'm not sure if it is employees or expensive or what (I only ever walked by).
tl;dr - Have overnight guests park at Riverside. Warn them that they will have to do this so they are not surprised. Pick them up/drop them off as they park.
posted by maryr at 12:51 PM on September 6, 2011
Yes, the overnight spots will get snatched up quickly, plus IIRC, you have to move out of them by 8 AM or something similarly ridiculous.
Alewife is sort of on the other side of the world - you'll be far better off parking at Riverside. Looks like there's a lot at Chesnut Hill as well? Looking for a spot in Allston/Brighton is also sensible. There's a for pay garage at Agannis Arena at BU which is near your neighborhood. There's definitely a parking garage across from Children's Hospital, but I'm not sure if it is employees or expensive or what (I only ever walked by).
tl;dr - Have overnight guests park at Riverside. Warn them that they will have to do this so they are not surprised. Pick them up/drop them off as they park.
posted by maryr at 12:51 PM on September 6, 2011
You can also risk a ticket; they can't actually check every street in Brookline every night, and sometimes you get lucky. I used to occasionally park on a street near my apartment and I would estimate I got ticketed one out of every three times (it was Mason Terrace, on the opposite side of Beacon St. from you).
I never had a problem with the visitor lots filling up, just with getting my ass in gear and going and getting the permit and everything.
posted by mskyle at 3:43 PM on September 6, 2011
I never had a problem with the visitor lots filling up, just with getting my ass in gear and going and getting the permit and everything.
posted by mskyle at 3:43 PM on September 6, 2011
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posted by oinopaponton at 5:55 AM on September 6, 2011