Me and my car

November 17, 2011 10:56 AM

How do I rent a parking spot in the Mission in SF?

I'm looking at moving to the Mission in SF. I'd like to live along Valencia somewhere between the 16-24 range (preferably closer to the 24 end).

Ok... I think I've mastered using craigslist to look on a daily basis (so futile!).

But, I need to have my car as I am frequently at different locations. Street parking looks really tough (it feels harder in the 16th end than the 24th - or is that just me?)

How do I go about renting a parking garage/spot near wherever I end up renting? The craigslist search for this doesn't seem to return many results....

Any other tips for finding both a place to live and a place to park simultaneously?

posted by StrictlyVague to Home & Garden (10 answers total)

Best answer: If you're already local-ish, you might try just walking around the neighborhood - I know that I've seen garage-for-rent signs on telephone poles and such.

You are correct in your assessment of parking - it's pretty craptastic at both the 24th and 16th street ends of Valencia.
posted by rtha at 11:25 AM on November 17, 2011

Its not easy, but parking is doable in those areas, particularly if you're not moving around too often. I'd give it some time before paying for a space, my experience in SF has always been that it takes a few weeks of parking in the same area before you really get the parking experience down.

You can also check with the various garages scattered through the Mission. Most garages offer a monthly parking pass.
posted by bitdamaged at 11:47 AM on November 17, 2011

The SFpark iPhone app and website has realtime parking information for the exact area you're considering. It also shows a couple of garages on the map that might sell monthly parking passes.
posted by cnc at 12:25 PM on November 17, 2011

I used to rent a spot at the gas station at Valencia and 23rd. I am not sure if it was money the manager made in secret or if the gas station actually profited. I'd check with that and other businesses with parking spots.
posted by mzurer at 12:57 PM on November 17, 2011

There is a garage at Valencia and 20th-ish. I'm pretty sure they rent monthly spots. There is also a big bank building at 22nd and Mission that I think has a parking lot behind it that might rent spots. There is also a now defunct gas station that works as a lot at around19th and Valencia. Mostly used by zip car - but they might have private spots as well. I'm not aware of any other proper garages in that general neighborhood. Craigslist sometimes has garage spots - and I remember seeing the same phone pole signs rtha mentions.

I lived at Guerrero and 21st and Dolores and 22nd. (I really really loved the neighborhood!) Street parking in that general vicinity is pretty nightmarish.
posted by Wolfie at 1:02 PM on November 17, 2011

Casa Dolores at 15th and Dolores rents parking spots. I inquired once and they were friendly. I believe they have covered and non-covered options.
posted by iamscott at 1:14 PM on November 17, 2011

When you call about apartments, ask the person you talk to. They don't have to *have* parking for their units, but they might have ideas about available spaces. That, Craigslist, and street signs are your best bet. I dated a girl once who rented her space out, and she had placed it on Craigslist.
posted by rhizome at 2:01 PM on November 17, 2011

Also, if you're using Craigslist for apartment hunting, I recommend Padmapper. It takes the CL listings and presents them on a google map. Very useful for looking in specific neighborhoods.
posted by doctor_negative at 4:30 PM on November 17, 2011

There's a garage at 21st and Bartlett that offers monthly parking. There's another city lot at 16th between Mission and Valencia, though I think it has a waiting list. Google San Francisco monthly parking and you'll find things.

Here's a Yelp link.

If you live on a permitted street then you will have more luck finding a street spot you can stay in for a few days.

I would agree that it's a bit easier to find parking closer to 24th Street than 16th Street. The farther west (or east, though west is safer) you can get from Valencia the easier it will be. Valencia is all meters, but once you dig into the more residential streets you'll have more luck, especially if you have an address that lets you get a permit.

I would be remiss as a San Franciscan to not recommend that you ditch your car and use Zipcar or rentals. I've lived in or near that neighborhood for the past ten years (with and without a car/a motorcycle/a scooter) and can give you more specific advice if needed - feel free to memail.
posted by bendy at 11:43 PM on November 17, 2011

Response by poster: I wish I could ditch my car. I feel like I'm trying to solve an equation with two unknowns.
posted by StrictlyVague at 12:54 AM on November 18, 2011