New Chicago residents are often baffled by the complexity of the city’s parking situation. Here is a brief description of the different parking options available:
- Street parking is available in many areas of Chicago, typically in the less crowded areas further from downtown. Side streets are more likely to have available curb space than main roads. Be sure to read the signs, however . . . just because it looks like it should be street parking does not mean it definitely is. Also, you have to make sure you are not parked by a yellow curb or in an area that has street cleaning that day (usually only one side of the street will be cleaned on any given day, not both). Another common sign to watch out for is one that tells you not to park there if snow is over a certain depth. Most importantly, citizens with local plates are required to purchase and post a City Sticker. Without this sticker, you will most likely end up with a bright orange ticket on your car at some point.
- Permit parking is another common practice. Be watchful: the signs will tell you who can park where and at what times. Some areas restrict parking 24 hours a day and others only impose restrictions at specific times of day. Near Wrigley Field, the existence of Cubs’ games can also affect the posted hours, as can other various events across the city. There are many different permit zones, and you must meet certain criteria (typically residency requirements) in order to qualify for a permit in any given area. Permit holders can also purchase temporary parking passes for visitors to use.
- Metered parking is often available. Read the fine print on the meter. It is common for them to have restrictions much like street parking (2 hour parking, metered only during certain hours, etc.)
- Commercial lots and garages are readily available. They are also quite expensive. Be sure to read the small print on the signs before committing yourself to entry, because the $6 parking fee you see from the street is often an “early bird special” where you pay that amount if in and out by certain specified times. Otherwise, you may find yourself shelling out a ridiculous amount of money for just a few hours of parking.
- You can often rent a space in a garage or lot attached to your place of residence. Fees range from $50 to well over $200. If you need a dedicated space but there is no parking attached to your building, you can often find parking in a nearby building (or lot) for around the same price. Parking is often posted on the popular classified sites, but you can also find parking through an agent who has access to the MLS (Multiple Listing Service).
Rusty Payton is the broker/owner of Rent Smart Chicago (www.RentSmartChicago.com), a leading apartment search firm which specializes in apartments for rent in Chicago and Blue Property, Inc. (www.BlueProperty.com), a full service real estate office in Chicago. Rent Smart is apartment locators Chicago and each day we rent Chicago apartments.