Living downtown - how do you manage parking?

Submitted by Argvir t3_10kqf4i in pittsburgh

Hi all,

Looking to move downtown as a recent college graduate. One of the things that I didn't really realize about apartments in Pittsburgh is that it seems like a majority of the buildings don't have attached parking. I've looked around at a couple of places that I've liked, but seeing that I'd have to park a couple of blocks away made me kind of question it.

Am I just overthinking it? Is it annoying going out shopping and having to lug everything you come back with 10 min to your apartment? Or can it be managed well if you do it right? Let me know!

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RepeatedFailure t1_j5srtov wrote

I have attached parking downtown, but most building managers will probably tell you what garage their residents prefer to use. Also consider that if you work downtown you might not actually need a car. Think of it like I did in college: you don't need a car, you probably just need a friend with a car.

Downtown without a car: You'll be reliant on Target and the strip district for groceries. Target is expensive (what isn't these days), probably 20-40% more than Aldi. You could take the bus on the busway to friendship/east liberty Aldi/Target/Trader Joe's/Whole Foods/Giant Eagle if you need things you can't get downtown.

Pros of downtown: Downtown gives almost unmatched public transit access to the rest of the city (many routs start in downtown). Most downtown destinations are walkable (cultural district, sports, the strip, market square, the point etc). If you work downtown, walking a block or two is convenient and sustainable vs driving a BMW from Cranberry. Downtown has bike lanes if that is your thing.

Cons: Dead after 9pm or so. Downtown caters to white collar workers who commute in to work. Coffee shops can close at 2pm. Restaurants can close at 9pm. Some businesses are not open on the weekends at all. Living in an urbanized area is noisy at night, there aren't the same protections for noise levels as in the neighborhoods (construction at 2am!).

Other thoughts: If your job is downtown, hat doesn't mean you have to live downtown, there are many neighborhoods with their own neighborhood centers that provide walkable groceries/shops etc. You can commute downtown via public transit fairly easily. You still might not need a car in places like East Liberty, Friendship and Shadyside.

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KentuckYSnow t1_j5tlgyj wrote

Taking the bus to get groceries is for poors. Really, taking it for anything other than commuting is also.

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Valhallas_Ghost t1_j5tohx9 wrote

Yeah and not having a helicopter like I do to get groceries automatically makes you, the commentor of this foolishness, poor yourself

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tncfr t1_j5th1uv wrote

Don't have a car, it's kind of the entire appeal of living downtown. You can get everywhere easily by walking or transit.

If everyone living downtown had a car, it wouldn't be downtown.

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Valhallas_Ghost t1_j5toqyg wrote

If everybody in Pittsburgh had a car, Pittsburgh would stay gridlocked from sun up to sun down 😂 they do not have the infrastructure needed for that volume of vehicles, I'm a truck driver and it's such a damn nightmare driving around in the area making my drops 😮‍💨

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iotamadmax t1_j5tcix7 wrote

I live close to PPG paints for over 4 years now without a car. There is a bus stop right next to my apartment which makes it convenient to carry groceries and not mule a lot. I do have an attached covered parking but it’s quite expensive 150$ per month.

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the_victorian640 t1_j5we50b wrote

You really don’t need a car if you live downtown. That’s the point of living downtown

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KentuckYSnow t1_j5wojt3 wrote

Except for buying groceries, or anything else heavy. Probably best to use a Zipcar and load up when it's rented by chaining shopping trips together.

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mpapple10 t1_j5taiy0 wrote

There's resident parking program with the Pittsburgh parking authority. I park two blocks away from my building. If I need to unload my car, I'm lucky to have an alley behind my building I can use to pull over for a few minutes.

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rmr236 t1_j5u32mq wrote

When I lived downtown we were all valet parking. It was like 250/mo 8 years ago.

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RowanRally t1_j5undsl wrote

My building has a garage across the street that’s part of the Parking Authority. I get a discount for being a resident but still pay a steep $225/month.

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skumps814 t1_j5up199 wrote

Reconsider moving downtown if parking is an issue. you can easily live and park somewhere like Bloomfield, north side, etc and take the bus to downtown

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WavingOrDrowning t1_j5uqwmk wrote

Yeah, you're unlikely to find a lot of places with attached parking anywhere. This is a national/global trend that parking spaces are not 1 for 1 with most new build apartment units. Especially in big cities, where mass transit options are plentiful. And also in Pittsburgh, where the areas in/around the Golden Triangle are limited in space.

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vanderbeek21 t1_j5v5v9p wrote

Walking for groceries sucks. I either order them and have them delivered or park my car out front illegally for like 5 minutes. I usually order since it doesn't cost too much. For general parking, I pay for a lease with the smith&Liberty Garage. $222 a month. It's a block away from my apartment.

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smashruhland t1_j5wwo01 wrote

I live downtown in the Clarke Building. The city has a few lots downtown. They are not cheap. I think I pay $185 for parking at the Grant Street garage. However, it is well lit and I have not had any problems.

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LukeV19056 t1_j5ugdhk wrote

My gf used to live on a street that was free parking and I’d literally have to park 2-3 blocks away sometimes but she lives in a residential parking pass area now and it’s no problem

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TheMountainHobbit t1_j5sg106 wrote

I think the real question is why live downtown?

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RowanRally t1_j5t2tcq wrote

🙄 I live downtown and love it. I can’t really understand the negativity around it when it’s so full of character, history, and things to do.

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TheMountainHobbit t1_j5tl7om wrote

Don’t get me wrong, I like going downtown and I’m not trying to bag on downtown, it just seems like there are better options that won’t cost an arm and a leg outside of downtown, that also have plenty of parking. Which seems important for the OP, it’s fine that you like it there but what the reason they want to live there? Maybe there’s a better option.

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RowanRally t1_j5u5i62 wrote

My building has a garage right across the street. Parking is a non-issue.

Some people may want to live in a historic condo surrounded by the beautiful city scape, you know? Cost doesn’t matter to everyone in the same way; I prioritized the environment over the absolute dollar amount.

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TheMountainHobbit t1_j5u64kf wrote

You’re making my point for me, just because downtown is for you doesn’t mean it’s best for the OP, that’s why I asked.

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RowanRally t1_j5umsnd wrote

OP is already interested in living in the Downtown so I’m not clear on the question. S/he didn’t come here to ask for the best neighborhood but to figure out parking. I’m unclear on why you’d ask (unless you were curious, I suppose).

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fleetiebelle t1_j5ts21h wrote

I'm wondering too, if the OP means "downtown" as in the Golden Triangle, or "downtown" as in the city in general. Some people who live further out talk about anything relatively urban as "downtown."

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stevefiction t1_j5tygc7 wrote

I had a friend who briefly lived here (https://goo.gl/maps/kgPKqDRvEdXaQPVE8), which is essentially as close to not living in Pittsburgh as you can be while actually living in the city, and he STILLS refers to it as 'when he lived downtown'. He lives in Butler County now.

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