How to Find a Parking Space in Philadelphia

Traveling anyone? Philadelphia is one of the great U.S. tourist attractions. There are all kinds of things to see in Philadelphia, like the Philadelphia Art Institute and the statue of Rocky Balboa. There's the infamous South Street where you can get a really tasty cheesesteak and shop at all kinds of unique boutiques. Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love just has so much to offer --- except for a large quanity of parking spaces. Many tourists have a question mark in their heads when it comes to parking in any city they have not visited before. And it's wise to be curious about parking. Even people who visit Philadelphia often, such as myself, really think hard about whether they will be able to find a parking space in Philadelphia. But, now you should have no fear. Here's what to do.

Avoid the time crunch.

Now, I am not saying that you have to make sure you have hours and hours of time to drive around looking for a parking space. Anyone with a lot of time on their hands can find a parking space in Philadelphia. But you do have to be conscious of any time constraints you do have. For instance, if you are supposed to be at the Philadelphia Museum of Art by four, you don't want to arrive in Philadelphia at 3:30. You maybe want to shoot more for 3 or 2:45. And that has little to do with parking. You want that kind of time because in Philadelphia, you will usually run into traffic at some point. You've got enough on your mind just thinking about parking. You don't want to have to think about being late as well.

Bring enough change with you.

Most meters in Philadelphia will let you park for 2 hours at a time, but some will only let you park for one hour. That's important to know if you are traveling to Philadelphia for a doctor's appointment. If you think you'll be there for two hours, you may not want to park your car far away from the office. So to find a parking space with more ease, make sure you have some change jangling in your pockets.

Going to South street? Park on Bainbridge street.

Don't even try to park on South Street in the evening. It's way too crowded, and there are meters. Instead, choose one of the side streets like Bainbridge Street so that you can park for free.

Going to Market street? Go down Chestnut Street.

Chestnut street usually has a lot of random parking spaces, so when your eye catches one, scoot your car right in.

No better time to park than the evening.

That's because after about 8:00, you don't have to pay for the meter anymore.

Going anywhere other than center city or the college areas? Don't look for meters.

Usually in the suburbs of Philadelphia like Germantown or other places you won't have a hard time finding parking.

Going to the doctor in Philly? Ask if they validate.

My eye doctor discounts my parking if I park in this particular garage they rent out called the Philadelphia Parking Authority. If your doctor doesn't do that, perhaps you should change doctors.