Where Do You Park When You Go to Games and How Much Do You Pay?

[powrwrap]

Saw the bar/restaurant thread and thought I'd ask: Where do you park when you go to Twins' games and how much do you pay?

[nicksaviking]

Sharing good parking spots is a dangerous proposition!

[mhanson93]

We come in from out of town and park at the Mall of America. Roughly $6.00 a head for the train ride. Seems to work well for us.

[CDog]

Sharing good parking spots is a dangerous proposition!

Agreed! And I felt the same way about someone trumpeting a hole in the wall bar like Cuzzy's on the other! But...in the interest of community...

 

Year 1, I parked along Washington to the north of the ballpark. The meters weren't in effect during most games. It was free, nobody seemed to know or realize how good and close it was, and life was great. At the start of Year 2, Washington was now metered with the new "pay box" meters, but the side streets in the same area were not. Still free, still close, still quite available all the time...at least through the first month or so. Eventually they finished the metering project and now all of those are in effect during games. I still park there, though, usually off Washington on a side street closer to the ballpark actually. I forget exactly what it costs, but it's still cheaper than a ramp (like $5 or so will usually get you to 10:00 when it becomes free), it's really a short walk, and yet it's not that crowded or busy that direction because for some reason people still haven't "found" that area. Slight disclaimer, I had a free parking pass somewhere else for the one game I've been to this year, so I don't know if it is or will continue to be as low-traffic and inexpensive this year.

[Gernzy]

I saw this thread and thought of Kindergarden Cop. "Who is your daddy and what does he do?" Classic

 

Lot I park at is on the is about 2 blocks east of Washington. There are a few lots there that are only $5. Its about a 6 - 7 block walk to either the plaza or the train station, but it's real easy to get to 394 because you never to got on Washington to leave. 2010 no one knew about them. Last year you had to get their early cause the secret was out.

[James]

Agreed! And I felt the same way about someone trumpeting a hole in the wall bar like Cuzzy's on the other! But...in the interest of community...

 

Sorry about trumpeting Cuzzy's. I didn't think about the consequences of letting the world know. That might impact our ability to get beer quickly and cheaply.

 

I live close, so I take the bus, or ride my bike. I sometimes ride the scooter down there, but that has moped plates, so I park that at the bike racks too.

[Nick Nelson]

I generally park in the lot by the Minneapolis library. Four bucks, not a bad walk, easy access to 394.

[SweetOne69]

I usually park at the ridedale park & ride and take the express bus to the games, but when I park downtown I park under the I-94 3rd & 4th Street exit/entrance ramps. Cost is $5.

[woolhouse]

There's a ramp (or two or three) near the corner of 4th and Marquette. $5-$7 ($10 for a weekday game.) Right past Nicollet, so easy access to the skyway if cold. And avoid a lot of traffic after the games.

[Scheherezade]

I normally walk from the tip of the Wedge neighborhood if I'm at my GFs. From my place, I'll either take the lightrail or bike into downtown on the Hiawatha Bike Trail. No real traffic concerns.

[Riverbrian]

Now I park at the Mall of America and take the light rail. I used to Park at the Mall of America and take a taxi.

 

The Light Rail seems to be a better value and I don't get dropped off at Nicollet Mall because the driver didn't fully understand me.

[asmus_ndsu]

I always do the mall of America thing it works great and a lot of times you can get descent deals on hotels around the mall (plus light rail is kinda fun to take if you've never used it before).... Only advice with this route is plan on spending some time downtown after the game for an hour or two because it will be packed on the ride back if you leave right when the games over

[John Bonnes]

I'm an absolute fool for giving up what I'm about to give up....

 

A block and 2 blocks north of Washington, I think it's 1st and 2nd street, and west of 2nd(?) avenue, there are meters that are only enforced until 6 PM. (Or at least there were the last two years.) Basically, if you start at JD Hoyts, go directly away from the ballpark and turn left, as soon as you get over the railroad tracks, all the meters were like that.

 

So you can park at them before 6, plug the meter until 6:00 and you're good to go until the next morning. It costs like 75 cents. And its about a four block walk.

[CDog]

I'm an absolute fool for giving up what I'm about to give up....

 

A block and 2 blocks north of Washington, I think it's 1st and 2nd street, and west of 2nd(?) avenue, there are meters that are only enforced until 6 PM. (Or at least there were the last two years.) Basically, if you start at JD Hoyts, go directly away from the ballpark and turn left, as soon as you get over the railroad tracks, all the meters were like that.

 

So you can park at them before 6, plug the meter until 6:00 and you're good to go until the next morning. It costs like 75 cents. And its about a four block walk.

Interesting. That's more or less the same area I was referring to. The 6:00 end time was how it was in '10, but I thought they'd plugged up all the holes last year. I must have missed a little pocket back there on the other side of Washington (I've almost always parked on the southwest side of it).

[davidjcampbell]

2010 and 2011 I bought one of those parking packages that aligned with the games in the season ticket dates. I figure it saved me $0.50-$2 per game off the posted cash price at the fifth street towers (5th and marquette/2nd). It was nice because I was always parking in the same place and it was easy to get back out of downtown onto Eastbound 94. Not so nice thing was that I was giving away about 3-5 pairs of tickets per year and the person I gave them to didn't always use the parking pass.

 

This year I am going to try the meter game. I don't mind walking a bit.

 

Also, here is a map of meter rules and rates: http://www.mplsparking.com/CurrentMeterMap.pdf

[John Bonnes]

Also, here is a map of meter rules and rates: http://www.mplsparking.com/CurrentMeterMap.pdf

Thanks. That pdf is awesome. It's going on my phone.

 

Yeah, the area I'm talking about is pretty clear. It's the "K" spots north on 1st and 2nd St., to the west of 3rd Ave.

[spideyo]

On one side of the corner that Lee's liquor lounge is located, they have old-school meters that are $.25 an hour and can be plugged for up to 10 hours (enforced to 10pm). The new fangled meter system on the other side is also $.25 an hour, but at some point it switches to an "event rate" of $1.50 an hour (it was 9am on thursday). That's typically where I park when I'm working at the field because I can then walk through the gated parking lot to get in, but it's not much longer a walk down Twins Way to get to the public gates.

 

Just leave me a spot please

[mikeee]

When the stadium first opened, there was free parking off to the north on some of the streets.

But Minneapolis quickly got parking meters in there the next year!

[powrwrap]

I park in a lot at 2nd Ave. N. and 2nd St. N. It's $5.00. One block closer to Target Field the parking lots get $10.00. The nice thing for me is I can get on 394 right there on Washington and 3rd Ave. and be on my way home fairly quickly.