Boston Parking
Finding a metered parking space in Boston is an absolute nightmare. There are layers of street signs that may actually conflict. In addition there are one-way streets, dead-end streets, construction sites, detours, scheduled street-cleaning days, traffic congestion, events that usurp parking rules, neighborhood parking restrictions, accidents, narrow streets, aggressive drivers, and many other obstacles that make the Boston driving experience truly unique.
The paramount rule is to take the MBTA when possible. There are few areas of the city that contain unoccupied metered parking spaces. The Financial District may have spaces after 4 pm for instance, but some of the streets do not allow metered parking after 4 pm (read the signs!). The North End may have a bunch of parking spaces available, but local residents with a sticker on their car are allowed to park there! The parking regulations vary, but most often the meters must be paid until 8 pm (Saturdays until 6 pm or later). Finally, you cannot feed the meters for more than 2 hours in most places, and can get fined for even paying the meter.
Thus, a list of parking garages is provided here. There are many garages in the city. The Haymarket garage is very popular near North Station. The Aquarium garage is located right along the waterfront. The Post Office Square and Langham Hotel garages are very popular in the Financial District. In east Back Bay are the Boston Common and Park Square garages. In west Back Bay are parking garages at Copley Place and Prudential Center, as well as some of the hotels.
Some areas of Boston have electronic meters in the center of a bank of parking spaces. Vehicle owners must pay via a central meter, and then take the printed slip and place it on the driver's side window facing out. The slip has a timestamp and other information, so make sure it faces out for the meter enforcement person to read.
The only parking deals in Boston at some garages are "early-bird specials" (out early after parking overnight or in early on weekdays), and weekend all-day discounted pricing.
Parking in Boston is very expensive, and the fines can be even more expensive. There are violations for expiring at a meter, feeding a meter, parking in a local resident spot, handicap spot, fire hydrant, handicap zone or ramp, event or temporarily reserved spot, etc. The Boston Transportation Department (BTD) is very efficient, and you may return to your parking spot on the street and discover your vehicle has been towed. The city impound lot is located in South Bay, and, fair warning, it’s probably one of the largest vehicle storage lots in Boston!
Popular Garages & Parking Lots
Back Bay District
Newbury Street Area
Interpark Garage - 4 Newbury Street after Arlington Street
Fitz-Inn Parking Lot - 149 Newbury Street at
Danker & Donahue Garage - 341 Newbury Street after Hereford
Prudential Center Area
Prudential Center Garage - 79 Exeter Street
Sheraton Back Bay Garage - 39 Dalton Street
Back Bay Hilton - 40 Dalton Street
Auditorium Garage - 50 Dalton Street at Hynes Convention Center
1081 Boylston Street Parking Lot
Copley Place Area
Copley Place Extended - 100 Clarendon Street
Copley Place Dartmouth Garage - 126 Dartmouth Street
Copley Place Garage - 100 Huntington Avenue
Downtown Areas
Government Center
Central Parking Systems - 1 Center Plaza
Standard Parking - 60 State Street
Pi Alley - 275 Washington Street
Financial District
One Devonshire Place - Devonshire Street
Garage at Post Office Square - 1 Post Office Square
Meyers Parking System - 1 Federal Street
Standard Parking - 101 Federal Street
Standard Parking - 100 Summer Street
Downtown Crossing
Central Parking - 101 Arch Street
Pilgrim Parking - 1 Avenue de LaFayette
South Station
Laz Parking - 11 Kingston Street
Waterfront
Boston Harbor Garage - 299 Milk Street at New England Aquarium
Theater District
Back Bay Garage - 222 Berkeley Street at Boylston Street
Motor Mart Garage - 150 Stuart Street (Park Square)
West End
Laz Parking - 100 Cambridge Street
Standard Parking - 2 Hawthorne Place
Government Center Garage - 50 New Sudbury Street
Pilgrim Parking - 160 North Washington Street
