Maddy

We’ll be staying at the Mark Hopkins in SF on a Friday night and will have a car to attend a function out of the city Saturday morning. The hotel charges an obscene amount for parking (over $50) and I have no problem circling a few times to find street parking. I know that Pine and some other streets are no parking towaway zones during rush hours, but outside of that time is there daytime metered or non-metered parking within a couple of blocks? Thanks.

easytraveler

You might try a nearby parking garage, like the Nob Hill Masonic Center garage which is probably the closest garage to the Mark Hopkins. Check their website, it also lists other garages in the area.

I wouldn't advise driving around trying to find a parking space unless you are used to driving up and down very steep hills. You may be very lucky and find something immediately, or you may not. Be careful of the city fines for parking, they keep going up!

Good luck on your search!

Armani_Rugpilot

In my many thousand years of navigating San Francisco, only few are when driving car and I have had great successes in searching for street parking. Not only can driving up and down steep hills, but can driving the other directions and transverse the very steep hills ~ just like farming in rows. There is no need to driving up and down when you can driving left and right. City blocks are square you follow? I have learned this observation flying overhead viewing from my rug ~ even higher than Top of the Mark.

Do seek truth in all your travels and you will never be without celestial viewpoint, parking divinity, or clutch repairs.

AR

easytraveler

AR is absolutely correct! You can drive left-right as well as up-down. Whichever way you go, many of those streets are one-way; and, to get to the top of Nob Hill you still have to drive UP somehow, somewhere.

maddy: are you coming in by flying carpet? If so, just remember that some of the garages may not allow overnight parking for flying carpets.

Have a great trip!

acwsf

Hi there,

I got married at the Mark Hopkins and in preparation for that day had to go to the hotel (too) many times and park in the area. We managed to find street parking, oddly enough, by circling a few times. Maybe we were lucky, but we looked around the area Pacific Union Club and along Sacramento Street towards Jones. I highly recommend circling for a few minutes b/c you may find street parking.

Remember, always read the signs. Many times there are no parking signs up for what is probably street work that is to be done. Many times those parking spots are vacant b/c people pass up the spot thinking they can't park there. But if you actually read the sign, you'll see that the no parking is not in effect until the next afternoon or some other timeframe that will not effect you.

If not, there are quite a few garages in the area, one of which was mentioned by another poster. I would recommend calling the hotel and asking b/c I know for a fact they have a list of garages in the area. They gave us a map card to include in our invitations and on the back was a list of those garages. The SF Municipal garages are always a better deal, cost wise. Here is a link to their locations and rates - http://www.sfgov.org/site/dpt_index....=13451#garages. I believe the closest one to Nob Hill is the Sutter Stockton garage, which isn't too far away but it's all uphill. Good Luck!

alan64

It's one of the toughest areas to find street parking IMO. I usually try for 15-20 minutes, but I'd say I still only found one 50% of the time. Much of the street parking is metered, but not after 6 pm (or is it 5???). Meters normally start again Saturday morning at 9 am.

If I didn't find a street spot, then the Stockton/Sutter garage was my back-up plan. It's a good hike up the hill from there, so wear comfortable shoes!

Maddy

Thanks for the links and suggestions. I will look into the garages suggested as a backup plan if I don't find anything on the street.
eastraveler, only AR has those flying carpet concerns I'll be in a very conventional economy rental.