San Jose, CA

If it wasn’t hard enough to get suburban residents out of their homes and into Downtown, San Jose City council voted unanimously to begin charging $5 for parking after 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, starting next month to discourage loitering and pay cleaning fees.

Parking in the city lots has been free after 6 p.m. on weeknights and all-day weekends and was meant to encourage people to venture out for the shopping, restaurants, and cultural events, which lack the same kind of pull that the artificially-created downtown of Santana Row regularly garners.

Unfortunately for San Jose residents, this city has yet to figure out how to deal with its large population. As the 10th largest city in the nation, San Jose should be establishing itself as the South Bay’s entertainment hub but instead city officials have opted to deter residents from normal city activity in order to avoid the negative side effects. Crime comes with the territory of any large city. When San Jose officials learn how to appropriately present city events like the annual Mardi Gras and Cinco De Mayo celebrations, perhaps residents will be more likely to eat, shop, and live Downtown.

In the meantime, I recommend looking for parking in the City Hall parking lot. It’s all the way on Fifth Street/San Fernando and there aren’t many spots, but if you can find one, it is still free after 6 p.m. Also, in the Naglee Park area (streets 12th-18th between Santa Clara and Williams) parking is free June 1-September 1. It’s a bit of a jaunt to the Second Street bars but if you have things to do at San Jose State or don’t mind huffin’ it, it’s also gratis.

Check the Downtown parking website for updates and maps.