Boston, MA
Can’t find a spot? Parking in Boston neighborhoods leaves many people ‘screwed’
Jeffries Point resident Andrew Pike knows that if he is not in a resident parking spot by 5:30 p.m. on any given day, the next few hours will be spent circling the neighborhood looking for a place to leave his car.
Add on street sweeping, when spots are eliminated for hours at a time, and people “literally cannot find parking,” said Pike, who serves as the treasurer for the Jeffries Point Neighborhood Association.
“You’re kind of screwed,” he told the Herald Friday afternoon. “You’re at least parking three blocks away from your house. You’re circling around trying to find something.”
It is an all too familiar feeling for drivers who need their cars in the city and cannot ditch them for public transportation options like the MBTA, which these days is often unreliable or experiencing service disruptions.
Finding a spot can feel like a chore, and even bring about frustration and rage. Annoying parking situations in the city are nothing new and neither are discussions about reforming or even somehow fixing resident parking in Boston.
Then-City Councilor Michelle Wu offered some reforms in 2019 to the resident parking permit process that would have put in place fees for parking permits, allowed for visitor parking permits, and required a number of parking-related reports from the city’s parking clerk.
City Councilors are returning to the issue in July after East Boston City Councilor Gabriela Coletta called for a hearing to discuss the digitization and tracking of parking regulations at the Boston Transportation Department.
“While BTD is currently experiencing understaffing, establishing a tracking system that allows the department to see gaps in service can ensure that residents who live in high-density areas can safely and reliably find parking near their homes,” Coletta wrote in a hearing order.
The city already tracks how many active parking permits have been issued in each of the neighborhoods — 125,561 stickers are in use, according to data last updated on Thursday.
But even with that limited understanding of how many people need places to leave their cars, resident street spots in downtown neighborhoods like Beacon Hill, the North End, or Back Bay fill up quickly after the workday ends.
And private parking solutions are expensive. The Boston Common garage charges $400 for a monthly space and it only goes up from there. A parking garage on Charles Street asks for upwards of $600 for a parking spot. Some even list spots for rent on real estate websites like Zillow.
Beacon Hill Civic Association Chair Meghan Awe said parking in the historic neighborhood is equally as tough as the Back Bay and the rest of downtown. But summers tend to offer better parking prospects than September to May when kids are in school, she said.
“There’s what feels like fewer spots than the people who would like to park in them. Lots of residents here wind up parking in various garages just because of the amount of time circling looking for things,” Awe said. “But I think it’s one of those things that sort of just become a part of city life.”
Nancy Lane/Boston Herald A resident parking permit sign on Beacon Hill in Boston on Thursday, June 29, 2023. Beacon Hill Civic Association Chair Meghan Awe said parking woes are just one part of living in a packed historic neighborhood. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)
Even in larger neighborhoods like Allston-Brighton or Fenway-Kenmore, parking can be tough for residents without a driveway or off-street options.
Nearly 27,800 active resident parking permits are registered to the neighborhoods, where more than 109,000 people live, according to the city parking permit data and the U.S. Census Bureau.
And there is tension in Allston-Brighton between “good” public policy that calls for more pedestrian spaces or bike lanes and resident parking needs, said Anthony D’Isidoro, the president of the neighborhood’s civic association.
“How do you achieve that balance where you’re pursuing good public policy in terms of trying to get people out of cars, at the same time recognizing that, in a lot of cases, there are legitimate needs that need to be met,” D’Isidoro told the Herald. “How do you strike that balance?”
A Wu spokesperson said each neighborhood has different needs “when it comes to finding the right balance of multi-modal transportation.”
“As bike lanes and other updates are made in Boston’s neighborhoods, the Streets Cabinet works with local residents and business owners to address specific neighborhood concerns to best reflect how people use our streets,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “The City of Boston is working proactively to best manage our curb space to ensure the most efficient use of parking, such as creating loading zones or changing the length of parking spots to ensure more people who need to park can do so.”
Curb-side drama has flared in neighborhoods like West Roxbury, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and the North End, where conversations around bike lanes and the proper use of space have often spilled into the open.
A bike lane proposal on Berkeley and Beacon Streets to connect the South End to the Back Bay drew opposition from local groups. But alternative transit advocates argue most major bus or bike projects in Boston draw opposition regardless of their merits from groups who think it will increase congestion.
And solutions like building more parking spaces might actually make the problem worse, said LivableStreets Executive Director Stacy Thompson.
“We need to charge for parking, and we need to limit the number of cars households can have. That’s the way to do it and that doesn’t make people happy. But that’s the most effective way,” Thompson told the Herald.
The requirements to get a resident parking permit are straightforward.
A car needs to be registered and insured at the address where a resident wants to obtain a parking sticker. All overdue parking tickets must be paid off before applying or renewing. The permits are renewed on a two-year cycle but the city automatically renewed permits during the pandemic as their expiration date came up.
Matt Stone/Boston Herald
A resident parking permit sticker is pasted to the left side of this car in the Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood on Friday, June 30, 2023. (Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
There is no cap on the number of parking permits the city can distribute, according to the Wu administration, which also said officials do not keep track of the exact number of resident parking spaces available in each neighborhood.
Wu called for an analysis of the number of parking spaces available in resident parking zones to help bring about reforms in 2019, “including a comparison of how many spaces are available relative to how many permits are issued,” according to the text of a hearing order from that year.
The proposal went nowhere. But it did start a conversation around resident parking in Boston.
Limiting the number of parking permits in certain high-density neighborhoods might be one answer, Thompson said.
“What … would be more effective is a better curbside management strategy for the city where high-density neighborhoods start to have escalating fees [for permits] and caps,” she said. “Neighborhoods that have businesses have more metered parking and timed parking.”
The lack of data on available parking spaces and caps on the number of permits in each neighborhood is not the main issue in East Boston, said Pike, the Jeffries Point Neighborhood Association treasurer.
For Pike, the lack of parking enforcement creates the biggest headaches in East Boston.
“If there’s no enforcement, people are just going to do whatever the hell they want. And that’s what’s happening right now,” he said.
With snow still falling in the Boston area Friday evening, early reports of the snowfall totals show that several inches have fallen in the city.
The winter storm hitting Boston Friday into Saturday was expected to bring up to six inches of snow, and some places have already seen nearly that much, including Needham and Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood, according to the National Weather Service.
The agency said that there were reports of 4-5 inches of snow in Dedham and Norwood as well.
[Winter Weather Advisory Update] We continue to see snow totals increase across eastern MA this evening with some reports of 4-5 inches between Dedham and Noorwood. Here is the latest storm total snow forecast update that includes snow that has already fallen this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/XnvdNmVIDy
— NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) December 20, 2024
PHOTOS: Snow blankets Boston area
We want to see your pictures of the snow in Boston! Send them to shareit@nbcboston.com.
For context, five inches of snow is already half the amount that fell in Boston all of last winter.
Here’s how much snow fell by late afternoon Friday, the most recent snowfall totals shared by the National Weather Service. Explore the Boston-area snowfall total map here.
City/town
Snowfall amount (in inches)
Needham, MA
5
Cambridge, MA
4.9
Beacon Hill, MA
4.8
Dedham, MA
4.5
Westwood, MA
4.5
Norwood, MA
4.5
Walpole, MA
4.5
Newton, MA
4.5
Boston, MA (not Logan airport)
4.4
Brighton, MA
4
Norfolk, MA
4
Allston, MA
3.3
Brookline, MA
3.2
Chelsea, MA
3.2
Rehoboth, MA
3.2
Harrisville, RI
3
Blackstone, MA
3
Somerville, MA
3
Millis, MA
2.9
Vernon, CT
2.8
Weston, MA
2.6
Lexington, MA
2.6
Lexington, MA
2.6
Warwick, RI
2.5
Tolland, CT
2.4
Mansfield, MA
2.3
Grafton, MA
2.3
Cumberland, RI
2.3
Chelsea, MA
2.2
Dedham, MA
2.1
Mansfield, MA
2
Richmond, RI
2
Milford, MA
2
West Warwick, RI
2
North Attleborough, MA
2
North Attleboro, MA
2
Franklin, MA
1.9
Holliston, MA
1.9
Westborough, MA
1.9
Sandwich, MA
1.9
Cumberland, RI
1.7
Lexington, MA
1.7
Providence, RI
1.6
Arlington, MA
1.6
Sturbridge, MA
1.6
Auburn, MA
1.5
North Kingstown, RI
1.5
Narragansett, RI
1.5
Cumberland, RI
1.5
Oxford, MA
1.5
Grafton, MA
1.5
North Reading, MA
1.5
Shrewsbury, MA
1.5
Barrington, RI
1.4
Reading, MA
1.1
Coventry, RI
1.1
Charlton, MA
1
South Kingstown, RI
1
Worcester Airport, MA
1
Snow continues to fall as a storm moves through, and with cold temperatures ahead Saturday, look out for icy conditions. Here’s your First Alert forecast.
Follow NBC10 Boston:
https://instagram.com/nbc10boston
https://tiktok.com/@nbc10boston
https://facebook.com/NBC10Boston
Tweets by NBC10Boston
To wrap up the year, Eater Boston polled both local journalists and readers of this site to get their thoughts on the past year in dining: the good, the bad, and the most exciting things to come in 2025. The results have been collected in the following series of posts. (Check out the full archive here.)
Below, we ask: What was Boston’s most exciting — or most infuriating — local restaurant trend of 2024?
“Restaurants keep getting louder and louder, which I really don’t understand. Sure, if you go to a bar or nightclub, you expect them to be noisy, but if I’m out with friends, loved ones, co-workers, etc. to catch up on things while having a burger or a plate of pasta and can’t even hear what they say, what’s the point of even going out?”
— Marc Hurwitz, founder of Boston’s Hidden Restaurants and Boston Restaurant Talk, food/travel writer for NBC Boston/NECN
“A few years ago, I didn’t think Boston was a particularly good bakery town. We had our standouts, but there wasn’t a strong bakery culture. So it’s exciting to me that now bakeries just keep opening and expanding. I was thrilled to see La Saison will open in Charlestown, and to visit the new Sofra in Allston. And I love that so many specialists are arriving on the scene: Flake Bakery with its pastéis de nata. Valientes Bakery, serving Argentine specialties. French-Asian Niveaux Patisserie. Gluten-free Verveine. Bakey with its babka. And so on. I also think it’s really fun that Flour will open in the Boston Common Concession Pavilion. No knock on Earl of Sandwich, the former tenant, but this feels like a much better representation of this city.”
— Devra First, restaurant critic for the Boston Globe
“I was really excited to see local restauranteurs expanding. I’m thinking about Jamie Bissonette’s two new spots and the recently opened Kaia from Brendan Pelley, plus Baleia from The Coda Group I love seeing local chefs and restaurant groups doing so well.”
— Brian Samuels, Boston food photographer
“I’ll answer both. This has been happening for a couple of years, but for me the most infuriating thing is that almost every restaurant now has to have an Instagrammable “wow” moment. Maybe it’s a dish or a drink with an ornate presentation, or an over-the-top area of the restaurant. I totally get that these things drive diners into restaurants because they build excitement online, but I can’t help but think how annoying the showmanship might be for the staff (especially during a busy service) and designers and whoever else. For the most exciting, I really love that restaurants are embracing non-alcoholic drink programs. Especially with so many non-alcoholic beers and spirits, it’s great to see infusions and cool cocktails that aren’t just sodas.”
— Nathan Tavares, freelance writer and Eater Boston contributor
“Loved: The amount of one-night-only pop-ups, wine or cocktail events, and chef collaboration dinners that restaurants and bars around town hosted this year. It feels special and fun and is a great way to shake things up creatively every once in a while.
Hated: Neon signs in the dining room with souvenir-shop phrases like ‘It’s 5 o’clock somewhere’ or whatever. Is some vendor giving them out for free? I saw them at way too many restaurants this year.”
— Erika Adams, Eater Boston editor
Reader responses
Over 50 people took part in Eater Boston’s dining survey this year (thank you, all!). Below, find readers’ favorite — and least favorite — Boston restaurant trends in 2024:
- “I still don’t like the “forced tipping” that has become the norm from COVID times. While I understand the theory behind it, I hate feeling like a scumbag choosing the 0% when they flip the Square machine (or terminal) around in places that you never tipped at prior to COVID. While COVID may not be dead completely, the closures and overall hardships endured during that time are — so can we stop shaming patrons into tipping please?” — Greg
- “More special events — wine dinners, cocktail tastings, etc., etc. Yes, they’re sometimes more expensive, but they flex the skills of great restaurants, and they add some spice to a weeknight or weekend dining experience. I hope they help out restaurants. Love ‘em.” — Todd
- “Boston TikTok restaurant influencing. Really cool and niche spots that have been doing good business for years are being flooded with hoards of patrons who are seeking a viral experience, rather than a cool or good one.” — Annie
- “Infuriating — every new restaurant seems designed for Instagram pics of the aesthetic, sometimes at the expense of the quality of the food!” — Jesse
- “Glad to see QR codes are on the way out, something about flipping through a paper menu or drink list that just adds to the experience.” — Wes
- “Needlessly putting sea urchin on things. It’s not sourced ethically and the population has been decimated in Maine.” — Suzanne
- “I’m absolutely OVER speakeasies, they’re overplayed. Bring back swanky lounges with good music.” — Nicole
- “‘Everyone wants low-ABV spirits and $14 mocktails!’ No, we don’t. Who are you talking to?” — Rob
- “Can we please stop putting fake truffle flavor in every single menu?” — Jake
- “Love that more restaurants are offering special prix fixe menus!” — Leanne
- “Combined coffee/wine bar concepts! What’s not to love?” — Rupal
- “Can’t make reservations or have to plan too far ahead.” — Thom
- “Everything is run by massive hospitality groups now.” — Liz
- “[Love] upscale versions of Portuguese and Vietnamese food.” — Donna
- “Tepid bottles of water sitting on the table.” — Marjorie
- “Infuriating — covid-era patios going away.” — Juliana
- “Exciting to see orange wine by the glass.” — Emily
Boston, MA
Sticker shock: Boston drops $500K on EV Mustangs for city employees as homeowners face 10.5% tax hike
Boston homeowners bracing for a 10.5% tax increase may be shocked to learn some of their hard-earned tax dollars were spent this year on swanky new Ford Mustang Mach-E’s for city employees — at about $50K a pop.
Originally Published:
Violence prevention groups join forces with Detroit Lions star to give back this Christmas
Americans flocking from major metropolitan cities to these southern 'ex burbs'
Miami Dolphins vs San Francisco 49ers Game Preview
Spagnola: Must wins along treacherous stretch
‘Mufasa’ director Barry Jenkins uses his experience making ‘Moonlight’ in Miami to helm Disney prequel – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
House vote imminent on plan to avert government shutdown after Trump-backed deal tanks
Italy's Deputy PM Salvini found not guilty in Open Arms migrants case
Watch: White House takes questions on looming government shutdown
Illegal immigrant sexually abused child in the U.S. after being removed from the country five times
At least eight migrants drown after boat collision off Greece’s coast
-
Politics1 week agoCanadian premier threatens to cut off energy imports to US if Trump imposes tariff on country
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25782636/247422_ChatGPT_anniversary_CVirginia.jpg "Inside the launch — and future — of ChatGPT")
Technology1 week agoInside the launch — and future — of ChatGPT
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25789444/1258459915.jpg "OpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever says the way AI is built is about to change")
Technology7 days agoOpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever says the way AI is built is about to change
-
Politics7 days agoU.S. Supreme Court will decide if oil industry may sue to block California's zero-emissions goal
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25546252/STK169_Mark_Zuckerburg_CVIRGINIA_D.jpg "Meta asks the US government to block OpenAI’s switch to a for-profit")
Technology1 week agoMeta asks the US government to block OpenAI’s switch to a for-profit
-
Politics1 week agoConservative group debuts major ad buy in key senators' states as 'soft appeal' for Hegseth, Gabbard, Patel
-
Business5 days agoFreddie Freeman's World Series walk-off grand slam baseball sells at auction for $1.56 million
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23951353/STK043_VRG_Illo_N_Barclay_3_Meta.jpg "Meta’s Instagram boss: who posted something matters more in the AI age")
Technology5 days agoMeta’s Instagram boss: who posted something matters more in the AI age