People don't want to pay to park
So many places are closing in the Grove because people are not visiting. The main reason I hear is lack of parking or problems parking, even my friends who live in the Grove complain about parking. I don't think it's the fact that people can't find the 4800 spaces all around the area, I think it's the fact that they do not want to pay to park.
I was at a couple of arts festivals over the weekend and I didn't have to park at either one. I went to the Miami Beach Art Deco Festival and parked at a lot without meters and I went to the Pinecrest Gardens Fine Arts Festival and again, we parked for free.
But then again, Brickell and S. Miami are thriving and you do have to park in lots, at meters or in garages there, too. So maybe the parking issue is not the problem, although that is the top reason I hear from most people -- lack of parking (or the idea that they have to pay for parking).
But then I see a lot of restaurants on Commodore Plaza that are packed to the rafters -- Bombay Darbar, LoKal, Lulu and Greenstreets are usually mobbed, especially on weekends. So I guess people will find and pay for parking when there is somewhere they are interested in being. Go figure.
I was at a couple of arts festivals over the weekend and I didn't have to park at either one. I went to the Miami Beach Art Deco Festival and parked at a lot without meters and I went to the Pinecrest Gardens Fine Arts Festival and again, we parked for free.
But then again, Brickell and S. Miami are thriving and you do have to park in lots, at meters or in garages there, too. So maybe the parking issue is not the problem, although that is the top reason I hear from most people -- lack of parking (or the idea that they have to pay for parking).
But then I see a lot of restaurants on Commodore Plaza that are packed to the rafters -- Bombay Darbar, LoKal, Lulu and Greenstreets are usually mobbed, especially on weekends. So I guess people will find and pay for parking when there is somewhere they are interested in being. Go figure.
posted by Tom Falco at 7:07 AM
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7 Comments:
Easy to park, I live here and often use the lots. $5 and no worries. I don't like when prices are raised past $5. When the sail boat races are happening it does block up the waterfront parking but that is a small price to pay. We are a sailing village well loved by many sailors and sailing teams.
We live in the Grove and walk everywhere. We don't go downtown often as you have to pay to park and it's hard to find a space.
We were in Melbourne last weekend and my husband couldn't stop remarking on how parking was free (and their downtown was packed).
We mostly walk or ride bike to go anywhere in the grove. If I do drive, I don't mind paying for parking, at a reasonable rate of course. The meters are a fair price and pretty similar to metered pricing in Brickell, South Miami and South Beach, but should you go to the CocoWalk garage or any other garage, you're charged insane amounts for a short time. The lots can get pretty pricey too if there is an event going on.
What bothers me is that the Mayfair area has been empty for years...do these owners just not care that they are losing money? You would think they might lower their cost of rent to bring businesses in and raise them slowly overtime as the businesses and community grow. Seems like common sense to me, but maybe it isn't so common....
Using the "pay by phone system" is convenient. You can add to the meter, after getting a text message on your I-phone or bberry, for those who don't know, is very convenient, and not expensive at all.
I agree, there's plenty of space to park here, don't think that's the main problem.
CI
It may not be parking that causes businesses to close. Aladdin, for example, had slow, poor service and bad food. Speaking as someone, who traveled in the Middle East, Aladdin's food was very substandard. Many now closed businesses in the grove had similar problems. They may have also had poor business skills. Perhaps training is the real issue and help from SBA?
I use the pay by phone system and find it totally successful.
Two things.
1. i'm sure anyone who parks at the Cocowalk garage ends up with a big surprise and a bad taste in their mouth about Grove parking. $8 for a starbucks run...
2. The 'quality' restaurants around here do well. it's just that the grove has/had an overabundance of mediocre places that aren't going to stay alive like they might in other, more touristy areas.
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