Oakland YMCA Parking
As part of my new year's resolution for self-care, and because my last one finally entered school (yay for some extra $), I've joined the Y in downtown Oakland. I'm super excited about all the classes there and have been going regularly. But I just cannot fathom the parking around there. What is the deal? Where do people who go to the Y park? Is there free/cheap parking nearby? I try to go after work hours, basically after 5pm, so that I won't have to deal with meters (well, after 6pm), but it's still impossible. Any ideas? (Re public transit: Folks, I don't have the option of going by public transit for many reasons, including work-commute, home location relative to Y, work, time. If that were an option, I wouldn't be asking.)
Feb 12, 2019
Parent Replies
I toured the Oakland Y recently and they told me members can park in the building garage for a very cheap rate. I can’t remember what is was exactly but something like one dollar for two hours. Ask the front desk about it.
I work one block away. There is no parking because they have closed 7 lots to build apartments in the last 3 years and Kaiser Permanente HQ still employs thousands in the 5 block radius. I pay $165/mo to park and have many coworkers who park at meters and extend with the app because $2/hr is less than $20/day at most lots. You are not going to find street parking on weekdays before 7pm. Do not bother. The YMCA typically validates their own ACE parking ramp - it used to be $1/hr up to 3 hours. That's less than a meter at $2/hr (which goes until 6pm FYI). Use the validated parking. Or hope to get lucky and get a meter that has time left on it but I doubt that's going to happen.
Our family just joined and the parking garage attached works great - if you have the Y validate your parking, it's greatly discounted ($1 for 2hrs). Plus it's literally right next door - after the current remodel, members will be able to get into the lot from insu inside the Y. If/when you sign up, they'll cover all this. Best of luck!