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# Bayside offers parking tips for navigating downtown
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/bayside-offers-parking-tips-for-navigating-downtown/
- Published: 2003-11-12T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T03:12:36.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Events, Downtown, #archive-import

*By Daily Press staff*

It’s time to break old habits when driving in downtown Santa Monica for the holiday season.

The Bayside District Corp., which manages the Third Street Promenade and downtown Santa Monica, has offered the following tips for holiday shoppers: There are more places to park than the Fourth Street city parking structures that most people use. There are nine city parking structures downtown, many of which often have available spaces.

The best parking options are off Wilshire Boulevard. When driving west on the 10/Santa Monica Freeway, exit at Fifth Street instead of Fourth Street. Drive north to Wilshire Boulevard and turn left. Turn right at Fourth Street and make a quick left into structure No. 9, one of the most unused parking sites in Santa Monica.

For the best place to park for the Wednesday Farmers’ Market, turn left at Wilshire Boulevard and Second Street and look for Structure No. 2 on the left. Also on Second Street is Structure No. 4, just south of Arizona Avenue and north of Santa Monica Boulevard.

All of the city parking structures provide two free hours to visitors — no validation needed. The rate is $1 per half-hour thereafter from 8 a.m. to 5:59 p.m., with a $7 maximum daily rate. There is a flat rate of $3 for vehicles entering after 5:59 p.m. There also are several parking lots throughout downtown and metered on-and off-street parking. Read the hours of operation carefully to avoid ticketing.

Also, for the first time in Santa Monica’s history, public valet parking will be available in Structure No. 5 located on Fourth Street between Broadway and Santa Monica Boulevard. The valet parking program will begin Friday, Nov. 28, and will be available evenings and weekends.

For more information and to view a map of downtown’s public parking, visit the Santa Monica parking site at http://parking.santa-monica.org.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 12, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/111203.pdf?ref=smdp.com)