Art Walk / Parking Meters (Jacksonville: restaurants, shop, move) - Florida (FL) - City-Data Forum

Magnolia Bloom · 01-20-2008, 02:19 AM

The first Wednesday Art Walk is downtown from 5-9 on Feb. 6.

Downtown Jacksonville: play downtown: Art Walk (http://www.downtownjacksonville.org/content/?page_id=167 - broken link)

Parking meters are free after 6pm. Since the Art Walk begins at 6pm, wouldn't it make sense to have free metered parking after 4pm? It seems that it would pump more money into the downtown. Folks would come to shop, to grab a bite, visit the library, take care of any government business, etc.

KerryB · 01-20-2008, 11:23 AM

IMO, Jacksonville's downtown has some nerve charging what they do for some of their parking. I once was going to checkout The Landing one weekend when I first arrived in town just to see what it was all about. When the guy in the parking structure told me the rate, I laughed & backed outta the structure & went home. I forget what the charge was, but I remember thinking "That was more than I paid for parking in DC. No way." And if I remember correctly, they didn't offer an hourly rate, which is just dumb. I dont wanna hang out at the Landing all day.

I've also been written tickets by meter maids downtown for an expired meter. The street was COMPLETELY empty, spaces all around as far as the eye could see. The maid saw me go into the bank & I was gone for MAYBE 5 minutes. I came out & he was finishing writing my ticket. I never paid it, as I don't plan on going downtown again. Why would I?? Its not like Im missing something by not going down there. IMO, they should be glad people are even going downtown period.

If Jacksonville wants people to come to its downtown, they sure have a funny way of showing it. Im not saying dont give people tickets & Im not saying dont charge for parking, but thats just a bit much for what it is.

cricketfan · 01-20-2008, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KerryB

IMO, Jacksonville's downtown has some nerve charging what they do for some of their parking. I once was going to checkout The Landing one weekend when I first arrived in town just to see what it was all about. When the guy in the parking structure told me the rate, I laughed & backed outta the structure & went home. I forget what the charge was, but I remember thinking "That was more than I paid for parking in DC. No way." And if I remember correctly, they didn't offer an hourly rate, which is just dumb. I dont wanna hang out at the Landing all day.

I've also been written tickets by meter maids downtown for an expired meter. The street was COMPLETELY empty, spaces all around as far as the eye could see. The maid saw me go into the bank & I was gone for MAYBE 5 minutes. I came out & he was finishing writing my ticket. I never paid it, as I don't plan on going downtown again. Why would I?? Its not like Im missing something by not going down there. IMO, they should be glad people are even going downtown period.

If Jacksonville wants people to come to its downtown, they sure have a funny way of showing it. Im not saying dont give people tickets & Im not saying dont charge for parking, but thats just a bit much for what it is.

I don't see your point. Are you saying that parking downtown should be free? As it stands now, certain times I have to drive around and around to find a parking, so can you imagine if there were no meters at all? And are you saying that because the meter maid saw you go into the bank that he should know that you would be gone for only 5 minutes? What's so unreasonable about popping a quarter in the meter like everybody else? Why risk getting a ticket? And BTW I don't think the parking structure at The Landing is all that exorbitant. At least when I visit The Landing I don't have to keep checking to see if the meter expired. If anything my beef is that there are not enough parking facilities.

I agree that downtown Jax is not all that big an attraction but then again there is more to Jax than downtown. Anyway, let's get back to the Art Walk and for that I would like to see free parking.

vdecapio · 01-20-2008, 06:46 PM

Yeah, I agree with dropping the free zone to 4...pm.

I also think that the Art Walk should be every wednesday or maybe 1st wednesday and last friday. Either way, more than just first wednesday.

And as an aside, I still am perplexed by the whole Jacksonville culture. Why does it take an event like "First Wednesday Art Walk" to get people downtown? Each time I go to a first wednesday I think "wow this could be a cool city....if this happened all the time." Why can't the events that take place on First Wednesdays and the restaurants and businesses that stay open on First Wednesdays do so every Friday and Saturday? Why is it "First Wednesday Art Walk," and not "Every Weekend Evening Art Walk?" It seems like common sense. First Wednesday is successful.....the same crowds that go to first wednesday are the same urbanites that would be their on the weekends too. No doubts.

So, I think the real deal is that the powers that be, don't want a vibrant downtown.....they like the peaceful, empty feel of a southern city! Put them in the suburbs so that locally owned companies like Gate can reap the rewards of excessive gas usage. Who needs public transportation....we have Gate baby. Cha ching!

KerryB · 01-20-2008, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vdecapio

So, I think the real deal is that the powers that be, don't want a vibrant downtown.....they like the peaceful, empty feel of a southern city! Put them in the suburbs so that locally owned companies like Gate can reap the rewards of excessive gas usage. Who needs public transportation....we have Gate baby. Cha ching!

Pretty much. I'd LOVE for downtown to be the central point of the city, culture events, art, shopping, dining, etc. Guess that was kinda the seed of my little rant before.

Im a big downtown kinda guy. I love walking & just popping into places, but with driving you cant do that. You have to plan where you're going. Plus, its EXPENSIVE now having things scattered about the city out in the 'burbs. Its getting to the point where I'm asking myself "Well, is it really worth all that gas just to eat here, to shop there, etc." And we usually end up settling for something less desirable just because its close by. St Johns TC isn't exactly walkable either.

I have noticed a common theme with southern cities being like that. I honestly cant think of any truly walkable cities in the south that have a vibrant downtown as the focal point, other than Charleston SC.

riveree · 01-20-2008, 09:50 PM

I voted "leave it as it is", no need to confuse things.

But......

The city could offer a free garage during the event. There is that new garage on the side of the new downtown library where you pay a machine to park there. It's cheap enough as it is, but the city could easily direct people to park there for free - it's not like so many people are going to show up that the garage would be filled

.

The city does need to remove all obstacles from getting people to attend these events.

In the meantime, dropping a quarter or two in the meter isn't such a big deal.

mawipafl · 01-21-2008, 06:19 AM

The parking garage (Duval and Main) near the library is free on Art Walk nights -- enter after 5 pm and get your ticket validated at the library (go to the main desk at the back of the first floor.)

riveree · 01-21-2008, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mawipafl

The parking garage (Duval and Main) near the library is free on Art Walk nights -- enter after 5 pm and get your ticket validated at the library (go to the main desk at the back of the first floor.)

Well there you go, there IS free parking for the Art Walk!

toops · 01-22-2008, 10:51 PM

I hate parking downtown, any time of any day, period.

The last time a friend and I went to Art Walk (probably in November?), we drove around and around to find a parking space, finally found one and proceeded to check it out on our bikes. While cruising around, I nearly got run over (read: I stopped maybe a foot short of my near-death) by some executive type careening out of a parking garage - don't you think people would be looking for traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian on an Art Walk night?

In any case, I don't know how I feel on the parking fee issue. I agree that most of the charges (garages and lots) are completely outrageous and I would rather not go downtown than pay or circle around trying to find a metered spot. If the metered parking was free at four PM on Art Walk days, I can see two possible results; one being everyone would get there early to get things done and get their spot, thus leaving no good parking for people who come later, or, it really having no effect, because I don't know if there are too many people who want to hang around that long waiting for Art Walk to start.

mawipafl · 01-23-2008, 07:11 AM

I'm sorry toops to hear of your not-fun experience! I think the lack of parking and the issue of crazy drivers depends on the part of downtown you're in with most of the problems occurring the closer to the Landing you are.

We consistently have decent luck getting on-street metered parking along W and E Duval Street, and occasionally on West Adams St. (goodness, I should keep my secrets! :-) For Art Walk nights, we head directly to the parking garage at Duval and Main and our first stop is the library to get our ticket validated. For events at the Times-Union, we usually park on W Adams. Granted, it means a little bit of a walk down Laura or Hogan, but it's such a short walk and it's offset by the free parking and the avoidance of traffic once an event is over. For events at the Landing we usually park on Duval, and again it means a short walk down Main St, but with the same benefits. I actually enjoy the stroll - it's well-lit and clean.

Jacksonville is no different than all other cities -- it has its quirks, and one can only get to know how to deal with the roadways by more-than-once visiting unfortunately. For example, I know now never to travel in the outside left lane on Ocean St because, all of sudden it seems, parking is allowed there, and it's easy to get trapped in that lane. And this type of scenario is not too friendly with share-the-road-with-bikes.

I'm almost thinking that free parking after 5 pm every weekday - including Art Walk days - would be, perhaps, a better enticement to get people downtown (other than those who work there). However, maybe that would create traffic snarls with commuters leaving and visitors coming ... dunno ... just a random thought.