*** COVID-19 UPDATE: Street parking on many parts of Hanover, Salem, Parmenter, Prince and other streets is now outdoor dining. This means a loss of A LOT of visitor parking spaces. Plan accordingly!
Words of Advice from a Once Non-Resident
I once spent 12+ months parking daily (and overnight) in the North End, without a resident permit, and from that experience I can tell you this:
your own parking experience can either be cheap or easy, but it can rarely be both.
All kidding aside, if you are planning to drive to the North End and park on the street as a visitor, expect to spend some (possibly a lot) of time looking for street parking. Visitor parking here is scarce and is generally parked in by permitted residents just as often as actual visitors.
A much better bet, albeit more expensive, would be to park in one of the neighborhood’s many parking lots and garages. And even though parking rates are just as expensive here as any other major downtown, you’ll see below that deals can still be found.
North End Garages and Parking Lots
Off-Street Parking Deals
3 Hours for $3 Dollars
Quite possibly the one of the least well known and best overall parking deals in Boston is the validated parking rate at the Haymarket (parcel 7) Garage.
Visitors can take advantage of a rate of $1 for up to 2 hours and $3 for 2-3 hours!
Whats the catch? You must have your parking ticket “validated” at a “North End business”.
What does this mean? A running list of businesses that can do the validation for you is nowhere to be found, but a lot of North End restaurants and retailers will be able to do this for you if you ask. You can also go right downstairs in to the Boston Public Market, or across the street to the convenience store to have your ticket validated.
3-30 Days for $15/Day
Best for incoming visitors who plan to park their car and leave it for the duration of their stay, the Government Center Garage offers their Park ‘n Stay rate: park for 3-30 days at $15/day.
Just keep in mind that this rate doesn’t come with in and out privileges, so don’t plan on using your car at all.
A Few Notes on Street Parking
Visitor Parking Spaces
There are visitor parking spaces in the North End, but they are few and far between. During the days and times listed on the sign (read the signs!), you can park for up to two hours before you need to move your car. Per the City of Boston, you must move your car to a new block after these two hours, meaning you can’t just move your car up one space and wait another two hours. In the North End, this will likely mean you need to move to a whole new street.
It would be too difficult to map every single visitor space in the North End, they are generally the first few spaces on each block but this is not a steadfast rule.
Parking Meters
Parking meters are even fewer and farther between than visitor spaces in the North End and exist in only two places: N. Washington St between Cooper St and the Charlestown Bridge, and Atlantic Ave between The Sail Loft and Sergeants Wharf. The time limit here is still two hours.
Be careful: the meters on N. Washington St. are open to anyone 24/7, but the meters on Atlantic Ave. turn into resident parking overnight from 6pm to 8am.
Parking Overnight and Weekends
With no other posted restrictions (read the signs!), you will be restricted to a two hour parking window on Monday-Friday between the hours of 8am-6pm in any visitor space. Outside of these days and times, you can park for as long as you want.
This means you can park in a visitor space anytime 4pm or later and stay overnight until 10am the next day (you can park as long as you want 6pm-8am, with two hours from 4-6pm and two hours 8-10am).
You can also park in visitor parking without time restrictions on all weekends and holidays, unless otherwise posted (read the signs!)
Street Cleaning
Street cleaning rules are in effect from March 1 to November 30 in the North End, and that means for visitor parking too. Make sure you read all of the signs when you park because you will get towed.
Moving Truck and Construction Signs
Standard parking signs aren’t the only thing you need to look out for in the North End. Keep your eyes open for Moving Truck and Construction signs as well. These signs look like something someone bought online and put up themselves, but these are actually enforceable parking signs and you will get towed if you ignore them.
Moving permits are generally for one day from 9am-5pm, but construction signs can limit parking for days or even weeks at a time, so make sure to read carefully!
