Minna Parking Lot

"Why...Good morning, Mademoiselle! I'll take your keys and park it in your usual place." I hand over my car and keys and walk off to my merry destination.

Ok, the greeting may not be EXACTLY verbatim as I just imagined above, but it's pretty close! This is the type of service you will get at this parking lot. Your car is valet parked, you are greeted by your first name, asked how you are, and reassured that your vehicle is in good care. On top of that, the price to park here is absolutely hard to beat during the weekdays, especially for the location.

So here are the price details:

All day parking during the Weekdays:
$17 for one-time users
$12 for students
$10-$12 for monthly users

Parking for 4 Hour block & Weekends:
$5-8
**Depending on how full the lot may be, the price fluctuates, but that's typical of any central parking lots in the city. Just check the price sign in front of the lot.



PROS:
(1) They allow re-entrance "with discretion." If you ask nicely, they have no problem with it and will not charge you double. How awesome is that? Not many open lots do that in SF because they can't keep track of all the cars coming in and out.

(2) The parking attendants give you a 5 star treatment without the high price tag.

(3) Your car is in safe hands because they (a) take good care of your vehicle as though it was their own and (b) they have insurance to cover anything that may go wrong on their lot.

(4) Located literally in front of Harlot, which is a new, hip SF club attached to and behind the restaurant Salt House. It's also a skippity hop from other local bars and restaurants (Zebulon, Roy's, 111 Minna, John Collins, and OSha Thai) and graduate professional schools (GGU and Academy of Arts). This is especially convenient on rainy days and you don't want to park too far from your destination.

(5) Valet service is open until 10 p.m. every day, but has been opened as late as midnight due to the surrounding night life on the weekends. Just ask the attendants for the times. Most lots with valet shut down around 7 or 8 in the evening.




CONS:
(1) Sometimes it can be hard to locate because it's down Minna Street alley, between 1st and 2nd. However, if you can locate club Harlot, you can locate the lot, which is in front of this place. Don't be confused with the underground parking or the lots facing Natoma street or the lot facing the side of Harlot and Salt House's building.

(2) The parking lot pavement is not brand new or smooth like a baby's bottom. Yes, there are a bump and a hole here and there. But heck, they place wooden boards over it to cover those imperfections! ;) Yes, it's a little ghetto, but the area is VERY, VERY safe and busy at all times, in a good central parking location, and nearby to a lot of hip venues.


With all that said, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. I've been parking here for almost 2 years and had nothing but a good experience. Trust me, I've had a lot of bad experiences at other lots and I am a parking god when it comes to finding spaces on the streets, so I am not giving major props for a tiny kind gesture by these parking attendants at the Minna parking lot. Just go check it out when your parking karma is on a funk and you'll definitely experience what I'm talking about.

Yeah, I know - reviews for parking lots aren't the sexiest thing in the world. But if you live/work in SF, you know that finding affordable parking is almost as hard as finding the love of your life. Most downtown garages charge you a ton of money and your first-born child for just a few hours of parking. It's insane!

In any case, I'm happy to report that I've found a decent lot right around the corner from my office. The Minna Parking Lot is tucked away on Minna Lane in SOMA.

The Pros:
- it's walking distance to my office on New Montgomery Street.
- they charge $10 for 3 hours of parking in the afternoon (much cheaper than anywhere else in the hood).
- there's never a line to pay.

The Cons:
- The parking spots are super small. So if you don't have a compact car, you could be in trouble.
- If you exceed the 3-hour parking time-frame, the price can add up. I parked there yesterday from 11:30am - 3:30pm and it cost me $20. Ouch!

All in all, it's a decent lot. I'm glad I found it, and I'll continue to park there.
P.S. - In my next life, I'm coming back as a parking garage owner and then retiring on my own private island.

This place sucks. I often parked here because of its proximity to my office. TODAY I WAITED AN HOUR AND 20 MINUTES for my car after calling ahead for it (when I called ahead they informed me it would be 15 minutes for my car, but in reality it was 80!). Ridiculous and horrible, horrible, horrible customer service. I started to get mad when people who came after me got their cars first. The valet guys had an attitude about the whole thing, but acted like they were doing me a favor when they gave me a voucher for tomorrow. They mumbled that they were sorry they lost track and shrugged me off. I missed an appointment because of them. Also, they have a $10 flat rate parking sign to get you to stop, but it's really $15.
Assholes.

Cool place, cool valet ppl, 1 dollar cheaper than 55 minna

I park here all the time when I go near the SOMA district. It is easily accessible from the mall, about a mile from AT&T park, and a few minutes walk to some great restaurants. I would give it 5 stars but it closes at 11pm. It is a little tricky to find but it really is a hidden gem. Prices are the same as other lots but I like it because its a garage. I've also seen a security guard here roaming around numerous times which makes me feel pretty safe.