A few years ago, the Washington Business Journal conducted a study about parking conditions across major cities in the United States. Three California cities made the list of the 10 worst cities in terms of parking. Thankfully, San Diego was not one of them. Nonetheless, the vehicular density of Southern California often requires drivers to formulate smart parking strategies. If you own real estate in Cortez Hill San Diego and don’t have a designated spot, you know how difficult the parking situation can be. With this in mind, here are seven smartphone apps that can make your parking experience in downtown San Diego a lot smoother.
1. ParkItDTSD
This is the official app of the Downtown Community Parking District, created by the Civic San Diego tech collective and funded by revenue collected from parking meters. This app was developed in 2015 in response to parking availability issues that arise each time Comic-Con takes place at the Convention Center. Instead of installing a new app, point your smartphone browser to http://parkitdtsd.com/home and follow the prompts on the map to find an open meter spot.
2. ParkWhiz
Similar to ParkItDTSD, this HTML 5 app works from mobile browsers updated within the last couple of years. Pulling up ParkWhiz.com from your smartphone brings you to a mobile site where you can input your desired destination to look for parking. You can also select from a list of downtown districts and landmarks such as Petco Park, the airport, and the Balboa Theatre.
3. SpotHero
This mobile web application partners with private parking garages to offer discounts of up to 50 percent off. Another neat feature of SpotHero is that it runs a program for downtown residents to rent their parking spots when feasible. Transportation service Skurt is also a partner in case you need a ride.
4. Waze
Although Waze is mostly known for its real-time reporting of traffic conditions, many San Diego drivers use it to alert fellow motorists about open parking spots as well as issues that may complicate driving to the spots.
5. BestParking
If you are a frugal parking spot hunter, this Android app is definitely for you. In addition to finding available spots, BestParking scans the area for deals being offered by private garage operators. You can shop and compare before deciding where to park, and the app developers offer a $5 Starbucks virtual gift card if you report inaccurate data.
6. Find My Car Smarter
The name of this app exactly describes its functionality. Instead of relying on maps or wireless broadband to remember where you parked, Find My Car uses GPS features that work even if your smartphone cannot find a signal or if you run out of prepaid airtime.
7. Parkopedia
As its name suggests, this mobile app has an encyclopedic database of parking information from around the world. Parkopedia can be accessed via smartphone browsers or through its iOS and Android apps. It is worth mentioning that research compiled by Parkopedia is used by engineers working for major car manufacturers.
If you’re thinking about buying one of the many great condos or lofts for sale in Columbia District San Diego, make sure you purchase a unit with at least one designated parking spot. At 92101 Urban Living, we can help you find the perfect property to meet your needs. Call 619-649-0368 to see the hottest new properties on the market in downtown San Diego. ')}