East End Parking Garage

Don’t ask me how in my 2,638 visits to Midtown Sacramento over the last few years did I only find out about this lovely garage about a month ago. It would have saved me SO many parking headaches!
The Husband and I came down to Midtown for the «Best of Sacramento» party at the Convention Center. Garage parking was $ 20+ around the event (and street parking nonexistent) so I was thrilled when Karen K told me about this little gem of a garage!
$ 2.00 flat rate parking. Hours are about 4pm-​9pm weekdays, but you can park until 6am without getting towed. You pre-​pay your $ 2.00 at the gate and they give you a nifty little token to use in the machine on the way out. Parking only goes up to $ 5.00 for second Saturday events but even at $ 5.00 it’s still pretty good!
This handy little garage has spots that are a good size for larger cars and wide lanes so getting in and out is rather easy. I also felt safe here because it’s well lit. It’s located within walking distance to many of Sacramento’s best restaurants so keep this garage in mind anytime you are planning a trip to Midtown. I would rather pay $ 2.00 here and park right away than try to circle the block for street parking.

I am not sure what the East End Garage is east of? Perhaps it is a little beyond the east end of Capital Park? To me it should be called Garage Central because it is right in the middle of most of the places I want to visit.
Ida and I are more than a little intimidated by the downtown parking situation. It has been over a year since that rather dreadful evening when we boldly came downtown to attend an event. It was dark when we arrived and the closer parking places were already taken. We ended up parking in an area where they had drawn the parking lines backwards. The street was poorly lit and we could not read the signs that said it was mandatory that we back in. We had never heard of diagonal parking that you have to back into. I wonder what under achieving braniac city employee thought of such a lame brain idea?
We were given a great big fat ticket. To say «we felt violated» would be a large understatement. It reminded us of those speed traps you hear of in the south. We already felt the hostility of downtown residents toward us visitors from the suburbs but now we also felt like we had been personally attacked. Since that fateful night, we have been very hesitant to return to the grid. We no longer go downtown at night and Ida works Saturdays so we only go there on Sundays.
We were very happy to find a city garage that only charges two dollars on Sundays. All we have to do is trade the attendant two dollars for a parking token on the way in and we can feel comfortable knowing we are not going to be overcharged or return to find the attendant has gone home for the day and we have been taken hostage and are being forced to stick our most sacred credit cards into some strange, creepy orifice. All we have to do is put our little token in the slot and we are free to leave.
The East End Parking garage seems like a gift from the Gods. Are there others like this in the downtown area?

Reviewing a parking garage may not be a topic that stimulates much interest or excitement, but if you ever have to look for a place to park while in downtown Sacramento, this may stir up some interest and maybe even a glimmer of excitement. This city owned garage located in Midtown on 17^th Street between Capital Ave. & L St., is easily accessible with 600 spaces available. An affordable flat rate is charged for all night parking and all day weekends. For the last few years the fee was only $ 2.00, but apparently due to inflation, we recently discovered it went up to $ 5.00.
Now, visitors to Midtown and the Handle District can avoid the headache of looking for street parking or getting lost or having to circle the blocks until a space can be found. This building can blend in with the other buildings it connects with, so at first, it may not be easy to find its entrance until you practically come upon it. Fortunately, the unique and artistic outer building design can help attract your attention along with a few small posted signs that direct you to the driveway.
This parking garage is in an ideal location, because there are so many popular restaurants, bars, shops and even the Convention Center is within walking distance, along with the many State and residential buildings all within its vicinity. And don’t forget Second Saturday which draws many art enthusiasts and critics alike.
I’m not a fan of driving downtown with its one way streets and its strict parking enforcement, especially during rush hours or week nights. But downtown has so many fun attractions, that a convenient parking facility at a reasonable price makes exploring downtown Sacramento a much more tempting endeavor for the driving phobic like me.