Your guide to stress-free parking in Uptown

My family has had the same phone number for more than 20 years. Unfortunately, our number is one digit off from E-Z Parking’s phone number. We’ve received calls in the middle of the night from people who’ve had their car towed, hoping we can help them. I’ve learned to be patient and direct callers to the right place for help – it was that or change our number.

Parking in Uptown is daunting if it’s your first time or you don’t have your go-to parking deck. Driving around trying to find a spot can make you late for an event or worse – you call me at 2 a.m. when your car is impounded for illegal parking.

Here are several places to park in Uptown when public transportation, Uber or Lyft aren’t options. There are dozens of parking decks and surface lots throughout Uptown. I selected three or four from each of the Wards with different price points.

Daily rate maximum $10 and under

Phifer Avenue and N. Tryon Street

616 N. Tryon St.

Surface lot

Daily rate: $8

Monthly rate: $119

After 6 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends: $6

First Ward: Close to McColl Center for Art + Innovation, Sports One Charlotte and Waterbean Coffee

Daily rate: $8.50

Monthly rate: $110

After 6 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends: $5

First Ward: Close to Levine Museum of the New South, Sports One Charlotte, 7th Street Public Market

6th Street and N. Brevard Street

300 N. Brevard Street

Enter from N. Brevard Street or E. 6th Street

Surface lot

Daily max: $9

Monthly rate: $115

After 4 pm on weekdays and weekends: $6

First Ward: Close to ImaginOn, 7th Street Public Market, First Ward Park

426 E. Trade St.

Surface lot

Daily rate: $10

Monthly rate: $129

After 6 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends: $7

Second Ward: Close to Spectrum Center, County Courthouse, City Hall, Marshall Park, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Charlotte Convention Center, EpiCentre and The Green

4th Poplar Street (behind Trademark)

124 S. Poplar St.

Surface lot

Daily rate: $11

Monthly rate: $145

After 4 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends: $7

Third Ward: Close to BB&T Ballpark, Green’s Lunch, Romare Bearden Park

7th Street and N. Tryon Street

400 N. Tryon St.

Enter from E. 7th Street

Surface lot

Daily rate: $10 from 3 a.m. – 4:59 p.m., $7 from 5 p.m. – 2:59 a.m.

Weekends: $7

Fourth Ward: Close to Duckworth’s Grill & Taphouse, Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery and Discovery Place Science

Daily rate maximum $11 and up

Trade Street and N. Davidson Street

501 E. Trade St.

Enter from E. Trade Street or N. Caldwell Street

Surface lot

First hour: $5, additional hours $5, 3 a.m. – 6 p.m. $8, after 6 p.m. $8

Daily max: $18

Monthly rate: $95

First Ward: Close to Hyatt House, EpiCentre, Spectrum Center

International Trade Center

200 N. College St.

Enter from 6th Street or 5th Street

Parking deck

First hour: $6, additional hours $6

Daily max: $16

Monthly rate: $130

First Ward: Close to Mert’s Heart & Soul, Sea Level, Fitzgerald’s

The Westin Hotel

614 S. College St.

Enter from S. College Street or Stonewall Street

Parking deck

First hour: $4, additional hours $6

Daily max: $20

Monthly rate: $175

Weekend rate: $10

Second Ward: Close to Fahrenheit, Fuel Pizza, The Green, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Bank of America Stadium

BB&T Center

200 S. College St.

Enter from College Street or W. 4th Street

Parking deck

First hour: $9, additional hours $9

Daily max: $24, early bird in before 8 a.m. and after 3 p.m. – $14

Weekend rate: $10

Monthly rate: $185

Second Ward: Close to Amélie’s French Bakery Uptown, EpiCentre, The Ritz-Carlton Charlotte

510 S. College St.

Surface lot

Daily rate: $15

Monthly rate: $185

After 4 p.m. on weekdays and weekends: $7

Second Ward: Close to Harvey B. Gantt Center, Charlotte Convention Center

415 S. Mint St.

Enter from Brevard Street and Graham Street

Parking deck

First hour: $5, additional hours $5

Daily max: $20

Monthly rate: $110

Third Ward: Close to Bank of America Stadium, Romare Bearden Park and BB&T Ballpark

AutoPark

206 S. Church St.

Enter from Poplar Street or Church Street

Parking deck

First hour: $6, additional hours $6

Daily max: $21

Monthly rate: $165-$205

After 5 p.m. and weekends: $6

Third Ward: Close to Bank of America Stadium, Romare Bearden Park, BB&T Ballpark

121 West Trade St.

Enter from 4^th Street

Parking deck

First half hour: $4, additional half hour $3

Daily max: $25

Monthly rate: $170-$230

After 5 p.m. weekdays and weekends: $6

Early bird in before 8:30 a.m. and out before 6:30 p.m.: $10

Third Ward: Close to Mint Museum, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Bank of America Stadium, Latta Arcade and Brevard Court

201 N. Tryon Building

201 N. Tryon St.

Enter from 6th Street or Church Street

Parking deck

First hour: $9, additional hours $9, after 5 p.m. – $6

Daily max: $25,

Monthly rate: $160

Fourth Ward: Close to Levine Museum of the New South, Discovery Place, The Asbury, The Dunhill Hotel, Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.

101 N. Tryon St.

Enter from Church Street

Parking deck

First hour: $6, additional hours $6, after 5 p.m. – $5

Daily max: $21

Fourth Ward: Close to Stoke, Coco and The Director, Blumenthal Performing Arts, The Ivey’s Hotel

Charlotte Marriott City Center

100 W. Trade St.

Enter from W. Trade Street

Parking deck

First hour: $10, additional hours $5

Daily max – $30; all valet parking; closed for special events in Uptown

Fourth Ward: Close to Stoke, Cocoa and The Director, The Asbury, The Dunhill Hotel

Resources and tips:

1. Parking costs increase when events such as Speed Street, a Carolina Panthers game, CIAA Tournament or a Charlotte Hornets game are happening in Uptown. Special event parking can range from $15 to $60.
2. The Parkmobile or LAZgo apps may be used to pay for parking at some lots and garages.
3. Drop a pin to remember where you parked or take a photo of your parking ticket.
4. Spot Hero, Park Whiz and Best Parking apps may be used to reserve a parking space in advance. Some show real-time data with cost and number of spaces available.
5. There are 1,100 metered parking spaces along the street. They are monitored by Park It!, a division of the City of Charlotte. Pay for on-street parking with the Park It! app.

Photos: Vanessa Infanzon, Ryan McCall

This story was originally published April 12, 2018 at 11:36 PM.