Parking downtown can be a problem, especially if you show up after workers have gotten to their offices on weekdays. There are a couple of very important things to remember when parking downtown:
When parking on the street, be sure to notice the meter's time limit. These vary from as little as 15 minutes (these are always located right in front of the restaurant or museum where you plan to spend 2 hr.) to long term (read: long walk). Most common are 30- and 60-minute meters. You don't have to feed the meters after 6pm or on Sunday.
The best parking deal in town is at the Smart Park garages, where the cost is 95¢ per hour for the first 4 hours (but after that the hourly rate jumps considerably and you'd be well advised to move your car to another lot), $2 for the entire evening after 6pm, or $5 all day on the weekends. Look for the red, white, and black signs featuring Les Park, the friendly parking attendant. You'll find Smart Park garages at First Avenue and Jefferson Street, Fourth Avenue and Yamhill Street, Tenth Avenue and Yamhill Street, Third Avenue and Alder Street, O'Bryant Square, and Naito Parkway and Davis Street. More than 200 downtown merchants also validate Smart Park tickets if you spend at least $25, so don't forget to take your ticket along with you.
Rates in other public lots range from about $1.50 up to about $4 per hour.
