Metro Courthouse Parking garage

Metro Courthouse Parking garage

Parking in downtown Nashville ranges from irritating to death-defying. Between the paid meters, the incessant construction and the 17,000 of us who live down there, it’s easy to see why most of us rideshare to a Preds game or a Ryman show. 

But what if you need to drive? You’ve got kids. You’ve got places to go before or after something. You’ve got control issues. Whatever your reason for needing to park downtown, here are five ways to make it easier or cheaper, from least to most planning required.

1. Park for $20 or less at the courthouse or library

If you’ve been in Nashville for a decade or more, you’ve parked at the downtown library on Sixth Avenue North. With a dirt-cheap hourly rate of $8, it’s still unbeatable as far as I know, especially when you consider the fine print: 

  • It’s $5 an hour after 5 p.m. and on weekends

  • It maxes out at $20 overnight

  • If you actually go into the library and get your parking validated, it’s free for the first hour-and-a-half. They’re practically paying you to read! 

If you refuse to dirty your heathen hand with the printed word, the next-best option is the Metro Courthouse/Public Square garage (101 James Robertson Parkway). That garage is $5 after 5 p.m. for a 12-hour period from Monday to Friday, and $5 per day on Saturday and Sunday.

Both of these garages may jack up their rates to $15 during events, but with more than 1,000 spots in each, they’re far and away your best bets. 

2. Eat at a (good) hotel restaurant and valet

The cost to valet at Nashville hotels is outrageous. It’s not uncommon for overnight rates to be $50 to $65 — plus tax and tip — and the daytime rate is typically half that. The good news: Restaurant owners know this is bonkers, and they’re prepared to eat that cost to get you in their doors.

Here are just a few downtown hotel restaurants that will comp your valet:

Guess what. All those restaurants are good! And all are expensive enough that you’ll hit any minimum with two drinks and an app, so you can grab a snack and still catch the sport or show you’re downtown to see. 

Notable exceptions: Yolan at The Joseph charges diners $14 per vehicle to valet, which is... 

And while it's not a hotel restaurant, per se, Etch also lets diners park free — with no time limit and no minimum. That's downtown and down-home hospitality we can get behind.

3. Eat at Midtown Cafe and take the shuttle

Another local “secret” is the shuttle from Midtown Cafe. I assumed, because we can’t have nice things in New Nashville, it had been discontinued, but no! If you dine at Midtown Cafe, you can use their valet and take their free shuttle to (and from!) four downtown venues:

  • TPAC

  • Schermerhorn 

  • Bridgestone Arena

  • Ryman Auditorium 

Their stipulations are simple: You must call to reserve the shuttle (615-320-7176) and spend $40 per person on average to use it. If you’ve ever had their addictive scallops — served over lobster mac-and-cheese with asparagus and lobster cream sauce — you’ll know that’s $44 extremely well spent. 

4. Treat yo’self to spa time before or after your event

If you’re downtown for an event, tack on a manicure before or a massage after and maximize the free parking that comes with every spa appointment.

If you do a little digging, you can cash in on extras:

  • Mokara at The Omni offers discounts of 15 percent for teachers and military personnel, as well as 35 percent off certain services during your birthday month. 

  • At JW Marriott, Spa by JW offers perks for 50-minute weekday appointments including Champagne upon arrival, a 10 percent discount on added spa services, and 15 percent off at Stompin' Grounds — an actually quite good lobby restaurant.

  • Go full staycation with deals for locals like 1 Hotel’s 40 percent discount, which comes with $100 credits for both the spa and dining. 

And remember: Most places with pools will let you enjoy those as part of a spa visit, and they’ll also give you a day pass for parking, which means no time limits. 

5. Take your kids with you in a KreweCar

I don’t like driving. Parking, traffic, seeing after dark — it’s all overrated. When ridesharing was invented, I swore off parking downtown ever again. And then: The bebe happened. 

So when we needed a way to get from the New Orleans airport to our hotel with a 2-year-old, we started digging. And we found KreweCar. Essentially an Uber Black car that offers car seats — installed for you! — on request, this service was a godsend both times we used it. Why should you care? Because the only other city they currently serve is Nashville. 

The app and service are relatively new, and they’re still building their roster of drivers, so try to request your ride at least a day in advance (They suggest six hours.). An airport ride in New Orleans cost $60, and a ride across town in Nashville about $45, but if you do the math on parking, per-person cost, or simple convenience — and cleanliness — it’s a deal. Bonus: Your kids won’t have to watch you curse the day they were born as you attempt to install a carseat in an Uber. 

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