Moscone Center Garage

12/21/2017

Parking in SF can be a bit of a nightmare, but this is a decent, fairly priced garage in pretty central location if you're headed downtown.

The best part about this garage is you enter right on Third Street, so if you're coming from the 280 exit, you can head straight up Third, park and not drive around in the the downtown SF traffic.

The spots are small, but I found one right away and didn't have any issues getting in or out.

11/14/2017

• 21 check-ins

I've been parking at Moscone Center Garage a couple of days a week for a few years now.   I've been fortunate to have always found a space and not to have had any issues.

PROS:
Early Bird Discount
In before 8:30 and out before closing on most days (be sure to check the sign) gives a good discount. $16 to park for the day, rather than the regular $29. I haven't been able to figure about which events nullify the Early Bird discount (it's not always on a game day or when Moscone is having a conference).

CONS:
Checking Out takes FOREVER
You need to pay at the elevators before returning to your car. The automated payment systems use dial-up modems and sometimes you can hear them calling--like it's 1995 and you're logging on to AOL.  I like to imagine there are hamsters on a wheel powering the machines. It makes the 4 minutes to pay for your ticket much more amusing.

Getting out
Pulling out of the parking lot takes a good deal of patience. Between the never ending stream of pedestrians walking down Third, MUNI, and the cars who are pretty stingy about letting you out, you need to get strategic and think like an action driver to make it out.

The Stairwell - I like to take the stairs but these are SUPER stinky and I'm paying indulgences elsewhere for spending carbon to take the elevators.

All in all, a solid garage, generally a good rate and in a great location (just be patient when trying to leave).

4/4/2018

It's a parking lot.  At least there isn't any homeless sleeping in every corner like other garages In the city.  If there isn't a convention in at the Moscone center the parking price is pretty cheap for the city, $16 early bird. Traffic can get busy on third st or Howard so getting out can sometimes be a pain.

5/8/2017

• 2 check-ins

• Listed in Parking

Everyone should have the opportunity to drive a giant vehicle through the city and find parking.  Like an adult test of wills.  Let me tell you that driving a big Chevy Express Van is an adventure in parking wills.

I drove around for almost an hour looking for parking near Moscone Center.  I don't like garages that are under 6'8".  I had no other options and I made my way around in traffic so that I could turn into the entrance of the garage.  The height sign said 6'6".  I barely squeezed by.  It was terrifying, but I did it.

I was very thankful this garage was here, with in walking distance of the convention center and can fit my giant van, theres a lot of gratitude.   I didn't have an issue leaving.  I squeezed right on out.  If I ever have to come back again, this is my spot.

12/2/2017

I was there at 5:30 pm on a Friday and the man at the parking window was the rudest cashier I've ever encountered.  After paying originally I paused in my car for 10 minutes before exiting only to find the garage wouldn't allow me to exit with my already-paid ticket. They required I pay $2 more for the 10 min pause.  
When I complained to the cashier he repeatedly cut me off from speaking to finish my sentence, and called me stupid.  I will never park here again as I was perfectly polite and shouldn't have to encounter a parking cashier calling me stupid.  I never called him names so there was no reason for him to do so to me. This man should not be facing the public if he can't deal with a complaint.

9/6/2017

The garage no longer takes Clipper (the program has been discontinued-not their fault) but also doesn't take payment at the gate. This means you have to do the the pay-at-the-machine song and dance, which is inconvenient for me as I park in the basement EV spots and come/go through the Howard St entrance. I wish they would consider taking some sort of contactless payment at the gate.

12/9/2016

2017-06-05 update - the Chargepoint stations at this site has not been able to report its availability or charging status to the Chargepoint servers for over a month. This makes this station difficult to use for EV drivers.

[ old review below ]

Voting up for availability of EV chargers. The EV chargers are 2 spots to one station. At each station, there's one L2 charging cable, but if you're the second car to arrive, you also have the option of L1 trickle charging at the station if you lift the ChargePoint cover and find the normal household-style plug.

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  in addition to L2 J1772 plugs, the Chargepoint EV stations also have L1 charging available if you lift the covers

  in addition to L2 J1772 plugs, the Chargepoint EV stations also have L1 charging available if you lift the covers

10/11/2017

We were burglarized and Security didn't care. My family sat for 2 hours on site and filled out a report while they sent me to the wrong police stations. 18000 car burglaries per annum in SF. This garage supposedly has security but that didn't stop the thief's (who were tracked down using find my iPhone to under the hyway 2 miles away) from crashing the window and stealing our luggage and belongings. Happened at 530-615 in broad daylight. Terrible garage and could have been an inside job.

8/17/2016

I work next door to this garage and park here often on weekends because I work late and they close at 2:30.  I didn't realize they close at midnight on weekdays, and got off work at 12 last night.  I got to the garage at 12:03 and all lights were off, and gates closed.  But thank goodness there was someone inside.  I explained that I was a neighbor, and apologized for not realizing the closing time and explained that I live far away, and could not simply catch an Uber or public transportation home.  Also, my phone was dead and I was stuck.  He said "too bad, gotta pick your car up at 6am".  I said "but you're right here, all you have to do is open the gate for me'.  He Said "I can't even process your ticket".  I offered to pay a full day in cash, and even offered him some cash but he wasn't interested.  I literally begged him to help me out, but he was happy to flex the little bit of authority he knew he had in this situation, and seemed to take some joy in watching me suffer.

I hate when people give bad reviews, and then go on to explain how the problem was their fault to begin with.  But there was a simple solution here, and that guy could have been my human hero instead of a mindless robot.  So 1 star for the lack of compassion that should not exist in today's society.  

And to all those complaining of break-ins, isn't it obvious they're in on it?

2/8/2017

I never thought I'd write a review for a parking garage, but after almost getting mugged in this structure last week I felt compelled to say something.  Looking at the general tone of the the yelp reviews, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised.
Saturday, mid day, I paid for my parking at the ground level pay station, where a random guy was standing around.  He tried to follow me and my elderly parent into the stairwell, which creeped me out, and I called my mother out and we walked away from the enclosed stairwell.  The creepy guy immediately turned around and followed us out onto the the sidewalk.  He continued on until I said I was going to call the cops, when he went back into the garage. Which is where our car was still parked.  I had to walk up the center of the ramps to get back to our car, not willing to go into the enclosed stairwells after our encounter.  There's no visible sign of security, or phones, or adequate signage.  This place is a serious crime scene waiting to happen.

9/12/2016

Do Not Leave Vehicle Overnight.... Many Auto Thefts Reported....No Security Guards or Camera Systems.Garage Not Accountable. ...

3/26/2015

The one time I DESPERATELY wish I could give an establishment 0 stars. If there's a place that deserves it, it's this parking garage folks.

Cons (because there are no pros):

+Well lit, large, affordable and almost always has parking spaces available. Sounds positive? Guards can catch thieves in bright lights? No. Read: easy to steal from cars because of so much light/visibility, guards believe they don't have to do their job because it's a large, guarded city owned garage, and oh yeah, only ONE security guard for the whole garage. Thanks for nothing?

+Thefts are far too common. Being a yelper, I'm disappointed I never read the reviews of this place. Shame on me but lesson learned.

+Horrible response from security guard / garage personnel. Which ridiculous response should I write about first? "This happens all the time" or "I saw your car window smashed but assumed nothing was taken"? We, like many others who reviewed this establishment, saw another car also broken into in the same time that our car was broken into.

I will never be parking here again and will encourage all and any of my friends who drive into the city to avoid this garage at all costs. There are tons of PRICIER garages, where this doesn't happen nearly as frequently, and absolutely worth the time and money to find them.

5/31/2016

HOT SPOT FOR THIEVES. Car was broken into and there are conveniently no cameras installed aside from the office and entrances. This may seem like a convenient location but be extremely cautious if you decide to park here. Don't even bother hiding valuables since I did that. They will still get in and clean all nooks and crannies. Take all valuables with you.

As you can see from other reviews, theft is a common occurrence.

1/13/2015

WARNING WARNING! Do NOT park here!! Thought we were saving $10, ended up paying much more. Car was broken into. Items locked in trunk were taken. Several other cars nearby were also broken into. Security said "happens all the time!" And "this is the worst garage in the city"... WTF? Parking staff were unapologetic and laughed when I suggested they waive my parking fee. Terrible service after customers have been victimized under their watch. Apparently thieves circulate inside the garage, casing out cars to smash n grab. Wish I knew this before parking. This business is a joke and needs new management!!!

7/16/2014

I suffer from parkinggaragereviewolism!  So you're getting another parking garage review.  The quick lowdown:
- It's DIRT CHEAP after 6pm.  As in $1/hr cheap, then a $2 discount.
- But it closes overnight!  midnight weeknights, 9pm Sunday, but (wisely) 2:30am Friday and Saturday.

12/20/2014

• 1 check-in

It doesn't matter the cost, don't park your car here. There's people casing the parking lot. My car and another car was broken into. Security is totally aware of it. And does NOTHING!!!!!!! I'd rather pay $40 parking then pay $350 to get my window and door fixed. Totally fk'd up!!!!

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  Broken window they stole a gym bag.

  Broken window they stole a gym bag.
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  Broken window

  Broken window

7/22/2014

This is an incredibly convenient and affordable (especially after 6 PM) parking solution for me since I work nearby at the Academy of Art. That being said, there are some minuses:

1. The stairwell smells like pee.
2. Pedestrians outside of the structure will walk right in front of your car as you try to enter or exit. Most of the time they are on their cell phones and not paying attention.
3. Cabs will honk angrily at you as you try to enter the parking structure.
4. The first floor ramp leading up to the other floors is extremely tight for two-way traffic.
5. People don't know how to park properly.
6. The ticket machine that takes cash has a faulty change dispenser which frequently loses change inside of the machine. When I bring it to the attention of the attendant, they are very skeptical and don't help me unless I make a big deal out of it.

PRO-TIP! If you don't want to deal with the hassle of exiting onto 3rd street, go all the way to the basement and exit on the Howard side. Much easier!

10/3/2016

How can a garage located across the street from from Moscone Center not accept American Express. Guessing your profits are just too low? Most large corporations issue employees American Express cards for expenses and have strict reimbursement policies, get with program Garage management. Oh yeah the place is filthy!

3/11/2015

I will NEVER park here again. This place is run by inadequate fools. My car was broken into and all the manager could say was "it happens all the time, its always black guys". They have no cameras and their " security guard" looked like he could care less. Initially we were told that there wasn't any security to talk to, but maybe she forgot because the lady looked like she was just too busy enjoying her sandwich. The "guard" just happened to walk by and we told him what items were taken he just shrugged. Then all of a sudden he happened to know something and one of my items was apparently downstairs sitting next to sandwhich lady.

Then to top it off when I'm trying to finally leave and I ask what to do since I paid already but its been past the 15 minute window, he tried to make me pay more money for the time I had to spend there filling out police reports. We had been  nothing but calm and nice the whole time but that's unacceptable! He left in the middle of me speaking to him to walk back to my car and would only speak with my boyfriend. Completely disrespectful. Horrible service.  I recommended finding another garage.

3/8/2013

• 1 check-in

YOU'RE SAFER ON THE STREETS!

Dear Mr. Mayor Lee, City of San Francisco and visitors,

It is with deep concern that I write you today.

It is VERY DESPICABLY SAD that the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), governed by the seven-member SFMTA Board of Directors that is appointed by the MAYOR and confirmed by the Board of Supervisors fosters a thieving parking structure.

Car was broken into. Everything valuable and irreplaceable taken. Rear window shattered, glass everywhere. We were gone less than 45 minutes. No surveillance on parking floors and security is useless. Customer service =NONE=SELFISH.

30 minutes of phone calls with police, banks etc. and another car rolls by with ALSO a shattered window. Security said there were 4 other break-ins which now equates to six including the two of us.  In 4 hours, over 6 break-ins!

Management needs to secure the place and shut it down...not rocket science here. This place is across from the MOSCONE, filled with professionals that utilize the garage! Obviously, the garage staff, management doesn't care about you, your car but only securing their job--as I was told by the attendant.  Thus, they cannot let me out of their parking where all my belongings and their parking ticket were stolen and I am responsible for the full rate of $27.00. Obviously they did not listen when I said, my wallet EVERYTHING was stolen and now stuck with over $800 in car damages. I parked in the structure to be safe not be victimized even by the service provider.

If there is a problem, there is a solution. Do not hang your people out to dry. THIS PARKING STRUCTURE NURTURES BURGLARS. And the people that have been victimized need you.

Regards,

Law Abiding Citizen, Voter, and Tax Payer.