Philly Reading Terminal Market Parking
 

Can anyone suggest a safe & free parking site for the RTM?? I got practically robbed by the 12th street parking ramp that their web-site suggests. The $4.50 parking rate (especially for the RTM parking ramp) turned into $16 at their machines in the lobby of the garage, and it didn't accept my tokens. Plus, there was a line of about 40 people behind me to use the macines (not kidding here!). The machine next to mine ate someone's credit card. I complained to the management -- hopefully I'll get a refund.

Since I don't want to go through that hassle again, where's a good place to park on a Saturday -- I heard Chinatown may be unsafe, however I'm not sure if this applies to a Saturday in broad daylight. I drove around to find street parking, but couldn't find anything! Too crowded! Since I can only go on Saturdays -- hopefully a Philly native out there would have some good inside suggestions??

Safe *and* free are an unlikely combination, although there are a few blocks of neighborhood parking scattered around Chinatown (i.e., unmetered 2-hour spots on the street). There are a number of metered spots, including a block that splits the market from the headhouse at the south entrances between 11th and 12th . And I wouldn't worry about Chinatown during the day -- and probably not even at night, considering the level of activity there.