We're driving to San Francisco on St. Patrick's Day for the parade and festival. Should I even consider trying to park anywhere near the Civic Center? Of would it be better to park over by the Golden Gate Bridge and then take the bus?

Thanks in advance.

If it's as crazy as it used to be - I would not even try to get downtown.

I think you could park in the Marina (at least during the day - they have some sticker requirements) - - just keep going in from the GG - and when you get to Lombard St, start looking around. You can turn left/toward the bay - and Chestnut St. or go by the Palace of Fine Arts and cross the main drag/Mason - to the Marina Green area and even park there.

From that area - there are several Muni bus lines that go downtown, and from memory - they include the 41 Union, the 45 Union or Chestnut is it?, the 30 Marina Express? - and so forth.

Here is a map of the Marina Green and just scroll around.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&gs...2&ved=0CAgQ_BI

Thanks, Tomsd.

As a bay area local, i would probably take BART to the parade. you can park at el cerrito del norte, el cerrito plaza or north berkeley, if you are coing from the north or east. Even easy to get to from Marin County. Parking is $1 in the lots for the day, i think. Note your space number, buy a round trip ticket in the station, plus one dollar for the parking. Once inside the pay gate, enter your parking space number into the machine.

or you could drive into town and check out this app. For parking.
http://sfpark.org/. It is a new program for help finding empty parking spaces both on the street and in garages n SF. Not sure how well it works

And i take comfort that you did not call it "St Patty's Day" like in the recent post from a traveler to ... Get this ... Scotland(!) on the Europe Fodors Forum . oh my...

Have a lovely time in SF.

St. Patty's Day? Sounds sacrilegious.

My pet peeve is referring to San Francisco as Frisco. It just sounds wrong.

That app sounds useful. Thanks.

Let us know how it goes.

Hey - have always called it St. Patty's day, even when I lived in Frisco.

Dude !