<p>So reality's finally hit me, and now I realize how impossible it would be for me to get a parking spot without a pocketful of cash (people sell parking permits on craigslist for such ridiculous prices!). So is there some ninja way I could bring my car to UCLA without actually buying a parking pass? This doesn't mean that I'm willing to park my car illegally in the UCLA lots, I just want recommendations for finding parking off campus (that's relatively inexpensive). I was thinking of leaving my car in residential areas and taking the bus to campus, but if I did that, what would I do on street cleaning days? Any help would be amazing!</p>
<p>Street parking is really your only option without a permit. The area around the dorms and apartments is really crowded, and it’s hard to find a spot pretty much all the time except maybe weekends. On street cleaning days you need to move your car before 8am I think, and then its REALLLLLLY hard to find a spot because half of the street parking people will be looking for spots too. Honestly I still wonder where all the cars go. I guess a lot just end up paying $9 daily parking on those days?</p>
<p>You can park around the apartments south of Wilshire. It’s a little easier to find spots than around the apartments by the dorms, but usually still pretty packed. It’s a good 30-45 min walk from the dorms though.</p>
<p>The residential (house) areas that border Westwood are permit only, so can’t park in those areas.</p>
<p>Oh and just a heads up if you have a nice/decent car. Space is very limited and people pack in really tight, so bumping/nudging is bound to happen.</p>
<p>did reality hit you that you noticed you really NEED a car? or just another first year that’s used to having a car during highschool days? seriously come to UCLA, try living without a car (surprisingly not hard given that most of the people living in the dorms don’t have a car, or there woulda been massive suicides :rolleyes:) if you really can’t handle not having a car then just try street parking or buy a spot in the apartments</p>
<p>alrighty, cool guys, thanks for the help. @kick, i live 30 min from campus and my parents are expecting me to come home every weekend, so that’s my excuse for NEEDING a car 
truthfully though, i’m just a spontaneous person at night, and i always end up going to random, super far-away places to get food/hang haha</p>
<p>Yeah, well the parking (or lack thereof) is going to make you not want to move your car at all once you find a spot until you absolutely have to for street cleaning. It’s not unusual to spend upwards of half an hour circling around the apartments before you find a spot.</p>
<p>well you are sol with the parking situation really… i mean just convince yourself to stay around the dorms there will be plenty of stuff to do on campus (clubs, sports, hangout around the dorms), all the other students are doing that… and if you are spoiled enough to have to drive to places to hangout then the college across town seems more suitable for you :D</p>
<p>If you can’t find a parking spot you can always drive back home and park it (it’s only an 1/2 hour away from campus)</p>
<p>Does anyone park at that Federal building during street cleaning, or is that too risky? And how big of a problem are dents from bumping/parking? I think I’ll wrap my baby up in styrofoam then 
and kickserve, i got rejected by usc, so GRRRRRRRR i have a real reason to hate them haha</p>
<p>I wouldn’t park anywhere and risk it during street cleaning. LA always has parking enforcement roaming around. </p>
<p>It’s not TOO bad because its small dents, but when you get here and look at how people park, you’ll understand why dents could be a problem. People sometimes literally park half an inch from the car infront or behind him. How they manage that I have NO clue. </p>
<p>I can’t imagine you surviving without a permit. The only other viable option is for you to buy a parking spot from someone living in the apartments. It’s such a hassle to find parking, move for street cleaning, find parking again, etc. If you live 30 minutes away, take the bus home every weekend.</p>
<p>haha im pretty sure hes bringing the car so he can go out to drive around every night and not just go home with it :D</p>
<p>That’s even worse! I can’t imaging going out several times, LOSING your parking spot, and having to find parking again! <em>Shivers</em></p>
<p>Haha, well first of all I’m a girl >.> And second of all, I’m a proud graduate of alcohol edu, so I know not to bring my car if I go partying Anywho, do people sell apartment parking spot spaces for a lot cheaper than they do for normal parking spots? I was craigslisting and the normal spots were like $2000 :(</p>
<p>im pretty sure you can get one around 400 to 500 a quarter… the school ones are around 250 a quarter and 2000 on craiglist is just stupid lol</p>
<p>street parking is your only option. and even that’s a pain because you’ll need to beware of the street cleaning times. I recommend just getting a spot in the apartments if you MUST have a car</p>
<p>you. don’t. need. a. car.
if your parents want you home that desperately, then they can either pick you up from campus on weekends, or you can take the bus. i have quite a few friends who bus home, and while it’s inconvenient at times, it’s not like you’re commuting every single day!
you’ll make friends with cars, and you’ll learn how to navigate around with the buses (preferably NOT by yourself at night, however). i dare you to go one quarter without a car - if your parents cave in by then, maybe they’ll be willing to pay through the nose to find you a parking spot. and if you can’t last a few months without a car (trust me, we’ve all balked at giving up our car-related “independence”) then you’ll have missed out on another way to develop some good old college ingenuity!</p>
<p>Ahh, I could tell you some stories of my little parking escapades “back in the day”, but don’t want to give you any ideas, b/c I still use them when I head up to campus for a concert or research project – and they still work!</p>
<p>I will say this, however: watch out for the 2 hour parking except by permit, because the traffic control people white line your tires and ding you if you’re a second late. They lay in wait. Most areas around campus are now permitted. There are areas close to Westwood Blvd. (along 2 Big Blue Bus lines) where you can find all day and all night free parking, most with one day a week street cleaning, but some without. One day I’ll work up a map of the free spaces.</p>
<p>For a while, after UCLA closed the old hospital and reopened at, ugh, Ronnie Reagan med. center, the entire parking lot over there was vacant and free. Not anymore though. I think you can still park on Exposition – I forgot if they have street cleaning.</p>
<p>Alternatively, if you know someone who lives in the area, they can always give you one of their visitor’s parking permits.</p>
<p>only losers go home every weekend. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Exposition? Are you sure you have the right school in mind? :rolleyes:</p>
<p>hey hey hey grassbandit, INAPPROPIATE! haha i dont plan on going home EVERY weekend, maybe every other weekend (that doesn’t help my case too much though haha). but i’ll miss my dog and i’m not really digging the whole lackofprivacy thing at the dorms and ucla77, the whole map thing would be awesome!</p>
<p>VTECaddict, how could you ever question the assertions of a lifetime alumni?!? :eek:</p>
<p>Exposition is located south of the Westside Pavillion where the Expo Line (light rail) will eventually run. (It also passes that other so-called institution of higher learning). :)</p>