Hey, Dave Edwards, Treasure Valley Dave here. I heard that public parking is terrible in Nampa, Idaho. Is that true? I want to get straight to the bottom of this. So, I decided to come down here on one of the busiest days of the entire week.
Downtown Nampa: What’s It Like?
Here we are down on 1st Street. This is probably the busiest area, and today will be the busiest day ever. Why is that?
Well, one of the reasons is that we have the Nampa Farmers Market here. We’ve been there many times. Everyone’s found a place to park. They didn’t have to park like those in Denio’s in Roseville. You better bring two pairs of shoes if you go there.
This is one of the few places you have to pay for parking in Nampa. However, this parking lot will be here temporarily because the local government wants to revamp the downtown Nampa area. They’ll be putting in some new buildings, parking garages, etc. But it’s nice to know this is here if you need to go shopping.
Find Parking Spaces Around
But what if you are like me, who doesn’t like to pay for parking? Well, then, let’s take a look at what your options are.
First off, you can park on the street. If I couldn’t find a parking spot, I wouldn’t stop or walk, but luckily I did!
Looking around, I see what’s hurting the parking. They brought out the sidewalk and took up those parking spots. On the other hand, it will be a great place for restaurants and outdoor seating. And you might have seen in my previous video that they’re considering turning this block into a pedestrian mall. There won’t be any parking here whatsoever.
But one-half block behind this building is where that new parking garage is supposed to go.
Why Visit Downtown Nampa
So why would you even come down here? Oh, well, we talked about the farmers market, but one of the reasons could be Messenger’s Pizza. And all these other restaurants over here, I am still waiting for someone to bring me there. Aw, don’t feel bad. Somebody will, I’m sure, at some point.
If you get a parking spot down here, it’s pretty good. Speaking of parking, right behind this spot is a municipal parking lot. It’s free, although it’s restricted except for weekends. Anybody can park down here. I see the little transport vans there and stuff like that.
What’s it like where you live? Do you have a place to park and have fun in your downtown area? More importantly, is it free? Is it convenient, close to where you want to go?
Anyways, we’re passing through that little municipal parking. It allows four-hour parking, but I won’t be here that long.
More Parking Spots Available
It’s just a typical Saturday morning. Everyone comes out here.
The good thing is that we have free public parking after five o’clock and on weekends. When I told Mrs. Treasure Valley Dave about coming down and doing this video, she said, “You know what? Having a difficult time finding a place to park — not impossible but a difficult time — is actually a good thing.”
Where she grew up, in some town called Dunbar, the downtown there has dried up. There are places to park because you’re the only one there. The big thrill is a building collapsing on Main Street every few years. Everybody gets to go down and watch it collapse. That’s not what’s happening here.
What’s Happening Here?
In Nampa, the government is refurbishing these old buildings for new purposes.
Oh heck, looky right here — a parking spot in front of me! I guess parking’s not that terrible. We just saw two parking spots in the last half a block. Maybe we’ll find another one before it’s all over.
Again, parking is pretty decent. Right down this little alleyway, there’s another parking lot that you can go down to and park back there. It means there are always options when it comes to parking.
I will see if there are any other places we should investigate when we explore how terrible parking is here in Nampa, Idaho.
Additional Parking
Oh, look, there’s another parking spot coming available. Dang. That’s not bad. And oh, it’s right in front of Messenger’s. Is that a sign? Am I supposed to have pizza for lunch? If you were with me today, we’d be going there and having a piece of pizza because it’s excellent. Or we could stop in at Holy Cow and get a burger. I don’t know; I’m flexible.
Parking Garage
Here we are in another parking option right here in downtown Nampa. We’re about a block and a half from the old downtown and in the Tom Dale Memorial Parking Garage.
The gates are wide open. It’s free parking on the weekends. And guess what? I found a place right here. I could have parked in the first slot, but I chose number three in case somebody else needed that one that’s a little bit closer. So here we are on the main floor, and there are a couple of parking spots. I’m looking at one right there, but I’m peeking up over there, and there are tons of parking spots.
Oh, that’s for senior citizens right there. Hey, do I qualify? Nah, you guys keep me feeling young, so I don’t care how old the number is. At heart, I’m never going to be a senior, right?
Look at all that parking area. That’s just wild. Oh, and here’s the other entrance. So, it’s two different ways to get in. It’s easy. Let’s take a look. Yeah, plenty of options right there. And then there’s another floor above us and another floor above that. So why do they have a parking garage here? I have no idea. It might be the old mayor, Tom Dale, knew somebody — not that we needed one. We never needed one before.
This one’s not filled on the most popular day of the entire week, like the most perfect weekend of the year. That building over there is the police department, and guess what? They have a parking garage too. No, the public can’t park there. It’s just for the people that work there.
There’s also a parking lot behind the post office. Oh, check this out. On the other side of that tree is the little Old Country German Sausage, where I get my jerky. And guess what? The sign says, “Parking Behind”. They have ample parking behind them.
There’s another city parking lot, one of those little pay things. But it’s for sale, so maybe they’ll put some retail business there. So we’re right here on this block where the new library is, and this road is a state highway. It’s a truck route. So it’s a working road, and there is even some parking on the other side.
You’ll see parallel parking on both sides as you go down that way. So, you should get your skills honed. I know the city’s had some surveys on what they can do to improve this. Taking the truck route from downtown would be a big first step. So where we were, it’s just a block down that street there. We’re just that close.
And look, people still find places to park right here along the street, not that you’re saving any money because the parking garage is free. Oh, where is that parking garage? There’s a library. There’s the fountain. And there’s the parking garage right back there. Let’s see if we can find more parking-is-terrible-in-Nampa spots because I have yet to find one.
Just a quick side note: Is this how it’d be where you are? So we have this kind of an off-the-beaten path. We have an excellent shelter here. We have these nice trees and places to sit. What would be populating your area here? Could it be homeless people, drug addicts, gang members, stuff like that? Gang members dislike being in the sun just like anybody else. Same goes for the homeless.
That’s the library right there, where they have public bathrooms. You could go in there and take a shower and stuff like that. Is that what you’d have in your area? Not here.
Parking and Events at Lakeview Park
We’re over here at Lakeview Park. They got some great stuff going on, and here’s a parking lot. Over on the other side of that grassy area is another parking lot, and they’ve got another parking lot over there. And then, across the street, they have another parking lot. That’s where the horseshoe pits and the dirt hills that those young athletic kids could take their little BMX bikes up and down.
So yeah, the city of Nampa knows that there’s a lot of popular stuff going on, so they take steps and measures to ensure people can enjoy it.
I hate to sound like a broken record, but there’s some more cool stuff over here. So people can park along the street, and many of them do. But if you come to a park, parking in the parking lot is so much better. You don’t have to walk a half mile with your cooler for a picnic and stuff. Not to mention if you have the kids with you; they have tons of energy, but once they poop out, they’re just done.
People are taking advantage of it; this must be like the last weekend for the swimming pool. That may be why everybody’s out. So, plenty of places to park, and if you’re in a small town, I’m thinking of Dunbar, Nebraska, or something like that. You can go to the city park and park right up close. But you know what? You’re going to be the only one there.
But at a place like this, there’s so much going on. Oh, everyone’s got their dogs. We got a hotdog stand at a dog show. Am I the only one who sees the irony right there?
That’s the pooch party, Stroll and Splash. Aw. There are a lot of cute little fur babies around here, huh? Wow, this is pretty wild. Ooh, I tell you what, that smells good too. Wow, they got the puppies showing off over here.
So, you know one thing, though? Everybody that’s here found a place to park. Come on, Treasure Valley Dave, there’s much more stuff going on than just parking.
Free Parking Everywhere
But parking’s essential. Am I right? You probably wouldn’t have stopped here if you hadn’t found a place to park. You wouldn’t have been having all this fun. Or if you would’ve stopped and had to walk a mile and a half to get here, who knows?
So, there’s one example. The city has an event, and they provide parking. Oh yeah, you know what else? It’s all free. I want to know what it’s like where you live?
Did you catch that: free parking?
Interestingly, we’ll find that that’s a theme right here in town. All right, let’s see what else we can find. Oh yeah, I got to park close too, because you know me. If I couldn’t park close, I’m not stopping.
Here we are a little bit further from downtown, and guess what? I found a parking space right here on the main drag. There are not many of them, but they don’t need that many. But I do know that there is one place right around here where parking is terrible.
Robert, you’re right. Parking is terrible in one place here in Nampa. But where is that? I’ll tell you the exact reason for it. See that place up there on the top floor? That’s Brick 29, and this is how you get into it. Here, at the bottom floor, there’s an elevator. But this area right around here, Brick 29 is so good. Especially at lunchtime during the week?
You want to take your special somebody in the evening, and maybe it’s me, but I’m open to that. You’re going to have a hard time. There have been times I had to park half a block down that street. What’s another 100 yards? But if you want to know the most terrible place to find parking at lunchtime, it will be right here at Brick 29.
If that’s what we have to put up with here in Nampa, terrible parking to have a great lunch, well, dadgummit, we’ll have to suffer through that. We’ll be together on that. If we go up there together, we’ll be together on that. So this is the worst place in Nampa for parking. That’s something we’ll have to live with.
What are you living with where you live? It sounds redundant, but that’s true. Are you having to park way out there? Are you in Sacramento, and there’s one shade tree two miles away? You’re going to park out there underneath it? I’ve been there. Wear oven mitts when you touch that steering wheel.
Come to Nampa
Check it out for yourselves and contact us if you ever come here. You’re going to like it. As always, Treasure Valley Dave, looking forward to helping you get home.
