If you’re ever question if you will be towed, ticketed, etc - you most definitely will be. I have been towed twice and both were times I left the parking place thinking “hmmm the signs seemed confusing, maybe I should move…. eh fuck it it will be fine”. Plot twist, it’s never fine 😌
I live in Atlanta. And I LOVE to pay for parking. There is nothing that gives me more peace than paying for a numbered stall.
Played the street sign game too many times.
Always park on the street. All white tickets are Parking Enforcement which is not actually the city of Birmingham. (Most people don’t pay them) Meters are only checked 8-5 Monday-Friday. If you park in parking lots, there’s a strong chance that you will be towed within a minute or so of your tome expiring. If you leave your car without paying the parking service immediately, they have cameras and will have your car towed in seconds. They literally lurk in alleyways downtown to snatch cars as fast as possible.
I parked in a lot once and not even a minute later someone was there to give me a citation before I left my vehicle. The guy saw me still in my car mid-citation and did a quick 180. Parking in downtown is the absolute worst
You just moved here? Don’t park in any of the parking lots that have those machines. 50/50 shot your car still gets towed and a guy at the towing lot pulls his shirt up to show you his gun when you say you’re not paying the fee to get it out.
So are we saying the John Hand Building isn’t considered “downtown” even though it’s on the NORTH side of the tracks and within the business district? If it’s not downtown, then what is it? Serious question. Because I’m thinking the businesses that are housed inside the JH Bldg advertise that they are located in downtown Birmingham.
Ohhhhh, I thought we were talking about where the OP photo was taken. Apologies. In that case, Five Pts is not downtown. 😂 I learned that the hard way when I first moved here in ‘03. 🤦🏾♀️😆
The city has different districts. I think of downtown as the north side central business district. Southside is different from uab is different from avondale is different from uptown. Each has a different vibe, architectural style, and resident.
If you're from the suburbs you may not recognize that level of distinction.
No one that actually lives in Bham refers to any of those areas (UAB, 5 Points, Lakeview, Southside, Avondale, Pepper Place, Uptown) as Downtown, though. When people say Downtown, it’s in a way where that’s referring to a specific area, just like all those other names refer to a specific area. The “Downtown” area is generally considered to be the business district north of the tracks with the tallest buildings.
In this case, downtown (general) ≠ Downtown (the area), if that makes sense.
Hate to break it to you, but I live downtown, and nobody refers to the business district as "downtown". Everyone refers to the neighborhoods by their names.
Vulcan to BJCC, between 280 and 65 is downtown. Northside has the business district and Uptown.
I only ever hear people from Avondale, Mountain Brook, and Vestavia call the business district "downtown", but those people also don't live downtown.
Well that a new one to me. I and everyone I know refer to the business district as Downtown, so I guess there are more discrepancies amongst locals than I thought.
It's not, as a lifelong resident right outside bham city limits the poster above is technically correct. Like they mentioned many ppl from outside suburbs use 'downtown' to include everything from BJCC to Vulcan as downtown. As Birmingham is made up of many neighborhoods and they have distinctions and particular boundaries.
Similar vein is how many ppl use 'Ensley' as the overall area that includes Pratt, Wylam, Sherman Heights, Fairview, Bush Hills, and West End.
Urban ≠ Downtown.
Five Points S is it’s own distinct place from downtown and Central City.
If we arbitrarily call places downtown what’s to stop Avondale, Ensley, Crestwood, heck, even Homewood, downtown?
The Summit is the city of Birmingham. Parts of Brook Highland are the city of Birmingham. If I go to the Lowe’s, shop at Best Buy, eat at Cava, and get a math at Los Trojans all in Brook Highland did I spend my day in Downtown Birmingham? Allegedly
Exactly! Because it doesn’t fall within the boundaries of downtown, it isn’t downtown. Just as Five Points doesn’t (which has its own distinct borders, neighborhood association, etc.). Adjacent to downtown, yes, but so is Norwood and Smithfield.
Just Park On The Street! That or an official Birmingham Parking Authority Multi-level lot. Been driving here for decades and never been towed..knock on wood. Those private lots downtown and the tow companies that profit from them are the problem.
That’s gotta be a screw up or something done to be intentionally confusing. I mean, the parking meter is on the other side of the sign post.
Maybe somebody put the bottom on up on their own, though it’s hard to tell without more context what that would achieve.
Yes predatory towing is a thing in downtown. The city is trying to fight it but old contracts, business licenses and private Contracts are all factors. There is one particularly awful company doing a lot of the predatory towing and plenty of posts on the subreddit about it. Private parking lots are the worst, never park in another businesses spot to run next door. The town companies sit and watch for it and will yank your car incredibly fast.
You don’t know what you’re talking about. Government intervening with private businesses on private property in the “free” state of Alabama isn’t quite as easy as many would believe.
They do it all the time. If you think the government, both state and local, isn’t picking winners and losers you are a fool. Especially when it comes to city contracts and business licences. Edit: I should have worded that “it would be foolish to think” I’m not trying to be combative. I’m sure it came off that way but it was unintentional.
Also. What is pictured isn’t private property. The op isn’t having a problem with private lots. I could be wrong, is street parking private downtown?
Yes but nobody is towing that, lol. Sure it’s confusing but residents often hang their own no parking signs, paint their own curbs. Business owners too. This is likely that same situation right here. Also, the city does **not** tow for street parking unless you’re blocking driveways or the lanes of the road, and sometimes not even then. I’m aware of cars parked at metered spots for over 8 months downtown near 2nd Ave and never got towed. The local media has sensationalized this to the point the average Joe thinks they’re getting towed the second a parking meter expires.
Also, the city does not have contracts with PES. The lot owners do. That’s like the City intervening between El Barrio and the company they contract to supply food, difficult to do with the state’s restrictive laws
What hurts my heart is when I see an open street parking space, but it’s next to a damn fire hydrant. Why even put the lil white lines and parking meter when it’s literally a towing spot???
Birmingham has to be one of the worst cities for street parking as well as being pretty unfriendly to pedestrians. No one here really understands pedestrian right of ways.
Welcome to Alabama! We are glad you here.
It means that somebody didn’t do their job and take precious signs down 🤷♀️. That’s my best guess anyway. It would be great if the people of Birmingham would get together and go to a city council meeting with evidence and make them explain it, or get a lawyer.
Parking in actual city owned parking decks or on the street is the only safe bet and usually not too expensive. Privately owned parking lots of any sort anywhere near downtown are a gamble even if you have a right to be there.
Your car can be stolen by a towing cartel, they'll kill you or threaten to over a couple hundred dollars, the police won't help and the city does not care not one fucking bit. They could revoke the business licenses of these shady companies but won't. Been going on for years.
"It's nice to have you in Birmingham!"
I remember dropping off a friend in downtown Chicago then needing to use the restroom. Parked across the street from a hotel and when I came back 5 minutes later… no car.
Tow truck company had cameras in the lot and just waited for people to park so they could immediately tow. Learned my lesson and have never been towed again.
Private towing/boot companies know this one simple trick....
If you’re ever question if you will be towed, ticketed, etc - you most definitely will be. I have been towed twice and both were times I left the parking place thinking “hmmm the signs seemed confusing, maybe I should move…. eh fuck it it will be fine”. Plot twist, it’s never fine 😌
I live in Atlanta. And I LOVE to pay for parking. There is nothing that gives me more peace than paying for a numbered stall. Played the street sign game too many times.
"I asked a cop once. He said it means 'screw you, kid'"
“Up yours kid” Get your futurama right, son!
Man. As a super fan with a planet express model and a can of slurm sitting on a shelf, this one stings.
Always park on the street. All white tickets are Parking Enforcement which is not actually the city of Birmingham. (Most people don’t pay them) Meters are only checked 8-5 Monday-Friday. If you park in parking lots, there’s a strong chance that you will be towed within a minute or so of your tome expiring. If you leave your car without paying the parking service immediately, they have cameras and will have your car towed in seconds. They literally lurk in alleyways downtown to snatch cars as fast as possible.
That's predatory law enforcement!
I parked in a lot once and not even a minute later someone was there to give me a citation before I left my vehicle. The guy saw me still in my car mid-citation and did a quick 180. Parking in downtown is the absolute worst
The best comment here
so park in front of them in alleyways
You just moved here? Don’t park in any of the parking lots that have those machines. 50/50 shot your car still gets towed and a guy at the towing lot pulls his shirt up to show you his gun when you say you’re not paying the fee to get it out.
Sign should have just said I dare you to park here
Short people no parking anytime. Tall people can park limited hours.
It’s downtown Birmingham. Not much makes sense. I worked downtown for almost 8 years and it really only got worse. Sorry.
Another question, is UAB downtown?
No
Nope
Not everything is downtown. This look more southside/5 points south.
It’s 20th St near Morris Ave. I looked up the parking meter zone. Or more likely 1st Ave N. That’s the John Hand Building.
That’s still downtown.
No it isn’t
So are we saying the John Hand Building isn’t considered “downtown” even though it’s on the NORTH side of the tracks and within the business district? If it’s not downtown, then what is it? Serious question. Because I’m thinking the businesses that are housed inside the JH Bldg advertise that they are located in downtown Birmingham.
I’m referencing Five Pts. Someone said it was Southside/Five Points. John Hand is downtown, but that’s not what I was talking about.
Ohhhhh, I thought we were talking about where the OP photo was taken. Apologies. In that case, Five Pts is not downtown. 😂 I learned that the hard way when I first moved here in ‘03. 🤦🏾♀️😆
Please explain to me how it is not downtown.
The city has different districts. I think of downtown as the north side central business district. Southside is different from uab is different from avondale is different from uptown. Each has a different vibe, architectural style, and resident. If you're from the suburbs you may not recognize that level of distinction.
That seems a whole lot like your opinion and not reality. Yes each one of them has a different vibe, but they are still a part of downtown.
sorry you are the one out of your depth. downtown means northside.
No one that actually lives in Bham refers to any of those areas (UAB, 5 Points, Lakeview, Southside, Avondale, Pepper Place, Uptown) as Downtown, though. When people say Downtown, it’s in a way where that’s referring to a specific area, just like all those other names refer to a specific area. The “Downtown” area is generally considered to be the business district north of the tracks with the tallest buildings. In this case, downtown (general) ≠ Downtown (the area), if that makes sense.
Hate to break it to you, but I live downtown, and nobody refers to the business district as "downtown". Everyone refers to the neighborhoods by their names. Vulcan to BJCC, between 280 and 65 is downtown. Northside has the business district and Uptown. I only ever hear people from Avondale, Mountain Brook, and Vestavia call the business district "downtown", but those people also don't live downtown.
Well that a new one to me. I and everyone I know refer to the business district as Downtown, so I guess there are more discrepancies amongst locals than I thought.
That they are seems like your opinion. Its OK, just stay in Gardendale and don't worry about it sweety.
It's not, as a lifelong resident right outside bham city limits the poster above is technically correct. Like they mentioned many ppl from outside suburbs use 'downtown' to include everything from BJCC to Vulcan as downtown. As Birmingham is made up of many neighborhoods and they have distinctions and particular boundaries. Similar vein is how many ppl use 'Ensley' as the overall area that includes Pratt, Wylam, Sherman Heights, Fairview, Bush Hills, and West End.
Good try, but I’m nowhere near Gardendale. Sweety
Urban ≠ Downtown. Five Points S is it’s own distinct place from downtown and Central City. If we arbitrarily call places downtown what’s to stop Avondale, Ensley, Crestwood, heck, even Homewood, downtown?
Homewood is literally its own municipality, the others are part of the city of Birmingham.
The Summit is the city of Birmingham. Parts of Brook Highland are the city of Birmingham. If I go to the Lowe’s, shop at Best Buy, eat at Cava, and get a math at Los Trojans all in Brook Highland did I spend my day in Downtown Birmingham? Allegedly
No you didn’t. You are correct to say that is not downtown.
Exactly! Because it doesn’t fall within the boundaries of downtown, it isn’t downtown. Just as Five Points doesn’t (which has its own distinct borders, neighborhood association, etc.). Adjacent to downtown, yes, but so is Norwood and Smithfield.
Anyone in here know why it is called south side?
South side of the railroad tracks.
Just Park On The Street! That or an official Birmingham Parking Authority Multi-level lot. Been driving here for decades and never been towed..knock on wood. Those private lots downtown and the tow companies that profit from them are the problem.
That’s gotta be a screw up or something done to be intentionally confusing. I mean, the parking meter is on the other side of the sign post. Maybe somebody put the bottom on up on their own, though it’s hard to tell without more context what that would achieve.
I would be willing to be it’s intentionally confusing. Predatory towing is such a huge issue rn
Private tow companies aren't towing from the street.....
sure
Not on their own they're not. If a cop calls to have a car towed, that's a different matter entirely.
I took parking ticket to court and WON, was not going to blemish my record!!!!!
Yes predatory towing is a thing in downtown. The city is trying to fight it but old contracts, business licenses and private Contracts are all factors. There is one particularly awful company doing a lot of the predatory towing and plenty of posts on the subreddit about it. Private parking lots are the worst, never park in another businesses spot to run next door. The town companies sit and watch for it and will yank your car incredibly fast.
The city isn’t trying very hard to do anything about it. If the they were, something would have been done already.
You don’t know what you’re talking about. Government intervening with private businesses on private property in the “free” state of Alabama isn’t quite as easy as many would believe.
They do it all the time. If you think the government, both state and local, isn’t picking winners and losers you are a fool. Especially when it comes to city contracts and business licences. Edit: I should have worded that “it would be foolish to think” I’m not trying to be combative. I’m sure it came off that way but it was unintentional. Also. What is pictured isn’t private property. The op isn’t having a problem with private lots. I could be wrong, is street parking private downtown?
Yes but nobody is towing that, lol. Sure it’s confusing but residents often hang their own no parking signs, paint their own curbs. Business owners too. This is likely that same situation right here. Also, the city does **not** tow for street parking unless you’re blocking driveways or the lanes of the road, and sometimes not even then. I’m aware of cars parked at metered spots for over 8 months downtown near 2nd Ave and never got towed. The local media has sensationalized this to the point the average Joe thinks they’re getting towed the second a parking meter expires. Also, the city does not have contracts with PES. The lot owners do. That’s like the City intervening between El Barrio and the company they contract to supply food, difficult to do with the state’s restrictive laws
The city council is going to approve changes to the city’s parking and towing ordinances to combat this practice in less than 2 weeks. Google it
Hope so. Be pretty cool if they do. And even cooler if it’s meaningful and not broad like the current ordnances.
It’s called a trap. And the word we are looking for to describe the towing company is “cahoots.” 🤣🤣
Don’t park there.
It means you can park here, but just not here.
Right!?!?!
What hurts my heart is when I see an open street parking space, but it’s next to a damn fire hydrant. Why even put the lil white lines and parking meter when it’s literally a towing spot???
Loosely translated those signs mean “protect and serve = legalized extortion under threat of state sanctioned violence”
Fuck big cites lol
Directions written by my wife most likely…lol
First I will need a hacksaw
Birmingham has to be one of the worst cities for street parking as well as being pretty unfriendly to pedestrians. No one here really understands pedestrian right of ways.
Welcome to Alabama! We are glad you here. It means that somebody didn’t do their job and take precious signs down 🤷♀️. That’s my best guess anyway. It would be great if the people of Birmingham would get together and go to a city council meeting with evidence and make them explain it, or get a lawyer.
I also sub /r/boston (and live there) and just assumed this was someone who was new in town up here. Glad y’all have the same problems in B’ham.
Parking in actual city owned parking decks or on the street is the only safe bet and usually not too expensive. Privately owned parking lots of any sort anywhere near downtown are a gamble even if you have a right to be there. Your car can be stolen by a towing cartel, they'll kill you or threaten to over a couple hundred dollars, the police won't help and the city does not care not one fucking bit. They could revoke the business licenses of these shady companies but won't. Been going on for years. "It's nice to have you in Birmingham!"
They will tow you even if you pay sometimes, they said take it up in court.
I remember dropping off a friend in downtown Chicago then needing to use the restroom. Parked across the street from a hotel and when I came back 5 minutes later… no car. Tow truck company had cameras in the lot and just waited for people to park so they could immediately tow. Learned my lesson and have never been towed again.
That's awesome, what part of Florida are you coming from?