parking tips for bishop allen w/ mates of state at the sinclair music hall (cambridge ma 01/14)

hey everyone, figured i'd share some parking tips for the bishop allen show on wednesday 01/14. parking in harvard square is honestly a nightmare and a great way to get a ticket or pay a fortune, especially on mass ave. the sinclair itself has no dedicated lot.

first thing is the absolute insider move: check out the prked app. this is for renting someone's private driveway or garage right next to the venue. it’s usually way cheaper than the garages, you get to skip the insane traffic snarl trying to get into the big garages, and it’s a short walk. this is your best bet for a stress-free night.

if you prefer a garage, you have two great options that offer a killer validation deal. the sinclair will validate your ticket at the box office for the **harvard square parking garage** (20 eliot st) and the **charles square garage** (one bennett st). the rate for both, if you enter after 5 pm, is a flat $12. make sure you get that validation sticker or stamp before you leave the show or you'll be paying a lot more.

a really good alternative, and possibly the cheapest garage option, is the **university place garage** at 45 university rd. their night rate, if you enter after 4 pm on a weekday like 01/14, is a $10 max before 3 am. that's even better than the validation deal. it's a short walk, maybe five minutes or so.

for street parking, be extremely careful. all those meters on mass ave, brattle street, and the side streets near the square usually stop operating at 6 pm, but you have to read the signs perfectly. some metered spots turn into resident-only permit parking at night, and cambridge is notorious for ticketing and towing if you park in a resident spot. i'd try to find a spot further out on mass ave toward cambridge common or near harvard law school if you're feeling lucky, but honestly, it’s not worth the stress on a wednesday night.

if you don't mind a longer walk for a cheaper pre-booked spot, there are options like the **bishop allen lot** for around $12 or the **central square parking lot** for about $15, both about half a mile away. you can also use apps like parkwhiz or spothero to pre-book a space in one of these smaller lots.

lastly, the red line is always a super easy option—just take it to harvard square. you could park at alewife and ride one stop to avoid the whole harvard square car circus. hope this helps and enjoy the show!