Ever since the renovations at Coachman Park were announced a few years back, naysayers kept leaving the same comment on our social media posts... what about parking?
We've put on dozens of concerts over the years at Coachman Park. While there's no enormous garage next to the venue, it really just takes a little bit of planning ahead. And guess what? This new concert space called The Sound... it has a LOWER capacity than the old stage. So parking will be even less of an issue.
Here's the other thing to consider. It's not like The Sound is bringing in stadium acts like the Rolling Stones or U2. Most of the acts on the concert calendar are the type that draw a few thousand at the most. So how do you avoid the stress of traffic and parking? Here are my tips.
12 Parking Garages
There are a dozen parking garages and lots within a 5 minutes walk of Coachman Park that start at just 50 cents an hour. Many are free after 6pm and on weekends. This map from the City of Clearwater can give you a chance to pick a parking spot that will work best for you. It provides the number of spaces available along with rates.
Take The Clearwater Ferry
Live the Florida life... get to the show by boat! A cheap $3-$5 sunset boat ride along the beautiful waterways to the show? Sounds like a win to me. Maybe grab dinner in Dunedin, park there and take The Clearwater Ferry to Coachman Park. The boat drops passengers off steps away from the main entrance to The Sound.
Dine and then Uber!
Before your visit, enjoy dinner at a nearby restaurant and then take an Uber or Lyft to Coachman Park. Might I suggest my favorite pizza spot in all of Florida... Cristino's Coal Oven Pizza! This way you'll have the energy for the concert and someone else can do the driving.
Bike it!
For events at spaces where traffic is an issue or parking is expensive, I love to park a mile or two away and bike in. When they had that big air show last year with the Blue Angels at Tampa Bay AirFest, people sat in traffic for HOURS. Getting in and out of MacDill was a pain in the butt for most. Not for me! I got in within 15 minutes. When I left the show, I was home within an hour. I parked at a nearby public park and just rode my bike past all those cars with people sweating inside waiting to get in. And with Coachman Park, you're right next to the Pinellas Trail! No brainer!
Or... just park downtown.
Public parking is available throughout the downtown area. While there's no giant central parking garage for Coachman Park, there are plenty of parking spots downtown along the street. A 5 to 10 minute walk and you're there.
