Map and Rates Courtesy of poncecitymarket.com

The parking at Ponce City Market is immense. Residents can access various parking locations through the market’s ground level parking, ramp to lower level parking, pedestrian access to lower level, complimentary 30 minute parking, Atlanta Beltline bike parking, and valet as exemplified through the map above. The places to park vehicles range from massive parking garages and adjacent parking lots. The parking lots located closest to the main level of the market are designated as the complimentary 30 minute parking. Due to their ideal locality, the time for each spot is limited. Otherwise, car users who intend to spend a larger amount of time at the market can navigate their way to the parking garage which can be accessed via ground level parking and ramps. Moreover, parking fees, a heavily-debated topic for residents, exist at Ponce City Market. The prices vary, which can be seen in the chart above. Gradually, the more time one requires at the site, the more money will be demanded for one’s parking spot. Residents have opposed this fee because of the predominant expensive prices within the market’s retail and food. Furthermore, individuals perceive the parking fee as another inconvenience for consumers that depend on cars to transport throughout the city of Atlanta. This unwanted fee has subliminal effects in terms of encouraging other modes of transportation such as walking, biking, or public transport. In fact, the Atlanta Beltline has direct access and an elaborate entrance to Ponce City Market. This widely-used path advocates healthy, unconventional means of travel that oppose the heavily-dependent vehicular use that exists within metro-Atlanta. During my visit, an individual who worked for Ponce City Market discussed their mandatory parking fees and its implications on consumers. She stated that many people opposed of the mandate due to its annoyance, but ultimately the implication was needed to maintain the exquisite establishment. Since Ponce City Market acts as a major attraction to civilians, the corporation would receive immense profit from the parking fees. From this, the property owners will utilize the monies to better the development for years to come which would hopefully benefit consumers’ experiences with the market. When I ventured into the parking garage, the landscape was undeniably attractive considering it is a parking garage. The concrete and structural components appeared incredibly new and well-kept. Instead of the location feeling like a prison for vehicles, the design emitted a lighter, more positive feel through its noticeable maintenance. Ultimately, my experience with the parking at Ponce City Market demonstrated two different themes that the market endorses:

1. Individuals should become less dependent on vehicular transportation.
2. In order to maintain the development’s refinement, additional fees are required.