This photo taken outside the Austin Convention Center on Saturday says it all about SXSW 2012: make sure you park in the right spot, and that spot probably should be somewhere in Round Rock.
Before Thursday night’s Texas Film Hall of Fame ceremonies at the Moody Theater, I spent 40 minutes on Guadalupe trying to get from 15th Street to Cesar Chavez. Saturday around the convention center wasn’t much better, and the sticker shock was $20 parking, $10 in the official convention center parking, which when quickly. It made me long for 2005 when the Real World house set up shop just down the road during SXSW and it was still possible to find free downtown parking in those now long-gone secret spots.
Here’s a secret circa 2012: The Austin City Hall parking garage is $5 after 5pm and weekends. Earlier in the day it may be next to nothing if you seek out ticket validation in a nearby business. It’s worth walking a few blocks to the convention center, even in the rain.
This article appears in March 9 • 2012.