Amy Bartner

amy.bartner@indystar.com

I asked people on Facebook to give us their best (secret) parking spots Downtown. They didn't necessarily have to be free, but I wanted good, reliable and not well-known.

I was immediately met with anguish, anger, angst and alliteration.

"Nope," was the first reader comment.

"Not a chance, sister," was the second.

IndyStar colleague and Downtown dweller Stephanie Wang jumped in later, asking, "Why would you even do this to us?"

[New killer convention attracts forensic fanatics to Indy]

Sure, sure, I get it, but this is for the greater good, especially as a warmer-weather March promises to bring tons of folks to town for various events. So I pressed on, in the name of journalism, and eventually I got some people to crack. And we're all better for it.

Here are the top secret-ish places to find a good parking spot Downtown:

1. Indiana Government Center South lot, 401 W. Washington St.

This lot is just for Government Center employees during weekdays and work hours, 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. After 4 p.m. and on weekends, though, it's paid parking in a central area, close to a lot of action.

Cost: $5 for the first hour with a $10 daily maximum.

2. We st of Mass Ave.

It might take some hunting, and it will certainly require even more patience on the weekends, but East St. Clair Street and East Walnut Street just west of Mass Ave. often have free parking spots available.

[Amy Bartner covers life in Downtown Indianapolis. Please support local journalism and subscribe today.]

3. Near Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St.

Bordering Old National Centre's parking lot is options for free street or a few metered parking spots that often get overlooked.

4. On Wabash Street, north of the Hilton

OK, so it's more of an alleyway than a street, per se, but just north of the Hilton Indianapolis Hotel & Suites, 120 W. Market St., a few metered spots are pretty sneakily placed away from the general public's consciousness. You're welcome.

5. 10th street between College Avenue and Bellefontaine Street

This one's a totally free option. Between College Avenue and Bellefontaine Street, there's about a 1,000-foot stretch of street parking, no meters. You got to have your parallel parking skills down, though. It's the perfect spot to park if you're headed to the northeast end of Mass Ave. for Rooster's Kitchen or Black Market.

6. Parking lot behind Homespun, Yats and Natural Born Juicers

Like every spot on this list, the signage is key: For many of the spots in this lot on North Davidson Street behind the Trail Side apartment building, parking is nonpermit after 5:30 p.m. on weekdays and all day on Saturdays and Sundays. This goes for the general lot, however, not the permit parking for specific businesses or the apartment building itself.

7. Russell Avenue near Lucas Oil Stadium

This little offshoot running diagonally between South Illinois and South Meridian streets, north of East McCarty Street, offers some insanely close parking to Lucas Oil Stadium, and it's not really well-known. Until now, anyway.

8. Wabash Street, near North New Jersey Street

Wabash Street to the rescue again — only this time we're on the eastern side of Downtown. Just east of City Market, Wabash Street has a bunch of metered spots that go unseen, especially with the construction in that area.

9. North of the Stutz Business Center

Along Senate Avenue just north of the Stutz Business Center, 1060 N. Capitol Ave., free street parking spots seem to always be open, one reader said. It's a touch farther than many of the other spots mentioned, but if you're on a bike, work nearby or love a good walk, these spots are a great option.

Call IndyStar reporter Amy Bartner at (317) 444-6752. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.