Skip to Content
Streetsblog Chicago home
Log In
Streetsblog Chicago

Parking Madness: St. Louis vs. Kansas City

3:21 PM CDT on March 24, 2014

It's an intra-Missouri battle today in the fourth match-up of Parking Madness, Streetsblog's annual hunt for the worst parking craters in North America.

Which rival will advance to the round of eight -- and a chance at the coveted "Golden Crater" -- Kansas City or St. Louis?

First up, the city they call KCMO:

kansascity3

The red outlines denote Kansas City's moonscape of parking craters. Submitter Emily Katherine says it's even worse: Many of the buildings between surface parking lots are parking garages. Which begs the question, where on earth are all these car owners headed? From the looks of things there just aren't that many places left to go.

Onward to St. Louis:

stlouis

Alex Ihnen at NextSTL sends us this beauty. He notes that this is a publicly subsidized parking crater -- as God and nature intended -- which is "bookended by two parking garages." This is the area St. Louis calls Ballpark Village, and it was supposed to be the site of a mixed-use development not long ago. Now the developer says the market won't bear it and all taxpayers have to show for their investment is this embarrassment, jokingly dubbed "Carpark Village."

parking_madness_2014_4

Which is worse, readers? Collect yourselves and weigh in below.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Chicago

Protected bike lanes are coming to Dearborn, Clark, and – maybe someday – Wells on Near North Side

Dearborn is getting northbound PBLs north of Kinzie, and Clark is getting southbound ones, but Wells Street will have to wait.

September 21, 2023

Taste of 79th Community Walk uses a stroll with a New Orleans-style brass band to highlight the corridor

Saturday's event was a reminder that there's no better way to get to know a neighborhood than taking a walk with others, enjoying live music, and supporting local businesses.

September 20, 2023

Check it out: Now it’s safer to get on and off the 312 RiverRun from Belmont Avenue

One of the coolest new things on the on-street route is the treatment of Belmont near and over the Chicago River, by the southern trailhead of the north-south path.

September 19, 2023
See all posts