At 7 p.m. on December 18, cars lined up along the intersection of 6th and Alexandria streets in Koreatown, Los Angeles. Valet cars, delivery vehicles, and other cars were parked in the middle of the road, forcing pedestrians to weave through moving and stationary vehicles, increasing the risk of accidents.
“Parking in Koreatown has become so difficult due to the influx of people during the holiday season,” said Kim, adding, “I don’t even want to come to Koreatown because of the parking problems.”
Parking in LA’s Koreatown is getting worse, especially during the holiday season when foot traffic surges. The situation is particularly severe in the commercial hubs around Wilshire and 6th streets, as well as Western and Vermont, where an influx of cars is clogging the streets.
“Parking convenience is the first thing I consider when deciding where to meet in LA’s Koreatown,” said Alex Kim, 60, of Northridge. “Curbside parking is nearly impossible to find, and even lunchtime valet services cost $3 to $4, which is stressful.”
As parking becomes more challenging, malls are increasingly hiring valet companies. This shift has led to misunderstandings with business owners. “The cost of valet is so high that customers feel burdened and complain to us,” said a Korean restaurant owner near 6th Street. “But valet companies are hired by the mall owners, and since parking is so difficult, customers are also frustrated.”
Parking is a struggle not only for visitors but also for residents of Koreatown. The current parking shortage stems from a mix of older apartments without parking, multi-family housing with limited parking spaces, and large-scale new apartment developments. These factors have made it difficult to resolve the issue.
In the Park La Brea apartment complex, where many Koreans live, those without parking permits are forced to search for street parking daily.
“There are limited parking spaces on the street, so every night after work, I spend 20 to 30 minutes walking around looking for an empty spot,” said Jongho Kim, 29. “The monthly parking fee is also too expensive, so I have no choice but to park on the street, even if it means dealing with the hassle.”
Andrew Cha, 28, who lives in LA’s Koreatown, has resorted to leaving his car in his company’s parking lot for the past three months.
“I pay $1,300 to rent a room in my apartment, but the management office asks for an additional $150 per month for parking, which is a big financial burden,” he said. “There is no street parking around my apartment, so I have no choice but to use my company’s parking lot,” he added.
The core problem with parking in LA’s Koreatown is the disproportionate number of parking spaces relative to the population. According to federal census data, 114,047 people live within the 2.9-square-mile area of Koreatown.
This translates to 39,632 people per square mile — nearly double the population density of Downtown LA. In fact, Koreatown is the only neighborhood in LA that comes close to a density of 40,000 residents per square mile.
The city’s parking policy has been criticized for being out of touch with the realities on the ground. According to the Korean Youth and Community Center (KYCC), the city has relaxed the requirement of 1.25 parking spaces per 1-bedroom unit for large-scale development projects, further contributing to the parking shortage in the area.
Moreover, the lack of publicly owned land in Koreatown makes it difficult to expand parking facilities. Since March, the LA Department of Transportation has also been expanding street parking prohibitions to ensure pedestrian safety.
Concerns are growing that Koreatown’s parking woes will worsen when California’s new policy banning parking within 15 to 20 feet of crosswalks and intersections takes effect in January next year.
“Koreatown has a high population density, and many families own multiple cars,” said Sean Kook, Director of Environment & Community Planning at KYCC. “We need to make it easier for residents to use public transportation, but it’s difficult because the current system is so inconvenient for residents. As a result, the parking problem continues to worsen.”
BY HYOUNGJAE KIM [kim.ian@koreadaily.com]
