SmartPark 1st & Jefferson — Local services in Portland

I use the Smart Park 1st & Jefferson parking garage frequently. Unlike some other parking garages downtown, it's easy to position your car for parking - the lanes are wide. The parking spaces along the outer wall are wider, which is very nice if you have a larger vehicle, or the garage is nearly full and standard spaces have vehicles parked closer to the lines. The top level with the now-closed helipad has great views, lots of spaces, and is used frequently year-round for photo shoots, even wedding pictures. The unfortunately necessary new courthouse ruined the Mt. Hood backdrop, though. Standing atop the garage and watching the American flag on the Umpqua Bank building to the southeast caught in a strong breeze can be inspiring, whether sunlit or caught in a bright light at dusk; with the right equipment and skill, it could be a very powerful backdrop for patriotic imagery from this angle. The Smart Park 1st & Jefferson parking garage is a short walk from the courthouse to the east, whether you're involved in a case or reporting for jury duty. The north side has a bus stop, serving lines running east across the Hawthorne Bridge. To the south just a few blocks is Keller Auditorium, where most of the touring Broadway shows make their appearance; the Ira C. Keller Fountain across from the Auditorium is a stunning backdrop for those special wedding or quincinera moments. A few blocks to the northeast on the waterfront is the Portland Spirit, for those holiday or year-round cruises (their Thanksgiving and Christmas brunches are fantastic), and you have Kerr Cycles renting four person 'surreys with a fringe on top' for family or date rides around the waterfront, all right next to the Salmon Court fountain during warmer months. The north sidewalk of the garage is a direct path Eastward to the Hawthorne Bridge, either for walking across the Willamette River to inner Southeast Portland, or to drop down to the river using the bridge off-ramp to access the Portland waterfront park, turning north along the river park with an unbroken loop to the north, across the Steel Bridge, then south to either cross back to your car or the bus stop once you reach the Hawthorne Bridge again or to stay on the east side and go south to the Tillicum Bridge for your walk back across the river. At the Western base of the Tillicum Bridge, you're next to the access for the Portland Tram, with it's astounding views of the city. The return from the west end of the Tillicum Bridge to the 1st and Jefferson parking garage takes about 20 minutes. Customer service at this parking garage is excellent. During peak hours, an attendant stays at the gate to help if issues arise. During quieter times, if your ticket or card aren't being accepted, there is always help available via the intercoms at the street-level pay station or at the exit. The service office always answers. For this garage, take your ticket with you then pay when you leave; you can use cash or your card at the street level pay station (always look around you, but notice there are several cameras watching the area), or your credit card only at the exit gate. If a situation requires hands-on help, a service technician comes so quickly I figure he must live nearby. The garage now has regular drive-through security. The garage is well-lit at night and almost every level is wide open to be seen from adjacent properties; except for the first couple of levels, you don't get the feeling of being caught out of sight here that's used in so many movies and TV shows. For those evening trips downtown to try a Broadway show, you'll always have brightly lit spaces to choose. There is one critical thing to be aware of: maintenance and repair of the stairs is spotty. Degraded steps can stay that way for months, so always have one hand on the rail and actually look at each step; don't get lost in a conversation and not look carefully where you're stepping. That said, the SmartPark 1st & Jefferson parking garage is the ideal hub for work or a host of entertaining or exercising experiences in...

We always park at a Smart Park when we need to drive into downtown Portland because they are the most affordable parking garage. There was plenty of parking when we came here on a Saturday afternoon.

However, when we tried to pay, the machine would not read any of our debit or credit cards. We tried 3 cards. We had to end up paying cash. It's also a very slow machine. By the time we were done, a long line had formed (our musical had just gotten out). I warned everyone behind me that it was only accepting cash, not cards. Very inconvenient. We fought with the machine for 10 minutes before...

Currently sitting on the 8th floor of this terrible business, who is holding cars up because their machines are failing to work properly. I am breathing in smog, getting very upset at being stuck in my car for almost 2 hours, and yet when I call to see what’s going on, I’m basically told tough, and they are trying to make sure people have paid properly and aren’t being charged twice. What a nice way to say that all they care about is the almighty $, and to hell with the customers. Probably never using a SmartPark...