Where to park in San Francisco if you don't want your windows broken (2024)

Parking in San Francisco has always been a fickle thing. When you spot an open space, you take it, regardless of how much broken glass is littering the sidewalk. But for those tired of having their car windows replaced,SpotAngels,a macro-data driven parking assistance app, has compiled a very real (and very useful) map of where you should (and shouldn’t) leave your car unattended in the city.

According to SpotAngels, there were almost 30,000 reported car break-ins in 2016! As you’d expect, the busier neighborhoods of SoMa, Lower Pac Heights and Civic Center took the top spots for most break-ins, accounting for nearly one-third of all break-ins in the city. The data also suggests that if you're parking after 6pm in these neighborhoods, the safest place for your car is a parking garage. (To save some money, use SpotHero to find the lowest rates on SF parking garages.)

Those who frequent the parking meters in Crocker Amazon and Diamond Heights, however, can breathe easy. Combined, the two 'hoods make up less than one-percent of all break-ins. Even overnight parking in these two neighborhoods should make for an anxiety-free experience (but be sure to always double-check nearby SFMTA street parking signs to make sure you won’t be towed or ticketed.)

Regardless of where you park, remember to stow away any valuables in your car and try to park near other cars in well-lit environments. Having heavily tinted windowsis also aproven crime determinant.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

Photograph: SpotAngels

Photograph: SpotAngels

You're not alone in your car troubles. Check out the 17 things only car owners in San Francisco will understand.

• Matt Charnock

Share the story