Parking Downtown and the Glory of God

City Life | by Pastor David Parker

If you don’t live in Downtown Seattle, you know that coming downtown on a Sunday to gather with the church can be a challenge. Sometimes it’s a Seahawks game; sometimes it’s a parade or race downtown. Whatever the challenge may be, I want to encourage those of you who drive in to worship with us in a few ways:

First, you’re coming to worship the King of Kings. You’re not just parking for an event, you’re coming to worship Jesus with other blood-bought, ransomed saints, who need the gospel, and need you. Let’s not forget how blessed we are to gather together as God’s people and worship openly and freely in our city.

Second, you’re fighting for the Gospel in the City. It would be so much easier if our church wasn’t in the downtown core, but frankly our city, and especially the core, needs the gospel. For decades, the church has been entrenched or on retreat in downtown Seattle. We feel called to pray for and work toward the reversal of that trend through the power of the gospel at work among his people, from the avenues to the alleyways. So when you are waking up early Sunday morning, parking, walking, taking escalators, etc. don’t lose sight of the fact that the glory of God and the spread of the gospel are at stake in our city – particularly in the downtown core.

Third, it’s really not that bad. It wasn’t too many years ago that whole families piled into carts and buggies or walked many miles to be with the church. Because times have changed we can lose sight of all the grace that we have received. One of the things that I’m constantly reminded of is how our Savior endured the cross so that we might be brought into relationship with Him. He endured the ultimate suffering so that we wouldn’t have to.

So when you park, park to the glory and praise of our King. Thank Jesus for the times His lavish grace gives you a close parking spot. And when you have to walk a half-dozen blocks, remember how much Jesus endured to bring us into relationship with Him!  

For those of you who do drive, we want to make being with us as easy as possible, so we’ve pulled together a few resources below that can help you navigate the downtown are, and arrive at our gatherings on time.

Parking at Pacific Place

The Pacific Place garage is in the same building as AMC theater, and is a great option for parking downtown for our gatherings. If you have children or special needs, we will validate your parking for up to 3 hours! Just stop by the Cornerstone Kids Check-In Desk to get your parking validated. If you don’t have children or special needs but would like to enjoy the convenience of parking in the Pacific Place garage, parking is $7 for 2 hours, $9 for 3 hours or $10 for all day parking on weekends. Be sure to allow at least 5-10 minutes to get from the parking garage to the theater.

Street Parking

Did you know street parking is FREE in downtown Seattle on Sundays? Street parking is available on the streets immediately surrounding AMC, however weekend events can sometimes make street parking more scarce around the shopping/business district of downtown. For more dependable street parking options, we would suggest some of the following streets and areas that are still within easy walking distance to AMC Pacific Place:

• From Pacific Place, head east or west on Stewart Street towards the waterfront or towards I-5.
• From Pacific Place, head north on 6th Street and look for parking within the Belltown neighborhood.
• From Pacific Place, head east on Pine Street and cross the overpass to the lower-Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Additionally, many parking spots downtown are restricted Monday-Saturday (30 minute, 3 minute, commercial vehicle only, etc) but the signs specify “except Sundays and Holidays”. Be sure to read the signs carefully on these restricted spots before passing them up. For more information, here is a full parking map of downtown Seattle.

Public Transportation

Taking the bus or light rail is a great option if you live in one of Seattle’s outlying neighborhoods. To find the best public transportation routes, just enter your starting location into Google Maps here to see the best available routes to AMC Pacific Place. If you are coming from University of Washington, the 43, 49, 72 and 73 Buses will takes you to downtown Seattle on Sundays. If you are coming from Seattle Pacific University, the 13 Bus route will take you downtown on Sundays.