The Parking Hassle at TxU Energy North
Alright folks, so picture this: I had this meeting near TxU Energy North Plaza yesterday. Cruised over there in my trusty old sedan, figuring I’d just zip into their parking lot like usual. Big mistake. Rolled up to the entrance, and bam! The big electronic sign flashes “LOT FULL”. Like, completely maxed out. Not one single spot.
Had to circle the block twice – totally annoying. Traffic building up behind me, you know the drill. Finally, I just pulled into their little driveway loop, put on the hazards, and quickly whipped out my phone. Right then, I knew I had to find another plan. Their parking just wasn’t cutting it, especially not at that price.
Pulling Out the Digital Toolbox
First thing I did? Hit up that mobile parking app I usually use. You know the one everyone has? Yeah, that. Plugged in the address for TxU Energy North Plaza. The app kinda choked at first – wouldn’t show anything close enough. Frustrating! Tried searching for landmarks nearby instead and that worked.
Immediately, three spots popped up within a few blocks:
- Option 1: This little surface lot run by “Quick Park” (not the real name, obvs). App said $15 for up to 8 hours. Decent price, but it was a solid 8-minute walk away.
- Option 2: A big multi-story garage called “Metro Park Central”. Their app showed availability. Cost? $18 for the day. Closer, maybe 5 minutes walk.
- Option 3: Street parking! The app showed the meter zone names and rates. $2/hour, max 2 hours. Super cheap, but way too short for my meeting. Risky if I ran late.
Decision Time & On-the-Ground Truth
Quick Park sounded okay, price-wise. But 8 minutes? Nah, too far, especially lugging my laptop bag and presentation stuff. Metro Park at $18 was acceptable for the convenience. Clicked to “Reserve a Spot” right there in the app. Took maybe 30 seconds. Super smooth.
Got the confirmation on my phone. Drove straight over there. Found the entrance pretty easily – signs were clear. Pulled up to the automated ticket machine. Slid my credit card, grabbed the ticket, and boom! Arm lifted up. Found a spot on Level 3 without too much trouble. Total time from deciding to parked was less than 5 minutes.
Walking over to TxU North from there? Easy peasy. Flat sidewalk, took exactly 4 minutes. Got to my meeting with time to spare. No frantic running!
The Verdict & Avoiding Future Headaches
Honestly? Skip TxU North Plaza parking unless you absolutely must. It gets jammed, and honestly, even when it’s not full, the daily rate I saw online is stupid high compared to what I paid.
Here’s my quick and dirty parking cheat sheet now:
- Planning Ahead Rocks: Open that app before you get near the place. Saves circling and rage.
- Apps vs Street: Apps saved my butt yesterday. Street parking is cheap but unreliable time-wise. If your meeting is crucial, reserve.
- Walk Distance Matters: Check the map view! That extra few minutes walking? Can make a difference if you’re carrying stuff or it’s blazing hot.
- Prices Fluctuate: The app showed me the price right then. Don’t trust old posts online.
Why do I know the area so well? Yeah, had my car towed from that street parking near TxU North about a year ago. Meter ran out while I was stuck in a meeting that ran long. Cost me almost $250 to get the car back. Absolute nightmare. Learned the hard way that their enforcement is brutal. Now? I never rely on street parking near there. Ever. Using the apps and nearby lots has saved me tons of cash and stress since. Figured this little parking hunt saga might save you guys the same headache!
