At the southern end of Lake Merritt, at the end of Lakeshore Avenue, there’s a 1,500-foot-long cul-de-sac lined by a couple of dozen parking spots.
On many nights, especially on the weekends, you’ll find groups of folks idling in or around their cars there, talking, laughing, smoking, and playing music until well past midnight. The view is stunning, even cinematic, and it’s the only place around the lake where people can gaze straight out over Lake Merritt from the warmth of a car. This free hang, whether chill or sometimes raucous, is soon coming to an end, or at least getting cut short, thanks to a new parking restriction passed by the City Council last week.
The resolution was brought to a special meeting of the council on Tuesday by District 2 Councilmember Christine Wang, whose district includes that side of Lake Merritt. Parking has been restricted overnight on the east side of Lakeshore Avenue between Lake Merritt Boulevard and 1st Avenue since 2020, banned between 2 and 6 a.m. The new rule will prohibit parking starting at 10 p.m. every day of the week…