Apparently, there are TWO AKI parking lots in Oakland's Chinatown, this particular one is in the cuts on 6th Street b/t Harrison and Webster PLACE (not Street).
When I first started working in the area, I found this parking lot that was under the freeway overpass to the left of the Webster Tube going into Alameda. It was only $3 ALL DAY. What a deal right? Then after the first month, the price went up to $3.50. Still not too bad, considering all the other lots in the area are $6+ a day. Then after about 2 months of parking there, the price went up to $4. Still not bad, but since I started off paying $3, I felt like, man, these guys...business must be doing well and now they're just trying to milk it. Since $4 was still cheaper than the other lots, I continued to park there. Then fortunately for me, one day, I came late and the lot was full. So I circled around and saw another lot next to it thinking, oh, it must be the overflow lot. So I drove in and realized, oh no, it's a totally different parking lot. This guy was only charging $3! WHAT?! Man, this whole time I was paying $4 and there was another lot right next to it that was charging a buck less. So this is how I came to discover AKI Parking on 6th Street and Webster PLACE...remember PLACE, not Webster Street. My question is, why are people still parking in the other lot? Maybe because they don't know? In any case, both lots are $3 all day on weekends.
FULL DISCLOSURE: This is not necessarily a high security lot or anything. It's an open lot, under the free way overpass. It's a makeshift loft for transient folks and the only "security" is the guy collecting your $3 who sits in his car with the engine on listening to music. Don't expect much for $3 a day. read more