Parking Lots, Green Street at Thomas Cooper Library: 2000s 14 comments
These two green spaces, one beside the Russell House on the east side of the Thomas Cooper Library reflection pool, and the other on the west side of the pool were once USC parking lots. It was almost impossible to find a spot in either lot, but if you could, it was your best shot for actually being able to park "near" to the library.
The parking situation at USC has always been fluid, and it is not unusual for a lot to vanish, but it is unusual for said lot not to be replaced with a building. There used to be a parking lots behind and in front of the Welsh building, for example, but they have all now been built over.
I believe the lot by the Russell House vanished first, perhaps at the time Green Street was closed. I think the west lot lasted a good bit past that. At any rate, if you have checkout privileges at the library, you're going to be be toting those books a couple blocks in most cases!
14 Responses to 'Parking Lots, Green Street at Thomas Cooper Library: 2000s'
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Ken
4 Jan 09 at 6:38 pm
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that sounds about right Ken. I'm glad you did a story on this one. I miss those parking lots but I must say the green space is pretty nice.
Mr Bill
5 Jan 09 at 1:29 pm
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I do like the green space, but I think if I were still going to campus regularly, I'd be miffed. They were always full, but it's like stores leaving one regular space out front with the handicapped spaces -- you feel like at least you still have a shot!
ted
5 Jan 09 at 2:32 pm
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haha. I know man I work at USC so I've just accepted that I will be parking far away and taking the shuttle cock everywhere.
Mr Bill
6 Jan 09 at 11:39 am
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"Common knowledge" has it that Dr. Palms' wife decided there needed to be more green space and axed the parking lots. She, er, wasn't very popular. We used to call them the "vulture lots" because you'd circle and circle, hoping against hope that somebody would leave so you could park there.
Sara
6 Apr 09 at 4:21 pm
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When I attended USC in the 80's, parking was an issue. I probably lost a grade point because I lived off campus and could not find a parking space in time for my morning class. Most of the inner campus lots are now green spaces. It would be a freaking nightmare to attend USC now.
joec
15 Apr 09 at 1:01 am
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I heard Palm's wife was to blame and they had to pay a big fine for the loss of handicap parking.
Cynthia
7 May 09 at 7:59 pm
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You can also now drive up the steep hill that ran from Patterson Hall past South Tower. Don't know how long its been like that, but I recall from the 80s that it was one way, downhill.
Nicole
30 Sep 09 at 12:43 am
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Huh? I was there in the mid-late eighties and that street was always two way? They made it one way during moving days, IIRC.
jamie
30 Sep 09 at 7:29 am
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There used to be a road that if you were looking at Longstreet Theater was on the left side also...dont remember how long it was there, but this was back in 1968-69 when I took swimming lessons at the old pool that was on the back side building at Longstreet.. I dont remember the lot on the side next to it though other than it was there in the late 70's early 80's.
Del
30 Sep 09 at 12:46 pm
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Nope, Nicole is right -- Bull Street by South Tower was one way -- at least from 1988-1992 when I lived there. In fact, at the bottom of the hill, you could only turn right onto Blossom Street because they had a median in the middle of Blossom. I don't remember exactly when they changed it to two -- still freaks me out!-- but I suspect it was around the time they tore down University Terrace and put up a parking garage.
And I remember the day that I had go to the Russell House for something -- I had been long out of school, but had to go pick up some donations for a charity project from Greek Life -- and planned to whip in the parking lot by the reflecting pool...only to find no more "vulture" lot!
Allie
8 Jul 10 at 3:12 pm
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Close, Allie. University Terrace was torn down circa 1995, but Bull Street was still one way. Bull Street was made two-way sometime in the early 2000s. I recall UT specifically because I worked for USC from 1993 to 1997, after going to college there from 1988 to 1992.
59 Ford Wheelman
8 Jul 10 at 4:36 pm
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I graduated from Carolina in 2001, and I remember the lots... They were gone before I graduated... I got many-a tickets from expired meters.
Dee Dee
27 Jan 13 at 3:10 am
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The fines for handicapped violations story doesn't ring true, because though there may have been a few spaces for handicapped stickers in that parking lot, the actual handicapped entry to Thomas Cooper is and always has been on the Bull St side of the building beyond the parking garage and book drop. One can park a hanicapped vehicle yards from the library. It lets out into an obscure stairwell near the map room on the 5th floor (under main is street level there) and thus access to the entire building.
Mick
13 Mar 21 at 7:46 pm
The lot closest to The Russell House was removed around 1999. I'm pretty sure that the one on the other side was turned into green space the same year, though it may have lasted a year longer.