About this Location

Facility Overview

The Morewood Gardens Parking Lot is a well-situated, open-air surface parking facility serving Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the bustling Oakland/Shadyside border in Pittsburgh. Located directly behind and adjacent to the historic Morewood Gardens residential complex along Forbes Avenue, this lot offers convenient, grade-level parking for university visitors, students, staff, and area guests. Because it is a ground-level, open-air surface lot, there are no restrictive overhead height barriers or clearance beams, making it particularly accommodating for oversized SUVs, full-size pickup trucks, cargo vans, and mobility-adapted passenger vehicles that cannot enter standard underground or multi-tier garages.

Prime Location & Nearby Attractions

Situated in the heart of Pittsburgh’s educational and cultural core, the Morewood Gardens Parking Lot puts drivers within effortless walking distance of premier university hubs and cultural landmarks:

Carnegie Mellon University Campus: Direct access to Morewood Gardens, the Jared L. Cohon University Center (5-minute walk), Tepper School of Business Quad, and the Purnell Center for the Arts.
Cultural & Historic Sites: The Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, Carnegie Music Hall, and the Cathedral of Learning are approximately a 10- to 15-minute walk or a brief bus trip down Forbes Avenue.
Dining & Retail: The lively South Craig Street business district, featuring local cafes, bookstores, and international eateries, is just a 7-minute walk away.
Parks & Recreation: Schenley Park and Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens are within a mile, providing quick access to scenic trails and seasonal floral displays.

Access, Navigation & Transit Connectivity

Ingress and egress are straightforward via Morewood Avenue, just off the major arterial corridor of Forbes Avenue. While Forbes Avenue experiences heavy vehicular and pedestrian traffic during morning and evening rush hours, the lot’s direct street-level layout allows for smooth entry and exit. Drivers traveling across the region can connect easily to Interstate 376 (Parkway East) via Bates Street or the Boulevard of the Allies within 5 to 10 minutes. For those wishing to transition to public transportation, multiple Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) bus lines (notably the high-frequency 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D routes) stop directly adjacent along Forbes Avenue, providing one-seat transit directly into Downtown Pittsburgh and East Liberty.

Facility Amenities & Key Features

Open-air surface layout with clearly demarcated standard parking bays.
No vertical clearance limitations, welcoming tall SUVs, roof-racked vehicles, and work vans.
Designated ADA accessible parking stalls situated close to primary pedestrian walkways.
Convenient mobile payment options enabled via digital parking platforms such as ParkMobile alongside on-site pay kiosks.
Integrated into Carnegie Mellon University’s campus safety infrastructure, featuring steady campus police patrols, emergency call boxes, and bright nighttime lighting.

Ideal For

Prospective students, parents, and academic visitors touring Carnegie Mellon University.
Patrons attending theater, music, and lecture events at the Cohon University Center, Purnell Center, or Kresge Theatre.
Faculty, staff, and commuter students seeking dependable, short-term and daytime campus parking.
Diners and shoppers exploring the adjacent Craig Street and Shadyside retail corridors.

Visitor & Driver Tips

Given its prime placement on the CMU campus, spaces can fill quickly on weekday mornings during active academic semesters. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early or plan their visits after mid-afternoon peak academic hours. Always confirm posted signage upon arrival, as select bays may be restricted for designated university permit holders during business hours (typically Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM). Setting up the ParkMobile app prior to your arrival will ensure a swift, seamless payment experience without waiting at pay stations.