With construction at the Coconut Grove Playhouse, the daily parking rush has reached a breaking point. The new development adds yet another layer to an already high-stakes ritual that Ransom Everglades students face each morning, a scramble not just for convenience, but for the simple right to arrive at school on time. What was once a routine part of student life has evolved into a logistical puzzle that exposes deeper issues of equity, privilege, and pressure within the Ransom Everglades community.
At Ransom Everglades, driving to school may be a rite of passage, but for most students, the stress of finding a spot at the crack of dawn is chaos-inducing. Only seniors are guaranteed parking spots on campus, and even then, those spots are shared.
Gianna Carvallo ‘26 described the stress of parking before earning her on-campus spot. “When I was a junior, I had to wake up much earlier to get to a spot on Franklin Avenue”, she said. “If I didn’t get a good spot, I’d be late”.
The beloved Franklin Street, one of Ransom’s unofficial student parking lots, turns into a chaotic warzone at 8 am. As cars line on both sides of the narrow road, parallel parking becomes a skill of survival. Although parallel parking is not on the Florida Driving Test, it might also be a graduation requirement for RE Students. The street’s popularity stems from one simple fact: it’s free.
But that “free” parking comes at a steep cost of time and stress. Students describe the morning scramble as an unspoken competition, one that rewards the earliest risers and the boldest parkers. Arriving just fifteen minutes later than usual can mean circling for twenty more minutes or settling for a spot practically in a different zip code.
Another popular option for unlucky juniors and seniors is the Playhouse lot near campus. While it offers a formal parking system, it’s far from perfect. Ongoing construction in the area has significantly reduced the number of available spots, and the cost can add up fast at a whopping $12 per day. Students can pay hundreds of dollars per semester just to secure a space.
Now, as a senior with guaranteed space, Carvallo ‘26 admits it’s less stressful, but still far from ideal. “It’s frustrating that some people pay hundreds of dollars to share with someone who doesn’t even drive,” she added.
The process of selecting who to share your parking space with senior year resembles a reality show competition: part Shark Tank, part Survivor, as students scramble to secure the best deal before someone else does. Juniors frantically go around trying to figure out who to enter this business deal. It’s like putting a down payment on your commute. These arrangements regarding parking give Ransom students a real look into the grueling world of economics and negotiations. Parking at RE has become its own marketplace, where spots linflate in value and strategy often matters more than seniority.
Non-senior students must resort to off-campus arrangements. Ava Fernandez ‘27 parks in a nearby homeowner’s driveway for $300 a month. However, this still does not promise a care-free parking experience, “If someone parks incorrectly or a truck blocks the driveway, I can’t get in,” she said.
Compared to other schools like Gulliver Prep, which offers a student parking garage for juniors and seniors. “I see parking garages all over Coconut Grove for offices and malls,” Fernandez noted. “Ransom is behind in that sense.”
Still, any expansion raises questions. Coconut Grove is already one of Miami’s most rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods, and large-scale parking developments could contribute to rising property values and displacement. While students hope for more accessible options, the solution should not come at the expense of the Grove’s long-time residents or the community feel.
For now, RE drivers will keep circling, coffee in hand, hazard lights flashing, and waiting for a plan that balances student needs with the neighborhood’s changing landscape.
