This Might Be the Worst Parking Lot in Portland, Maine

Parking is at a premium in Portland, whether it's for apartments, offices, or even just visitors. That parking crunch has put some successful businesses in an accidental bind. You want people to come to you, but don't have enough parking spaces to meet the demand. This is the real-life story behind the worst parking lot in Portland, Maine, outside of Trader Joe's.

Trader Joe's opened at their Marginal Way location more than a decade ago, but as the chain's popularity has grown in the city, so has the wildness of its parking lot. More people than ever visit the store, and thus more cars than ever are looking for places to park. If you've been there during peak hours, you know that part of the game of shopping at Trader Joe's is being able to beat someone else into a parking spot.

But therein lies some of the insanity of the Trader Joe's lot. When the store was built, it was limited by space, unlike the Hannaford location across the street. Therefore, the spots at Trader Joe's are marginally smaller than other stores, and the car lanes are slightly more narrow. That can make searching for a spot, as well as pulling in and out of spots, feel more like a day at the demolition derby.

This isn't just a Portland thing, either. According to Buzzfeed, Trader Joe's parking lots across the country are notorious for being small, with cramped spots and heated competition. Trader Joe's designs their parking lots based on square footage of their actual store. The larger the store, the larger the lot.

Despite an Olympic-level race to find an open spot, Trader Joe's remains as popular as ever in Maine and beyond. That cozy little grocery store is your reward for parking in the worst lot in Portland.