As background, Lot 3 is Manhattan Beach’s notorious parking lot in the center of downtown. The city had to shut it down due to seismic issues last summer, forcing the city to identify and create new parking opportunities while the new Lot 3 is under development. (A temporary ground-level parking lot is in its place now, pictured above.) 

Of course we, meaning Manhattan Beach News, are not the city and do not have any say in the matter. But we thought it would be an interesting experiment to see how others felt about the name. 

Of the choices we proposed in our survey, Morningside Lot was the most popular, being chosen by 28% of all voters.  ("Once it's finally redesigned and re-opened, it'll be like the dawning of a new day," one reader observed poetically.) But the majority of voters wanted to offer their own suggestions. 

Those write-in options included:
Lot 3 (keep it the same)
Right Tribe Lot
The Kettle Lot

12th Street Lot

Metlox West

Then there were the wags who proposed:
Itsa Lot

Thanks A Lot
Back Lot 

The Notorious L-O-T

Free Parking

We thought that the idea of naming the city's lots after marine animals or flowers would be more popular but that was not the case. If there was any consistent overall theme in the responses, it was that having some place locator in the name would be most helpful. 

We'll leave it there for now. But don't forget that there are plenty of public opportunities to weigh in on the downtown parking situation. Your next chance is the Project Pulse study session on downtown Manhattan Beach, happening on August 26. Come ready with your strong opinions.

Are you listening, city of Manhattan Beach?