Can you park on the street overnight? Often not

Here’s a small surprise that catches a lot of newcomers to metro Detroit: in many suburbs, you can’t just leave your car parked on the street overnight. Each Michigan community sets its own parking rules, and a lot of them restrict overnight on-street parking — partly so snow plows and emergency vehicles can get through. The exact rules vary by town. In St. Clair Shores, for example, street parking is banned from 3 to 5 a.m. unless you get a permit from the police department (which is an option if your driveway can’t fit all your cars). On top of that, most communities ban all street parking during a declared “snow emergency” in winter — and they’ll ticket or tow cars that are in the way of the plows. So before you count on parking out front, check your city’s parking rules, and watch for snow-emergency alerts once the weather turns. If your driveway is tight, ask whether your town offers an overnight parking permit.