Originally Posted by ianmanka

I can attest to the availability of parking around the Los Angeles PRC Consulate. I actually live very close to said Consulate (have never researched its location until recently) and there's a bunch of metered parking within a few blocks radius, plus free street parking (watch for street sweeping days). If both of these are full, you could park at a number of the nearby commercial establishments (Rite Aid, Shatto 39 bowling lanes, etc.) and walk to the Consulate.

Now knowing it's so close to my place, maybe I need to start my own PRC visa agency and undercut the established third-party vendors and make a living that way.

I should just suck it up and pay the $140 to get the 10-year visa, but I've had many successful TWOV trips. Just have to consider how much of a value it is to me.