Parking in Montrose

I notice that the last time I had a night out in Montrose a lot of people parked somewhere in the streets and neighborhoods by Pacific St. I had spent $10 to park in a lot and my friends told me that was ridiculous. Is it generally safe to park in the neighborhood as long it isn’t in a red zone or by a no parking sign? Where do y’all park when y’all are visiting the bars in the area?