Common Sense!

Still social gathering before the event. Arriving less than an hour before start time is begging to be left out. Especially in a major metropolitan area.

I bet that would sound amazing in a good hall. But Berlioz was always a tough sell for me; like Samuel Barber, he wrote good music but it always sounded like listening to the frustrated compositions of a depressed man. For my money, I'll take Verdi's requiem and Dies Irae over Berlioz - though either one live would be time well spent. Sorry you missed out.

Next time. He won't be any more dead, next time, and the music'll still be good.

Professional orchestras aren't the only option for hearing classical music live. There are other options, many of which are cheaper and have lower parking difficulty (or, in some cases, may even be close enough to home to not need a car in the first place).

1. Schools usually have music programs, and they do occasionally have concerts. They are often cheap or free, and parking isn't generally an issue if you are willing to walk a bit (or if the school has a big parking lot).

2. Some universities often have music programs. Such concerts tend to be a bit more expensive, but the musicians are typically more skilled experienced than those in high school or earlier.

3. Community bands and orchestras. These groups are typically harder to find (try going to a local music store and see if there are any notices posted there about concerts) but, if you can find them, parking is rarely an issue at such concerts. Note that they vary in quality. (Side note: If you play (or used to play) a band or orchestra instrument, you might look into joining one of these groups. Only some of them require auditions, and it isn't that unusual for people who haven't played in years (or even decades) to join a group and have fun.)