Parking Lot Woes

[Babs Johnson]

The old Baltimore Memorial Stadium parking situation in the 1960s.



That was fun trying to leave after the game. Forget about leaving after the 7th inning stretch. Sometimes we’d take the bus instead, but the buses were stuck in the same traffic jams when the game ended.

The situation improved somewhat in the 1970s when a few multi level garages were built in the vicinity.

The last time I parked in such a lot was in the mid 1990s across from Tiger Stadium in Detroit.

 

[mom2rtk]

Kansas City has a wonderful set up with side by side baseball and football stadiums and more than ample surface parking surrounding. So what are the brainiacs in charge trying to do? Ditch that baseball stadium and move downtown. In a city without decent mass transit.

 

[RedAngie]

I remember at old Connie Mack Stadium In Philadelphia there were several lots like that, much much smaller.

My father would park on the streets in the surrounding residential neighborhood. Kids would offer (i.e. extort) to “watch your car” for 50 cents. Your radio aerial might be torn off, or worse, if you refused to pay for protection.

 

[RedAngie]

Kansas City has a wonderful set up with side by side baseball and football stadiums and more than ample surface parking surrounding. So what are the brainiacs in charge trying to do? Ditch that baseball stadium and move downtown. In a city without decent mass transit.

I always liked that KC had the foresight to build separate stadiums in the era of the multi-use cookie cutter monstrosities.

Do they need replacement? I know they’re more than 50 years old now. I went to a Royals game circa 1988 and really liked the facility.

 

[mom2rtk]

I always liked that KC had the foresight to build separate stadiums in the era of the multi-use cookie cutter monstrosities.

Do they need replacement? I know they’re more than 50 years old now. I went to a Royals game circa 1988 and really liked the facility.

They did a major overhaul around 2008. They probably need some updates again but they are still very lovely modern venues. They are trying to encourage more night life downtown. I personally feel like it's a huge mistake just based on the parking/lack of mass transit issues. Here's what we have now that will be lost with a move downtown. (Arrowhead would stay under the proposal, just Kaufman would relocate).

 

[ronandannette]

Kansas City has a wonderful set up with side by side baseball and football stadiums and more than ample surface parking surrounding. So what are the brainiacs in charge trying to do? Ditch that baseball stadium and move downtown. In a city without decent mass transit.

We were recently in OKC for a basketball game. PayCom Arena is right downtown. Knowing nothing, we Uber'd down, expecting that parking would be impossible. It wasn't. There was a huge surface lot with available spots directly across the street. What was hard was catching an Uber out of there afterward and we heartily wished we would have driven.

 

[mom2rtk]

We were recently in OKC for a basketball game. PayCom Arena is right downtown. Knowing nothing, we Uber'd down, expecting that parking would be impossible. It wasn't. There was a huge surface lot with available spots directly across the street. What was hard was catching an Uber out of there afterward and we heartily wished we would have driven.

I just don't know that there's enough room for the quantity of parking that would be needed. This is a full on stadium that seats 38K as opposed to an arena that seats 18K.

 

[RedAngie]

@mom2rtk
It’s spooky how the internet knows what we’re discussing. Just now I received a suggestion on Facebook to follow a page.

MLB Expansion sent me this

 

[footballmouse]

That's pretty wild to see arial shots like that. I'd like to see some old shots like that of Bengals games or the Reds games back in the 70's.

 

[hertamaniac]

Comerica Park in downtown Detroit was a little challenging as I don't recall using a massive parking lot/garage. Camden Yards parking was never an issue since we would stay in a hotel by the stadium. Same with Petco in San Diego.

The only MLB stadium that I can recall having issues with was the previous Yankees stadium in the Bronx.

 

[mom2rtk]

@mom2rtk
It’s spooky how the internet knows what we’re discussing. Just now I received a suggestion on Facebook to follow a page.

MLB Expansion sent me this

View attachment 833685

View attachment 833686

Ah yes, the infamous rolling roof that was paid for (by taxpayers) and never built.

All I can do is roll my eyes at the digital eavesdropping. Because what else can you do?

 

[soccerdad72]

There's a couple surface lots near Progressive Field (the Cleveland Guardians home park) that are like that, although nowhere near that scale. They're right across from the park, so they're not cheap, and I always wonder what happens to the first few folks that park there if they want to leave before the end of the game.

 

[starvenger]

Comerica Park in downtown Detroit was a little challenging as I don't recall using a massive parking lot/garage. Camden Yards parking was never an issue since we would stay in a hotel by the stadium. Same with Petco in San Diego.

The only MLB stadium that I can recall having issues with was the previous Yankees stadium in the Bronx.

I think there are a few garages near the CoPa. But I've used the prepaid surface parking and that seems to be a better way to go.

I do have to say that I really do like that (I still call it) SkyDome, BMO Field and Scotiabank Arena in Toronto are all easily accessible by public transit, because I hate driving downtown.

 

[kdonnel]

Those gigantic lots make me thankful that the current trend is to build sports complexes with little to no additional parking.

Truist park here in Atlanta built only a few dedicated spots. For the majority of their parking they reuse parking that was already in place for nearby businesses.

Mercedes-Benz in Atlanta has a grass tailgating lot on top of a parking deck so the aerial view is grass instead of asphalt.

That is one of the advantages of locating the new build stadiums in more urban areas rather than the suburbs. Locate them near public transit and near existing parking.

No need to create massive expanses of asphalt.

 

[firefly_ris]

The old Baltimore Memorial Stadium parking situation in the 1960s.

View attachment 833515

That was fun trying to leave after the game. Forget about leaving after the 7th inning stretch. Sometimes we’d take the bus instead, but the buses were stuck in the same traffic jams when the game ended.

The situation improved somewhat in the 1970s when a few multi level garages were built in the vicinity.

The last time I parked in such a lot was in the mid 1990s across from Tiger Stadium in Detroit.

We went to Memorial Stadium (and Babe Ruth Museum) for a school field trip in the early 90's after it was already closed. Neat place. It was demolished later on, the year I graduated high school. I believe they used parts of the rubble to make a reef in the bay.

 

[hertamaniac]

I think there are a few garages near the CoPa. But I've used the prepaid surface parking and that seems to be a better way to go.

I do have to say that I really do like that (I still call it) SkyDome, BMO Field and Scotiabank Arena in Toronto are all easily accessible by public transit, because I hate driving downtown.

The metro in D.C. for Nationals Park is also very easy to navigate. There is something about taking the subway full of fans that gets my adrenaline flowing (and I don't really have a favorite MLB team).

 

[mom2rtk]

Those gigantic lots make me thankful that the current trend is to build sports complexes with little to no additional parking.

Truist park here in Atlanta built only a few dedicated spots. For the majority of their parking they reuse parking that was already in place for nearby businesses.

Mercedes-Benz in Atlanta has a grass tailgating lot on top of a parking deck so the aerial view is grass instead of asphalt.

That is one of the advantages of locating the new build stadiums in more urban areas rather than the suburbs. Locate them near public transit and near existing parking.

No need to create massive expanses of asphalt.

KC doesn't have good mass transit. It's a critical piece of the equation.

When I went to the Super Bowl parade last year I had to park offsite at the zoo and take a school bus downtown.

 

[Babs Johnson]

Kansas City has a wonderful set up with side by side baseball and football stadiums and more than ample surface parking surrounding. So what are the brainiacs in charge trying to do? Ditch that baseball stadium and move downtown. In a city without decent mass transit.

Just yesterday I read that the Royals have selected the site where they want their new stadium. On the edge of downtown across the highway from the arena. No new parking is planned. They say there is plenty of parking within a 15 minute walk.

I’ll take your word on lack of decent mass transit.

Edit: I don’t think it’s a done deal. It might still have to be approved and voted on and all that rigmarole.

 

[Babs Johnson]

We were recently in OKC for a basketball game. PayCom Arena is right downtown. Knowing nothing, we Uber'd down, expecting that parking would be impossible. It wasn't. There was a huge surface lot with available spots directly across the street. What was hard was catching an Uber out of there afterward and we heartily wished we would have driven.

I hear that Oklahoma City is looking for a new arena too.

@mom2rtk
It’s spooky how the internet knows what we’re discussing. Just now I received a suggestion on Facebook to follow a page.

MLB Expansion sent me this

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View attachment 833686

I doubt the technology of the late 60s/early 70s would have made that plausible. It sounds more like a pipe dream. I could see that sliding cover getting stuck partially over one of the stadiums and unable to move again.

 

[Babs Johnson]

That's pretty wild to see arial shots like that. I'd like to see some old shots like that of Bengals games or the Reds games back in the 70's.

I couldn’t find any overhead shots of Riverfront Stadium parking. I think multi-story parking was built around the base of the stadium. The only time I saw the Reds there we stayed at a downtown hotel and walked.

For the newer Great America Ballpark we parked across the river in Kentucky. There’s an aquarium and shops. I think if you parked before 4pm or so for a night game it was free or cheap. So we got there about 330, went to the aquarium, got something to eat, then took a free or cheap shuttle to/from the stadium.

I found an aerial of old Crosley Field. On the right was stuffed in parking, the left had easier access.