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ChineseAmerica’s Pastime: Parking or Baseball? A Tale of Three Cities.
[tags] baseball, dodgers, angels, padres, petco park, transit oriented development[/tags]
What’s different about these pictures?
Satellite images courtesy of Windows Live Local.
Inspired by Wad’s recent post about the sad state of Dodger Stadium parking and transit access, and by my recent trip to San Diego (where I saw the uber transit accessible Petco Park), I decided to fire up Windows Live Local and take a look at the three SoCal baseball stadium from outerspace and see how they compared. The results with my markup can be seen above.
The images pretty much speak for themselves. Dodger Stadium and Angels Stadium should be renamed Dodger Parking Lot and Angels Parking Lot. Petco Park can retain its stadium status.
Petco Park’s location and design shows respect for baseball fans and the sport itself whereas Angels Stadium and especially Dodger Stadium shamefully place the sport in the center of a concrete sea where fans are forced to pay an extra $8 to $15 just to get to the game. Petco Park is easily accessible by the trolley, Coaster, and bus. Angeles Stadium is only accessible by car and the irregular MetroLink train. Dodger Stadium is hardly accessible at all.
I’m sure the RobDawg’s of the world will look at the images of Dodger Stadium and Angels Stadium and feel a rush of blood to their bathing suit area but I’ll probably never understand the reason for their arousal. Petco Park is an example of smart design that encourages people to go an enjoy America’s pastime and maybe even stay for the entire game. The minimal and smart parking design encourages and enables people to enjoy the surround area (restaurants, shops, etc.) while the other two stadiums don’t even have a surrounding area because the area that surrounds the stadium is built to park cars. I imagine there are a lot more smiling faces after a Padres game than a Dodgers game, regardless of the teams performances.
Discussion
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Please keep discussions civil: exercise Troll Controll.
I’ll give you that Petco Park is much closer to pedestrian friendly businesses and is much more transit friendly but you picture doesn’t tell the whole story. Several of those buildings next to the park are multi-level parking structures.
Try looking at AT&T Park in San Fransisco which also has trolley access.
Right. But to me it’s all about land use. A multi-level parking structure is a lot better at preserving land for other uses than the endless concrete of the other two southern Cali ballparks. The Petco Parking highlighted in the satellite image is actually only the premium parking… the general parking is located a number of blocks north next to a number of trolley stops that take fans to the stadium. Overall I still contend it is by far the most accessible and pleasant ballpark in SoCal.
Even Angels Stadium is better. Don’t forget, Amtrak also serves that station. Sunday afternoon games are ideal.
just sunday afternoon games. thats why in all other cities that i mentioned in a previous comment u hear talk about catching an “afternoon game” on any weekday, not just sunday, because those parks are so easy to get to from their workplaces. they get out of work and take a quick train or trolly on over. get off, walk about a block or two, grab a beer some food, walk on into the park and watch some fun in the sun. never freakin that they’re going to get stuck in traffic for 45 minutes to get into the game then another 45 to get out.
Tykejohnson wrote:
thats why in all other cities that i mentioned in a previous comment u hear talk about catching an “afternoon game” on any weekday, not just sunday, because those parks are so easy to get to from their workplaces.
All other cities … any other argument besides civic penis envy?
And it’s troubling that so many people came to L.A., abandoning their home cities when they knew here you can’t catch an afternoon ball game yet still live here anyway.
If people want to get to a ball game, they will, be it by car or any other means necessary. I think transit money is better spent carrying riders on proven services rather than chasing a sexy niche demographic by offering transit service.
Heck, I’ll look into downtown or Echo Park restaurants offering shuttle service to the stadium so I wouldn’t have to drive. Otherwise, I’ll consult the Amtrak and Metrolink schedules and take myself out to the ballgame in Anaheim or San Diego.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, civic penis envy is real. Envy is natural and it is nearly impossible not to feel it when you visit another city that does certain things right. When I went to San Diego this past weekend I was undeniably envious of the transit system downtown and the downtown itself when compared to Downtown Los Angeles. I’m sorry, but I wish Los Angeles had that. I wish Los Angeles had a baseball stadium that you could get to easily by transit. A 3 hour Amtrak ride for $58 round trip to see a transit accessible baseball game in San Diego is not an acceptable compromise in my opinion.
Most people who aren’t L.A. natives didn’t come to L.A. for the afternoon ball games. If they did they’re idiots obviously since it’s very difficult to catch one. I know I came to L.A. for job opportunities that were not available in my home city. This is also why I won’t move to San Diego even though it has a more transit accessible baseball stadium. But at the same time I reserve every right to be envious as hell of that. Just like I can be envious of NYC’s subway system and New Yorkers have every right to be envious of LA’s weather while they freeze in the winter.
I hear there’s a great El Pollo Loco near a Green Line station.
damn expenso baseball game wad. hope metro bloggin pays well.
Hell, Tyke, have you seen the cost of going to a ball game? It’s not like it’s a common man’s game anymore.
And an organization like the Dodgers cannot plead poverty in terms of not offering non-car transportation to the stadium. And no sports team, anywhere, ever, should get a dime of public subsidies.
And I’d go out of my way to pay more for a train than to endure a miserable trip to a stadium that has now been rendered obsolete by time.
Even auto racing fans can take a train. The Staples Center was sited because of its proximity to the Blue Line, and now holds several major league teams.
The only way I’d go to a Dodger game is with a free ticket and if a friend provides a ride. Dodgers aren’t getting a cent from me.
And the number of people that take transit to Staples Center? 3%. It’s there but it’s not well used, especially when parking within a 10 minute walk is only $5-$10 (not the lots at the Convention Center, but further away).
In my opinion transit to the Staple Center really isn’t that “friendly”. First off, it doesn’t drop you off directly at the Staple Center, it’s a short walk. But the short walk isnt the problem, it’s just that surrounding area just doesn’t have much to offer right now during that short walk (other than parking lots). Hopefully the LA Live development in that area will have a chain reaction and bring more interesting stuff to that area. Also, due to it’s place as the first stop on the Blue Line from 7th Metro, it feels sort of silly to transfer from the Red Line to the Blue Line to go one stop unless you time it out perfectly, because usually you end up sitting on the Blue Line train at 7th Metro for 10 minutes before it leaves, in which time you could have easily walked from 7th Metro to Staples… but that walk is still a bit far for it to be “the” Staples Center stop.
And I agree… as the LA Live comes in, parking rates near Staples will inevitably go to Sunset Strip levels ($10-$15 per entry), thus encouraging transit (if, of course, it takes off).
The Expo Line should go into a subway under Figueroa St. and have a station for the Convention Center, Staples, and L.A. live. It should dead end at 7th/Metro. The owners of Staples and L.A. Live should pay for most of the cost to have it constructed. It’s about a mile, 1.5 miles. Cost would be about 300 million.
My fav is from my hometown Chicago. Wrigley Field is right next to the Purple/Red Lines on CTA’s “El.” You can actually catch some of the game from the train as you pass by.
Petco is great. I have extended family in Santee and they ride the train right to Petco Park. Santee is like living in Santa Claita compared to Downtown LA.
Zach Behrens wrote:
Santee is like living in Santa Claita compared to Downtown LA.
Santa Clarita is also linked to downtown L.A. by train, albeit Metrolink. Santa Clarita also has commuter bus service with really nice Greyhound-style coaches. With reverse commute service, too!
Helloooooo,
The beautiful views of the green hills and the city, the elegantly designed park, the crowds that still get to the park way early to tailgate and have some fun, give me a break. Dodger stadium beats by far, Petco and The Los Angeles Angeles of Aneheim California of the United States, is that what they are called now, stadium anyday. Get in your car and get over it.
Christine, since this is a site about Los Angeles public transportation advocacy and since many of us are without car, it’s unlikely we will heed your advice, no matter how beautiful the views of the green hills.
Christine: Would that I could. Most folks here are carfree. I can’t physically drive. So there will be no getting in the car and “getting over it.”
this is obviously just an absurd comment that you must have written while intoxicated with denial after another endless parking debacle following a game at dodger stadium. and don’t get me wrong, i’m all for tailgating, and leaving the park, err, stadium, where it is, but you driving and tailgating in no way goes against the plausibility and need for shuttle/trolley service from sunset up elysian as well as union station. both are feasible and would do a great deal to fill up dodger stadium on games and seasons when they’re not doing so hot. perhaps then brad from the dodger ticket office might stop calling so much about my interest in a 12 monday night games package!
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