Page 2 of 6 FirstFirst 1234 ... LastLast
Results 21 to 40 of 110
  1. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by weezie View Post
    We have a ferris wheel and a merry-go-round and over 3 mill attendees/season.

    Carry on...
    In the middle of Detroit, too.

    What I'm hearing elsewhere on the internets is that the Braves wanted the (lack of) infrastructure around their park the way it is. They didn't want it near Marta, because that would take away from parking revenue. And they didn't want it in too trendy a neighborhood, because fewer people would eat and drink inside the ballpark. So they're complaining about things they asked for and will still have up in Sandy Spring or wherever.

    I don't buy the "lack of accessibility" argument, anyways. It's got its own exit off an Interstate that's what, 16 lanes wide?

    Anyway, it's not my problem. I won't be paying any Atlanta hotel taxes unless business takes me there. Y'all deserve whatever you end up with.

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    near the Thrillerdome in ATL

    Cobb County Braves

    Quote Originally Posted by wilson View Post
    I have been to Turner Field about 200 times, around 135 in the last 5 years. It is one of the touchstones of my life, pretty much on par with Cameron Indoor as stadiums go (but for some really different reasons, if that makes any sense). On April 5, 2010, I went to Turner Field with two of my best friends from Duke and watched Jason Heyward hit a homer in his first career at bat at the Braves' home opener, then went back to one of those friends' house and watched Duke beat Butler a few hours later. The moment I first knew I wanted to marry my wife, we were sitting in Turner Field's right field stands for a doubleheader. I've often (not really) joked that I want my ashes spread at Turner Field. So a lot of my reaction to the news is deeply emotional...whether or not it should be so emotional is for you to decide, I guess.
    I am in the Atlanta minority in a lot of ways...I grew up in Atlanta, inside the perimeter, and I still live inside the perimeter. It has never taken me more than 30 minutes to get to Turner Field from my home on a reasonably average day. When the new stadium opens in 2017, the shoe will be on the other foot and it will suddenly be a lot more difficult for me to get to the game. Logistically speaking, this is a net negative for me but a net positive for the majority of the Braves' usual paying customers.
    Given the emotional and practical effects of the move, my feelings for the Braves have been fundamentally altered. I will almost certainly be much less of a Braves fan in 5 years than I am now.
    There are a host of ways in which this also plays into years of municipal and regional history, as well as Atlanta's future.
    I've been invited by a friend to write a more extended blog post on the matter for his website, which I'll be posting in a few days. I'll be sure to pass it along in case anyone is interested in an in-depth local perspective.
    Wilson,
    As an Atlanta inside the perimeter(made famous by Pasquel Perez) dweller for 34 years and a Braves season ticket holder for 10 of those years I can see the logic of the move that I very much oppose. I am looking forward to your further comments.

  3. #23
    So, with the recent trend of Millenials to move closer to urban centers/downtowns(at least in the bigger northeastern cities), how does a move like this fit in? Having grown up in mostly suburb dominated cities(Phoenix, Charlotte, Nashville) without strong city centers, the goal there has always been to attract activity to the downtown areas. Occasionally that gets derailed, see the football stadium in Chandler.

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Quote Originally Posted by YmoBeThere View Post
    So, with the recent trend of Millenials to move closer to urban centers/downtowns(at least in the bigger northeastern cities), how does a move like this fit in? Having grown up in mostly suburb dominated cities(Phoenix, Charlotte, Nashville) without strong city centers, the goal there has always been to attract activity to the downtown areas. Occasionally that gets derailed, see the football stadium in Chandler.
    This, I believe, is a key part of the equation that the Braves are overlooking. Sports franchises talk all the time about attracting key demographics and instilling long-term fanhood, and I believe that could be one way in which this move ends up backfiring.

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Undisclosed
    Quote Originally Posted by gotoguy View Post
    Wilson,
    As an Atlanta inside the perimeter(made famous by Pasquel Perez) dweller for 34 years and a Braves season ticket holder for 10 of those years I can see the logic of the move that I very much oppose. I am looking forward to your further comments.
    LOL had not thought of oil' Pasquel's ride in quite some time. That made me chuckle.

    Locating this at the corner of I-75 and the Perimeter -- games at 7:05 or 7:40 on a weekday -- might as well leave the house now to get there with the traffic. Yikes!

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Quote Originally Posted by OldPhiKap View Post
    LOL had not thought of oil' Pasquel's ride in quite some time. That made me chuckle.

    Locating this at the corner of I-75 and the Perimeter -- games at 7:05 or 7:40 on a weekday -- might as well leave the house now to get there with the traffic. Yikes!
    One thing is for sure...Cobb County will eventually reap what they've sown. They'll get stuck with another colossal "investment" that has been repeatedly, demonstrably proven not to provide the long-term benefits it promises to municipalities, and they'll be stuck with even more crippling traffic after obstructing regional transit solutions for the past 40 years. That will at least provide some solace here.

  7. #27
    (1) I have not heard any chatter that the Braves tried to keep the infrastructure around the stadium down. To the contrary, a constant refrain in Atlanta has been the lack of public transportation access and the lack of anything in the immediate vicinity of the stadium.

    (2) The proposed new stadium makes weeknight games FAR more accessible for a vast majority of those that buy Braves tickets. Getting the current location from the northern suburbs, including Roswell and Alpharetta, is far easier than getting to the old stadium.

    (3) The new stadium location is actually closer to the heart of Buckhead than the old stadium. It is about 5 miles further from the heart of Midtown than the old stadium, but doesn't require navigating any of downtown. People are acting like the stadium is being moved way out into the burbs ... its not. It is still right on the perimeter, and right between Vinings, Smyrna, and Sandy Springs, with easy access from Buckhead and midtown. You can feed into the new stadium location from 75 or 285.

    (4) I imagine that there will be some traffic changes made to accommodate the new stadium. No stadium is built without the DOT being involved with changing things up.

    I think a lot of people are being sentimental about going downtown to watch a Braves game, because it is all we have known here in Atlanta - from Fulton County Stadium to the Ted. I am excited for the new location. There are far more food options in the area and a lot of potential.
    My Quick Smells Like French Toast.

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Quote Originally Posted by Channing View Post
    ...You can feed into the new stadium location from 75 or 285.
    Lots of good points in your post, Channing, but this is one of the understatements of the century. Have you ever driven through that corridor between, say 2 pm and 8 pm? It's a nightmare, even on Saturdays, without 40,000 more people trying to get in and out of a Braves game. Perhaps local residents will now clamor more for alternative transit options, but as I've already mentioned, they've generally clamored against such things for about 4 decades now. If this produces an increased traffic nightmare, then I'm of the opinion that they got what they deserved. If this somehow does produce traction for broader regional transit solutions, then I'll a) be astounded, and b) be ultimately thankful that that area has finally allowed Atlanta to begin evolving from car-addicted sprawl to a proper metropolitan area connected by modern, more efficient means. I'm not really holding my breath, though.

  9. #29
    Time will tell. I think more traffic will shift to 400 with the closeout of the toll. I also certainly don't find the traffic at 285/75 to be worse than the traffic going through town, especially on a game day.

    My biggest complaint and concern is that this whole negotiation (or lack thereof) was done under the cover of darkness and was announced one week after the mayor's reelection. I am not try to make a statement about Kasim Reed (I think he has been pretty good) but the timing sure does stink a little bit.
    My Quick Smells Like French Toast.

  10. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by Channing View Post
    My biggest complaint and concern is that this whole negotiation (or lack thereof) was done under the cover of darkness and was announced one week after the mayor's reelection.
    He must have learned that from Richard M. Daley.

  11. #31
    Quote Originally Posted by hurleyfor3 View Post
    Can the city change the name of Turner Field to something unflattering?
    How about Pile of Rubble?

    Atlanta's mayor said Tuesday that the city will demolish Turner Field after the Braves leave for a new stadium in the suburbs in 2017.
    Yes, they do plan a massive redevelopment for the area, but that's always much easier said than done.
    Demented and sad, but social, right?

  12. #32
    Quote Originally Posted by YmoBeThere View Post
    So, with the recent trend of Millenials to move closer to urban centers/downtowns(at least in the bigger northeastern cities), how does a move like this fit in? ...
    There's no there there in Atlanta, is there?

  13. #33
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Indianapolis
    Quote Originally Posted by wilson View Post
    This, I believe, is a key part of the equation that the Braves are overlooking. Sports franchises talk all the time about attracting key demographics and instilling long-term fanhood, and I believe that could be one way in which this move ends up backfiring.
    I could see the exact opposite. It seems to me that a location in the suburbs is more convenient for families to attend. I don't know about you, but my sports loyalties were fully formed by the time I was living on my own and able to choose where I lived.

    Moving to the suburbs may make the team more accessible to kids at the point they are having their allegiances formed.

  14. #34
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Quote Originally Posted by Reilly View Post
    There's no there there in Atlanta, is there?
    I live inside the perimeter, have all my life, and will not move to suburbia.

  15. #35
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Hot'Lanta... home of the Falcons!
    Quote Originally Posted by Channing View Post
    Time will tell. I think more traffic will shift to 400 with the closeout of the toll. I also certainly don't find the traffic at 285/75 to be worse than the traffic going through town, especially on a game day.
    A-men! As bad as 285 is, 75 is generally pretty good up until you get to the perimeter/Delk Rd kind of area. Regardless, it pales in comparison to the utter gridlock that is the downtown connector. That thing is a parking lot in the afternoons. I am thrilled I will be able to get to the stadium without navigating that morass.

    Quote Originally Posted by Channing View Post
    My biggest complaint and concern is that this whole negotiation (or lack thereof) was done under the cover of darkness and was announced one week after the mayor's reelection. I am not try to make a statement about Kasim Reed (I think he has been pretty good) but the timing sure does stink a little bit.
    While the secrecy is sorta troubling, it is not all that surprising. Lots of big projects like this happen this way. I don't really see it as something that would impact the civic officials election thought. Kwanza Hall, the member of the city council who has the stadium in his district (I think) ran unopposed for office because he is so popular. Kasim Reed faced 3 other candidates, usually a formula for some serious vote dilution, and still got 85% of the vote in the mayor's race. Frankly, the Braves, Hawks, and Falcons could have all announced they were leaving town because Kasim kicked them out and he still would have been re-elected.

    -Jason "I think the fact that people will be coming at the new stadium from a lot of different directions (instead of just about everyone coming from only the north) will make the traffic a lot easier to handle" Evans
    Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?

  16. #36
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Washington, DC area
    From a ticket sales standpoint, it's probably a no brainer. Current buyers are more local.

    From an urban planning standpoint, it's probably a disastrous move. Millennials are raising kids downtown.

    But in 20 years, they will probably move back downtown on marta and get both.

    -jk

  17. #37
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    near the Thrillerdome in ATL

    I 75 I 285 US 41 traffic

    Quote Originally Posted by Channing View Post
    Time will tell. I think more traffic will shift to 400 with the closeout of the toll. I also certainly don't find the traffic at 285/75 to be worse than the traffic going through town, especially on a game day.
    Most Braves fans living outside the perimeter face long commutes every day going to work. I doubt they will mind sitting in traffic on the way to the ballpark. They're used to it. One hopes the radio pregame show will be a bit more interesting though.

    And what will the city do with the section of the wall in the blue lot commemorating Hammerin' Hanks 715?
    Last edited by JBDuke; 11-13-2013 at 08:13 AM. Reason: fixed quote tag

  18. #38
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Orlando, FL
    Quote Originally Posted by gotoguy View Post

    Most Braves fans living outside the perimeter face long commutes every day going to work. I doubt they will mind sitting in traffic on the way to the ballpark. They're used to it. One hopes the radio pregame show will be a bit more interesting though.

    And what will the city do with the section of the wall in the blue lot commemorating Hammerin' Hanks 715?
    They only said that they will tear down Turner Field, they didn't say anything about the wall in the parking lot . I guess when they "re-develop" the area they could put it in the middle of a park or something.
    Coach K on Kyle Singler - "What position does he play? ... He plays winner."

    "Duke is never the underdog" - Quinn Cook

  19. #39
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    North of Durham
    From what I know of Atlanta, the area where the new stadium is going is already very built up. How were they able to find such large parcels of empty land there? What is currently on those parcels? I have been to the Ted several times and thought it was a very nice stadium and I'm not sure what these hundreds of millions of dollars of renovations are, but shinier and newer seems to be the trend, especially if you can get someone else to pay for most of it.

  20. #40
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Atlanta 'burbs
    The folks (non season ticket holders) who live in Cobb County and work in downtown Atlanta will suffer the most on weekday home games. It is already a nightmare for them to navigate the I-75/I-285 traffic to get home. Throw in the additional traffic of fans trying to get to the new Home of the Braves, and it will be an almost impossible commute.

    It may end up being a positive for downtown bars/strip clubs/restaurants/hotels as many Cobb commuters may give up and spend the night downtown.

Similar Threads

  1. Mollie Pathman and Kelly Cobb at the U-20 Women's World Cup
    By awhom111 in forum Elizabeth King Forum
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 09-04-2012, 12:20 PM
  2. Elliot County, KY
    By throatybeard in forum Elizabeth King Forum
    Replies: 13
    Last Post: 03-21-2009, 02:12 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •