Quote:
Originally Posted by mhays
Yes, MLB this year. A big event really benefits from neighboring facilities.
City Nerd just did a good video on stadium urbanity BTW. Philly scored well for clustering and transit but poorly for putting everything in a giant sea of parking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtGU...annel=CityNerd
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It was a stupid review of Philadelphia and completely overblown about the "sea of parking lots". The Philadelphia Sports Complex works perfectly fine and the review made it seem like it's out in the middle of nowhere and the only way there is by car.
I can't even fathom that anyone would think Center City would be a better place to stick a football stadium. They tried to put the Phillies there and seeing what was built in the area that the stadium would have taken up...i think what is there now is better and add to the city better than a baseball stadium in use 81-100 times a year. The only spot near Center City for both that might have worked would been over the 30th Street Rail Yards. That's about it.
I also gathered that City Nerd has never set foot in South Philly on any given day during a sporting or any other kind of event. It can get pretty festive..especially on Eagles game day...or when there are multiple events going on at different venues. Plenty of people park and tail gate in FDR Park on game days...it's not like the Meadowlands. Last Summer I was down there there heading to the Philadelphia Flower Show in FDR Park and parting ways with people walking the other way to the Phillies game...two big events...same area...got there by train/subway..
Which brings me to the point that Any one in the Metro Area can take AMTRAK/SEPTA/PATCO/NJ Transit from where they live and step off the subway for every venue down there. It doesn't matter which county...u can get there without having to drive there and park in a big parking lot. That is the beauty of the location, it can be accessed in every direction by rail, bus or car..even a bike!. You can still walk there in you want. There are sidewalks that lead you down there. You can't walk to the Meadowlands. That seems pretty urban to me. I mean...there are literally homes right there (Packer Park) and it's only a few blocks past them when you start hitting the core density of South Philly.
Lastly, what he saw on Google Maps and went "Ew" due to the parking lots, I see as space for future development. The Live Casino was rebuilt next to CBP. There was supposed to be a ESports Arena down there but that is on hold or whatever at this point...but the point is that is could come off hold and be added to a future growing stadium/entertainment district. I wish they had not knocked down the Spectrum and instead skinned it..gutted the insides and then built the Xfinty Live Complex around and may downsized the original area back to it's 1967 dimensions...it was better for concerts acoustically than the current Wells Fargo Center. I also wish the Union had decided to build down there maybe on the old Vet footprint but I guess having it next to the Barry is cool looking.
So I think the World Cup Final would be perfect during the 250th Anniversary of the US in America's Hometown...and the best city for sports...Philadelphia!