Sioux Falls-Big City Comparison (Yankton, Tea: amusement park, insurance, low crime)

[SonicsFan93]

I noticed that it seems like Sioux Falls has all the amenities of a city 10 times its size, but in a nicer setting. I mean, we have:
*4 Pro Sports Teams- Storm, Skyforce, Canaries, Stampede
*An Airport That Has Non-Stops to Major Destinations- Orlando, Las Vegas, Denver, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Chicago, Phoenix
*It's Own Media Market- NBC, CBS, etc...
*Three Sister Cities- Potsdam, Germany, Strabane, Northern Ireland, Surgut, Russia
*A Zoo- The Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum

Please, add to this list as you see fit, but I think you can get everything you need in Sioux Falls that you could get somewhere like Omaha or Des Moines.

[Jammie]

AND my favorite place in Sx. Falls~Falls Park and the nice new Phillips to the Falls walk.

[tpabes]

You could add shopping to that list too, with it being such a regional draw it attracts more stores than say a city similar to its size near a larger metro area.

[DannyBanany]

Sioux Falls also has two great medical centers!

[MJ1986]

Sioux Falls also has low crime for a city its size.
There is revitalization of a problem downtown neighborhood... The University Center at 60th St North and Career Avenue is under construction. You can get degrees from many state universities by taking classes at this location.
Supposedly, we have the safest drivers according to Allstate Insurance...2 years in a row. Sometimes I wonder about this claim

SF has some cool festivals in the summer...
JazzFest - A huge music gathering at Yankton Trail Park...it's free... 95,000 people came in 2007!

RibFest - At the parking lot of the Arena...Lots of ribs and music... a little spendy though

Life Light - Like JazzFest, but it is Christian music... People from all over the country come to it! It's at Wild Water West amusement park, on 41st Street west of the city limits

I always feel like I'm bragging...but I am biased towards SF!

[FargoBison]

Sioux Falls is a nice city but you guys could use a new entertainment/sports venue, the Sioux Falls Arena is a little out of date. I thought I heard a while back that the city was looking into a building a new arena, any news on that front?

[MJ1986]

The arena is need of a replacement... Sioux Falls loses out on bigger tickets to Fargo and Sioux City... but Mayor Dave Munson recently compiled a task force group... I guess to study the idea of getting rid of Howard Wood Field near Russell St and West Ave, and putting a new arena/events center there... The idea of putting it downtown was not favored by the residents... I agree... A very bad idea!
However, Sanford Health actually offered a piece of land near the I-29 & I-229 interchange...and Mayor Munson wasn't interested.
You gotta wonder what goes on behind closed doors sometimes...

[SonicsFan93]

I do think, that when the time comes, if the Canaries need a new stadium, they should build it downtown. Just look at Dayton. Independent League Teams and Single-A Teams are basically on the same footing, and they built an amazing stadium on the cusp of downtown, and just think if Sioux Falls had something like this:
Ballpark Digest -- Ballpark Visits -- Fifth Third Field / Dayton Dragons (http://www.ballparkdigest.com/visits/dayton.htm - broken link)

[MJ1986]

The stadium for the Canaries is adequate now... It's really the Arena/Events Center that needs a replacement. Any kind of Arena/Events Center/Stadium wouldn't work downtown... Sioux Falls' downtown streets aren't built to handle that kind of traffic.

[Jammie]

Concerts!!!! I think Sx. Falls has been working hard in that area. Elton John was there a few months ago and Chicago will be there for the Fair.