Despite Opening Week at New Stadium Braves Average Attenence Already Below 6 (of 20) Complete Years at Turner Field (Atlanta: fit in, sale)

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by primaltech

But that's not any different. Those near this stadium also can walk and bike to it. And anyone can still take transit to it (including MARTA route#12 which connects with the Cumberland Circulator which takes you to the game.)

For me, the ironic thing about all this is, I wouldn't have been able to walk or easily take transit to the Ted from my new place, but I can with SunTrust Park.

Like I said in one of these various jsvh Cobb-hater threads, I do sympathize that they're moving away from you. But it's not like they were in an urban oasis, or that they had much better of a transit situation than STP.

And, to a degree, it's also a shame that they're moving away from Downtown, the center of the metro and the traditional location of Atlanta's pro sports franchises. But, they're just barely outside the city, and it's still very accessible to most of the metro.

Now it's just in a Disney World-like oasis, far from the social issues of the 'city'

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Now it's just in a Disney World-like oasis, far from the social issues of the 'city'

I don't think anything is wrong with that, cq. It, after all, is all about entertainment and not city social issues. I believe that's the way most pro sports complexes are. Besides, who doesn't love Disney?!?!?

[primaltech]

But the opposite is actually the truth. "Disney World oasis" is exactly what the Ted was and what stadiums in Downtown Atlanta are in general. They're these islands, for suburban, mostly white people to visit, surrounded by rough areas where they would never have any reason to go, and where they don't feel safe.

Fix your damn city. Atlanta is like a big parking lot slash highway. I'm sure if it had been the authentic, attractive, Wrigley Field type environment, the owners would have had zero desire at all to relocate the stadium. So don't blame Cobb County for your own city's being a dump.

[glovenyc]

Originally Posted by primaltech

But the opposite is actually the truth. "Disney World oasis" is exactly what the Ted was and what stadiums in Downtown Atlanta are in general. They're these islands, for suburban, mostly white people to visit, surrounded by rough areas where they would never have any reason to go, and where they don't feel safe.

Fix your damn city. Atlanta is like a big parking lot slash highway. I'm sure if it had been the authentic, attractive, Wrigley Field type environment, the owners would have had zero desire at all to relocate the stadium. So don't blame Cobb County for your own city's being a dump.

Although I am a big fan of cities and the city of Atlanta, Primaltech makes some great points. The environment around Turner field sucked and felt dangerous, and this is from someone who used to go to the South Bronx to Yankee games in the late 70s (worst hood in the history of this country).

[primaltech]

Oh I, too, absolutely love and cherish the city of Atlanta, and always have and always will, but I'm sick of Cobb getting blamed for y'all being too stupid to locate your sports teams in your best areas, or even your pretty good areas, for that matter.

Put your best foot forward, people. If the Braves had been located at 10th and Peachtree, or Piedmont and Monroe, they'd still be playing there this season and into the future. Liberty Media or otherwise.

Y'all should have put this MARTA-adjacent mega-block warehouse over where you put the Ted, and put the Ted here:

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7363.../data=!3m1!1e3

Duh, man! Location is everything. And planning... try that sometime!

[jsvh]

Lol. That is the point. The Braves were the source of those problems in that area. Not the city. Not some inherent problem in that area.

The Braves rejected multiple city-provided proposals to redevelop that area. And now that the Braves are gone that area is getting redeveloped.

If the Braves had been playing at 10th and Peachtree for the last 60 years and had turned the area into a parking lot waste-land, Midtown would have been in just as sad of a shape as Summerhill. Summerhill and Midtown were very similar neighborhoods at that time. In fact, Summerhill probably even had more density and potential of becoming a high rise magnet at that point.

Not only that, after using and abusing the city for decades they up and leave and start sh*t-talking that area and the city. With this continued Atlanta hate from Braves fans why are they still surprised they lost so many fans in the city?

Peachtree and 6th looking North in 1940s:



Summerhill (Capital Ave / now Hank Aaron Dr) in the 1940s:

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

I don't think anything is wrong with that, cq. It, after all, is all about entertainment and not city social issues. I believe that's the way most pro sports complexes are. Besides, who doesn't love Disney?!?!?

What happened to the days of just going to the ballpark to see some good baseball?

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by jsvh

Lol. That is the point. The Braves were the source of those problems in that area. Not the city. Not some inherent problem in that area.

The areas around the stadium had been in decline for decades.

However, the city of Atlanta (with the aid of the federal government) delivered the coup de gras in the 1950s in the name of freeways and "urban renewal." This was long before the Braves arrived.

The city "reserved" land where it had cleared out thousands of residents with the idea that it might eventually build a stadium and attract professional sports to the city. The land lay vacant for years, until the city cut a secret deal in 1964 to lure the Braves away from Milwaukee. Milwaukee filed a lawsuit to stop it and forced the team to play the 1965 season there. But in 1966 the team finally came south to play in the new stadium the city had erected for them.

Hosannas rang out all over the city for the brilliant coup that Atlanta had scored in bringing big league ball to town. It's the height of revisionist history to claim that the city of Atlanta was not responsible for wrecking the stadium neighborhoods. The Braves came long after the damage had been done.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by arjay57

The areas around the stadium had been in decline for decades.

However, the city of Atlanta (with the aid of the federal government) delivered the coup de gras in the 1950s in the name of freeways and "urban renewal." This was long before the Braves arrived.

The city "reserved" land where it had cleared out thousands of residents with the idea that it might eventually build a stadium and attract professional sports to the city. The land lay vacant for years, until the city cut a secret deal in 1964 to lure the Braves away from Milwaukee. Milwaukee filed a lawsuit to stop it and forced the team to play the 1965 season there. But in 1966 the team finally came south to play in the new stadium the city had erected for them.

Hosannas rang out all over the city for the brilliant coup that Atlanta had scored in bringing big league ball to town. It's the height of revisionist history to claim that the city of Atlanta was not responsible for wrecking the stadium neighborhoods. The Braves came long after the damage had been done.

Very valid points. Atlanta's government at the time lead the charge toward decades of bad policy that destroyed that area in the name of attracting the Braves. The city of Atlanta government went way to far in trying to cater to suburbanites during the 1950s - 90s. Demolishing Summerhill for highways and parking lots a key example of that. Thankfully they have improved in recent years. However, it is still disappointing that despite the city's effort to fix its past mistakes in the area, the Braves would have no part of it and they choose to leave the city and focus all but exclusively on suburbanites at Sun Trust Park.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by jsvh

Very valid points. Atlanta's government at the time lead the charge toward decades of bad policy that destroyed that area in the name of attracting the Braves. The city of Atlanta government went way to far in trying to cater to suburbanites during the 1950s - 90s. Demolishing Summerhill for highways and parking lots a key example of that. Thankfully they have improved in recent years. However, it is still disappointing that despite the city's effort to fix its past mistakes in the area, the Braves would have no part of it and they choose to leave the city and focus all but exclusively on suburbanites at Sun Trust Park.

The city didn't tear up the area in the name of attracting the Barves -- that was years down the road.

The powers that be wanted to eradicate what they considered substandard housing on the south side of downtown. They also hoped to create a barrier between the black neighborhoods and downtown, which in those days was still the epicentre of the city's business community.