Key Arena should never host another event. (Seattle, Edmonds: fit in, hotels)

[secret_squirrel]

I attended the NCAA Tournament over the weekend. It was our second one and, overall we had a great time - except for the overwhelming embarrassment I felt as a Seattle-area native, listening to the visitors' comments.

The Key has a great sight line from the seats to the games. That is all that is good about the venue. For starters, unless you are physically able to bike in, getting to it is a huge PITA. We sat next to the nicest family from LA who flew up with their 2 kids under 3 to cheer on the UTI Anteaters. They stayed at the Residence Inn on SLU, thinking it would be less than 2 miles from the Arena, what could go wrong?

The weather called for rain, and wanting to keep the kids dry, they tried to drive to the Key. It took them nearly an hour. "Your transportation sucks" she said. She's right. I thought about suggesting they try the bus, but busses get stuck in gridlock just like cars. I thought about suggesting the trolley, but that goes the wrong way. I thought about suggesting they put a kid in the basket of one of those green bicycles I never saw anyone on, but I'm not sure that is legal. Or safe. So I just apologized. Our transportation does suck, unless you want to go between the airport and downtown in half an hour.

The hallways of the Key are not designed for a full house. It was a mosh pit in those halls during halftime and between games. The food lines - and concession options - were horrible and understaffed. And the boxy CRT TVs from 1998 showing fuzzy ballgames with illegible scores was humiliating for a city supposedly as techie as ours. I can't count the number of comments I heard about those TVs, the poorly designed common areas and the bad food choices.

So, Dear City Boosters, please do not invite tourists to this venue. It does not convey the image of Seattle that you want others to take home with them. And I can live with the decision to turn SLU into an area that is designed for transit other than an automobile - but don't invite thousands of people who will bring their cars to a zone that is not designed for large-scale car traffic and without other mass-transit means. The decision announced today to make Westlake transit-only furthers the proposition that large-scale events do not fit in with the design plan for South Lake Union.

Which is kind of sad for the businesses around the key. It was great to see them so packed all weekend.

[Hemlock140]

Well, while I agree with you about the traffic in that area and much of Seattle, it's actually only 1.4 miles, and a reasonable walking distance. I walk more than that daily and the rain is not a factor, but I suppose being from LA they were afraid of melting?

Lack of sufficient concession staff is something that is normal here, for anything but big games at Safeco or Seahawk games, smaller events always have that problem, even dating back to the Kingdome days. More profits I suppose. There is really no excuse for the outdated video, but again, without a regular, lucrative tenant I don't think they are likely to spend the money to upgrade.

[AmFest]

The rain does make walking difficult, even for the locals. Key arena is not located in an area that can handle a large volume of traffic - it's basically dead in the middle of the urban core. Quite frankly though, the arena has hosted non-sport events with a full house and people don't seem to have a problem with those. Seattle is a walking- and biking-friendly town, which may be a foreign concept to visitors.

[tifoso]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

Well, while I agree with you about the traffic in that area and much of Seattle, it's actually only 1.4 miles, and a reasonable walking distance. I walk more than that daily and the rain is not a factor, but I suppose being from LA they were afraid of melting?

Lack of sufficient concession staff is something that is normal here, for anything but big games at Safeco or Seahawk games, smaller events always have that problem, even dating back to the Kingdome days. More profits I suppose. There is really no excuse for the outdated video, but again, without a regular, lucrative tenant I don't think they are likely to spend the money to upgrade.

It's not as if our climate is a big mystery to anyone; it's what we're most famous for. But while driving to Key Arena was certainly guaranteed to be an exercise in frustration, I don't blame the LA folks for trying it, especially with kids. I walk the Mercer corridor in both directions almost every working day from Elliott to Eastlake and it's inconvenient and unpleasant; I certainly wouldn't want to do it with kids. Perhaps it will be better when the construction is finally completed, but for now the pedestrian experience is terrible.

Your comments about Key Arena, as well as those from the OP, mirror my experience.

[secret_squirrel]

Originally Posted by AmFest

Quite frankly though, the arena has hosted non-sport events with a full house and people don't seem to have a problem with those. Seattle is a walking- and biking-friendly town, which may be a foreign concept to visitors.

I think the difference between locals vs. visitors is HUGE. The Key is fine for Bumbershoot, Folklife, large local gatherings for now. We know the back-doors to the area and the various transit options. I was thinking along the lines of events with a large national tourist draw and should have been more specific. SLU residences and hotels grow, but there are not plans - that I could find - to bring the Seattle Center and SLU into the mass transit loop. It would be cool if it were.

SODO makes so much more sense. Less residential and cross-purpose traffic, on the light and heavy rail lines.

[take57]

Oh my! (Clutching pearls) how ever did I manage to enjoy watching the Sonics in that gym for so many years????

[RVD90277]

The UTI Anteaters?

Or do you mean UC Irvine?

Key Arena does kind of suck though for driving and public transportation. I suppose they could have gone downtown and use the monorail.

We need pedicabs.

[BellevueNative]

I had no idea Seattle was even hosting a regional until it was on TV.

[AmFest]

Originally Posted by take57

Oh my! (Clutching pearls) how ever did I manage to enjoy watching the Sonics in that gym for so many years????

Seattle's population today is very different from that of 10 years ago.

[elkotronics]

Seattle's population today is very different from that of 10 years ago.

Good point and valid point, AmFest. Is it just me or are certain people just whining for the sake of whining? Old TV's? Big deal! What would those poor people in Detroit say? I used ta just park on lower Queen Anne hill and walk across a street or two and I was in the Seattle Center area for fun going to Sonic's games or rock concerts. Didn't complain about the traffic coming down from Edmonds on the north end because, well, that traffic was always there. Either you learned ta deal with it or you didn't go see any cool events, right?

Whine-whine-whine-whiny butt whine.