Heath Bell to the Marlins

[EddieMurrayfan]

While I think the county is likely going to wind up taking a bath on this deal, isn't one of the reasons Sun Life is so terrible is that it's off by itself set in a sea of parking lots? Makes it easy to park, I guess, but just looking at sat photos of Little Havana it looks like a much more walkable and interesting neighborhood, and much closer to downtown. That said, you definitely still need a way for people to get to the games. Very few people are going to walk to a baseball game no matter where it is. I also have no idea about how safe the area is, having never been there.

Has there been any discussion at all of running a transit expansion in that direction? You guys only have one Metro line, right, running north-south? And a couple of people movers or something?

The Dolphins Stadium provides easy access in and out with good tail gating. Nothing else to do in that immediate area.

At the old Orange Bowl site you are in a dumpy ghetto like hood. Nothing else to do in the immediate area there either. And parking is way worse. Most people have to park in residents yards. Or you park on the street if you can find a place. The Marlins put in some parking garages - GREAT! Sit in a congested parking garage to get out after the game.

I don't think any transit runs very close to the new spot unless they made some changes.

[DrungoHazewood]

The Dolphins Stadium provides easy access in and out with good tail gating. Nothing else to do in that immediate area.

At the old Orange Bowl site you are in a dumpy ghetto like hood. Nothing else to do in the immediate area there either. And parking is way worse. Most people have to park in residents yards. Or you park on the street if you can find a place. The Marlins put in some parking garages - GREAT! Sit in a congested parking garage to get out after the game.

I don't think any transit runs very close to the new spot unless they made some changes.

I've been to the old Orange Bowl a number of times for Tech-Miami games and we've always parked in someone's yard. One time we waited for 1/2 hour, maybe close to an hour for someone who'd parked us in to return after the game. Definitely a little Havana area, kind of cool (in a weird way) to go get something to eat and have no one at the little chicken shop speak English. But definitely ghetto-ish, not that I felt terribly unsafe (even in Tech gear), but not exactly the kind of place people in the luxury boxes would run across the street from the park to hang out after/before the game.

Actually, inside the park was often worse, since it was the rare college stadium that served alcohol. So once Tech took the lead, or won, things could get a little chippy.

[TGO]

Good info, thanks guys.

I don't know, it's a bit of a fine line when it comes to parking. I absolutely hate going to games at stadiums that are surrounded by acres of parking on all sides. Camden Yards handled this pretty well IMO. But it sounds like Miami has gone too far in the other direction.

[EddieMurrayfan]

I've been to the old Orange Bowl a number of times for Tech-Miami games and we've always parked in someone's yard. One time we waited for 1/2 hour, maybe close to an hour for someone who'd parked us in to return after the game. Definitely a little Havana area, kind of cool (in a weird way) to go get something to eat and have no one at the little chicken shop speak English. But definitely ghetto-ish, not that I felt terribly unsafe (even in Tech gear), but not exactly the kind of place people in the luxury boxes would run across the street from the park to hang out after/before the game.

Actually, inside the park was often worse, since it was the rare college stadium that served alcohol. So once Tech took the lead, or won, things could get a little chippy.

The Orange Bowl was a dump. Old relic. Parking was crazy - old school.

Safety wasn't really an issue going to games but not much to do in the area other than the game itself.

Going to a Canes game on the weekend was one thing when it came to parking. Putting up with that crap on a weeknight is another thing. It was tolerable for the FSU game. Tolerable for Va Tech. But thats once or twice a year on a weekend.