Anaheim Stadium & environs today

[disarcina]

I was at the Big A Saturday night for the SF Giants/ Angels game.

Had great seats, good friends with me at the game and an Anaheim weather evening that could not have been better.

so what could possibly be a down side of all this?

Well, I have not been to a game in about two years -- we usually stay at nearby hotel so we can walk to and from the park, have a few adult beverages, before, during and after the game without having to drive back anywhere. (We took Amtrak to the park -- that's a great deal the station right there -- a few more hundred yards away than it was  before the 'new' transit center -- but still very convenient)

Anyway, the place that used to be The National is no longer there - it's an office for a temp staffing company now -- there's that new brew pub across from the Stadium (On Orangewoood ?) but that's packed and the place has some seating protocol where you just can't walk in and find a table........I assume the 'new' version of The Catch is still there but we did not go there this time.

One of my friends who attended with me is a season ticket holder at AT&T (SF Giants) and he just can't believe that the area surrounding the park doesn't have more of a game day vibe from nearby restaurants and watering holes.  When we attend games in SF, it's a whole different experience.  Now Anaheim clearly isn't SF, but the contrast is really stark.

I know Downtown Disney (ESPN zone etc.) draws folks away from the Platinum Triangle potential but seeing the old National not even there really further limits a fairly limited choices of places to go pre and post game.

anyone else on this?

PS - Saturday night's game was a great ball game -- one of the best I've attended over the many years -- the weather could not have been better , the seats were great. Nine innings of an exciting game and the Angels even seemed to have upped the duration and quality of the post-game fireworks show.......but after all that -- when it's 9 PM -- where do you go in and about the Stadium area within walking distance ? (impossible to get an uber ride in all the departing game traffic).

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

14 minutes ago, disarcina said:

I was at the Big A Saturday night for the SF Giants/ Angels game.

Had great seats, good friends with me at the game and an Anaheim weather evening that could not have been better.

so what could possibly be a down side of all this?

Well, I have not been to a game in about two years -- we usually stay at nearby hotel so we can walk to and from the park, have a few adult beverages, before, during and after the game without having to drive back anywhere. (We took Amtrak to the park -- that's a great deal the station right there -- a few more hundred yards away than it was  before the 'new' transit center -- but still very convenient)

Anyway, the place that used to be The National is no longer there - it's an office for a temp staffing company now -- there's that new brew pub across from the Stadium (On Orangewoood ?) but that's packed and the place has some seating protocol where you just can't walk in and find a table........I assume the 'new' version of The Catch is still there but we did not go there this time.

One of my friends who attended with me is a season ticket holder at AT&T (SF Giants) and he just can't believe that the area surrounding the park doesn't have more of a game day vibe from nearby restaurants and watering holes.  When we attend games in SF, it's a whole different experience.  Now Anaheim clearly isn't SF, but the contrast is really stark.

I know Downtown Disney (ESPN zone etc.) draws folks away from the Platinum Triangle potential but seeing the old National not even there really further limits a fairly limited choices of places to go pre and post game.

anyone else on this?

PS - Saturday night's game was a great ball game -- one of the best I've attended over the many years -- the weather could not have been better , the seats were great. Nine innings of an exciting game and the Angels even seemed to have upped the duration and quality of the post-game fireworks show.......but after all that -- when it's 9 PM -- where do you go in and about the Stadium area within walking distance ? (impossible to get an uber ride in all the departing game traffic).

The city has reached a deal to build an entire residential, restaurant, entertainment, and Hotel complex at the corner of Orangewood and State College.

https://www.ocregister.com/2016/10/20/anaheim-angels-say-yes-to-450-million-project-next-to-stadium/

ANAHEIM – The Anaheim City Council and the Angels gave their blessing to a developer’s plan to build a massive, L.A. Live-like project near Angel Stadium.

The council on Tuesday unanimously approved LT Global’s LT Platinum Center, a $450 million mixed-use development that would include a hotel, high-rise office buildings, stores, entertainment, apartments and condominiums on a 15-acre lot on State College Boulevard and Orangewood Avenue in the city’s Platinum Triangle area.

“This is consistent with the original vision of the Platinum Triangle,” Mayor Tom Tait said. “This will draw and bring people in and be a catalyst for future growth. We look forward to this happening.”

The Angels were seen as the final hurdle for the development.

The team last year had forced LT Global to scale down the project, after rebuffing the developer’s request to share the parking lot. Most recently, the team raised objections and filed an appeal with the city in August several days after the Planning Commission had approved the project.

[Ohtaniland]

22 minutes ago, disarcina said:

I was at the Big A Saturday night for the SF Giants/ Angels game.

Had great seats, good friends with me at the game and an Anaheim weather evening that could not have been better.

so what could possibly be a down side of all this?

Well, I have not been to a game in about two years -- we usually stay at nearby hotel so we can walk to and from the park, have a few adult beverages, before, during and after the game without having to drive back anywhere. (We took Amtrak to the park -- that's a great deal the station right there -- a few more hundred yards away than it was  before the 'new' transit center -- but still very convenient)

Anyway, the place that used to be The National is no longer there - it's an office for a temp staffing company now -- there's that new brew pub across from the Stadium (On Orangewoood ?) but that's packed and the place has some seating protocol where you just can't walk in and find a table........I assume the 'new' version of The Catch is still there but we did not go there this time.

One of my friends who attended with me is a season ticket holder at AT&T (SF Giants) and he just can't believe that the area surrounding the park doesn't have more of a game day vibe from nearby restaurants and watering holes.  When we attend games in SF, it's a whole different experience.  Now Anaheim clearly isn't SF, but the contrast is really stark.

I know Downtown Disney (ESPN zone etc.) draws folks away from the Platinum Triangle potential but seeing the old National not even there really further limits a fairly limited choices of places to go pre and post game.

anyone else on this?

PS - Saturday night's game was a great ball game -- one of the best I've attended over the many years -- the weather could not have been better , the seats were great. Nine innings of an exciting game and the Angels even seemed to have upped the duration and quality of the post-game fireworks show.......but after all that -- when it's 9 PM -- where do you go in and about the Stadium area within walking distance ? (impossible to get an uber ride in all the departing game traffic).

Arte wants you to eat his hot dogs and drink his beer. 

[yk9001]

6 hours ago, disarcina said:

there's that new brew pub across from the Stadium (On Orangewoood ?) but that's packed and the place has some seating protocol where you just can't walk in and find a table.

Wait a minute.  We haven't been to a game since 2016, and went to this place Sunday. Golden Road Brewing*.  Parked in their parking building across the street for $10, and it got you $5 dollars off a beer.  My wife and I had a beer at 12:40 on a sold out day.  It took about two minutes at the bar to get a couple of beers.

The "seating protocol" for food is to use the hostesses to let you seat you at a  table.  I don't think it is that radical a concept.

We went back over about the seventh inning and had a late lunch there.  It was great.

This is exactly the type of place the stadium needs more of.

 

 

*Waiting for the beer snobs to shit on the beer selections/state that they were bought by Anheiser Busch/other beer complaint.

[nando714]

6 hours ago, failos said:

Well Anaheim is a shitty city, so that's why. I'd like to see the Angels move to a different city, and that's an opinion I've never had until this season.

 

edit: Tustin/Irvine wouldn't be a bad idea.

Irvine sucks . Wtf is in Irvine.

[Lou]

32 minutes ago, nando714 said:

Irvine sucks . Wtf is in Irvine.

From what I've seen, a lot of cement. 

[Lou]

7 hours ago, OHTANILAND said:

One of my friends who attended with me is a season ticket holder at AT&T (SF Giants) and he just can't believe that the area surrounding the park doesn't have more of a game day vibe from nearby restaurants and watering holes.  When we attend games in SF, it's a whole different experience.  Now Anaheim clearly isn't SF, but the contrast is really stark.

AT&T had the luxury of being built in an era when pregame and postgame fan entertainment was important. Also, it was built in the China Basin, which was a bunch of abandoned buildings which made it easier for new businesses to open. I went to a game there the first year it opened and there was nothing around. We had gone early to grab tickets and had to hike to find the one place that was open. 

@Tank the first game in the new park was played on 4/11/2000

Edited April 23, 2018 by Lou

[Angel Oracle]

24 minutes ago, Lou said:

From what I've seen, a lot of cement. 

And beige

[yk9001]

First game I ever used ticket scan from my phone.  Angel stadium was not up to the task.  Poor Alice's ticket scanner in the front section of the stadium didn't work well.  It couldn't scan phones much at all, and she had to type in the approx. 9 alphanumeric code at the bottom.  Incredibly inefficient.  We stood in line for twenty five minutes for a 25 yard line.  The security checkers stood idle while Alice tried to scan phones.

 

Lets work on that, folks.

[Tank]

2 hours ago, nando714 said:

Irvine sucks . Wtf is in Irvine.

An auto center, a huge outdoor mall, and a bunch of Asian university students from what everyone here says.

[Tank]

1 hour ago, Lou said:

AT&T had the luxury of being built in an era when pregame and postgame fan entertainment ... yada, yada, yada...

@Tank the first game in the new park was played on 4/11/2000

Bummer. Sounds like they'll need an exorcism some day.

wouldve been better if they had opened in the latter part of February.

Edited April 23, 2018 by Tank

[Lhalo]

9 hours ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

The city has reached a deal to build an entire residential, restaurant, entertainment, and Hotel complex at the corner of Orangewood and State College.

https://www.ocregister.com/2016/10/20/anaheim-angels-say-yes-to-450-million-project-next-to-stadium/

ANAHEIM – The Anaheim City Council and the Angels gave their blessing to a developer’s plan to build a massive, L.A. Live-like project near Angel Stadium.

The council on Tuesday unanimously approved LT Global’s LT Platinum Center, a $450 million mixed-use development that would include a hotel, high-rise office buildings, stores, entertainment, apartments and condominiums on a 15-acre lot on State College Boulevard and Orangewood Avenue in the city’s Platinum Triangle area.

“This is consistent with the original vision of the Platinum Triangle,” Mayor Tom Tait said. “This will draw and bring people in and be a catalyst for future growth. We look forward to this happening.”

The Angels were seen as the final hurdle for the development.

The team last year had forced LT Global to scale down the project, after rebuffing the developer’s request to share the parking lot. Most recently, the team raised objections and filed an appeal with the city in August several days after the Planning Commission had approved the project.

I’m hoping they break ground on this soon. “The Jefferson” across St. College is currently under construction and I’m assuming they’ll have some ground level bars/restaurants similar to the complex The Catch is in. The mayor of Anaheim is a beer guy and from what I understand the city has made it easy to open breweries so I expect more of those to pop up around the area. 

[Tank]

What was the story of a former poster here who wanted to fight somebody at the Carl's Jr. across from the stadium? Deniz? 

I hope that place is safe, you know, for historical reasons.

[gotbeer]

@disarcina  Arte said he was going to build a complex in the parking lot.  But wanted to city to pay for it, or give him the land or a combination of the two.  

But the area around the Pond has a few more choices.  JT Schmidts across from the pond in the area of the transit terminal.  Then if you cross the river, you have Tilted Kilt and Lazy Dog.  A few other watering holes nearby there also.

The big deterrent is the parking lot.  Unless that gets developed, you will never have the feel like you do in SF, Chicago, even SD.  

[Ohtaniland]

4 minutes ago, gotbeer said:

@disarcina  Arte said he was going to build a complex in the parking lot.  But wanted to city to pay for it, or give him the land or a combination of the two.  

But the area around the Pond has a few more choices.  JT Schmidts across from the pond in the area of the transit terminal.  Then if you cross the river, you have Tilted Kilt and Lazy Dog.  A few other watering holes nearby there also.

The big deterrent is the parking lot.  Unless that gets developed, you will never have the feel like you do in SF, Chicago, even SD.  

I see that Texas is building a new stadium and developing the surrounding area with plenty of eateries. 

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, failos said:

The area with the hangars seems perfect for a stadium. Lots of land to develop, and it’s a clean area right off the freeway.

Except I think that is all going to be houses.  I know when I was working over there last year 100's of houses and apartments were under construction.  I think they might be putting Tustin High over there as well.  

[Stradling]

2 minutes ago, failos said:

Well at least they aren’t building any more “luxury apartments” over there.

 

On Barranca and Tustin Ranch I think they are still building a bunch of apartments, but it has been 5 months or so since that was my area, so it is possible that that phase is complete.  Yea, $2000 a month apartments are ridiculous.  How does anyone afford that and still save for a house or condo?  

[eaterfan]

4 hours ago, yk9001 said:

Wait a minute.  We haven't been to a game since 2016, and went to this place Sunday. Golden Road Brewing*.  Parked in their parking building across the street for $10, and it got you $5 dollars off a beer.  My wife and I had a beer at 12:40 on a sold out day.  It took about two minutes at the bar to get a couple of beers.

The "seating protocol" for food is to use the hostesses to let you seat you at a  table.  I don't think it is that radical a concept.

We went back over about the seventh inning and had a late lunch there.  It was great.

This is exactly the type of place the stadium needs more of.

 

 

*Waiting for the beer snobs to shit on the beer selections/state that they were bought by Anheiser Busch/other beer complaint.

He might be referring to the new Karl Strauss brewery. 

The area around the stadium is improving pretty rapidly from an entertainment standpoint. When I was a kid there was nothing there. Now there are 3 breweries within an easy walk and several restaurants. It's taking some time, but I'd rather have slow more organic growth than just building a shopping center with huge chain restaurants across the street. 

I don't think the Angels will ever have the surroundings that SF, Boston, or Chicago will have. The public transportation system just isn't as good. OC is more spread out than SF is. Although, if the Angels win 3 out of 5 World Series then I'm sure the energy and excitement levels would pick up and give the surroundings a different feel.

[Lhalo]

43 minutes ago, failos said:

Haven’t been down there in a while myself, but I’d never buy a house that’s surrounded by a bunch of apartments. That’s nuts.

You would if you lived in China and wanted to park your money in the U.S.

[John Taylor]

Honestly I'll stay at the Embassy suites on St. College and go to the Del Taco across the street before the game, also the Dragon Dogs truck used to be fun to hit before the game, but I think they moved the truck to another location. I think that the atmosphere around the Stadium has sucked for a long time, but since "we" (OC fans) have a reputation of showing up late, and leaving early, maybe the culture of hitting a sports bar for a beer before/after a game just isn't one that works for Angels fans? (On a large enough scale to support the area around the stadium). The only time I can ever remember sports bars being packed with Angels fans around game time was in 2002, but then again I haven't lived in OC for a while, so I could be completely in the wrong here.

On the flip side, Safeco Field was completely different, it was the most fun I had ever had before a game around that stadium, but the fact that Safeco resides in a much cooler part of Seattle helps, although I believe it wasn't always that way, as that part of Seattle was very industrial until Centurylink and Safeco existed?@Chuckster70 would know better than me about that though.

[Stradling]

I think it is less about our attitude of showing up late and more about how do you make it to those places, after work, with traffic and still make it inside the gates before first pitch or even before the 3rd inning.  Most people work till 5, then they drive home to get the wife, then head down to the stadium area.  I have a little flexibility with my job, but if I left at 5pm from home, get to the stadium area around 5:45, is that enough time to eat, drink and walk over to the gates?  It would be close, especially when I would assume those places are packed.  

[Ohtaniland]

Well with Arte installing the new scoreboards it looks like he plans on staying in Anaheim for the term of the lease. 

[yk9001]

Man, that concrete in the upper deck looks like it has been through several wars.

[Ohtaniland]

1 minute ago, yk9001 said:

Man, that concrete in the upper deck looks like it has been through several wars.

Texas and Oakland will soon have new stadiums. We will have the oldest stadium in the AL after Fenway. 

[Lou]

1 minute ago, OHTANILAND said:

Texas and Oakland will soon have new stadiums. We will have the oldest stadium in the AL after Fenway. 

lol