How do you feel about DC as a Baseball/Sprotstown?

[bluestreak]

What specifically does DC offer that other markets don't? We have free museums? If you're big enough to be host a professional sports team (Green Bay and maybe buffalo excepted), you probably have decent restaurants/bars/music venues.

It’s diversity of stuff that’s available. That’s what in my opinion differentiates DC from, say, Milwaukee or Even San Diego. You could do something different every day. It’s just that’s there is so much more options.  I’m comparing to the places I’ve lived which have professionals sports (Milwaukee area, Detroit, and Research Triangle)  where it’s worse than DC, and places I’m pretty familiar with that are better (Chicago).

[UMDNats]

What specifically does DC offer that other markets don't? We have free museums? If you're big enough to be host a professional sports team (Green Bay and maybe buffalo excepted), you probably have decent restaurants/bars/music venues.

winnipeg

[varoadking]

It’s diversity of stuff that’s available. That’s what in my opinion differentiates DC from, say, Milwaukee or Even San Diego. You could do something different every day. It’s just that’s there is so much more options.  I’m comparing to the places I’ve lived which have professionals sports (Milwaukee area, Detroit, and Research Triangle)  where it’s worse than DC, and places I’m pretty familiar with that are better (Chicago).

As a Chicago native, I'd much rather live in the DMV...though I like it down here in sleepy Henrico County just fine...

[varoadking]

winnipeg

Winnipeg is gonna have MDS soon, so that will change...

[HalfSmokes]

Oklahoma City?

Add that one to the list

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

That is probably the only NHL arena that is legitimately 100% full (as in actual--not "paid"--attendance) for every regular season game. 

winnipeg

[hotshot]

Truth is, people do not have unlimited money and they have to make choices about where to spend their entertainment dollars.  When they have fewer options, they spend all their money in one or two places (because there's nowhere else). When they have more options, they tend to at least explore them. Obviously some people will prioritize their sports tickets over everything else and attend religiously whether they win or lose, but they are the hardest of the hard core fans (especially when the team is losing).  Most fans are simply not that dedicated.   It's really no different than the neighborhood pizza place that does a great business till another pizza place moves in on the next block.

Well said. Still think DC doesn't have any more competing attractions/options than most any other city. As for STL, no doubt it's a rabid baseball town but, how many football and basketball teams has it lost over the years? A lot!

[hotshot]

As a Chicago native, I'd much rather live in the DMV...though I like it down here in sleepy Henrico County just fine...

Still can't believe my native Richmond lost their AAA franchise. What went wrong?

[Baseball is Life]

It’s diversity of stuff that’s available. That’s what in my opinion differentiates DC from, say, Milwaukee or Even San Diego. You could do something different every day. It’s just that’s there is so much more options.  I’m comparing to the places I’ve lived which have professionals sports (Milwaukee area, Detroit, and Research Triangle)  where it’s worse than DC, and places I’m pretty familiar with that are better (Chicago).

This. It's not that other cities don't have theater, museums, historical attractions, etc., it's just that DC has much, much, more than most cities.
For example, did you know DC claims to have more theater seats per capita than any other city than NYC. May or not be true, but the point is that DC has a boatload of theaters as compared to, say, Indianapolis.

The only other cities that can compare with entertainment opportunities/options are NYC, Chicago, LA, and maybe SF. I know that's a debatable list and I'm sure I'm forgetting a city or two, but don't try to tell me that cities like Indianapolis, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Cleveland, etc., have as many entertainment options as DC.

[varoadking]

Still can't believe my native Richmond lost their AAA franchise. What went wrong?

The Giants have a AA team here now...unless I missed some news...

[Baseball is Life]

I think that applies to any large city and most cities that are undergoing revitalization/gentrification. 

Not to the same degree as here, except for the big cities like NYC, Chicago, LA, etc.

[HalfSmokes]

Not to the same degree as here, except for the big cities like NYC, Chicago, LA, etc.

Are you saying there is more to do here than the Bay Area or Denver or Seattle or Atlanta...

[bluestreak]

Are you saying there is more to do here than the Bay Area or Denver or Seattle or Atlanta...

Bay Area, definitely no. Seattle and Denve  are  close. Atlanta, I dint know.

[dcpatti]

Atlanta is boring after a couple days.  There is a lot to do in the Bay Area but there’s a lack of good live music venues, especially in the 500-1500 person range. Seattle sucks in the winter. It’s great for baseball because once the rainy period is over, everyone’s looking for excuses to sit outside and drink beer.

[MarquisDeSade]

Atlanta is boring after a couple days.  There is a lot to do in the Bay Area but there’s a lack of good live music venues, especially in the 500-1500 person range. Seattle sucks in the winter. It’s great for baseball because once the rainy period is over, everyone’s looking for excuses to sit outside and drink beer.

Americans are wimps, especially when it comes to bad weather.. Disagree with you on the Bay Area live music venues. Lots of great ones still out there (for now) like Bottom of the Hill, Bimbo’s, GAMH, Slim’s, Cafe du Nord and that’s just in SF. None really in the First Avenue, 9:30, Cats Cradle, or Norva size range outside of the Fillmore.

Are you saying there is more to do here than the Bay Area or Denver or Seattle or Atlanta...

Sitting in traffic and depending on awful public transportation to take you to the newest Shake Shack is what everyone wants, don’t you know?

[Baseball is Life]

Are you saying there is more to do here than the Bay Area or Denver or Seattle or Atlanta...

With the possible exception of SF, probably.

[aBaltoNat]

With the possible exception of SF, probably.

Hellllll no to SF, Denver and Seattle. You need to get out a bit.

[Dave301]

Hellllll no to SF, Denver and Seattle. You need to get out a bit.

What does Denver have that DC doesn't other than mountains? Seattle? Great places for a vacation, but I wouldn't live there over DC.

[Baseball is Life]

I said at the beginning of this thread that comparing cities is pointless but I somehow got sucked in. Each city is unique but I wouldn’t trade living in DC for any place in the world.

[Ray D]

As for STL, no doubt it's a rabid baseball town but, how many football and basketball teams has it lost over the years? A lot!

Lost a baseball team too.

[hotshot]

The Giants have a AA team here now...unless I missed some news...

I knew they had lost the Triple A team some years back but wondered why? Nice enough stadium, growing area ??? 

I was living in Richmond as a kid when the city first got a AAA franchise in the mid-50s (54?), playing at Parker Field (later renovated to become "The Diamond"). Team was unaffiliated for the first year or two, then joined Denver of the American Assn as one of the NYY two AAA franchises. Afterward, long-time Braves top minor league club.

[Natsinpwc]

Lost a baseball team too.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Having lived in half a dozen or so major cities around the world, I agree.  Not sure about small mountain towns, but that's another matter altogether.     

I said at the beginning of this thread that comparing cities is pointless but I somehow got sucked in. Each city is unique but I wouldn’t trade living in DC for any place in the world.

[HalfSmokes]

Having lived in half a dozen or so major cities around the world, I agree.  Not sure about small mountain towns, but that's another matter altogether.     

The us is big enough that you should be able to live somewhere that fits you, patti keeps on focusing on live music venues, other people might care about proximity to beaches or lakes or mountains. Some people might care about a trendy restaurant scene others might care about cultural attractions. Assuming people live somewhere that fits them, any decent sized city should offer sports competition for entertainment dollars

[rileyn]

I was born and raised in Montgomery County and now live in Howard County.  I moved away for about 5 years and now that I'm back in Maryland, I don't want to leave.  As far as being a good sports town or not.....I used to worry about that stuff, but now I just don't really care.   

I lived through the Redskins glory years of the 80's and that created a special bond that still somehow exists today with the locals, despite the current state of the franchise.  Much of the Redskins large fan base has been passed down through generations, and that is what the other local teams lack in this area.

The Caps came in 1974 had a tiny but loyal fan base until the Rock the Red era, but now that they won the Stanley Cup, watch out.  They exposed a ton of young people to the excitement of that sport.

The Bullets also moved to DC in the early 70's and despite their success in that decade, they have been terrible for almost 40 years.  That is not how you build a fan base.

The Nats lack that generational lift that more established teams enjoy, even the O's.  I grew up an Orioles fan because they were the local team.  It's great to see all of the young kids at Nats games because that is how you build a sustainable fan base.  It doesn't happen overnight.  Having a superstar like Bryce Harper has helped, but winning in the post season will do more to draw and keep fans than anything else.

This metro area is growing and evolving so quickly that DC has the potential to be a top sports town.....if you are into such things.