Originally Posted by BearX220
Camden Yards: Love the neighborhood, the pre-game atmosphere in the pubs and on the street. Park for free six blocks away around the hospital and walk in. Sightlines are mostly great -- I like the third-base side. Used to go when it first opened and every game was a sellout, was back just last October and didn't notice any deterioration in the park... maybe above poster can offer specifics.
I can't really elaborate much. Maybe I'm just more jaded now that I've seen so many of the new and improved Camdens. I just remember thinking it was so grand and clean back in the sell-out days when Cal ruled the diamond. When I returned, I found the ballpark was dirtier (despite there being maybe half the number of people in the stands). The pain seemed faded. The bathrooms were flooded (and I don't want to know with what). I just didn't find the second trip very magical (unlike Anaheim which I thoroughly enjoyed on a second run and Pittsburgh which I ALWAYS enjoy despite the suckiness of the team).
Basically, I think parks like San Diego, San Francisco, and Pittsburgh took the good from Camden and made it better. Maybe that's the problem. Camden was the original, so it has its little flaws. The other cities recognized those flaws and improved. That makes Camden flaws more visible. Or maybe it's because I'm an NL girl! =)
Whatever the case, I don't see any magic left in Baltimore. Maybe it's different this year with the first place team. But the city is DISGUSTING! Go 2 blocks from the inner harbor/ballpark (around where the Radisson is), and you're in a bad neighborhood. I just think Angelos and TPTB have let the stadium reduce itself to the seediness of the city overall. And that's not good, especially with the competition now in DC. Of course, given the competition, maybe he's cleaned up his act. We can only hope.