Twirly Burly on April 01, 2011, at 01:11PM – #1

Tailgating is always going to be critically important for any new NFL stadium. One of the reasons why you can't get rid of tailgating is because people want to show up early or leave late to meet up with friends and to avoid the worst of the traffic crunch. The traffic congestion at the AEG downtown site would be the worst, so it would have to make up for it by creating the most tailgating space. But in reality the AEG site has the least tailgating space - there is nowhere for partying fans to go. AEG talks about LA Live, but even when I went to LA Live for a concert, the restaurant lines were so long that it wasn't worth the wait. Fans would spill over to tailgate any place they can find - it would be a MESS. Just build the stadium according to Majestic's plan in Industry where there is 600 acres and this whole complicated transportation and tailgating issue will be solved once and for all.

ilipoyas on April 01, 2011, at 02:20PM – #2

If the unused parking lot(s) between Figueroa and Flower were turned into a park, it could also double as the perfect tailgating area for the stadium.

TBerry on April 01, 2011, at 05:08PM – #3

I find it VERY hard to believe that, given the option between driving and taking public transit to a game that people would prefer to drive. Especially considering the amount people drink. I think the car culture surrounding football has grown out of the location of all these stadiums. It's a sort of chicken and the egg problem... did people want to drive or did the location of the stadiums force them to? Tailgating has always seemed to me to be the way to diffuse the miserable inconvenience posed by having to drive out to the styx for a major sporting event.

Personally, I see no reason why football fans would act any differently than baseball fans, who gladly take public transit to stadiums that are often located in the center of the cities. In NY or Boston, a great tradition of pre-game and post-game bar hopping exists in place of the tailgating culture. Why is football different? I don't think it is, I think this is a myth.

Personally, I know a lot of people who have stopped their season ticket subscriptions to football games, citing the inconvenience/expenses associated with driving to game versus using HD and other in-home conveniences. I think a centrally located stadium would change that.

I also agree that you could very easily create parks for tailgaters in the vicinity that would still be closer than the 1.9 mile walk from the furthest reaches of this proposed City of Industry parking ocean.

Another factor... having the team's stadium in or near the center of the city is really important in fusing the identity of that team with the city. Putting the Cowboys in Arlington is fine, the Cowboys have a longstanding history of loving/supporting that team. With Los Angeles, I think the team needs to be in LA to help forge that bond.

I could be way off with all of this... but one thing is for certain. If they build the stadium in City of Industry, I will NEVER attend a football game. While I'd consider season tickets to a downtown option.

David Crowley on April 01, 2011, at 05:45PM – #4

AEG thinks they do a good job mitigating traffic during Staples events? Are they serious?

It may bring in money but I dont think a stadium in downtown LA would be beneficial to the community. And as for it needing to be in the city of los angeles to help forge a bond I think that's ridiculous. The majority of people attending the game aren't from the city of Los Angeles, they're from the rest of the county. They'll develop that bond with the team regardless.

@ilipoyas

Are you kidding? Those parking lots are not unused, in fact those are the lots AEG is talking about when they say there's enough parking in the neighborhood. Demand for parking gets so high they're able to charge more than 5 times the regular amount. Removing those lots would be devastating to the local community.

iralu1 () on April 01, 2011, at 06:05PM – #5

Hey, with the growing popularity of rooftop parks and gardens I think you can still build a multi-level parking garage and have green space on top for tailgaiting.

Dion on April 01, 2011, at 06:14PM – #6

Tberry, agreed 100%.

David Crowley, i think AEG has done a very good job. honestly, its not that bad considering 20,000 people are going in and out. the only areas of downtown that are even affected are the immediate streets adjacent to the Staples Center and the 110 freeway until the 101 interchange. Not a big deal at all.

TBerry on April 01, 2011, at 07:05PM – #7

David,

I don't see how the stadium would be a detraction. That whole area by LA Live is already a major events/sports center... and has already proven to be hugely beneficial for downtown. I've lived 6 blocks from LA Live for a while and the Art Walk is more of a disruption than anything that ever goes on over there... including Lakers related riots. The addition of a football stadium, along with some needed local infrastructure, like garages, to increase the feasibility seems to follow in that line of thinking. Just as I've heard nothing but good things from my Baltimore friends about having Camden Yards and the Ravens stadium located close to each other in the heart of the city.

I also don't think it's entirely ridiculous to think that the natural center of the city - one that was designed specifically with the automobile in mind - where 4 freeways, public transit as well as business like hotels all converge, is the most logical place to put something like this stadium. It certainly makes more sense than somewhere like the City of Industry.

I'm guessing it will take 2-3 hours for Angelenos to get out there on the Pomona freeway on game days... no thanks.

Anthony Jones on April 02, 2011, at 12:56AM – #8

Tberry I also want the stadium ot be downtown, because I want the best for downtown and anything that makes it a happening locale is cool with me. However, when you say you can't understand why football would be any different than baseball, that highlights the question in the authors post. Certain things are ingrained in our sports culture. Baseball and basketball are inherently urban in LA. Now, you may get the urban part that refers to us that live in dtla and appreciate the energy and event-ness, but there''s also the other part which includes the tipping over and burning of cars, the stabbing that happened at Dodgers stadium this weekend, and the other elements you and I have gotten used to. The 48 year old married father of 2 will NEVER take transit to dtla. Nor is he interested in the LA Live restaurants or the Standard hotel or the guys jumping behind the FSW window. It's not a 5 games a week sport, its one big Sunday. The majority of America is terrified and tired of our urban realities. Football is a middle America sport. The urban elements are not bankers, lawyers, movie stars, and westsiders like basketball and baseball. OC, IE, and SGV families will fill that stadium year after year, you and I just think it would be cool just to have it here.

DonnieK on April 02, 2011, at 03:48PM – #9

Very interesting. I've been wondering about this for a while. While baseball is a game that was born out of the cities, football's popularity came at a time of increasing suburbanization. That being said, Los Angeles, at America, must increasingly urbanize if we expect to compete economically. The era of urban sprawl fueled (no pun intended) by cheap gasoline is over. Dense urbanism and mass transit IS our future.

Chris Loos on April 02, 2011, at 11:38PM – #10

Humans are a pretty adaptable species. We've adapted to countless different political systems, pretty much every climate on earth, famines, natural disasters, wars, and genocides. I'm pretty sure that NFL fans can adapt to not having a giant parking lot to tailgate in.

If its about avoiding traffic as Twirly pointed out, why not come early and check out one of the zillion bars downtown?

BobbyD on April 03, 2011, at 02:14PM – #11

25,00 parking spaces? Is Majestic counting all the presently availble spaces as solely theirs to use for their games and their other events? What happens when somebody else downtown has an event? How many times around the block and searching the maze of one-way and two-way streets to find a parking place? Rose Bowl Stadium games have a small army of helpers that allow only residents and game-goers, wasting other attractions supplied by the county or Pasadena. Will Majestic keep out others, thereby starving other businesses downtown and wasting taxpayer-supported attractions? Just saying there are parking places is not enough, many people can be hurt financially by a big event downtown. How about Majestic putting their money where their 25,000 parking places bragging is by putting in underground parking for 25,000 parking spaces? That way Majestic does not screw others, especially the taxpayers who pay for those 25,000 parking spaces 25,00 parking spaces? Is Majestic counting all the presently availble spaces as solely theirs to use for their games and their other events? What happens when somebody else downtown has an event? How many times around the block and searching the maze of one-way and two-way streets to find a parking place? Rose Bowl Stadium games have a small army of helpers that allow only residents and game-goers, wasting other attractions supplied by the county or Pasadena. Will Majestic keep out others, thereby starving other businesses downtown and wasting taxpayer-supported attractions? Just saying there are parking places is not enough, many people can be hurt financially by a big event downtown. How about Majestic putting their money where their 25,000 parking places bragging is by putting in underground parking for 25,000 parking spaces? That way Majestic does not screw others, especially the taxpayers who pay for those spaces 25,00 parking spaces? Is Majestic counting all the presently availble spaces as solely theirs to use for their games and their other events? What happens when somebody else downtown has an event? How many times around the block and searching the maze of one-way and two-way streets to find a parking place? Rose Bowl Stadium games have a small army of helpers that allow only residents and game-goers, wasting other attractions supplied by the county or Pasadena. Will Majestic keep out others, thereby starving other businesses downtown and wasting taxpayer-supported attractions? Just saying there are parking places is not enough, many people can be hurt financially by a big event downtown. How about Majestic putting their money where their 25,000 parking places bragging is by putting in underground parking for 25,000 parking spaces? That way Majestic does not screw others, especially the taxpayers who pay for them while 25,00 parking spaces? Is Majestic counting all the presently availble spaces as solely theirs to use for their games and their other events? What happens when somebody else downtown has an event? How many times around the block and searching the maze of one-way and two-way streets to find a parking place? Rose Bowl Stadium games have a small army of helpers that allow only residents and game-goers, wasting other attractions supplied by the county or Pasadena. Will Majestic keep out others, thereby starving other businesses downtown and wasting taxpayer-supported attractions? Just saying there are parking places is not enough, many people can be hurt financially by a big event downtown. How about Majestic putting their money where their 25,000 parking places bragging is by putting in underground parking for 25,000 parking spaces? That way Majestic does not screw others, especially the taxpayers.

David McBane on April 03, 2011, at 03:05PM – #12

BobbyD - One important note for you: Majestic has the proposal in the City of Industry, AEG has the proposal for Downtown. So switch Majestic with AEG in your post and you'll be good to go.

Brian Tompkins on April 03, 2011, at 05:55PM – #13

Seattle and Chicago come to mind right away as towns that have great urban football stadiums. I think this Majestic guys is not only mistaken in saying that football can't be urban, but he also lacks foresight in betting on a sprawling future. The future is urban and it has to be accessible by public transportation.

derblut on April 03, 2011, at 07:25PM – #14

Why can't the Coliseum parking lot be used for tailgating? $10 ticket buys you a tailgating parking spot and a 5 minute Expo ride?

Anthony Jones on April 03, 2011, at 09:26PM – #15

derblut-thats a great idea. @Brian- you're right as well. The question is not really about the future, urbanism is inevitable. But LA is a different monster. People downtown want the action, but do they really want all those people here? No. Can urban football survive in LA? Is this the market that LOST TWO FOOTBALL TEAMS? The elements within urban culture in LA will not prevent people from being fans and wanting tickets necessarily, but it will prevent them from using anything other than cars. When the new team plays the Raiders, 49ers, or Chargers (but esp the Raiders)? Watch the news and get back to me. It's about public safety, congestion, and colluding things that have the ability to explode. It's exciting, but you're not getting middle class suburbanites to ride the buses or trains to the stadium. Forget that. If they're banking on that, they're in trouble.

Simon Hartigan on April 04, 2011, at 08:23PM – #16

The "suburbanites" will most certainly take trains. And the trick is rather simple, don't widen roads, don't build more parking structures in downtown, and watch them take the train or stay home (which they're very good at).

On another note, why are you guys so focused on NFL? You DO realize that there will be 8 games in the year for an NFL team, maybe 9-11 if they make it deep into the playoffs. 11 days max out of 365 days in the year. And you guys are getting so worked up over this, it's kind of making me chuckle. This stadium will be used for many events and the NFL would be just one very small part of it. If the stadium is built in the City of Industry, it'll be a ghost town and a huge waste of space for most days in the year.

If DTLA gets the stadium, then awesome, one more thing to put us on the map. If the City of Industry gets it, I feel bad for anyone leaving near there and I sure hope not a single dollar of public money gets spent on it. Building a stadium of this magnitude in the suburbs is the epitome of the mess LA has gotten themselves into since the end of WWII. Consolidate is what needs to be done, not sprawl some more. Again, big waste and huge mistake for the region of the stadium goes there and again, IF it gets built in the suburbs, then no public money better get spent on it.

Christopher Eaton on April 04, 2011, at 10:56PM – #17

The Majestic folk have flooded the blogs for months now selling the same old propaganda that just doesn't wash. It wasn't true 12 years ago and it certainly isn't true now. People from the Valley take the subway to Kings games. People love the urban experience before and after games at Staples, and people will love the urban experience before and after football games too. What Westsider or Pasadena fan wouldn't take the Expo Line or Gold Line to games instead of driving if given the option? Tons of folk take the Gold Line to Pasadena for big games there. It's already working. The AEG project is hands down the winner in my mind. And David Crowley, the lots around Downtown are being developed and in their place are multistack lots and much larger numbers of people are taking mass transit to work and for play all the time. The open lots are going the way of the dinosaur, as they should. Can't wait to buy season tix at Farmers Field.

Jon on April 05, 2011, at 10:35AM – #18

Yep. People already take the train to Staples for Lakers, Clippers and Kings games. Check out the stations at 7th/Metro and Pico/Flower if you don't believe me.

Heck, people already take the train downtown for USC games. Unfortunately, until the Expo line is running, this mean's taking a shuttle or taxi from the LA Live area down to Exposition Park.

Robert A on April 05, 2011, at 01:01PM – #19

Since we would expect the streetcar to be running by the time the stadium gets built, why not designate tailgating parks like the new Civic Center park the, lawn surrounding City Hall and Pershing Square. They can picnic, bring life to the rest of Downtown and hop on the Streetcar to the stadium to enjoy the game. It would also encourage more parks Downtown.

TBerry on April 05, 2011, at 03:50PM – #20

@ Simon Hartigan - I couldn't agree more. Especially about it's uses beyond the NFL.

@ Anthony Jones - I understand your point about suburbanites and the urban culture of LA and respectfully disagree. Having grown up in the New York metro area, I've watched middle class and upper class families from Connecticut take the train to Harlem, walk 3 blocks through that neighborhood when it was much rougher than it is now to change over to the subway to get to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx (they have since added a train the eliminates the walk). They don't do that for the Giants because there is no real public transit to the Meadowlands... and with gas prices skyrocketing and the advents of television technology... I know MANY of them simply just don't go to games anymore. It's not the culture of the game that dictates why people do what they do, it's the culture of the city/area... and that culture is changing in LA for the better.

Of course there are public safety concerns with any major venue, no matter where you put it. Putting it in City of Industry just means that a married father of two will be more at risk from drunk drivers than rowdy fans on the train.

on April 11, 2011, at 07:21PM – #21

it would be great to have a stadium

BobbyD on April 21, 2011, at 05:27PM – #22

David McBane My mistake. I am concerned that the downtown site would mess up the parking for other venues downtown, plus mess up the foorball fans expectations when they try to go to the game. One additional concern about the parking is that others in the area can coordinate with the football stadium schedule but other events could be troublesome, especially those events that postpone because of rain- next day or in two days or when? Traveling events have to go soon, so may choose a day that is wrong for others downtown.

John Rogger on August 17, 2011, at 10:34AM – #23

I love traveling to football games....I'll gladly skip LA if it's not LA Stadium. There is nothing more important about football than tailgating...I for one wouldn't travel with any team if I knew i had to take a "train" to a stadium and I was not allowed to tailgate. Props to LA stadium...hope they get it going

on August 17, 2011, at 11:19AM – #24

John and others,

Glad you are all interested in getting football back in LA. It's important that we continue to fight to get a team secured and get them to stay this time.

The Los Angeles Stadium will be accessible to over 15 million people and will be the most innovative, environmentally-friendly stadium with the best game day experience in the NFL.

The Los Angeles Stadium will generate 18,000 jobs and millions of dollars of revenue for the City and County of Los Angeles without public investment – no higher taxes or stimulus dollars

Los Angeles Stadium is shovel ready and will generate unprecedented revenues for the 32 owners of existing franchises

We will have over 600 acres of land for parking and tailgating.

Let's get the NFL back In LA and Keep them!

William Crandell on August 17, 2011, at 08:54PM – #25

Los Angeles Stadium....

Is that that proposal for way out there east of South El Monte?

on August 18, 2011, at 06:13AM – #26

From S. El Monte it's about 11mins...roughly southeast down 60

William Crandell on August 18, 2011, at 09:57PM – #27

Yup, with down being the operative word..

Imagine it: The Industrial Rams.