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I never understood why they moved their AAA team so close to Atlanta metro? It was a really dumb decision. Atlanta is not big enough to support two teams. Hell even the Braves have empty seats when they are winning. That field in Gwinnett is not producing.
And people say the City of Atlanta is mismanaged? This is the biggest boondoggle and black eye for the county.
The only people who will attend will be people from Gwinnett and beyond. Nobody from Atlanta would drive to Coolray Field, when Turner Field is downtown and accessible by MARTA shuttle.
Now the developer is trying to go back on the development and create something half-assed.
I have been to several Atlanta Braves games and only one Gwinnett Braves game even though I live in Gwinnett. Part of the problem from my observation is that it doesn't appear that the G-Braves are being marketed correctly as a AAA team. The minors should come with lower prices and less hassle. Ticket prices aren't bad overall, but you aren't getting enough of a bang for your buck to stop you from shooting down to Turner Field after work or on a weekend as opposed to going to Coolray Field.
One niche market that they may need to really continue to tap into is children/youth groups. At the one G-Braves game that I attended, there were a few Little Leaguers in attendance and they appeared to have a blast. Kids also have a much better shot at catching a homer or foul ball at Coolray. Lord knows that we never had a prayer of doing that at Dodger Stadium when I was growing up *lol*.
Location is also killing the G-Braves. Although Coolray Field is a good distance from Turner Field, there are still plenty of people (myself included) that would rather go to Turner. I think they assumed that the G-Braves could be successful based on how the Gladiators fared better than the Thrashers before the Thrashers left town. I think that a minor league baseball team would have to be even further out to really draw crowds. There are a few minor league baseball teams in Southern California, most they tend to be in cities or areas where the average fan either can't or won't drive to see the Dodgers, Angels, or Padres either after work or on the weekend. Although Atlanta traffic is bad, it is still much easier for someone in Lawrenceville to make a 7pm weekday game at Turner Field that it is for someone in Rancho Cucamonga to make a 7pm weekday game at Dodger Stadium.
I've never been to a Gwinett Braves game but I've been to a handful of Rome Braves games. I actually think minor league games are a little more enjoyable than MLB. I lived close enough to bike it to Turner which is A LOT less of a hassle than driving or taking Marta. Had I not had this option I probably would have attended a lot less Atl Braves games.
I have driven by CoolRay field and I agree that it's really in sort of an odd location. I was sort of confused when they decided to relocate so close. I've caught a game or two on CSS and honestly the stadium looks sort of bland. I guess it sort of fits with suburbia. I don't even like the name "Gwinnett Braves." The first thing I think of when I hear Gwinnett is bland suburbia. At least Rome has a separate identity from the Atlanta metro. Maybe that helps the Rome Braves succeed.
The single A Braves relocated to Rome from Macon and I think the city has done a pretty good job of promoting them. The city has changed a good bit for the better since they started playing and I think the team had at least a little to do with it. The area around State Mutual Stadium is still sort of meh but it's not nearly as desolate(and it's definitely not scary) as the area around Turner Field, especially considering that Rome is about 1/20th the size of Atlanta. At least they are trying to develop the area around the stadium which is far more than you can say for the city of Atlanta.
The only reason I see that they have the Gwinnett braves so close is due to easily being able to send players to the Atlanta Braves. I have a friend who is in the Cincinati Reds minor league system and from what he tells me, majors call up more players than what someone would expect.
Because apartments are very difficult to keep nice. They are frequently bought and sold, so an apartment that is built nice and commands high rents today, can be sold next year to a new company who may neglect to take care of it. That leads to run down buildings, which become eyesores, but more importantly the lower rents attract lower quality tenants which in turn affect the neighborhood with higher crime rates and more children in the local schools that require subsidies like free lunches.
Rentals are not good for home values. That's what I've always been told.
If you want to live in the hood, that's your business.
Some people are interested in protecting their investments. I've been accused of being a racist on this board before, which is extremely untrue. However, you don't have to accuse me of being a classist. I'll admit it right here in front of everyone that I am!
Location: Mableton, GA USA (NW Atlanta suburb, 4 miles OTP)
11,334 posts, read 26,086,242 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ATLTJL
Of course it's a class thing.
If you want to live in the hood, that's your business.
Some people are interested in protecting their investments. I've been accused of being a racist on this board before, which is extremely untrue. However, you don't have to accuse me of being a classist. I'll admit it right here in front of everyone that I am!
If "class" means a distinction between those who have a vested interest in being good neighbors and those who don't, I'm right there with you.
Of the few folks I know who have had periodic issues with vandalism and such in their neighborhoods, two of them has traced the folks who were causing problems to an inexpensive apartment complex not far away.
Those types of areas are best avoided when purchasing a home, IMO.
A homeowner has a somewhat different perspective (especially these days) than a renter does because they've put down legal roots ... they can't simply walk away from a developing problem area as easily as a renter can.
Plus, if someone comes and spraypaints your house or trashes your mailbox because they're kids and bored and all that (an apparently common situation in Atlanta), a homeowner can't just call the landlord to fix it. As the owner, you gotta pay for it.
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