Dangerous Ballparks

I've read that one reason the Dodgers left Brooklyn, and maybe the Giants, was the neighborhood around Ebbets Field had become run down and fans were staying away from attending games out of concern for their safety, and that several of the new stadiums of the early 70s were built because the neighborhoods around Crosley Field and Shibe Park had become urban ghetto areas.

Have you ever been to a ballpark where you felt like it was too dangerous to park your car and walk a few blocks to the stadium? I've been to several, and the worst neighborhood was around Tiger Stadium. Loved the old ballpark itself, but I wasn't sure my car would be intact after the game. Joe Robbie Stadium where the Marlins played was in a very sketchy part of town, everyone parked on stadium property to avoid the neighborhood.

I feel like the reason we still have Fenway and Wrigley after more than 100 years is the inner city neighborhoods they are in haven't suffered a serious decline, they are considered desirable places to live in the city, possibly because of the proximity to the stadium itself. As a rule, fans seem to enjoy going to a Cubs or Red Sox game because of a family friendly environment in and around the old ballparks.

I've read that one reason the Dodgers left Brooklyn, and maybe the Giants, was the neighborhood around Ebbets Field had become run down and fans were staying away from attending games out of concern for their safety, and that several of the new stadiums of the early 70s were built because the neighborhoods around Crosley Field and Shibe Park had become urban ghetto areas.

Have you ever been to a ballpark where you felt like it was too dangerous to park your car and walk a few blocks to the stadium? I've been to several, and the worst neighborhood was around Tiger Stadium. Loved the old ballpark itself, but I wasn't sure my car would be intact after the game. Joe Robbie Stadium where the Marlins played was in a very sketchy part of town, everyone parked on stadium property to avoid the neighborhood.

With the game crowd, I walked a few blocks into Tiger Stadium, over the I75 bridge. Never felt dangerous, but I might not go on an off day.
I was at Old Comiskey, which is pretty much the same neighborhood as the new place, traffic was badly stopped up. Asked a cop if there was a good place to get a burger to wait out the traffic jam. "No, please just get back in your car and wait".
Outside of the new condos in the blocks next to the new Tiger Stadium, there's a lot of empty lots.

The old and new Yankee Stadium Stadium are in pretty bad areas but on game day with the crowds and influx of police, you don't really feel unsafe, but you still have to watch your surroundings. Remember going to Yankee Stadium in the late 80's and early 90's when the team sucked and with the sparse crowds, hoods asking for 20 dollars to "watch your car", you might not get jumped, but maybe your car stereo would be gone. Also, security was nonexistent back then and kids would bring in bottles of liquor to the game and there were fights all over. Its gotten much better except the prices are obscene! Steinbrenner wanted to move the team to Jersey and cited the neighborhood for poor attendance, but the team was horrible

I've read that one reason the Dodgers left Brooklyn, and maybe the Giants, was the neighborhood around Ebbets Field had become run down and fans were staying away from attending games out of concern for their safety, and that several of the new stadiums of the early 70s were built because the neighborhoods around Crosley Field and Shibe Park had become urban ghetto areas.

Have you ever been to a ballpark where you felt like it was too dangerous to park your car and walk a few blocks to the stadium? I've been to several, and the worst neighborhood was around Tiger Stadium. Loved the old ballpark itself, but I wasn't sure my car would be intact after the game. Joe Robbie Stadium where the Marlins played was in a very sketchy part of town, everyone parked on stadium property to avoid the neighborhood.

As a New Yorker , the areas around Yankee Stadium and Citi Field are no day in the park. And i keep hearing horror stories about the area around Yankee Stadium. I wont be attending any games in my hometown any time soon

3,000,000 people visited Yankee Stadium last year a large pct. traveled there by the much maligned NYC subway system. I usually drive and park on local streets [ parking lots are too expensive ]. I have been going to very many games since I was 12 years old , I will be 70 in June and have yet to be victimized while walking to and from the ballpark . I really don't know if there is some kind of point trying to be made by this post but I'll bet another 3,000,000 people come back to the ballpark next year.

I traveled the DC metrorail system for 7 years on and off. Not daily but a 1-2 times a week for meetings.
Personally witnessed multiple crimes from assaults, to purse snatchings, phone snatchings, and turnstile hopping that knocked over old women and men.

I always could defend myself but also was always in a suit and had a non LE badge that looked like an LE badge, so was generally left alone. But especially without being permitted to carry anything to defend myself, I was always much happier off the rail than on.

I was only infrequently on the NYC subway between washington sq park and Times Square, and it was never pleasant nor did I feel confident when my daughter used it for shuttling back and forth to NYU. It was a rathole.

But that's just my anecdote and I don't expect it to force anyone else to feel how I do. 3 million people can do what they want and I am fine with that.And my experience should be fine with them.

In my case to the OP, the worst place (ballpark that is--been in much worse "places") I was ever at was Tampa Bay. Couldn't get out of there fast enough. Had two sets of drug pushers try to sell us drugs and followed us to the gate. Maybe sizing us up maybe not, but the point is I don't think bullying anyone into ignoring their own set of experiences is the way either.

DC has gotten a lot safer from what I understand. I took the Metro a lot 2010-16, including to Nats games, and never witnessed a crime. Definitely heard stories of the city being a lot rougher before the millennium though. Been to NY maybe a half dozen times (again all this century) and never witnessed a crime or felt unsafe there either. Subway is definitely a lot dirtier than DC's, still a crazy convenient way to get around though. Statistically NY is actually one of the safest cities in the country, but from everything I read pre-1990s NY was basically The Purge. Only relevant ballpark-related story I have is my friend grew up going to A's games, they parked on a residential street and a real friendly guy with a hammer offered to watch the car for $10. But this would've been the 80s or 90s.

DC has gotten a lot safer from what I understand.

Hmmm. There is a reason I left. And I didn't live in Anacostia. I grew up in NY, so not a prude.

DC Violent crime rate is one of the highest in the nation, across both large and small communities. FWIW, FBI crime data indicates your chance of becoming a victim of violent crime is one in 97.
DC experiences one of the higher murder rates in the nation.

Chance of becoming a victim of a property crime is one in 28.

Bottom 5% of all US cities.

NYC much less safe than it used to be. Bottom 20% of all cities for violent crime.
National median for # total crimes per square mile is about 27.
Both these cities are an order of magnitude above that.

Edit--not trying to be provocative. I loved things about both cities and still do. But living or working in them has become untenable at least for me. Not the case for many people, clearly. And just as clear is all of this has little to do with balls, bats, and green grass. Which is probably badge 1787's point (from later post clearly I was wrong--his point seems to be that he disagrees with FBI crime data and/or trying to humiliate people who live their lives as they choose or maybe an embedded marketing jingle like I Love New York). When the facts don't support, then begin character attacks. I personally think the thread was fine, especially compared to threads like "who were the most racist players"

It's been a hobby or maybe an obsessive quest of mine to learn about and explore some of the old ballyards from the early 1900s. There's a website called Ballparks of Baseball that is a great resource https://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/past-ballparks/. When I'm in one of the big eastern cities I try to visit the spot where these historic stadiums stood. I have not been assaulted at any of them, but I didn't feel safe because most of the very old ballparks were in the city center and now some of those sites are drug infested war zones. The worst was Philadelphia, where Shibe Park and Baker Bowl used to be is someplace I definitely wouldn't want to be after dark, and I was pushing my luck to visit during the day.