10 Arenas That Fit Their Cities Seamlessly -- and 4 That Don't (NBA/NHL Arenas Ranked!)

[@lucky247365]

Highly surprised Toronto's Scotiabank Arena isn't in the top 3. It's right beside Union station which is the hub for regional rail and subway connections. A couple of small surface parking lots are nearby but it's mostly underground, quick access to the freeway, plenty of bars and restaurants and everyone knows about the famous Jurassic Park (Maple Leaf Square) area that is surrounded by condos and stores.

[@gregoryjdaly9174]

I was surprised by this as well. I live less an a kilometre away from Scotiabank arena. It is in a highly walkable area and in addition to a direct underground connection to subway and regional rail. It is also directly across the street from regional bus (GO Transit). While the street frontage is not animated with restaurants or retail, the pedestrian environment offers direct links to significant interior retail and restaurant (as well as thousands of condos and offices)

[@tristanridley1601]

I hoped it would make top ten. (Ninth maybe?) But by his exterior measures it doesn't do too well. I think maybe he could have taken "days idle" as a factor which would have helped? That area doesn't exactly have an urban fabric to beautifully fit into with the Gardiner right there, and the front face of the plaza looks like one of those useless spaces he described until you Basically he didn't judge them for efficient land use (which will obviously be good given the sheer value of land there), but for beautiful integration to surrounding areas at the pedestrian level. What Scotiabank arena does well is connect to transportation and be unobtrusive. It's almost tucked in a corner with massive pedestrian linkage to Union.

[@zio1243]

@@tristanridley1601 Yeah you have access to the commuter rail, Subway, and streetcar. Real sports bar right outside. Toronto should be at least top 3.

[@gavinneedham2013]

I think a lot of Canada’s NHL arenas are decent. Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton.

[@SpektakOne]

@@zio1243 hell, if you’re from out of town and feeling for a lakeside stroll, you could fly into Billy Bishop and walk to the arena in less than 30 mins. I’ve done that walk a few times when I’ve landed there, just missed the shuttle bus, and found the weather too lovely to just stand around waiting on the next one.

[@Dan-qv9xy]

Completely agree with the Capital arena. There’s great support between the city and neighborhood that really makes it a win for everyone. They also get a TON of use out of that arena.

[@joelsmith3886]

I think LA’s Staples Center deserves an honorable mention. It fits the urban fabric-just the LA urban fabric is weird. I love how it has livened up what had been a miserable part of the city and now it’s always lively there with street festivals and convention center foot traffic. Integral part of an urban revival success story

[@CityNerd]

Persuasive.

[@davidanderson3652]

LA isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I saw an up and coming Grizzlies team embarass Kobe and co in 2010-2011 season, the fans were Dodger style in them flying the coop by midway through the 3rd quarter to beat traffic. We had taken the local bus a million miles from Santa Monica down Olympic the entire way and the arena didn't seem out of place once we got close. The other problem with the experience was that downtown LA is just a ghost town at night.

[@Geotpf]

It's also easy to get to by transit with the Pico stop for the A and E light rail lines a block away and bus stops for the J BRT and other busses nearby too.

[@nikolark366]

I would disagree. Every time I've been around Staples Center when there isn't a game going on, the place is dead and no one is there.

[@MDagrosa]

no

[@medea6300]

Golden 1 Center in Sacramento is a sleeper here. Especially when the hangar doors are open. Huge improvement over Sleep Train Arena. Where as Sleep Train was amongst the worst, Golden 1 has to be up there with the best.

[@davidanderson3652]

Sleep Train was one of the worst I have ever gone to.

[@medea6300]

@@davidanderson3652 You sir are correct. But I will give it this much, the atmosphere was unmatched. It literally got shaking. Even still, a terrible arena.

[@davidanderson3652]

@@medea6300 You are right, I didn't mean to diminish the atmosphere in the arena, just the urban design. I saw them one time even when the Kings were terrible smoke a Brooklyn team with a lot of uninspired talent, even Ben McLemore was hitting 3s that game. It reminded me a little of Continental Airlines Arena in that since it feels like a bus terminal in the concourse rather than a sports arena, people don't congregate in the hallways but remain in their seats more AND since there is not much ornate anything, the sound in said bus terminal seems to resonate more. I've heard it many times over from fans of the Mets, Indians, A's, and other teams with aging stadiums at the time, "It may be a dump, but it's OUR dump."

[@algonquin91]

Wait, why isn't there any mention of Toronto's Scotiabank Arena? It is completely integrated through pedestrian tunnels with the main regional and local transit hub, Union Station, is connected the PATH network which extends over 30 square kilometres and connects to many office towers and condos, and the area outside the arena is also busy with restaurants, condos, shoppes, pedestrian ways... you are a quick walk to the CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium, the Roger's Centre.... I was really expecting Toronto's Scotiabank Arena to come in the top 3. Maybe you can film a re-do or revised edition to this list?

[@davidreichert9392]

This surprised me too. When he read out his criteria I thought Scotiabank Centre fit the bill completely and would be high up the list.

[@wclark3196]

The Arena (aka ACC/Scotiabank) isn't really integrated into the life of the city. It's next to a very large train station, which is a transportation hub and near an expressway, so it's not hard to access, it's true. But there's not a lot of nice streetlife. Hemmed in by the railway tracks and station on one side, large, busy roads in the expressway and Lakeshore Blvd. Bay and York are both given over to traffic and unpleasant streets. The condo zone developing down there may have some promise, but what I've seen of the streetscape so far is largely not very welcoming, just a bunch of glass towers that don't create a pedestrian friendly environment. You could spend a night out on Front St West, King West, or head east to Front St East and farther to The Distillery and you'd never even see the Arena. If you're not going to an event, you just wouldn't spend any time near it.

[@seanstours3913]

Canada doesnt exist to some americans 🤣 haha

[@algonquin91]

@@seanstours3913 Unfortunately, you are absolutely correct.

[@EditorVJAS]

Based on the criteria presented I'm not surprised it wasn't on the list. All the details you mentioned are undoubtedly correct, and I'd throw being that close to the Hockey Hall of Fame should be added. From Bay street or the Park is one thing but having the Gardiner running by one side and the trains on the other it doesn't quite mesh as the other on the list do. On the Gardiner and the Vancouver Viaducts alone I was expecting Scotiabank or Rogers Arena. I would have expected Edmonton over Winnipeg thou.

[@jeffc1347]

Barclays is my favorite, beautiful arena in a great neighborhood with a subway station literally right in front of its entrance.

[@shape816]

Great list, but I definitely think TD Garden surpasses all, based on your criteria. Granted, I'm a biased Bostonian, but the sheer number of retail, restaurants, and music venues right in the new complex is incredibly impressive. On top of that, public transportation couldn't be better, with green line, orange line, commuter rail, and even Amtrak sitting under the building. And the neighborhood it seamlessly blends into is not a dead financial district, but a vibrant residential and commercial neighborhood that's always busy. Anyway, just figured I'd chime in. Digging the channel.

[@CityNerd]

Yeah, like I say in the video, I could definitely be talked into TD Garden as #1. I think my problem was, the entire arena is basically hidden, which almost seems like cheating! But it's a good kind of cheating. Also maybe unconsciously biased because the building TD Garden replaced was so legendary.

[@shape816]

@@CityNerd Yes, the garden was absolutely legendary, but also a dump with horrible sightlines. I think most of us are over it by now...

[@CityNerd]

@@shape816 And no air conditioning if I remember right...

[@MuddyRavine]

@@CityNerd I remember watching the Oilers pound the Bruins way back, with fog on the ice and a blackout during the game.

[@jasonriddell]

@@MuddyRavine thumbs up for such an awesome NHL matchup - used to live in Edmonton and take the LRT to the stadium to watch the oilers give the bruins "an oil change"

[@ktcottrell]

I have to disagree with you on "useless" plazas. A lot of teams use these plazas for fan fests and viewing parties. They make a great place to hang out before games. A lot of arenas put statues of famous players in them as well and make a great place for pictures and stuff.

[@fallenshallrise]

I kind of agree but why do they build 4 of them. At our local arena 1 plaza that's near the train gets a bit of use during games / concerts, Monster Energy van with some music playing or whatever. The other side has a wide open plaza that is empty 100% of the time.

[@gavinsheridan4680]

Pittsburgh handles these things on city streets and it works fine.

[@SvSGaming]

I go to Capital One all the time and love it. It fits the atmosphere of DC so well, and it’s never that hard to find parking (underground garages literally everywhere).

[@gpacific246]

Very cool. I'd like to see a similar ranking of football and baseball stadiums. I imagine the size and configuration make them even more challenging to integrate organically into the cityscape.

[@CityNerd]

Stay tuned! One interesting aspect, particularly with baseball, is that historically the ballparks were always woven into the urban form. Wrigley and Fenway are still good examples...and of course there are some newer parks that succeed in emulating that to different degrees.

[@MrHeman2025]

There aren’t any flyovers in Washington, DC because the city and many of its surrounding suburbs are designated as no-fly zones. In order to fly a drone in the no-fly zone, you’re going to need special government approval from the TSA.

[@rsablosky]

I just came back from a Kings game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento (which opened in 2016). They lost, of course, but the arena is GREAT. I think it fits brilliantly into Sacramento's urban fabric.

[@BrienBellJTS]

Adding The Beam this year has to vault Golden 1 Center up in these rankings. Having a place of Religious Worship has to add value, right?

[@dilliam1702]

Do MLS stadiums next! They seem to be really well situated within cities existing fabrics due to their size. Even Houston's is right downtown and super interesting.

[@CityNerd]

Yep, that's on the list.

[@CityNerd]

I actually love professional sports, but man it's hard to fit a 20,000 seat arena (or 60,000 seat stadium!) downtown where all the good transportation connections are and not have it be an eyesore/deadzone. Where else have you seen good examples of sports arenas/stadia that nestle into their cities well? La Bombonera? Fenway Park?

[@seprishere]

The Millennium Stadium, Cardiff?

[@Jack-fw4mw]

You probably are already aware, but Seattle Baseball and Football stadiums do a good job providing a buffer between the industrial Port of Seattle (one of the busiest ports on the West Coast) and old downtown. This puts them right near heavy rail, light rail, and plenty of bus transit. Industrial use is inherently more anti pedestrian, so the stadiums make use of that by aligning their deadzones with the beginning of the industrial zoning for the city.

[@sblack53]

Scotiabank Arena. It’s flanked by Union Station on one end and The Gardiner Expressway and waterfront on the other. The area referred to as Jurassic Park is lined with restaurants, shops, residential, and hotels. The concourse also has shops and covered connections to Union Station. On the other hand, there’s Rogers Centre. The dome and CN Tower next door are iconic as part of the Toronto Skyline. It’s about a 5-10 minute walk west of Union Station and Scotiabank Arena on Bremner Blvd or through the Skywalk complex attached to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Rogers Centre also has a hotel built in.

[@gatorpatric0]

I think you missed State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Built above a train station, reasonably integrated into down town, has a connected hotel and smallish mall (CNN Center). The large surface parking lot next to it (called The Gulch) has been sold and is beginning development to bring in into the downtown city grid. You could do a decent video just on The Gulch.

[@tomaszwojtasik5483]

Wrigley Field! it has a plaza but it has active uses (movie screenings, ice rink, Christmas market) all year

[@huzefahusain2564]

Minneapolis deserves a honorable mention as well, pretty easy connections to the light rail from US Bank stadium, Target Field, and Target center! Also if you're riding out the Green line from Minneapolis to St. Paul, Xcel energy center isn't too far a walk from the station.

[@bruhkamp]

Regarding Philly: The current arena is built in the same general area as the previous one (like one parking lot over). One of the reasons this sight is used is that SEPTA has the ability to store extra trains down there to quickly move crowds out after games/events. Former MLB player and Penn Alum, Doug Glanville actually did his senior thesis (systems engineering) on the best location for the new baseball park (what became Citizens) and looked at a few different locations (one in Center City and I think 30th street as well) and it was this train storage aspect that led him to argue on behalf of the South Philly location.

[@CityNerd]

I love a comment like this. I knew Doug Glanville was super smart but had no idea about this thesis paper -- will have to Google right this second. Awesome.

[@sebastianjoseph2828]

I like the location because of the mass transit capability, but I think it's a major oversight that there hasn't been a boom in construction on all of the parking lots around the stadium. You could even keep the same amount of parking if garages were built (not a good thing but it's possible) just build apartments and retail around the stadium. Leave a couple lots as-is for tailgates, and boom you've made a killing on real estate development AND transformed the area.

[@APettyJ]

Glanville actually recommended the 30th St site over S Philly, because it is much more integrated with Philly's transportation network at 30th Street Station. The ability to store extra trains in S Philly is why he ranked it ahead of the mayor at the time's, John Street, choice at Broad and Spring Garden. 30th Street was Glanville's choice, though.

[@APettyJ]

​@@sebastianjoseph2828 there is a deed restriction in place requiring any displaced parking to be replaced elsewhere on the complex. In theory I guess garages could alleviate this, but this has limited development down there.

[@chrispontani6059]

When they built the F.U. Center in Philadelphia (it is the best nickname for that building in this town) both the Sixers and Flyers were both owned by Comcast. They have since sold the Sixers. I always said that the team needs to get out from under the thumb of the Comcast and build their own arena, and over the tracks at 30th Street was my choice. But I think Drexel has something up their sleeve redeveloping over there. That being said, yes the Philadelphia sports complex is surrounded by parking, and two interstates intersect right there, including a bridge to Jersey, but don’t discount the Broad Street subway terminating at the sports complex. And there is the stalled faux destination retail being built there.

[@CityNerd]

Thanks for the great comment -- I'm totally counting on the viewers for awesome insider tidbits like "F.U. Center"! Love it. If you haven't checked it out, I did give a shoutout to the Broad Street line in my (more recent) NFL Stadiums video. I do like that the Philly stadium area has good transit service and is somewhat near the city center...but there's a lot to dislike about the design of the area. Great city, though.

[@chrispontani6059]

@@CityNerd since I subscribed, I’ve been going through the back catalog. Look forward to watching it.

[@gerryphilly53]

I think that one difficulty that you alluded to is the reason that Philadelphia decided to create a sports complex that serves all four professional sports teams - the fact that outside of the respective sport’s season the stadium or arena is vacant (the 1960’s and 70’s experiment with multipurpose stadiums was a dismal failure because the needs of baseball and football are incompatible). Clustering the three sports venues means that the area receives year-round use, eliminating duplicative seasonally-used parking areas. The complex also recently added a new casino-hotel. For mass transit, the nearby terminus of the Broad Street Subway provides frequent dedicated service for events (SEPTA runs special express trains before and after games and the station has capacity to have four trains ready for loading). The line also allows for convenient connection to the commuter rail network (a concourse connects commuter rail’s Suburban Station and the the combined Market-Frankford Line and Light Rail lines’ 15th Street station with the Broad Street’s City Hall Station.) There is also a direct connection at the BSL’s Walnut-Locust station to the PATCO line that serves New Jersey suburbs.(For Jersey residents who decide not to drive despite the adjacent presence of the Walt Whitman Bridge to the stadium complex.)

[@davidmeyer2729]

@@CityNerd The stadium complex in South Philly got it's start as the home to the Sesquicentennial Exposition which lead to JFK Stadium being built. Over the years the infrastructure to handle large crowds has been developed for the area, so it's a real hard sell to build arenas and stadiums else where in the city. The Phillies tried to leave South Philly but couldn't make it happen. Citizens Bank Park was designed to fit onto a city block which doesn't make sense for where it sits. More recently Temple has been having issues with getting a 30k stadium built on campus in North Philly down Board St.

[@frojo9]

Chicago not being a dishonorable mention hurts my Chicagoan heart. I think everyone wishes they would do something in the area surrounding United Center. As soon as a game is over for the Bulls or Blackhawks we BOLT out of there. There's nothing to do in the immediate vicinity except wonder what was there before the expanse of parking lots.

[@jtdavis62]

The proximity to the CTA Blue Line probably kept it in the almost dishonorable section.

[@frojo9]

@@jtdavis62 Knowing his affinity for trains you're probably correct.

[@CityNerd]

I'm not even a Chicago guy, but United Center is/was the home of the greatest sports dynasty that has existed in my lifetime. (Sorry, but the Patriots are cheaters.) I think that's why I couldn't bring myself to give it a dishonorable. It does make my eyes hurt, though.

[@frojo9]

@@CityNerd Thanks for the explanation *and* thanks for the videos dude! I love them and the writing is great. I'm a transportation and traffic engineer so it goes without saying I'm obsessed with this stuff too haha. Cheers.

[@chrisseidl8294]

United Center parking lots - this goes back to the predecessor Chicago Stadium and 1968, when about half those lots had houses in them. There were significant riots in that area after MLK's assassination and a lot of buildings were set fire. The city decided to buy up those areas, tear everything down a create parking lots.

[@duncancrowley6643]

I'd also say that the Golden1 in Sacramento deserves a spot. Near Amtrak (capitol corridor), surrounded by a retail mall and downtown, near the historic "Old Sacramento", and near a light rail. I will say it's a bit out of place in terms of size but it definitely fits into the local environment and you wouldn't know it was a stadium if you didn't look closely. I have taken only transit to games in Sac and in LA and I'd even say that Staples Center is not a terrible choice. Maybe an honorable mention. LA is seedy and terrible for transit but Staples Center is very transit accessible and honestly transit is the best way to go there, hands down. Since it's downtown, there are lots of great restaurants, ice skating at LA Live, and good retail in the area. Go Clips!

[@jeffreylee2993]

Agree that from an urbanist perspective, DC's Capital One Arena hits all the buttons for great design and integration with the metro station and enjoying daily and evening streetlife even when there is no game going on. However, all that came at a tremendous cost. In order to build the arena, they had to raze half of the prior existing Chinatown, and refurbish the adjacent properties, displacing hundreds of residents and dozens of businesses. The original plan from the 1980s involved the construction of a Far East Trade center with retail, office, hotel and residences, with the aim to retain, even enhance the character of the neighborhood. A sports arena does none of that. Some mitigation was attempted by requiring adjacent businesses and even the Capital Arena itself to display signs in both English and Chinese. The effect looks completely fake. Hanging a Chinese sign in front of the Arena or the Starbucks and CVS across the street does not retain the character of the neighbourhood at all. As constructive as an urbanist might conceive the land use, there is a distinctive destructive history behind it.

[@peabody1976]

Captial One Arena was the brainchild of late Wizards owner Abe Pollin who wanted to move the team from the suburban Capitol Centre (yes, with that spelling) located where the current Largo Town Center is (ironically now with a Metro station; when it existed, Metro didn't go there). He wanted the team to be in DC proper, and he wanted to revitalise the Gallery Place neighbourhood which was really not great. The city were thrilled with this, and it was to his credit that he picked the right architects and planners to make sure it fit with the National Portrait Gallery/Museum of American Art next door and to be completely Metro accessible (another reason they picked that spot, the cross of two Metro tunnels/three Metro lines). It completely energised the area, and it was probably the blueprint for **good** modern urban arenas that followed elsewhere. I just miss that the naming rights were sold to a non-telecom (for years it was called the Phone Box because of the previous sponsors MCI, and later Verizon.)

[@CityNerd]

Good background! Thanks.

[@RMTStudios]

I remember when it first opened up (MCI Center). That neighborhood was sketchy as hell! There was only one sports bar, called The Rock, and it was a dive. DC really was impacted by the MLK riots, and this area was depressed until the MCI Center was built. It's now one of the premier areas of the city. Thank you Abe!

[@glenmccabe3364]

The DC arena sounds great, I hope to take in a game there someday. The only downer for me is that (according to a friend who has lived in DC for years) they demolished DC Chinatown to build it. Not sure if that's true, but worth bearing in mind if it is. Love the channel and keep the cool urbanist vids coming!

[@HallsofAsgard96]

I'd also penalize MSG for replacing the legendary/old Penn Station, but then again hindsight is 20/20, and NYC eventually got a replacement.

[@ben-jammin121]

Really interesting video by IT'S HISTORY goes into detail about Penn Station's fate. Basically it was in a pretty sad state of disrepair right before they tore it down due to low utilization that came with the Highway Act and rise of the car. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3OooaiQm9KEh6c

[@HallsofAsgard96]

Will watch! I remember watching some doc that mentioned those things. One thing I remember was someone saying that Penn Station died so that Grand Central cld live and I found that really interesting

[@Fidel_cashflo]

MSG is iconic now in its own right and probably won't ever be moved

[@rossplotkin3506]

MSG feels like a concrete hell-hole outside.

[@TheSkyline5467]

Seattle has a nice new completed arena that blends in quite well and the views of the surroundings from tbe inside are really cool with massive windows

[@RideManDave]

We’ve got you fooled here in Columbus, Ohio! To the best of my knowledge there is nothing historic about any of those cool looking buildings surrounding Nationwide Arena. That entire area was originally the State Penitentiary, and to the best of my knowledge none of the structures were salvaged when the area was redeveloped specifically with the arena (and later, the nearby baseball stadium and most recently the soccer stadium) in mind.

[@AnalogueKid2112]

The building that houses Buca Di Beppo is historic, but yeah everything on Nationwide Blvd is no older than 1999

[@gavinneedham2013]

Ottawa is so bad. I was in town for a concert and other stuff. The arena is so far outside of the city it’s nearly impossible to get there without having your own vehicle.

[@abchaplin]

@CityNerd, you were right to dishonourably-mention Ottawa. The shame due Ottawa's Palladium/ Corel Centre/ Scotiabank Place/ Canadian Tire Centre should be shared among its boosters who fooled the NHL, the NHL owners who were not duly diligent when researching the Ottawa bid, and the then-Regional Municipality of Ottawa Carleton that made no sensible arrangement for mass transit other than special buses on game days. There is no arrangement for "active" transport, i.e. no place to secure a bicycle. The acres of asphalt of the parking lots require anyone who does not have a parking pass to make up to a 10-minute hike to the entrance. Weekday games have to start at 1930 hours, as those who would attend are competing for road space with the evening rush hour. Departing the arena is agonizing as, even after trudging back to your vehicle, you find yourself fighting to get out of the parking lot and onto Highway 417 in Ottawa's notorious winter weather. (If ever you are planning to visit and read "wintry mix" in the weather forecast, stay away!)

[@lovehandr]

@@abchaplin It is OK to complain about the arena, but don't suggest that Ottawa did not deserve a team because of the location. When the CTC was built, suburban locations were still the most popular and beyond the location, the arena was state of the art at the time.

[@JamesPhieffer]

When the CTC was built in Ottawa, downtown redevelopment arenas and stadiums were just becoming a thing. As well, it was supposed to anchor a large mixed development in Kanata (the story for so many suburban sports venues, and has any of these plans ever been fulfilled?). Contrast the CTC with the arena and stadium in the city at Lansdowne Park. That area is the epitome of what an urban sports district could be.

[@thepebblesexplore83]

After watching one of your newer videos and going back to this one, your quality has definitely stepped up already. A lot less obvious and jarring cuts and edits. The info is all super interesting too. I hope you keep up the channel. Subbed.

[@TeTaongaKorora]

I’m visiting family in Columbus, Ohio right now and was curious how close we were to the Blue Jackets arena. It was honestly shocking to see that I am in fact 100m from it where I stand right now and not realise it’s a sports arena. I’d say that’s a win! So much so I had to pull up this video of watched months before!

[@PCSPounder]

In 2015, Timbers Army took up two of the bars around there the night before MLS Cup. Thing is, it’s an arena district, not really a neighborhood, so it feels like they cheated to be on this. However, there are plenty of amenities, I think a neighborhood to one side, and now that the new Crew stadium is the other side of that district, soccer fans don’t have to drive out to the fairgrounds for a game.

[@cw4959]

Spectrum Center in Charlotte is amazing. Literally at the bus terminal and at the light rail stop. Little parking comparatively.

[@robjohnson3446]

New Subscriber and I love the channel! I wanted to point out something you kinda talked your way around but never pointed out directly - The real power combo for stadiums is not simply being near transit, but being at (or directly on top of) a transit terminal. As compared with regular transit stops, terminals provide a number of distinct advantages: 1- The "fanning out" of train tracks near terminals often already causes wacky land use near terminals. Park ave in Manhattan is one big exception, but otherwise it's pretty hard to hide a big plot of land which is often somewhat larger than a stadium would be. 2- Stadiums bring late night crowds, which can be a really good temporal-use compliment to the kinds of commercial development typically near inner-city train terminals. i.e. city centers tend to "die down" at night, and stadium-goers are therefore not really bothering anyone. This is part of what bothers me by TD Garden and others building housing on top of their stadium - I'd like to see a commercial use instead, but maybe that's just me. 3- The peak crowds coming in to a stadium typically do not come close to overwhelming an inner-city rail terminal, but do overwhelm a "normal sized" transit station. In addition, service patterns around games often time their trains to the end of the game, meaning that trains need a place to sit while a game pushes in to overtime etc. This is significantly easier at a train terminal which has more platform space than a typical station. I think about this a lot in the New York context, where there is constant discussion of decking over rail yards to build more housing. I don't think housing and rail yards is a particularly good combo as trains are loud and industrial. Instead, I'd like to see the limited rail yard space go to unique and less-picky land uses like Stadiums which are otherwise challenging to site in a highly developed environment.

[@CityNerd]

Great comment -- I did talk around it, but siting an arena right on top of (or quasi-on top of) a terminal makes a lot of sense. It just has to be done thoughtfully so you don't wend up with MSG/Penn Station!

[@maplesyrupUK]

Maybe an honourable mention for a minor league arena - Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario. It was made to adapt to a Victorian streetscape in the downtown & is well integrated into the city centre.

[@CityNerd]

I have a limited research time budget for these videos so I limited it to NBA/NHL, but that is a really cool example. London has such an interesting aesthetic -- kinda like Victoria BC.

[@sleedgear]

I think an underrated arena is Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa. It fits right in to the downtown, there are parks and museums around, and parking is limited to a garage

[@TheBaldr]

Charlotte's on it's 3rd arena. The oldest one still stands, but a bit to small for a NBA crowd, but it has it uses. The second one was in the perfect location for car traffic on a dedicated parkway that connected two major interstates, but outside the city center by a few miles. The newest is perfect for public transportation. On the outskirts of uptown right next to the the bus transit center and the meeting point of the not only the two light rail lines, but the trams as well.

[@dernwine]

Apparently having spaces for pedestrians is evil, how dare anywhere have a pedestrian plaza!

[@Brashnir]

I don't think he is saying that pedestrian plazas are bad. In fact, I'm going to guess that he likes them when they're placed in spots where they will get a lot of use. However, just sticking them into an arena's land footprint is not that sort of place in most cases. (Though I will say that the one by the Barclays Center is probably an exception.)

[@wheyward1]

Pedestrian plazas also make sense around sports stadia because pre and post game there are hoards of people that need somewhere to go. I'd rather be standing in a pedestrian plaza than in a hoard of people pushed out onto neighbouring streets with traffic

[@jasonriddell]

@@wheyward1 agreed but some are more of a "parking lot" for people in the corner of the building a LESS a place you want to be

[@rossedwardmiller]

As a Baltimore guy I always hate on DC (usually in jest) but the Cap One is a great arena. Feels very organic despite how huge it is

[@CreightonRabs]

One thing you left out about the American Airlines Center is that there's a light rail (DART's Orange and Green lines) and commuter/regional rail (Trinity Railway Express to Fort Worth) about a block away from the arena. That definitely helps with the traffic flow during event nights but it probably doesn't help the surrounding neighborhood as most event guests end up getting on the trains right after an event.

[@CityNerd]

Yeah, I didn't spend too much time diving into transit connectivity the way I do in the more recent NFL stadiums video, but good point.

[@PCSPounder]

@@CityNerd Not to mention that the West End neighborhood got realigned to provide a pathway to the arena. So the amenities are focused in that corridor rather than all around the arena. But generally, you can do much worse than the West End in Dallas.

[@lawrencesobczak9729]

Motown Records had an office building at one time where Little Caesar's Arena is now located. It was vacant and it was knocked down to provide parking for Super Bowl XL at nearby Ford Field in 2006.

[@jimpern]

I think that State Farm Arena in Atlanta deserves an honorable mention. While on the edge of downtown, it is attached to the CNN Center, which has a lot of retail space, and the Omni Hotel, and is across the street from the city's main convention center. It has a subway station immediately adjacent, and is close to other city attractions like the College Football Hall of Fame and the Georgia Aquarium. The parking is fairly well hidden.

[@jessebruner398]

Wow you've come a long way my dude. Congrats! And LCA in Detroit will get better when the infill development is complete. Should feel a lot more seamless. Not sure if there's plans for the cass side though

[@NathanRixThroughGlass]

Have a look at the stadium in Amsterdam. It's quite far out from the center so it's not an urban stadium, but it's next to a major rail station and a metro stop. The parking is also hidden by a colorful facade that looks like housing. It's quite an empty area, but it fits nicely into the high rise business district it's in.

[@CityNerd]

Yeah, I might make a video about European stadiums -- I reference a few in my NFL stadiums video. Didn't get out to the Amsterdam Arena (is that still the name?) in my one visit to the city, but checking out an Ajax match is on the bucket list.

[@NathanRixThroughGlass]

@@CityNerd it's called the Johan Cruijff Arena in the somewhat infamous zuidoost region. Also I wanted to mention, I just stumbled across your channel and already watched every video. I recently started a master's in planning in Amsterdam and it's the exact kind of content I just can't get enough of. Keep up the great work!

[@JordanGriffith]

Really impressed to see the inclusion of Nationwide Arena. I walk around that area frequently, and you would hardly know an arena is there based on its integration.

[@danielcluley870]

Don't know why you say "awkward, pointless pedestrian plazas" . . . on game days and event days having a small plaza near the largest entrance is a good thing and ideal. It lets people gather together before the game or meet up before heading into the event if they are coming from different areas or straight from work, etc. I think every good arena should have one small plaza near the main entrance for this. I understand your point that you want the building to be integrated into the city on the street level, but one plaza is good for the actual use of the building. It seems like you do not often attend events at arenas so would not know the beneficial use of this and practicality from the actual attending an event standpoint.

[@doktarr]

I used to love going to Wizards games in DC, you could eat in Chinatown and then walk to the game.

[@jasonriddell]

as a "peg city" person here -go jets go the Canada life arena has access to a sky bridge network that goes to the various towers in the area and a mall so 100% walking access to local amenities without going outside and the owners group has built "true north square" a pedestrian plaza boxed in with street level retail AND jumbotrons playing the game in the arena for "whiteout parties" and the plaza has a mix of commercial and residential towers and a high end hotel

[@dennismcclain5278]

TD Garden used to be surrounded by wasted space up until only a couple of years ago when the extension that included a hotel, residential tower and office tower was built.

[@pdsor]

I am a little surprised that Target Center in Minneapolis didn't make the bottom end of the list. There is some limited use outside of games (a LifeTime Fitness center and team store) but it fits right in to the downtown grid, albeit it doesn't look like its neighbors. Also, it is fantastic for transit (not sure that was really a part of your analysis). Anyway, fun video, I am enjoying your channel!

[@douglasmoen2658]

Target Center is so well integrated into the neighborhood that you almost forget it's there. Then again, it is not the prettiest of arenas from the outside. Yet, it does have great access to transit with both Green and Blue Lines and the NorthStar Commuter Rail just a couple minutes walk.

[@JL-sm6cg]

Nice to see Detroit getting some love for once. LCA is in an area that, yes, wasn't exactly pleasant. The Palace of Auburn Hills, which was a wonderful venue, was out in God's country, which was one sure drawback. It probably would've been on your dishonorable mentions.

[@martytu20]

Went down to Detroit to watch the Lions game a few years ago, and I have to admit, they’ve done an incredible job at one part of downtown (just don’t take the wrong turn at Albuquerque).

[@Sylvander1911]

Number 3 - Canada Life Centre (formerly BellMTS Place and MTS Centre) is not a repurposed minor league arena, it was purpose built with the view to getting the NHL back into the city. (Even if it did take longer than we hoped) It was built to suit the smaller market. Prior to the construction the site was an iconic flagship of a now defunct retail empire, once Canada's largest, that dated back to 1905 (the store not the company - the company dated back to 1869) It is well served by transit - the city's main avenue to the north, a dedicated transit corridor to the south, and has more than 13,000 parking spaces within a ten-minute walk, mostly in non-surface parking facilities.

[@sebastianjoseph2828]

I'm kind of surprised you count having an exterior plaza as a downside. Especially in a city where open space is a rarity (and expense), a stadium choosing to add a park or plaza would be a huge boon to me. It's a free public space that's accessible all the time. At the very least it's a social space for fans to gather before/after games and concerts but add some vegetation or benches and everyone can enjoy it.

[@Coltoid]

Wow that Dallas arena is gorgeous, Brooklyn one too with the plaza. Was a little surprised Raptors/Maple Leafs wasn't on here cause it is next to train/subway/bus station, but yea it is ugly immediately adjacent to the arena.

[@rossplotkin3506]

I continue to subscribe and watch this channel out of love for dishonorable mentions and respect for your wonderful deadpan sarcasm. Rock on. (Seriously 😃)

[@ReggieRichardson]

Based on the criteria you pointed out, I'm actually surprised that Prudential Center in Newark, NJ isn't on the list. It would be towards the bottom for now, but I think it fits. There are restaurants and apartments that have popped up on the north side of the arena since it's been built, a hotel and storefronts on the west side, and new park on the east side that will have a bridge connecting it with Newark Penn under construction soon. Newark Penn is only a 2 block wall, but the bridge connecting the station to Mulberry Commons, and using that park as a promenade for train passengers is going to be a game changer.

[@ozgirl45]

Just found this channel and I love it. I’m pleased that you included the Bell Centre. Okay, I’m a Montrealer and a Habs fan but it warrants being on your list as it is right downtown with a connection to both a Metro (subway) station, and the suburban rail system, and city buses pass nearby so it’s very easy to get to by public transit. It’s part of the fabric of downtown rather than being miles from the city core.

[@henryderymacneil1707]

just came back from habs game by transit, its very well done, especially for north american standards. Its great to have such an integral part of Montreal culture downtown

[@CityNerd]

Great to hear!

[@neilbender3050]

Great list. Well thought out. If and when we here in Cleveland build the NuCLEous project along with the Rocket Mortgage Field House’s renovation and Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock Corporation redesign of Tower City where transportation leads to the arena…we hope to make this list.

[@andym8119]

I like Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. You can get there any time you want because there's plenty to do beforehand within a mile radius.

[@CityNerd]

Good point -- it is a great location.

[@JohnMetal91]

I like that you talked about Orlando initially. The Amway Center is actually an improvement over the old arena that was in a location that was really a dead zone but has since been redeveloped as a downtown campus and student housing for UCF. The empty lot to the north was another parking garage that did have some shops at the street level. It, along with the old police headquarters, was torn down and was slated to be developed into a hotel, convention center, shopping, and entertainment venues related to the Orlando Magic team but it's on hold indefinitely. The I-4 Ultimate project next door is supposed to be complete next year and there's going to be a park under the highway that should better connect it to downtown (Church Street) and the Sunrail station there. There's also a soccer stadium a short walk away to the west and the Citrus Bowl with a lame new name that's more of a drive away. There's quite a bit of infill and redevelopment left to do to activate the "sports corridor" the City of Orlando is trying to achieve here, but it's getting there slowly but surely.

[@CityNerd]

Yeah I kinda wanted to mention the Exploria -- but I'm definitely going to do an MLS stadiums video at some point.

[@rustyshackleford9498]

Love the methodology here. From the beginning, I thought of nationwide arena in Columbus. I also feel like rocket mortgage field house at least deserves an honorable mention. It's a block away from a lot of good downtown attractions including a completely pedestrianized street, a block from a train station, and it's right downtown. Unfortunately there is still a lot of surface parking and a very busy and wide road on one side. I know this doesn't consider baseball, but I've been to quite a few baseball stadiums I've really enjoyed and would love to see a video on those.

[@CityNerd]

Will do a MLB video in the not to distant future. Rocket, it probably came down to lack of active uses, but I do like that location.

[@ryanevans2655]

Dallas’ arena is actually great for this part of the country. (HUGE contrast to how awful of a far-flung parking lot crater every other sports venue in DFW is.) My buddy just moved to an apt across the street, and I was shocked at how much there is to walk to down there. I always associated downtown Dallas with the towering bland office buildings populated from 8-5 by car-commuting suburbanites that American downtowns are notorious for, but Victory Plaza area is great! Also might be the most transit-accessible venue in the sun belt. Victory Station has TRE that goes west to Fort Worth and some of the mid cities, DART lines going throughout the core of Dallas, and you can walk to the Uptown Streetcar system. To me, you can’t get all that much better from a sun belt sports venue. (Well, if you ignore the supermassive highways running along the one side.)

[@filet-o-frisch]

Once upon a time, the Hartford Whalers played inside a mall... sorta. They played at the Hartford Civic Center, which was directly adjacent to the civic center mall, so the "joke" is that the whalers played NHL hockey in a mall.

[@jasonriddell]

Edmonton Oilers practice rink is/was centre court west Edmonton mall

[@stephenshaw7593]

I love Verizon Center/ Capitol One!!! Great fan experience!

[@nicholassiler7188]

Curious honorable mentions: KeyArena/Climate Pledge Arena! Outstanding spot, beautifully sewn into the surrounding area and actually useful plazas. Also a curious option: Baltimore Arena (Shame it's not being used right now though, ripe for a G-League or NHL team tbh)

[@rossedwardmiller]

Royal Farms Arena isn’t big enough for NHL or NBA but the fact that we don’t get a minor league / farm team for either league is annoying. For sure.

[@nathanellis622]

Bridgestone arena needs to be mentioned too. Right on Broadway where the tourists are, fits into the city, and you park at Nissan for a 5-10 minute walk across the river to get to the arena.

[@BnaBreaker]

Right? For as much crap as he gives Nashville (much of it warranted, mind you) it seems like he could at least give the city a little nod when it does do something right. Ah well.

[@MisterVercetti]

I knew before I even started watching that Nationwide was going to be on the list. You'd be hard-pressed to find an arena that melds so seamlessly with the surrounding cityscape. If you didn't know any better, you'd think the arena came first and the surroundings were built afterwards.

[@House_932]

I live in Columbus and let me tell you it's a lot easier to integrate the arena and the urban fabric if you're making both of them at the same time. There's some buildings in the area that are actually old but the bulk of the area was built in 2000.

[@jonathankleinow2073]

I would give an honorable mention to the T-Mobile Center, formerly the Sprint Center, in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Not because it has great transit connections or anything - it doesn't even have an NHL or NBA team (yet!) - it has spurred a lot of growth downtown, along with the accompanying Power & Light District that Cordish built along side it. It's actually brought a lot of concerts and other events to Kansas City that would otherwise have passed us by, because it doesn't have a sports tenant that takes up a lot of the calendar. I dunno, I think it at least deserves a "Most Improved" award, considering the MLB, NFL, and MLS stadiums are all out in the suburbs, so they bucked that trend.

[@CityNerd]

Yeah, I like T-Mobile Center, and honestly it feels weird not have an NBA franchise in KC (instead of, uh, Sacramento) with the size of the market, the fact that St. Louis doesn't have a team either, and how significant neighboring Kansas is in college hoops. Good suggestion, and thanks for the comment.

[@travishilbig]

Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle just opened and is very nice 👌. Probably should make the list. Now we just need an nba team.

[@_NoDrinkTheBleach]

I would have given Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis an honorable mention, but they've just spent an obscene amount of money making a giant open air plaza next to the arena. It makes it feel a lot more separated from the building next to it. That said, it's still in the heart of the fairly walkable downtown.

[@miguelhurtado8538]

I think Staples center in LA should have been on your list. It was a dump at first but then came the entertainment across the street with a large plaza to celebrate championships...Lakers NBA Champs 2022! It does have METRO near by, not just freeways. Also more and more condo mixed use highrises are filling in parking lots.

[@CityNerd]

I can see that. I love the continued transformation of downtown LA -- the conventional wisdom about the city's poor walkability and land use is really starting to become outdated. I would like to see LeBron get another ring...but isn't Staples running out of room for championship banners?

[@lucky247365]

@@CityNerd they should take down that fake one from 2020

[@cullenpeterson]

I’m a tad biased, but in a couple of years once the renovation of Water Street and the surrounding area is complete, Amalie Arena in Tampa would rank high on this list as well.

[@CityNerd]

Man, I'm looking for a way to get Tampa into one of these videos. Top 10 Cubano sandwiches maybe?

[@calumashleymcdonough8955]

Wow, very well researched. Love the Washington and Winnipeg arenas. I'm curious what caused Vancouver (my hometown) to fall off your list? My guess would be lack of retail at street leve?

[@TomPVideo]

Costco is all the street level retail needed in our stadium district! But I would expect our two stadiums to top this list after the viaduct removal and development of the large surface lot Cirque tents usually go up in.

[@dhtheghost9412]

I’ll defend the Philly arena because it’s in its own “stadium zone” with ample access to the subway and a quick ride south of the city. They are planning a move to Philly’s awesome Chinatown area, which will displace a vibrant, immigrant, lower income neighborhood. Don’t believe me? The same thing happened in DC where the Capital One arena was first built, it destroyed the DC Chinatown, no Chinese businesses or people are left, and what’s left now is a joke. Think Chipotle in Chinese characters. PBS had a good doc about what urban revitalization does to Chinatowns. I say this as a Chinese American and DC area resident. Capital One is a good arena, but consider that there’s a value in keeping all the stadiums in one easy to access area and preserving the character of historical downtown neighborhoods.

[@rmccormick27]

As someone from Philadelphia, the arena itself looks horrible and depressing from ariel view, but in practice its actually terrific having all 3 stadiums right next to each other surrounded by parking lots and right next to I-95. Philly's public transit sucks so like 70% or more of all visitors are driving in anyway. But if you do take public transit in/out, there's still a subway station like a quarter mile away.The parking lots also make for plenty of tailgating space, and overall there's little to no interference with the general traffic of the city having all the stadiums out of the way. There have been plans to develop more commercial and retail space in the same area that haven't come to fruition. But overall, while the sports complex is not aesthetically pleasing or blended with the city in a traditional sense, t's kind of perfect in its own right just in practicality and ease of access for most fans.

[@highnoon9333]

I recently moved to Columbus and I'm glad it's made it into a top-10 list!

[@davidthom6664]

For a Former Arenas Still Standing List, Maple Leaf Gardens would be #1 for seamless integration. And it's still a hockey arena, at least at the college level.

[@rchilde1]

Nice list. Perhaps you could do a list of the worst arenas, and maybe by sport rather than combined. I'm also particularly interested in cities you think are heading in the right direction, maybe started wrong but are getting better. On that note, I'd like to introduce you to Oklahoma City's Paycom Arena. It started off bad mainly due to OKC being new to major league sports. But look at it today and there's a nice new urban park (two actually, the Myriad Botanical Gardens and the brand new Scissortail Park), light rail streetcar, highrise and midrise buildings (and being built), the OKC convention center and the former OKC convention center with underground parking (now a temporary movie studio until the plan to restore the downtown grid), and what is now a parking crater that is set for future highrises between the two parks. It's got great potential and is far better than what it started with (which was just the arena, myriad gardens park, and the old cc surrounded by blight/ghetto and a former elevated cross-continent freeway). OKC wont top any lists today (wont be at the bottom either though) but it does have potential and I think they might make your list of Improving City's/arena districts.

[@sturg1dj]

It is July 2022 when I am watching this, I have lived in Boston for 8 years now, but haven't been to TD Garden/North Station since before the pandemic. I thought there was no way the Garden would be on the list, but the last time I was there it was an eyesore with the early construction. Check out the street view history, the change is shocking. I need to go out there.

[@cannedpineapple2702]

As a Miami resident and a lifelong Heat and Fl Panthers (nhl) fan. one arena that integrates pretty well into the city is FTX Arena, where the Heat play. There's transit connections to both light rail and heavy rail, a small parking footprint, and it's near other large structures like Bayside marketplace and the Frost Science Museum and Planetarium. Crossing a major street (US1) is not ideal, but the crossing at Bayside and the arena are both manageable. One arena that does NOT integrate well is FLA Live Arena, where the Panthers play. There's literally ZERO transit connections. I cannot get from my house to the arena on transit, despite it being 30 miles away. There's a train connecting Ft Lauderdale and Miami, but there's no transit linking Ft Lauderdale with the western half of Broward County, where the arena is. It's across the street from a mall and there's basically nothing else in the area but huge stroads leading to highways and upper class gated communities. Oh and the parking lot is LITERALLY 4 or 5 times the size of the actual arena.

[@bobbyswanson3498]

i think charlotte hornets could’ve been an honorable mention

[@CityNerd]

Yeah I pretty much agree. Love that the transit center is right across the street!

[@CreightonRabs]

@@CityNerd From some parts of the arena, you can literally see the light rail line passing by. Pretty amazing, actually.

[@andrewdiamond2697]

I was about to say the same thing.

[@nickberry5520]

The parking around the stadiums in Philadelphia are great for tailgating. There's a subway station walking distance away. I do think those lots could be easily repurposed as mixed use development. There is a plan for development over the rail yard near 30th Street station, like Philly's version of Hudson yards, but I have not seen anything official yet.

[@jamarerashaanmcdonald187]

He doesn’t get Philly it easy accessible for most of the city , and suburbs.You can get there from both the expressways , or bridge from NJ , Subway. If the put it in somewhere like Downtown it would be a disaster, parking would be bad

[@HallsofAsgard96]

I was hoping u wld mention Barclay. Keep in mind at peak there r 10 subway trains that stop there as well as the LIRR.

[@EmilyChandlerj]

I loved seeing this video. Thanks, City Nerd. It made me think that it would be cool to see a video just on traffic flow around the Chase Center before and especially after a game. The whole city of SF gets clogged and I think a practical look at the numbers could encourage people to use transit and walk (not sure if you can bike?). You would probably have to address people's concerns about safety which I think is a big motivator for driving even though people get stuck in the garages for hours. Thanks for your cool content.

[@TransCanadaPhil]

Yay, my city won Bronze :-) The Canada Life centre in Winnipeg is located right on Portage Ave on the former site of the Eaton's Dept Store. As for parking, there is a large underground parkade that everyone uses below the Millennium Library that is located kittie-korner across from the arena on Graham Ave; that's where I usually park. For transit there are numerous buses that run along both Portage Ave and Graham Ave.

[@UnnDunn]

I would have liked to see Prudential Center in Newark NJ. Philadelphia has a giant sports and entertainment complex with an arena, a football stadium, a casino and a bunch of other stuff. I think it’s a little unfair to put it in the “dishonorable mentions” list.

[@emilyburk8884]

I think the paycom center in OKC is an honorable mention, at least for the aesthetic of the arena. Its got a brick exterior, which is in keeping with the local aesthetic of Bricktown, which is only a few blocks away. If a huge performer is playing there the traffic gets a little unbearable, but for most game days the traffic increases but it doesn't feel like a massive chore to get around. There are a couple streetcars that go through the area, and when theres no events going on it's not a chore to get around, just kinda fits in with the grid of downtown.

[@oicfas4523]

I don't care about the NBA in the slightest, but if you do baseball stadiums, then Wrigley Field gets my vote as a great stadium for sure! Beautiful, historic, integrated right into the street, walkable, great transit, and great bars/restaurants/stores/neighborhood around it.

[@CityNerd]

I'll do baseball -- maybe in February or March when things start kicking into gear!

[@jacobkorducki6940]

I think United Center in Chicago needs a dishonorable mention. Also, what are your thoughts on Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee? They're trying to do a lot to encourage an active area around the stadium

[@CityNerd]

I mean the Deer District thing is cool...I'm just concerned its a dead zone if there's no Bucks game.

[@wii8]

@@CityNerd as a resident, it isn't a dead zone at all, the restaurants and pro shop are open year round and get significant activity, there's alwasys food trucks there, there's farmers markets, christmas festivals, and other events there year round.

[@danielmccully706]

@@CityNerd They also host a D1 basketball school there. I've only been there for Marquette BB games and it's pretty full without feeling overfilled.

[@jaredaberry]

I know I’m commenting on a oldish video, but I would think the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul would have made the list. It integrates well into its surroundings, which include an auditorium, a small convention center, a performing arts center, and a science museum-all in a dense block. Plus the Seven Corners neighborhood is pretty active all year. I guess the things you could ding it on are the Travellers ground parking lot on the north side and the poor transit links.

[@fallenshallrise]

I live in Vancouver and we have an arena and stadium right next to each other, built in two different eras but both have that dead-zone problem. The walkways and stairs were a great place to walk during the rona since you'd never see another living sole for the equivalent of 6 city blocks or so.

[@TheNewGreenIsBlue]

exactly this. the upper areas of BC Place integrate somewhat, but the lower roads are just dark and monolithic.

[@jonathanlanglois2742]

Madison Square garden is one of those places places which has an Interesting history. There used to be a beautiful train station there. Now, there's just a dark and dingy underground station. It both should be on this list. It is somewhat better integrated into its surrounding then many other sports arena, but the situation it created with the train station definitely deserves attention. We've got a similar situation in Montreal, but we didn't go quite as far. The old station building is still there and is now used as office space. The train station has been pushed off to the east and is one of those uncovered stations that really deserves to be shamed. Fortunately, unlike New York, there is enough space to do something about it. It is one of those historical mistakes that might yet be redeemed. The Montreal arena is also a very popular concert venu, so it is used year round. Also, the train station you isn't the most important station in the area. You have to look a few blocks west for that. It is buried under Place Bonaventure.

[@mpdobbs76]

The street in Dallas called Houston Street is pronounced like the city in Texas, not like the street in NYC.

[@Andrew-Keyes]

Your top dishonorable mention is in the news this morning, well, a very much downtown stadium replacement is. The Philly 76ers announced a proposed new stadium right in center city, which, if it happens, might send them right from the top of the dishonorable mentions to somewhere in the top 10. Also, since I only started watching your videos in the past few months, I never made it to videos this old, and watching this now I can really see the improvement you've made over the past year.

[@PacRimElectric]

I am an electrician and my focus is lighting. My company has a few accounts (properties) that we manage and maintain around Chase Center and I think they did a good job with the surrounding. Parking is a hassle though but it is SF after all

[@adammcnally1955]

Australian, living in Europe. One marked difference in North American stadiums I see, is that a lot are detached from the actual city centre. The expectation is a lot of spectators will arrive by car, so they tend to be isolated buildings, surrounded by carparks. I know there are exceptions. In a lot of the older European cities, it is just not possible to build a new stadium in the city centre. See a comment about the Johan Cruijf Stadium (Amsterdam) below. Again, pretty much impossible to park. Have to catch public transport. Australia is a bit of a mix. Cities are modern, and there are opportunities to build stadiums in, essentially, the city centre. Docklands, MCG (one of the largest stadiums in the world) are pretty much downtown. WACA (Perth), Gabba (Brisbane), both undergone or under going massive rebuilds. Use of cars really really discouraged. New Brisbane Live, will be built pretty much in the middle of the city centre, above a new train station. Being biased, as Adelaide is my home town, but the Adelaide Oval is one of the prettiest in the world, and voted the top cricket stadium. Set in parklands, it is a 400m walk from the train station, across a beautiful bridge and river. Take my hat off to town planners, as they are really integrating stadiums into overall civic planning. City centres are seen as being the heart beat of the metropolitan areas and they are doing their best to make them places to live in and enjoy. Not just somewhere you drive into, to work, and leave in the evening.

[@knutthompson7879]

For decades the standard stadium and arena design was a stand alone structure in the middle of 50 acres of surface parking lots. They generally have to be far out of city centers to get enough land. I always thought they looked like giant blisters. Many places still follow that paradigm. Integrating an arena into an urban space is a newish concept and they’re getting better at it. Parking structures aren’t the greatest, but I think they can be a big improvement on surface lots. You at least avoid this endless expanses of asphalt wasteland.

[@jasonreed7522]

Now I'm wondering how much parking could be reduced by having dedicated bussing to/from the arena on game days. Obvious caveats about quality of the bus service and visibility/awareness of its existence. I know that it was much more pleasant driving home from a convert that had busses from the main venue to more distant parking lots (we took the bus into the venue) than the concert i had to deal with bumper to bumper escaping a venue i parked at directly. The best was when the theme park we were staying at had a concert integrated and we could just walk back to the hotel and never leave the premises.

[@knutthompson7879]

@@jasonreed7522 Egress from sports events, or concerts at sports arenas, is often terrible. Bussing to a number of smaller, more distant parking areas is a huge improvement. That will disperse the traffic surge.

[@jasonreed7522]

@@knutthompson7879 busses to distant lots has a lot of benefits when you think about it: 1. Dispersing the surge at the venue 2. Instead of building a massive lot at the arena you are filling up otherwise empty lots. (Parking lots are even more useless when totally empty than they normally are) 3. You get people used to public transit, especially if you make the event busses free. (With ticket prices and concessions sales its worth it, its probably worth it just to not maintain and pay taxes on the parking lot) 4. Most of those lots are mote convenient to get to than the big venue lots anyway, especially for out of towners that are attracted to these events. 5. Run a bus to the airport & train station and it will be like the arena is next to it. Granted all the concert goers care about is not dealing with concert traffic, and possibly not needing to drive at all so they can get extra drunk. (I was a DD from a concert as my first experience with real city driving and it sucked, for context i grew up over an hour away from the interstate but now live 20min south of Hartford and that city has a shameful riverfront interchange with CT's love of left hand exits/entrances)

[@Alexander-ru3qc]

How do both both NYC arenas get penalized for parking when half the city residents dont have cars and each one has like 12 different trains next to them...and are in areas with a lot of options( food/shopping/retail) on all sides

[@jasonremy1627]

Capital Center is an awesome location. One thing you didn't mention is that it's right in one of the country's great Chinatowns, and very close to one of the best museums in the city, the National Portrait Gallery. It's really a super-vibrant part of the city and I never miss a chance to hang out here whenever I'm in town with some time to kill.

[@Airbender19]

As a native San Antonian, I wholeheartedly agree with your dishonorable mention of the AT&T center. Classic case of building in low-cost residential/industrial zoning with a giant parking lot. Fun fact: that parking lot is about half the size of our downtown land area. I want them to build a parking structure/bus depot and repurpose the lot as a mega-recreation space for the east side much like the land around Miami's new MLS stadium.

[@CityNerd]

Thanks for the comment! I haven't been to AT&T Center so I was kind of appalled when I spent some time Google Earth-ing it. San Antonio is such an interesting city and the Spurs are really one of the great franchises in American professional sports -- they deserve so much better! Thanks for pointing out Inter Miami's new stadium...I hadn't really taken a good look at it. I do have thoughts on doing a similar video for MLS stadiums, which tend to be newer (because pro soccer has been growing so quickly here recently), cater to maybe a more urban crowd, and have larger footprints than NBA arenas but often have much lower seating capacities than, say, college football stadiums in towns of 50,000 that host like seven events a year.

[@gregsells8549]

The AT&T Center stands on the grounds of the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, with livestock barns on one side and another arena, Freeman Coliseum, on another. AT&T Center hosts the rodeo performances each February.

[@moderatti]

@@gregsells8549 True, the rodeo grounds are unfairly lumped in with the AT&T Center but that doesn’t mean it isn’t an urbanist nightmare

[@HudsonPeter]

I'm surprised that Vancouver's Roger's Arena didn't make the list.. It's walking distance to two skytain lines (Stadium Station on Expo line, and Yaletown Station on Canada Line). Although to be fair it has pretty bad active cladding -- there's basically no street level retail integrated into the stadium. Furthermore, the two adjacent viaducts are horrible. But to be fair there are several adjacent condo towers. I suspect with the redevelopment plan for the entire of North East False Creek, and the upcoming removal of the two viaducts, the stadium(s) will probably score much better in the future.

[@CityNerd]

I expect Rogers to get a lot better for the reasons you mentioned (I mean Vancouver does just about everything else right!), but it missed the list basically because of the OTHER reasons you mentioned.

[@JohnManzo]

It's "Rogers." Not the arena of Roger.

[@baxterWOWlot]

Having been to over a hundred Spurs games I fully agree about ATT Center being in the dishonorable mention portion. They could have done so much more and it’s just a pain in the ass to get to a game and actually get into the building.

[@CityNerd]

It's really unfortunate. And one of the truly, consistently great sports franchises of the last 30 years.

[@adanactnomew7085]

No BC Place and Roger's Arena in Vancouver? It's downtown and has Skytrain access

[@AutumnBosco]

How much did that map of NYC subway cost? And what are all the text boxes on it talking about? I see it is from before 2001 (63rd St line is not connected to Queens Blvd line), do you plan to get a similar sized updated version? Of course, fun video, as always! Just watched your most recent video as well! Your content fits my interests so perfectly!!!

[@CityNerd]

The subway map is outdated, but was free (got it from a friend with connections). Framing it was the expensive part! Glad I'm finding an audience for my nerdy city nonsense. Thanks!