I was reading an article about the construction of the new stadiums in New York and I got to thinking about what are the characteristics that I want in my ideal ballpark. I've been to about 12 or 13 major league parks and about 20 others (minors, college, Japaness, etc), so while I'm not the foremost expert, I have some experience. And as a side note, these are things the teams has some control over. I love attending games with knowledgable and passionate fans, but thats more difficult to control. Note that these are not in any order.
Wants:
1) Great views. This includes both the view of the game (e.g, no seats facing center field) and views outside the ballpark. Downtown views are very nice and PNC park is a great example.
2) Good food. There is nothing better than a hot dog at a game. But sometimes I want other options. Local favorites are encouraged (garlic fries in some west coast stadiums are great). And while we're at it, make sure the hot dogs have good available toppings.
3) Beer. I'm kind of a beer nut, and the only thing worse than paying $6-10 for a beer, is paying $6-10 for a Bud. With the prevalence of microbreweries in this country, every ballpark should have a wide variety of beer options, specifically local beers. Citizen's Bank Park (I live in Philly) is great for beer, Victory, Stoudts, Flying Fish, etc. These beers are found through the concourses, although sadly not yet with the roaming beer vendor.
4) Scoreboards. I like to keep score at a baseball game, and knowng basic information such as who is at bat, who is pitching, a players #, makes my life much easier. A good out of town scoreboard is a bonus, such as the ones that show not only the score, but the number of outs and baserunners.
5) Uniqueness. This is tough to define. I like ballparks with some unique characteristics, unlike the old cookie cutters. But there is a line between uniqueness (ivy in Wrigley) and just plain weird (a hill and a flagpole in the outfield). Sadly, the new "retro parks" designs are running out of ideas and copying each other.
6) Accessibility. Parking and public transportation access are key.
7) Feel of the city. Again, this one is tough to define, but I like a ballpark that has some characteristics of the city. This could be in the architecture or the layout or whatever.
8) Comfort. I'm not talking about luxury boxes or cushoned seats, but ballparks need certain minimal levels of comfort. The seats need to be wide enough and with enough leg room for me to sit in (one of the biggest downsides of Fenway). The concourses need to fit more than 2 people across.
9) Sense of history. A team should be acknowledging its past in some way. Monument park and Ashburn Alley are 2 great examples.
Don't wants:
1) Domes. Retractable roofs are ok, but under no circumstances should baseball be played indoors on a sunny day.
2) Artificial grass. No explanation necessary.
