AN INCREASED STANDARD OF LIVING AND A BETTER AREA
Every so often a sports franchise will move from one city to another, thereby impacting the new city tremendously, specifically the region’s standard of living. In the past 25 years, twelve teams in the big four sports, NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL, have been relocated. In every city that the teams moved to, both the standard of living and the quality of the area were greatly improved.
While the impact on the cities is not immediate, it is very evident after several years. Take the Washington Nationals, for example. In 2005 the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington D.C., becoming the first baseball franchise in the area since 1971. Clinton Yates, a columnist for The Washington Post, writes that in the first couple years after Nationals Park was built, the community had, “two personalities,” one with abundant visitors watching the games, and one with no people around when the team was on the road. Essentially, the area surrounding Nationals Park was still gritty, barren, and crime-ridden.
Now, however, “life no longer revolves around the stadium.” Families who are searching for a nice and affordable place to live are now looking at Navy Yard as a great destination (Yates). Renowned and established restaurants have now opened in the area, showing how much the Navy Yard has changed since the Nationals came to town. Such a drastic change in the area proves how much sports teams relocating benefits the new city.
In addition to the improvement in the standard of living, cities that inherit sports franchises are able to build more developments that will help the area in an aesthetic sense. According to Peter Koehler, a professor at Colgate University, “Nationals Park in Washington D.C. was placed in a struggling, crime-riddled part of the city and wisely paired with plans for private real estate development around the park” (Koehler 7). The major development mentioned is the Capitol Riverfront, a business improvement district that includes houses, offices, restaurants, and parks amongst other things. This new development would not only make the standard of living in the area increase, but it would also make the region look like a more appealing place to live and visit.
When sports teams relocate to new areas, it is undeniable that the new city is impacted. A new sports team entering a city forces said area to adapt and build new developments that will positively complement the beauty of the stadium. This improvement is clearly evident after several years, when the city looks brand new and is a more attractive place to live.
Works Cited
Koehler, Peter. "Why Do Some Stadium Redevelopment Projects Succeed Where Others Fail? An Analysis Using Macro-Level Trends in Stadium Building." 1 Jan. 2012. Web. 8 Oct. 2014.
Yates, Clinton. “Nationals Park Part of Life in Navy Yard, but Life no Longer Revolves Around the Stadium” The Washington Post. 27 Sept 2014. Web. 6 April 2015.
While the impact on the cities is not immediate, it is very evident after several years. Take the Washington Nationals, for example. In 2005 the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington D.C., becoming the first baseball franchise in the area since 1971. Clinton Yates, a columnist for The Washington Post, writes that in the first couple years after Nationals Park was built, the community had, “two personalities,” one with abundant visitors watching the games, and one with no people around when the team was on the road. Essentially, the area surrounding Nationals Park was still gritty, barren, and crime-ridden.
Now, however, “life no longer revolves around the stadium.” Families who are searching for a nice and affordable place to live are now looking at Navy Yard as a great destination (Yates). Renowned and established restaurants have now opened in the area, showing how much the Navy Yard has changed since the Nationals came to town. Such a drastic change in the area proves how much sports teams relocating benefits the new city.
In addition to the improvement in the standard of living, cities that inherit sports franchises are able to build more developments that will help the area in an aesthetic sense. According to Peter Koehler, a professor at Colgate University, “Nationals Park in Washington D.C. was placed in a struggling, crime-riddled part of the city and wisely paired with plans for private real estate development around the park” (Koehler 7). The major development mentioned is the Capitol Riverfront, a business improvement district that includes houses, offices, restaurants, and parks amongst other things. This new development would not only make the standard of living in the area increase, but it would also make the region look like a more appealing place to live and visit.
When sports teams relocate to new areas, it is undeniable that the new city is impacted. A new sports team entering a city forces said area to adapt and build new developments that will positively complement the beauty of the stadium. This improvement is clearly evident after several years, when the city looks brand new and is a more attractive place to live.
Works Cited
Koehler, Peter. "Why Do Some Stadium Redevelopment Projects Succeed Where Others Fail? An Analysis Using Macro-Level Trends in Stadium Building." 1 Jan. 2012. Web. 8 Oct. 2014.
Yates, Clinton. “Nationals Park Part of Life in Navy Yard, but Life no Longer Revolves Around the Stadium” The Washington Post. 27 Sept 2014. Web. 6 April 2015.