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Posted: Tuesday September 12, 2006 11:13AM; Updated: Tuesday September 12, 2006 12:48PM
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Colorado Rockies
Coors Field
Denver, Colo. :: Opened: 1995 :: Capacity: 50,445
Brian Bahr/Getty Images
Average Ticket Price: $14.72
Average Cost of Concessions and Souvenirs: $71.00
How expensive is stadium parking?
• FREE: 4%
• $5-$10: 41%
• $10-$15: 35%
• $15-$20: 13%
• More than $20: 3%

Is public transportation a viable option?
• Never: 8%
• Worth it if you have a lot of time and patience: 18%
• A good option to avoid rush hour: 17%
• Pretty easy if you know the system well: 42%
• The only way to go: 13%

How would you rate traffic getting to and from the game?
To the game:
• A slow-moving parking lot: 3%
• Slow, but usually steady: 10%
• Moves well outside of rush hour: 53%
• Aside from the occasional bottleneck, it's good: 27%
• A smooth ride at all times: 6%

From the game:
• A slow-moving parking lot: 3%
• Slow, but usually steady: 28%
• Moves well outside of rush hour: 39%
• Aside from the occasional bottleneck, it's good: 27%
• A smooth ride at all times: 2%
How would you rate the number of restrooms for men and women?
• Bring a map: 0%
It depends on the section: 3%
• Never more than a short walk away: 20%
• A satisfactory amount: 25%
• Plenty: 41%

How long is the wait to use a bathroom?
• Always available: 58%
• 1-5 minutes: 41%
• 5-10 minutes: 0%
• More than 10 minutes: 0%

How would you rate the variety of food/beer concession options?
• Limp hot dogs, bland peanuts, even blander beer: 1%
• Nothing fancy, but the staple foods are tasty: 7%
• A little variety of food and drinks available at specific locations: 11%
• A nice variety but locations are spread out: 44%
• You name it, they have it around almost every corner: 34%

How much will a meal at the ballpark cost you?
• $5-$10: 13%
• $10-$20: 76%
• $20-$30: 9%
• $30-$40: 1%
• More than $40: 1%

How would you rate the entertainment options aside from the game?
• Nonexistent: 1%
• So many games/promotions and scoreboard highlights that the game is lost in the background: 2%
• Typical mascot antics/scoreboard quizzes and fun music: 49%
• Some unique promotions/antics, but it sometimes distracts from the game: 16%
• A nice balance that draws your attention when the game is stopped but doesn't distract from the action on the field: 31%
Maybe it's the thin air. Maybe it's the playoff contender they have this season. Or maybe Coors is simply a great place to watch a game. No matter, fans overwhelmingly seem to feel that the park is "is an almost-perfect place to spend a lazy summer evening." Despite having only 11 years of history to reference, Coors "has the ambiance of a traditional stadium but is clean, spacious and beautiful." Concession stands are easy to access "without having to miss half the game" and the stadium staff is "incredibly friendly." Food selections run the gamut from hot dogs to Rocky Mountain oysters "if you're into that sort of thing." Save your thirst for the "outstanding" offerings from the on-site microbrewery and kick back in the cheap seats while enjoying a sunset over the Rockies. "It's like nothing else." The downside to that is a crowd for whom "going to a game in Denver is as much about spending time outside and enjoying the beautiful weather as it is about watching baseball."
"This is truly an area of urban excitement." Located in the bustling LoDo (Lower Downtown) neighborhood, "the entire area is full of bars, restaurants, art galleries, shopping, etc." From Russian to Japanese, the restaurants "offer any cuisine you wish." A block from the park is the Breckenridge Brewery and its "excellent fish and chips plus many fresh microbrews." All in all, a good example of how a new stadium and an enterprising business community can revitalize a hard-luck neighborhood.
2006 record: 67-76 (all statistics through Sept. 10)
Players worth the price of admission: Garrett Atkins (.326 Avg., 25 HRs, 104 RBIs), Matt Holliday (.336 Avg., 28 HRs, 95 RBIs)
Like most of the retro parks opened in the mid-1990s, Coors Field has struck an almost perfect chord with its patrons. Sporting a low-key vibe, friendly service and a fabulous view of sunset over the Rocky Mountains, fans still find little fault with the place more than a decade after it opened its doors. Coors also delivered what so many new baseball palaces promise but never accomplish: anchoring a revitalization of a previously downtrodden neighborhood into a hip section of town filled with people, restaurants and shops. Sometimes tax dollars DO go to good use.

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