Around the CWS

[Brad]

Has anyone been in North downtown/downtown in the past day or so! Its quickly transforming in to something we have never seen. I was down there Sunday and I can't believe how much its changed in 2 days.

There are tents EVERYWHERE.
Businesses are moving out and sub-leasing to other businesses.
The stadium is Being Polished (Stadium wrap going up, plants going in).
844 is washed up and ready to go
ConAgra has their huge display going up.

I can't wait to see it all finished.

[Brad]

Already Ticket Scalpers out there today!

[cdub]

The NCAA would indeed like to restrict all that tent stuff, frankly they are about the only ones. For the most part the feeling around has been that all that stuff contributes to the festive atmosphere and keeps people coming and spending money. I do think that once everyone sees how this year goes that the rules might change and there may be a few fewer tents because there is only so much T shirt and beer money to go around.

[Brad]

The Top of the First National is green.

[OmahaJaysCU]

The Top of the First National is green.

So like Christmas?

[FrontlineOmaha]

The Top of the First National is green.

and did anyone catch the laser logo last night. I though that was cool.

[skinzfan23]

Sorry the picture is so bad and out of focus, but....

[Coyote]

Lobsters on the loose near CWS?

The poor saps standing in line at the “Lobster Zone,” in the Old Mattress Factory's beer garden, were taking a collective 0-fer on the art of nabbing a lobster. It's a game, not unlike a toy or candy crane for kids. Except instead of stuffed bears and balls, there's a tank full of live lobsters. The idea is the same: put your money in, work the crane, or claw, above the lobster you want, drop it and see if you can carry it over to the open slot. As the slogan on the tank says, “You catch it, we cook it."

Midway through the Vanderbilt-North Carolina game, in a packed garden with no one watching baseball, there was a line of fishermen putting in dollar bills ($2 for one try, $10 for five, $20 for 10) and trying their luck. No luck. Unlike the teddy bear, the lobster is alive. Put the claw on him and he wiggles himself free. One guy put in $20 and was determined to get one. Finally, his wife came over and said, “Let's go. We gotta go." The guy says, “Not yet. I've got one more here."

Welcome to the College Weird Series.

Have to wonder if this will become a CWS fan favorite.

[Brad]

From 16th Street last night:

[iamjacobm]

Has anyone else noticed the awesome food stands this year behind the Slowdown. Worker's Takeout, Blanc Burgers and Amsterdam all have booths there.

[Brad]

Has anyone else noticed the awesome food stands this year behind the Slowdown. Worker's Takeout, Blanc Burgers and Amsterdam all have booths there.

I haven't made it over there yet. There was a good selection in that Baseball Village behind the Matt.

[justnick]

Someone on facebook really just called last nights storm at TD Ameritrade "Rosenblatt's Revenge"
I hate humanity.

[nebugeater]

Someone on facebook really just called last nights storm at TD Ameritrade "Rosenblatt's Revenge"
I hate humanity.

That is not new. It has been used for a few weeks in reference to the flooding. Seen it a few different places.

[Kyle Broflovski]

Long time lurker, first time poster....

I'm to cover a range of topics regarding the CWS, but here goes:

I'm not going to lie. I was very skeptical about everything with the new CWS. I'm a nostalgic guy that thinks the NCAA strongarmed the city to ditch the Blatt. My grandfather played league ball there, and I think it's truely a landmark. The dirty dealings between MECA-NCAA-Omaha-CWS Inc-City Council and those who used their positions of authority for personal financial gain aside, the CWS has gone very well.

I went to the first game saturday, and took the express shuttle home (during the busiest, most confused moment possible for the new stadium). The traffic wasn't bad, it flowed nice. I made my way to Levi Carter Park for my 3rd consecutive day of sandbagging Friday and the copious amount of tents going up was a bit frightening.

Issues:
1. $15 parking as far away as the City Park on 17th and Capitol? For real? Do like I did and get a $50/mo pass at Park 5.
2. Out of towners parking up in North Bumhaven
3. Vagrancy. Omaha really needs to look at solutions to this issue. I ate at Goodnights (a mistake, horrible food) and was panhandled no less than 3 times in a hour on their patio last Wednesday. Since I'm unemployed, I can now match wits with bums hitting me up.
4. Who in the heck would park in the chop shops on north 11th st?
5. Pedestrian traffic around the stadium. There is simply not enough sidewalk to handle the traffic and keep people out of the streets.
6. Overall corporate feel to it. There was not one vestige of "hometown" neighborhood ballpark anymore. You got UP parked out front, TD all over the stadium. FNBO shooting lazers as you trip over the hospitality tents at "The Yard"
7. Food prices. My lord. 8-10$ for a dish? Get out. My fingernails and toejam are more appetizing at that price.
8. Omaha is going to have to find another tenant to fill this stadium. Its senseless to have this beautiful park empty for 50 weeks out of the year. Maybe we can have the Berkshire meeting there on nice days.
9. The stadium has no "feel". It's sterile, generic, made-for. I suppose over time that will change.
10. Green Street Cycle. I honestly was looking to find a new bike, only to see that their store was empty with a sign on the window that they will be back on July 13th. Wierd.

Kudos:
1. The stadium itself. Simply stunning. Like ESPN said, it's a scaled down big league park...
2. Circulator and Express buses. Fantastic. But unfortunately you have to get on and get off right at the end of the game, you dont have time to have a look around.
3. Road traffic around the stadium was great. OPD has really done a bangup job.
4. I think the traffic problems were overblown. Being in a grid, it's like Lincoln post game, traffic disburses through neighborhoods, and isnt confined to a single interstate artery.
5. Seats in the stadium. Not a bad seat in the house. The open concourse is fantastic.

Onward....
There was a interesting video report on WOWT's Brian Mastre tonight reporting how the Old Market and Pauli's have yet to see a soul of CWS traffic in their establishments during the week.

To me, this is shocking as Pauli's has always been "away" from the normal CWS bar crowd even during the Rosenblatt days. This is a tradition!

The owner of Pauli's said that on Saturday there was maybe a hundred people there. Now. I went down there last year, and I can tell you the place was jam-packed. I guess there was a place on Farnam that set up a beer tent, was asking 5-7$ for a beer and they actually took down the tent because nobody came. The Owner of T-Henry's blamed the corporate hospitality tents. I thought for sure the Old Market would be hoppin'.

I'll rate my reasons for this in order of importance and give a quick reason:

1. Economy: People are looking to save a buck. $15parking + $30tickets +couple $5-8$ beers +$8 ballpark food, they will stay at the corporate tents and not roam. If they can get a buzz on their lawyer's marketing fund, they will do that instead.
2. Fear of parking: I'll be honest. Parking is a mess even during a workday. (I work at central park plaza). Parking is even out of control during WEEKNIGHTS in the old market. Having one car stolen out of there already, I'm reluctant to park in a shady spot.
3. Saturation of corporate tents/tailgating around the stadium. This I think killed it. Liquor board playing Santa Clause to their favorite children with permits doesn't help.
4. Public transportation needs tweaking: CWS circulators downtown, and passing Starsky's, Pauli's and major off site parking areas with longer operation hours are needed.
5. There needs to be a huge 8-9 level 24hr access public parking garage that is pay by the hour on the site of the old Butternut building.
6. Maybe redesign 12th St so that it is more "connected" with the old market. Like making a wide suspended, well-lit walkway over the Holland's green space and Gene Leahy Park. (I'm channeling my inner Alden Aust here)
7. Ramped up DUI enforcement: Maybe I'm just old and don't go out anymore, but I really think attitudes toward Drunk/buzzed driving have changed in recent years.
8. This ties in with #1, but people just don't like to pay $8/beer and stand in a tent while waiting for a portapotty to open up. I don't. That's unoriginal. There are much better options out there and bar owners need to realize they need to think of new ideas to bring in patrons, not copy the model of others and expect magic to happen.
9. Omaha has moved westward. No matter how "new" and nice downtown is. The prospect of partying downtown, then finding a safe ride to eastern Colorado at 2am isn't for everybody. There simply isn't enough CU trust-fund babies to patronize the bars and clubs down there.


Kylie-B

[Omababe]

3. Saturation of corporate tents/tailgating around the stadium. This I think killed it. Liquor board playing Santa Clause to their favorite children with permits doesn't help.

It's been my impression that one big factor in the relocation was the desire to control alcohol. I'm now getting the impression that what they've done is, as you say, given out some free passes to some entities while locking out the smaller businesses.

7. Ramped up DUI enforcement: Maybe I'm just old and don't go out anymore, but I really think attitudes toward Drunk/buzzed driving have changed in recent years.

DUI enforcement is spotty and selective throughout the Omaha area. LaVista can be downright {National Socialists} about it, except they have one big convenient blind spot to it. I'm sure that in N-O-D-O, OPD would pull over somebody obviously blitzed, but they're not gonna do anything like a DUI checkpoint while $everal thou$and gue$t$ are in town for the $erie$ at the new $tadium.

[Big E]

5. There needs to be a huge 8-9 level 24hr access public parking garage that is pay by the hour on the site of the old Butternut building.

|expletive| that as hard as it can possibly get |expletive|.

No more god damn parking lots, parking garages, parking atriums, parking museums, parking parks, parking malls of any |expletive| kind downtown until the existing ones go 24 hour.

And for the love of Christ no more in nor immediately adjacent to the Old Market.

[Omaha_Gabe]

Hmmm I actually really enjoyed my days at the park. I don't believe parking is an issue at all, there were many places to park - I never once had a problem.

Traffic is very smooth! For the amount of pedestrians and cars it is not bad at all. I had more trouble navigating through the arts festival as traffic was quite a bit slower.

As far as the Old Market - I have been hearing the same from many sources. Friends that work at Upstream and Roja say that business is not at all what they expected. So far during the week Upstream has let staff go home early and have closed the restaurant early. Maybe it has just been due to weather?

[Kyle Broflovski]

5. There needs to be a huge 8-9 level 24hr access public parking garage that is pay by the hour on the site of the old Butternut building.

|expletive| that as hard as it can possibly get |expletive|.

No more god darn parking lots, parking garages, parking atriums, parking museums, parking parks, parking malls of any |expletive| kind downtown until the existing ones go 24 hour.

And for the love of Christ no more in nor immediately adjacent to the Old Market.

Sorry to upset you.

Parking is the #1 issue I avoid going downtown. One of my cars was stolen during a "major event" (CU BB game and a performance at the Holland) during busy hours on a seemingly well lit walkway.

The existing garages will never go 24hr because Central Parking has been gifted an authoritarian lease agreement to operate how they wish by the city council. The modus operandi have come through in true colors during the CWS where they chose to oversell monthly parking patrons spots in favor of the more lucrative CWS traffic. Keep in mind, this company is operating the city owned garages via lease agreement. City owned = you the taxpayer.

The fact is, parking is limited in the Old market proper. You have only 3 small garages within decent walking distance (Park 1, Landmark and Park 2). If anything, building a single large garage can open up other real estate to be redeveloped. If I could go downtown and not have to worry about the location, security, accessibility of parking, I'd go more often. Park sharking in Nebraska is a bit of a oxymoron. Agree?

Want to meet a friend downtown at 10pm? Spend a half hour searching for a slot.
Live downtown and want to park near your loft? better race home before the dinner crowd gets there.


Kylie-B

[Big E]

Sorry to upset you.

No worries. That's just how I talk. It's because I'm awesome.

Anyway, the people that think parking in the Old Market is an insurmountable hassle are simply not going to be satisfied by a giant parkatorium on the Butternut site. It's still too far away for them - probably because it isn't downhill both ways. These are the same people that are only happy if they can pull up in front of whatever business they are going to. These are also the same people that will drive 5 extra miles to WalMart and walk to aisle 46 to save $0.08 on a tube of toothpaste.

Honestly, if you can't handle walking 3 or 4 blocks for a night out, don't do it. Papal dispensation given for the elderly. The handicapped get sweet parking, so they can shut up about it already.

[swgiust]

I have had a crazy thought that goes completely in the other direction.

How about NO parking on Howard street.

Let the businesses build out their outdoor seating areas.
Build a bandstand for entertainment.
The possibilities are endless.

I know it will never happen, but ideas are ideas!!

On the original topic of parking, I thing the city needs to run a PR campaign.
Team up with a charity and promote "JUST PARK" The parking garage over Roja's
is never full. Get people in the habit of just parking. Not driving around.

If $ 2.00 of your $ 5.00 parking fee was going towards something good, you may
be more inclined to just park.

[Brad]

On the original topic of parking, I thing the city needs to run a PR campaign.
Team up with a charity and promote "JUST PARK" The parking garage over Roja's
is never full. Get people in the habit of just parking. Not driving around.

Haha.. My girlfriend will circle and circle until she finds a spot. I usually go a few blocks west or north of the market and walk. I always say that we go to the gym and walk miles and miles on the treadmill but we can't walk 3 blocks to dinner?

[S33]

Still don't understand why anyone actually looks for a parking spot when there is always availability at 11th Harney across from Rock Bottom.