urbanSTL

^ Citygarden was a great place to watch the game, and the weather couldn't have been much better in mid-July either.

^

Exactly WHEN were you there?!? I may or may not have peed into the pool already...

So they were showing the game on the video screen?

I didn't see any video of city garden on tv... just that same old shot of the arch from K plaza.

Citygarden was shown on ESPN for the intro to the baseball tonight post game with chris berman and the gang set up on the field in busch. You could see the mult colored fountains and the rabbits. Very cool!

DeBaliviere wrote:So they were showing the game on the video screen?

Yep. Great idea, IMO (I didn't go, but I know some people who did).



I wonder if they also showed it at Old Post Office Plaza?

DeBaliviere wrote:So they were showing the game on the video screen?

Yes...and after Busch Stadium...it may have been one of the best places to see the game. Many people watched the game, and Citygarden was crowded, but it never felt overcrowded. I was disappointed by the relative lack of footage at Citygarden from the media, but to KSDK's credit, they ran stories from Citygarden Saturday night and Tuesday night (Kasey Joyce interviewed out-of-towners on Saturday, while Jeff Small interviewed fans watching the game Tuesday evening).



I'm not sure whether the game was shown at Old Post Office Plaza. Hopefully it was shown there, as it is perhaps even better suited as a gathering place for events like this than Citygarden since the screen is so large and there is so much more seating available.

ThreeOneFour wrote:

DeBaliviere wrote:So they were showing the game on the video screen?

Yes...and after Busch Stadium...it may have been one of the best places to see the game. Many people watched the game, and Citygarden was crowded, but it never felt overcrowded..

I agree. It was a great place to watch the game. I was there during the entire game.

That's great! I hope they do that again in the future.



In Cincy, they have a screen in Fountain Square that broadcasts all the Reds games. Might be a little overkill for City Garden to show all the Cards games (or maybe not), but I like that they're putting the screen to good use.



Has the OPO Plaza screen ever been used for anything? I know they've been showing movies there, but I was under the impression that the movies were projected on portable screens.

Framer wrote:

DeBaliviere wrote:So they were showing the game on the video screen?

Yep. Great idea, IMO (I didn't go, but I know some people who did).



I wonder if they also showed it at Old Post Office Plaza?

I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think the game was showing at POP. I walked by there minutes before the game started and nothing was happening.

The "screen" is completely useless as built at the OPO plaza, except to hide the side of the Orpheum theatre.

seems silly to have advertised it as a movie screen then



see pic

here

http://www.downtownstl.org/OldPostOfficePlaza_2566.aspx

STL63101 wrote:The "screen" is completely useless as built at the OPO plaza, except to hide the side of the Orpheum theatre.

They could just sell it for scrap and get the Frontyard Features guy down more often.

Was there last night (Saturday July 25) and the place was the most packed I have ever seen it. It was also 10:30 p.m.



All of downtown was jammed packed everywhere.

matguy70 wrote:Was there last night (Saturday July 25) and the place was the most packed I have ever seen it. It was also 10:30 p.m.



All of downtown was jammed packed everywhere.

That's why there needs to be more (open) retail in the area around it!

It is beginning to take on a "ghetto" look to me. Every time I have been by recently there are so many hoosier kids swimming in all the water features it detracts from the garden. I don't mind kids playing in the fountain plaza, however there are way too many parents treating the Garden like an extension of the city recreational complex pools. These are the same people that don't see a problem opening up a fire hydrant on a hot day. It reminds me of the bums taking bathes in the fountain at Lucas Park.

^I think that will go away over time, probably relatively soon. School starts soon, and after September it will be too cool for more than just your feet in the water. Next year probably won't be quite as busy since it won't be brand new. Then again, I don't care if it looks hoosiery, because I just like to see people actually using something downtown in that kind of density without having a special event as the draw.

The grass isn't looking too great in a few heavy-traffic areas, but that's to be expected.

DeBaliviere wrote:The grass isn't looking too great in a few heavy-traffic areas, but that's to be expected.

Along the front of the lower fountain area, the sidewalk seems way too narrow. People who want to stand there and look can't because of the kids splashing. So they take a few steps back into the grass and it turned into a giant mud puddle. I hope they have money to fix it permanently, because it looks pretty bad.

Jeez already Maybe all you naysayers would be happier at Laumier where there are signs everywhere instructing visitors not to touch the sculptures and signs warning you that you are on camera. Yeah, it's a real bummer seeing kids enjoying themselves downtown on a hot summer day...jeez.

Yeah, I'd much rather have public spaces look worn from overuse than pristine and empty. We complain that our streets and parks are "dead" then turn around and complain when too many people use them for their intended purpose?

I for one think it's great to see kids playing in the fountains. My wife and I were in town from last Friday through Tuesday (from Michigan) and were amazed at how many people were always down there, on Sunday afternoon, Monday evening, etc. Didn't matter what time or what day; and my wife commented that there were a wide range of people, lots of kids in the fountains obviously, but also families, young adults, seniors, the whole gamut. And remember this past weekend the Cards were in Philly, so no game crowd adding to this. My wife is from D.C. me from Michigan, and we travel alot and City Garden is a truly unique place. My wife talked about how she specifically liked that it was interactive, and the city in general had a very interactive vibe that this adds to, the fact that the museums/zoos are free, the whole city just had a very open feel for exploring what it has to offer.



On a side note, we stayed at the Union Station Marriott and I have to say, I'm confused at how much I hear that the mall there is "struggling." On Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday (in the middle of business hours) there was always a decent crowd. The fudge shop always had a crowd with the workers doing a great job of interacting and having fun with the audience. I realize this may be because the one wing is now empty and the open wing is thus more dense now, but it was full. Also, we've stay at alot of Marriott's across the country (were just at the Cleveland Marriott at Key Center) and are rewareded accordingly by Marriott for being frequent customers, we always ask for a late check-out and never have a problem. However, when I asked for a late check I was told that they couldn't do any late check-outs because it was 100% booked for Tuesday when we were leaving. So, from our limited time there, things seemed to be doing well (we made a few purchases ourselves to support the place!)



So, take this for what it's worth coming from a couple tourists from another state.

^well, that's most encouraging!