Livestrong Sporting Park

[KCPowercat]

...and Exhibit A of why people are confused where KC is.  First shot on TV is the typical KCMO skyline from Liberty Memorial....2nd shot exterior of Livestrong park with the tagline of "Kansas City, KS". 

Actually most people do know the difference....just funny.  Poor KCK.

[KCMax]

They do the same with all the suburban SOS in MLS. [Shot of Statue of Liberty] "We are live in Harrison, New Jersey at Red Bull Arena....."

Place looks packed. TV announcers keep saying how loud it is - at one point one guy asks the guy next to him a question and the other guy doesn't answer - when called on it he says "sorry, I couldn't hear you." Great energy.

FWIW, I learned tonight that the population of Guadelupe is roughly the same as Kansas City. Fun!

[KCPowercat]

Yeah I know....I kinda felt bad for kck.

[pash]

.

[ComandanteCero]

Hope it ends up selling out

according to the tv announcer they were sold out and then some (official capacity is 18,467, and the attendance was 20,109 so lots of folks standing).  

[coreyo]

according to the tv announcer they were sold out and then some (official capacity is 18,467, and the attendance was 20,109 so lots of folks standing).  

Yes, they sold a bunch of standing room only tickets for $30. I had some tickets show up at the stadium and purchase those. They said they were near the cauldron but not in it.

[mudjack]

I'm going to Farm Aid in a couple of weeks and I have a couple of questions about the park.

I'm pretty sure I saw where they let people bring in a bottle of water if the temperature was incredibly high. Are there rules on this?

I've been told that we will not be allowed to leave and return. This can't be true for an all day concert can it?

If anyone has any tips, they would be appreciated.

[NDTeve]

In true Kansas City fashion...I must bitch about the parking. Every fucking lot has a "no event parking" and you have to lie to one of the people to park in a restaurant lot. They need to open some of the lots for Sporting Parking. We had to park at T-Bones and we waited for a school bus for 15 minutes but gave up and walked. Didn't mind walking except it was 107 last saturday and it just seemed nobody (including myself) knew what the fuck was going on. Plus France Family Drive is/was closed. Not that big of a deal and probably something that will get worked out. Just not fun walking in that heat with a pregnant lady!

[KCPowercat]

Aren't there a lot of paved lots across state Ave?  I assume those were "built" for the two stadiums.

[kucer]

I bought single game tickets through work which meant the parking lot assigned to us was Lot I (shuttle bus zone).  After some investigation, I decided to buy a Lot C pass on Craigslist for 15 bucks.  It was well worth it with 2 six year olds in tow.

http://www.sportingkc.com/parking

[bobbyhawks]

I really hate to gripe about parking, but I've had issues both times that I went to Livestrong for games.  I didn't have a parking pass for one, and the other required driving around for 15-20 minutes looking for my lot. 

Really, the redeeming quality of the racetrack as a location for Livestrong is that it is easy to park there.  Then, to my surprise, I find that the average walk to the stadium from a legal parking area is probably two or three times that of a Chiefs game.  It isn't really so terrible, but what is terrible is driving past an ocean of open parking that you are not allowed to use.  If people are ticked off at the Sprint Center, I don't see how they aren't raising the same issues with Livestrong.  It would be like Sprint Center with the closest non-permit parking being at Union Station.  I parked at Amini's one time, which really isn't all that bad but is probably illegal.  The traffic flow there is such a cluster, and they are herding people past vast open spaces to pay parking areas.  Regardless, it won't stop me from going to games.  The location being as remote as it is may, but the parking won't. 

[KCPowercat]

How didn't they anticipate this?  I find it appropriate to complain about parking when that is your only option to get there.

[KCMax]

Women's National Team - Abby Wambach and Hope Solo - to play a match on Sept 17

http://blogs.pitch.com/plog/2011/08/abb ... strong.php

[KC-wildcat]

I really hate to gripe about parking, but I've had issues both times that I went to Livestrong for games.  I didn't have a parking pass for one, and the other required driving around for 15-20 minutes looking for my lot. 

I find that the average walk to the stadium from a legal parking area is probably two or three times that of a Chiefs game. 

There are massive surface lots located directly south and west of Sporting Park. 

http://www.livestrongsportingpark.com/parking/

Lots are located on State Ave.  GA and Reserved.  Two lots are free and open to the public.  They are much closer than large portions of Arrowhead and parking.

I parked in the Free Lots for the Gold Cup game.  5 minute walk to the stadium. 

[bobbyhawks]

There are massive surface lots located directly south and west of Sporting Park. 

http://www.livestrongsportingpark.com/parking/

Lots are located on State Ave.  GA and Reserved.  Two lots are free and open to the public.  They are much closer than large portions of Arrowhead and parking.

I parked in the Free Lots for the Gold Cup game.  5 minute walk to the stadium. 

Thanks for the update.  I could have sworn I drove by those lots and they were for parking pass people only.  I've been running late both times I've been as well, so that may have been why I was too lazy to figure it out.  I still hate the design of parking and streets near that location.

[KC-wildcat]

Thanks for the update.  I could have sworn I drove by those lots and they were for parking pass people only.  I've been running late both times I've been as well, so that may have been why I was too lazy to figure it out.  I still hate the design of parking and streets near that location.

Well, other than a massive vertical parking garage, I can't really envision a better design for parking.  

Unlike Arrowhead and Kauffman, Sporting Park is not surrounded by expansive surface lots.  The Stadium is framed by shopping and lodging on the east and west.  The stadium is tucked right up to Village West Parkway to the North - with big retailers just on the other side.  

Stadium designated parking is located directly south, the only side of the stadium not surrounded by development.  The lots also service NASCAR and T-Bones events.  

The lots are effecient, close, and relatively obscured from view.

I'd much rather have this set up than something like Kemper or Truman Sports Complex.  

[moosnsqrl]

I still hate the design of parking and streets near that location.

Amen to that. It's like they found the bottom of the traffic engineer pool and intentionally hired them to do the streets/lots there. I swear I've become claustrophobic trying to find a way out of some of the lots. I am not a shopper though. Maybe people who indulge in so-called "retail therapy" use a different side of their brain and the design makes sense to them?

[kboish]

I too had a hell of a time figuring out where to park (sheesh! those suburban areas are just so unmanageable...i better stay here in the safe city where i know the protocols  ), but had a great time at the game and absolutely love the stadium.  Plan on going to some more games.

[kboish]

Most of the problem stemmed from the fact that there was no signage or directions for where to go (i showed up late, so maybe there was people directing traffic earlier?)

[bobbyhawks]

The stadium is nice.  It has a little bit of a minor league baseball stadium vibe in the concourse area, but for the MLS, it is one of the better soccer specific venues on TV.  I am bitter about the location (wasn't a fan of Bannister either), and that is probably just as annoying to those who love it as it would be to me if people from OP complained about a downtown stadium.  There is little appeal to me in the surrounding "development."  Cabela's, NFM, and Target aren't exactly trips I tie together with sporting events.  And I'm not really an Applebea's/Ruby/Chili's/Famous Dave's/etc. type of guy.  That said, it is far and away better as far as things to do than TSC.  I'm also afraid that, due to its location, it is not likely that decent transportation to games will materialize to downtown since another state is involved.  If Sporting could solve that riddle, and they are pretty forward thinking in many things, they could really make the Royals jealous.