Built in 1936 for the Olympics. Has a large open air 50m. pool plus two indoor I believe. Looks quite monumental but ugly with the stands built from limestone.
As a Yank I am really enjoying this thread. I have a sentimental affinity for baseball stadiums and this thread has the same vibe. I've always been curious how visitors from England would rank our MLS stadiums. To me they are nice but modest, if not sometimes too ordinary. My guess is that you would consider the best MLS venue to be the one I consider to be the best MLS venue, Providence Park, home of the Portland Timbers. Providence Park was constructed by reconfiguring an old minor league baseball stadium built in 1926. I saw a baseball game there in its last season in that capacity. It's a great place to watch a match, and where else are you going to watch a lumberjack rev up a chainsaw cut a slice off a log after each goal?
I've been to a few NFL games. None were as enjoyable as sitting at home watching it on the TV. The college game is a different experience entirely, and I would highly recommend it to any fan of sport.
My cousin lives in New York and likes the Red Bulls stadium. Constructed to give a European type atmosphere where in one area standing and singing is encouraged and it says on the tickets if you go in the that area don't moan about it.
Thanks CC. As to atmosphere, the best MLS atmosphere I have personally witnessed was at a Seattle Sounders match. I don't care much for the stadium itself but the crowd experience is among the best in the USA. I have yet to attend a match in Kansas City, but I hear the atmosphere there is outstanding. I attend a lot of FC Dallas matches and the experience is a bit dull. The supporters groups are fragmented, starting with the fact there are English and Spanish groups and they go their separate ways. Other venues seem to be mostly comprised of hipsters who are there because it is the cool place to hang out.
It is a fine stadium Went there with Askewshair for a Hertha Berlin game Great atmosphere on the Ostcurve, iconic Olympic Rings, 2 pint glasses (well ok plastic) that you can drink at your seat while watching the game, not that I wanted to but I like the freedom to smoke in your seat (mostly dope I think near where we were!) Standard of football wasn't great, but a good day out where everyone seems to start drinking on public transport on the way to the ground, then arrives in the car park with crates of beer to carry on there. And there was no trouble with opposition fans drinking together Weird moment was finding myself queuing to put empty beer bottles in a bin, strange enough, but then getting to the massive metal bin to find that everyone had carefully laid their bottles neatly in rows...I had to do the same, it just felt too strange not to So good call Airlie
