Baltimore Orioles: Camden Yards is number one!

The Baltimore Orioles only finished with a .500 season last year, but as of yesterday they’re number one at something. Stadium Journey ranks all of the sports venues in the nation every year, and in 2015 Oriole Park at Camden Yards came out as #1. Yes folks, that means that it’s the best place for sports in America!

Now granted as a local I’m biased. But I’ve long told people that it was the best venue for sports in the country, and now finally someone else is recognizing that! But there are few backdrops in sports better than the B & O Warehouse, and few atmospheres that can equal what the Orioles have created on Eutaw St.

The ratings as given by Stadium Journey take everything into account; food and beer selections, atmosphere, the local area around the ballpark, accessibility, etc. Camden Yards is about as easily accessible as any stadium in the country, with sprawling parking lots and a light rail station steps from the entrances. The area around the park is about as popping as you can get, with local favorites such as Pickles Pub, Sliders, and now even Dempsey’s Brew Pub located in the ballpark.

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Ironically the one area that some folks have told me the park lacks is the food selection. I would take issue with that assessment however, as Oriole Park offers your typical ballpark fare (hot dogs, burgers, pizza, nachos, etc), along with local favorites such as crab cakes, crab pretzels, etc. Unless you’re looking for a Philly Cheesesteak or a DC half smoke, you can find pretty much any food item at Oriole Park.

Now with that said, I will say that some of those things are a bit arbitrary. There might be a great venue for sports out there which isn’t anywhere near anyplaces such as Pickles or Sliders, and it basically got voted down as a result. To piggyback on what I said above, I know people who swear that the food selections at Nationals Park is better than those at Camden Yards. I suppose that’s a matter of opinion – but the people that make that decision obviously didn’t think so!

Next: Baltimore Orioles: Ken Griffey Jr. and the Hall

One of the best parts of Camden Yards is the local feel to it. With all of the crab-centric food items on the menu, Esskay hot dogs, National Bohemian, Heavy Seas, and Flying Dog flowing in the stands, etc, the park is uniquely a “Baltimore experience.” And speaking for myself I love that. The Orioles may be a lot of things, but their stadium experience is second to none!