| My initial impressions of Everett Memorial Stadium were wrong. When I stopped by to snap some photos in 2003, it was on a cool, dreary day, which led to a negative impression of the park. So I was pleasantly surprised when I returned on a beautiful summer evening in 2007. While the physical structure of the ballpark hadn't changed, I discovered that the setting and game day atmosphere is what makes this place special. Set along the Seattle coast, Everett is a Seattle suburb located about 30 miles north. As with almost every location in western Washington state, there are splendid views of snow covered mountains here beyond the outfield fences. Unfortunately, the ballpark itself is not as great as the setting. The seating bowl is made mostly of metal, though fold down seats do make up all the box and reserved sections. Two large metal bleacher sections are located at the ends of the main grandstand. As with most of the ballparks in the Northwest League, there are no luxury boxes here. Though the seating bowl has a rather cheap feel to it, sightlines are good and most of the seats are close to the field, making for a very intimate experience. Behind the first base grandstand there is a huge (football field sized) grassy area for kids to play in. Additionally, there is a grassy berm area in the right field corner that extends into fair territory. Concessions are located on the concourse area behind home plate, which is out of view from the field. Food options are well varied - italian sausages, burgers, clam chowder bowls, chili - and the quality is quite good. The atmosphere is quite lively as the team has two mascots and they do several on field promotions, tough it's almost exclusively adults that participate. While it may be more endearing to see kids competing, watching adults participate is a refreshing change and means that not everyone has to be a winner (which is always the case when kids are involved). Another nice touch is the large manual scoreboard in right field - I wonder if teams are finding these cheaper to maintain since it seems like the electronic ones are always having bulbs burned out. My only complaint with the overall experience at Everett Memorial is the prices. Clearly capitalizing on the wealthy suburbanites and those who frequent Safeco, things seem a bit too expensive for Short Season A ball. Tickets are as high as $14, parking is $5 or more, and concessions trend toward the high side as well. I wasn't in a rush to get to a game here, but am sure glad I did. Everett Memorial Stadium is just a pleasant place to take in a ballgame, especially on a clear summer night.
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