| Hopefully Fort Wayne got it right this time. After building Memorial Stadium in 1993 and getting just 16 years of use out of it, Fort Wayne opened Parkview Field in 2009 as part of the downtown Harrison Square project. Located on the edge of the downtown (bordering a neighborhood), the park is situated to take advantage of the city skyline, though there really isn't much of one. The front of the ballpark features a large clock tower and arched entranceways, thus making it quite attractive. Inside, Parkview Field follows the typical new park template with a wide wraparound concourse overlooking the playing field, though the outfield area is much bigger due to the fact that it contains a “park” area with fountains and also an amphitheater. Seating here was done the right way as the incline is steep and all the fold downs are contained within the infield. This means that sightlines are great. In addition to the traditional fold down seats, there are several other area where fans can sit. These include the grassy berms in left field and right field, the Home Run Porch seats in left field (which feature cushioned seats and counters), picnic areas in the right field corner, rooftop seats in right field (available only to groups) and the “field” boxes along the left field line. These “field” seats include a table with 4 chairs. The Tin Caps deserve some credit for providing the fans plenty of unique seating choices. Parkview Field includes several concession stands along the infield concourse as well as two specialty concession stands in the outfield. One feature BBQ while the other has grilled items. These stands are unique in that they are both constructed of unstained wood, giving them a very distinctive feel. Other food options here include brats, Mexican, wraps, and one stand featuring all apple items – apple sauce, apple pie, apple turnovers, etc. This is a connection to Johnny Appleseed, which is where the Tin Caps nickname came from. Concessions are reasonably priced and of good quality. For the kids who are become restless, there is plenty to keep them occupied. A large kids play area is located in left field and batting cages are located along the concourse on the first base side. In fact you can watch the visiting team take BP in these cages before the game. Overall the atmosphere is very typical. There are several between inning games that are played – dizzy bat race, musical chairs, and balloon toss to name a few, but none are very unique. Some music and sound effects are played, but they fortunately are not too annoying. The team also has a mascot, Johnny. Ushers here are plentiful, but for the most part unobtrusive. Parkview Field is just the first part of the larger Harrison Square project, so the area around the park is still a bit of a construction zone. Parking can be found in surface lots of garages (for $4-5) or on street for free. Parkview Field is definitely a place that Fort Wayne can be proud of, though I'm sure the same thing was said in 1993 after Memorial Stadium opened. Only time will tell how well it will hold up, but for now, this seems like a huge improvement over its predecessor.
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