14 Great Neighborhoods to Live Near Sports Stadiums
Living near a sports stadium is great for at least two kinds of people: sports fans who want to be near the action, and people who appreciate high home values.
According to Trulia research, homes near National Football League and Major League Baseball stadiums tend to hold more value than those in other parts of the metro areas where the stadiums located.
And there’s one trend that could make living near a stadium more attractive. New mixed-use stadium designs that combine live/work spaces with restaurants and retail are attracting crowds year-round, not just on game days.
Younger property seekers find the excitement of living close to a bustling stadium a plus, while those with families are drawn to the areas due to their high walkability scores as well as their locations close to transit stops, parks and retail establishments.
Whether you’re a San Francisco Giants fan on the West Coast or an Atlanta Braves fan in Georgia, these 14 great neighborhoods near sports stadiums are a worthwhile investment for finances and fun.
South Park, San Francisco
Stadium: AT&T Park
Sport: Baseball
Team: MLB’s San Francisco Giants
Representative property: A two-bedroom, 1,100-square-foot condo with a killer view could set you back almost $1.4 million.
The details: If you want to cheer on your team in the heart of a bustling city, AT&T Park takes the top spot. Construction of the San Francisco Giants’ stadium revived this once down-at-the-heels area, and the neighborhood is now home to luxury buildings, bustling restaurants and lots of young professionals.
Dubbed “South Beach” due to its location and proximity to the Bay, it’s a highly walkable area, and many of the high rise apartments boast gorgeous views.
Downtown Commons, Sacramento, Calif.
Stadium: Golden 1 Center
Sport: Basketball
Team: NBA’s Sacramento Kings
Representative property: A two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath condo within cheering distance will cost you between $1.1 and $1.2 million.
The details: If you prefer city living with a slightly slower pace, Sacramento might be just the place for you.
The new home of the Sacramento Kings, Golden 1 Center has helped revitalize the downtown area of California’s capital. In addition to the impressive modern sports stadium, the surrounding Downtown Commons area features restaurants, bars, a movie theater and luxury residences.
The District Detroit, Detroit
Stadium: Little Caesars Arena
Sports: Hockey, Basketball
Teams: NBA’s Detroit Pistons, NHL’s Detroit Red Wings
Representative property: A two-bedroom, two-bathroom corner loft with skyline views can be yours for $515,000.
The details: The revitalization of Detroit has been a hot topic. The new home of the Pistons and Red Wings might help make it happen.
Little Caesars Arena, which opened in 2017, is a state-of-the-art sports arena located near downtown Detroit. Real estate prices in the surrounding area have been steadily rising since the stadium opened, most notably with an adjacent dilapidated house commanding a $4.5 million dollar price tag.
Future plans for the area include the addition of more retail shops and restaurants as well as the construction of several high-rise office buildings. Also worth noting: Google’s Detroit HQ recently moved into offices next door to Little Caesars Arena, so keep an eye out for tech bros and rising rents.
Hollywood Park, Inglewood, Calif.
Stadium: Name to be determined
Sport: Football
Teams: NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers, NFL’s Los Angeles Rams
Representative property: Prices of the homes in the development are to be determined. For $610,000, you can score a nearby two-bedroom, one-bathroom single-family home (that needs some work).
The details: The new home of the NFL’s Chargers and Rams is currently under construction, but the large mixed-use development is poised to give Inglewood a big financial lift.
The new construction will include more than 2,000 homes and condominiums, plus various retail and restaurant spaces as well as a park with a playground and a lake.
Real estate prices in the area are already seeing the benefits of their location near the future stadium, with the average home price up over $60k since construction of the stadium was launched.
Arena District, Columbus, Ohio
Stadium: Nationwide Arena
Sport: Hockey
Team: NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets
Representative property: A two-bedroom, three-bathroom condo in a modern high rise with views of Nationwide Arena is listed for $615,000.
The details: If you’re looking for further proof of the resurgence of the Rust Belt, look no further than Columbus and its Arena District. Home to the Blue Jackets, the arena is surrounded by 1,030 apartments as well as a staggering amount of commercial space.
The attractively designed complex features lots of green space as well as the North Market, where 35 local vendors sell everything from spices to kitchen wares to prepared foods. More luxury condo buildings are in the works and home prices closest to the arena are significantly higher than in the surrounding areas (yet still less expensive than similar listings in San Francisco).
The Banks, Cincinnati
Stadiums: The Great American Ballpark, Paul Brown Stadium
Sport: Baseball, Football
Team: NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals, MLB’s Cincinnati Reds
Representative property: Prices for luxury condos are high — $700,000 to $2 million — but renters can still nab a two-bedroom apartment for under $2,000 per month.
The details: Built between The Great American Ballpark and Paul Brown Stadium, The Banks is situated along the shore of the Ohio River. Home to both the Bengals and the Reds, the sports stadiums offer views of the riverfront, and the surrounding residential properties take advantage of the panorama as well.
Families with young kids who want a more urban lifestyle will find lots to love about The Banks, most notably Riverfront Park. The paved walkways, splash pads, gardens and beautiful carousel offer lots of outdoor fun.
Power and Light District, Kansas City, Mo.
Stadium: Sprint Center
Sports: Various
Team: No professional team
Representative property: You can live in a gorgeous two-bedroom apartment for $2,300, or less than it costs to rent a studio apartment on one of the coasts.
The details: The Sprint Center opened in Kansas City in 2007. While it doesn’t have a resident professional team, it’s often used for college basketball games and regional rounds of the NCAA tournament.
It’s in the Power and Light District, which features 12 blocks of restaurants, bars and luxurious high-rise living, and is credited with transforming downtown. Amenities among the properties often include rooftop swimming pools with bars, workout rooms, floor to ceiling windows, and in-unit washers and dryers.
Wrigleyville, Chicago
Stadium: Wrigley Field
Sport: Baseball
Team: MLB’s Chicago Cubs
Representative property: Located just a few blocks from Wrigley Field, a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo (with a fireplace!) is currently listed for $385,000.
The details: Even old-school Wrigley Field has recently found itself at the center of new construction.
Wrigleyville’s new incarnation definitely has its detractors, but there’s no arguing that the area has been changed. Formerly a grungy neighborhood populated with sports bars and drunken frat boys, the revamped Wrigleyville features a boutique hotel, a Starbucks and a weekly farmer’s market.
One of Wrigleyville’s biggest selling points is its proximity to an L station, which makes it easy to get in (and out) of the neighborhood by train during baseball season and throughout the year.
House prices are still relatively affordable around Wrigley Field, but with more new construction on the drawing board and young families having discovered the area, don’t expect that to last too much longer.
LoDo, Denver
Stadium: Coors Field
Sport: Baseball
Team: MLB’s Colorado Rockies
Representative property: A 2,000-square-foot, two-bedroom loft located just a few streets away from Coors Field is listed for $655,000.
The details: The Colorado Rockies already have a cool deal in the Mile High City, but construction of a new mega development near Coors Field is underway. According to developers, it’s designed to echo New York City’s Rockefeller Center.
Located in Lower Downtown, or LoDo, Coors Field is already a hub of activity with bars, restaurants, retail shops and condos. The new development will include ice skating, a Rockies baseball Hall of Fame, more condos and a boutique hotel.
The idea behind the development is to make the stadium the center of urban life year round as opposed to just on game day, which makes it a great investment and residential opportunity for Colorado baseball fans.
Ballpark Village, St. Louis
Stadium: Busch Stadium
Sport: Baseball
Team: MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals
Representative property: For just under $200,000 you can enjoy a two-bedroom, two-bathroom newly renovated loft located a few blocks from Busch Stadium.
The details: Busch Stadium, home of the Cardinals, is the anchor tenant for St. Louis’ Ballpark Village. The present incarnation of Ballpark Village features restaurants, event spaces and the Cardinals Hall of Fame & Museum.
Currently under construction is the second phase of the development, which will include a 29-story apartment building, a Loews Hotel, a health club and market, and a turf-covered gathering space on the site of the original Busch Stadium.
Many of the units in the apartment building offer views of both the iconic Gateway Arch and the ballfield, and the development has spurred on other projects as well. Two more mixed-use buildings are underway nearby.
Fenway–Kenmore, Boston
Stadium: Fenway Park
Sport: Baseball
Team: MLB’s Boston Red Sox
Representative property: A two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment in an older building rents for $2,250 per month.
The details: The oldest baseball stadium in the country has (so far) remained safe from major redevelopment, so if you want the authentic, original neighborhood feel, Fenway may be your best best.
If you also want luxury living without the planned community vibe, there are several new high rise apartment buildings located within shouting distance of the stadium.
It’s worth noting, however, is that developers have recently filed plans with Boston’s Planning commission to turn an area just four blocks from the iconic park into a mixed-use development featuring restaurant and retail space, apartments and parking. Smart real estate investors might consider purchasing existing property now in the hopes that they’ll be bought out in service to further new developments.
Navy Yard, Washington D.C.
Stadium: Nationals Park
Sport: Baseball
Team: MLB’s Washington Nationals
Representative property: A four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath townhouse right near Nationals Park is listed for $950,000.
The details: Nationals Park has been home to the Washington Nationals since the late 2000s, but it’s only in recent years that the neighborhood has become an all-around fantastic place for sports fans (or anyone) to live. Adjacent Yards Park is a popular destination for young families, and kids often frolic in the fountain.
A recently completed mixed-use residential building offers a swimming pool, a hot tub and stadium-style seating on the roof with direct views right into Nationals Park. Nearby public transportation makes the area appealing to those who work on Capitol Hill, but the home prices near Nationals Park are slightly less than in neighborhoods closer to the city center.
The Battery, Atlanta
Stadium: SunTrust Park
Sport: Baseball
Team: MLB’s Atlanta Braves
Representative property: The Reserve at the Ballpark offers new two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments for $1,800-$2,100 per month.
The details: SunTrust Park is the home of the Atlanta Braves, but it could also be your home. Plans are underway for Home at the Battery Atlanta, three new residential communities that share space with the baseball stadium in Cumberland.
The apartments feature amenities that any baseball fan will love, including exclusive access to rooftop bars and lounges with ballpark views. The area around the buildings and the stadium has lots going for it, too, including a soon-to-open movie theater as well as lots of bars and restaurants.
Those who prefer to buy instead of rent can snag a spacious condo within a short drive of SunTrust Park for under $200,000, which makes it one of the more affordable areas for die-hard baseball fans.
Prospect Heights/Downtown Brooklyn, New York
Stadium: Barclays Center
Sports: Basketball, Hockey
Teams: NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, NHL’s New York Islanders
Representative property: A spacious (by Brooklyn standards) two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit in a new luxury building rents for $5,500 a month.
The details: Barclays is home to both the Islanders and Nets, and it also hosts concerts and events.
Located at the edge of Prospect Heights and downtown Brooklyn, the neighborhood around the stadium has rapidly changed, and now features multiple luxury high rise buildings. As with most neighborhoods in Brooklyn, the cost of real estate — whether renting or buying — is commensurate with being close to public transport and the other positive aspects of urban life.
There’s some encouraging news for Nets fans who don’t have million dollar trust funds: The newly constructed buildings offer a percentage of apartments at an affordable rate aimed at working families who might otherwise be priced out.