There's natural grass and a riverfront skyline view. There's not a bad seat in the joint. For games, the Sixth Street Bridge over the Allegheny River is closed to traffic and becomes the Roberto Clemente walking bridge. The park's design and size, brick front, steel structure and masonry arches, evokes memories of older ballparks, simpler times.
River boats docking just beyond the right field wall add a big-city flavor.
But for the mayor who built it, incumbent Democrat Tom Murphy, it could prove to be a beast. A recent Pittsburgh Post-Gazette poll said 56 percent of Democratic voters disapprove of Murphy's stadium efforts. And the mayor, seeking a third four-year term, faces a possible upset in next week's Democratic primary. They're waiting to see if this burns him up. This, of course, is tax-funded sports stadiums.