• Stevie Howell is an artist born and raised in San Francisco and now living in LA.

• Howell says she misses the support system San Francisco provided her and her business.

• She finds LA socially distant and misses the diverse food, art and neighborhoods of San Francisco.

This essay is based on a conversation with Stevie Howell, an artist and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I was born and raised in San Francisco and spent six years of my adult life there before moving to Los Angeles about five years ago. I thought the move would be easy, but I was surprised by some things that a huge city like LA doesn't have compared to tiny SF.

People love to hate San Francisco – I recently heard the city described as “war-torn” – but the truth is it's beautiful. The city has parks and incredible views, and the hills are scenic and fun to drive up and down. There's great architecture – from colorful Victorian buildings to the monstrous Salesforce Tower – and easy access to the ocean and the bay.

It is a well-planned urban space and the city continues to make thoughtful decisions to keep it visually appealing and stimulating.

Although LA is much bigger than San Francisco, LA doesn't have the urban feel that San Francisco does. Here are the five worst things I found about leaving the San Francisco Bay Area and moving to LA.

1. LA feels socially distanced

LA feels like a huge network of suburbs. In San Francisco, I feel the urban buzz – that hum of activity and people walking around instead of staying in their homes like in LA.

San Francisco is relatively densely populated, so you can know your neighbors, walk to get coffee or grocery shopping, meet up with a friend on a whim, or walk to the other side of town for dinner without having to spend the entire evening getting there like we did in LA.

2. I miss the diverse food, the art and the neighborhoods

Walking around you hear a mix of languages ​​and get to try a variety of cuisines. There is amazing food and so many creative chefs doing great things. Some restaurants I miss the most are Flour + Water (Italian), Mandalay SF (Burmese food), Marnee Thai (Thai), La Taqueria (Mexican) and Swan Oyster Depot (seafood).

I've heard the art world in San Francisco described as “provincial,” but it's home to both amazing galleries and significant collections. Some of my favorites include Jessica Silverman Gallery, SFMOMA, Rebecca Camacho Presents, and Minnesota Street Project.

Additionally, each neighborhood has its own identity, personality and unique characters.

3. I miss San Francisco’s support system

I loved the community I had in my studio; it's a sense of community that I haven't found in any other city.

My art studio was at the end of an old wooden building in the middle of a row of beautiful old brick warehouses and shipbuilding facilities. Other artists lived in the building and we helped each other out. We referred each other new clients, got our work known to the press, and shared resources for opportunities.

As an artist and entrepreneur, I started my eco-friendly textile and wallpaper collection business in San Francisco in 2013. I don't think I would have ever started a business in any other city. San Francisco encourages entrepreneurship that goes beyond the tech world.

4. I miss San Francisco’s culture and philanthropic spirit

When I lived in San Francisco, I found that many of the companies there had a good environmental or social mission. I miss the philanthropy that is embedded in the city. People care about the world and each other.

While San Francisco has done many things right, the way it is dealing with the homelessness crisis – or not – is a mistake. That's because of how the city deals with drug addiction, mental illness, and the high cost of living. Many other cities in the U.S. are struggling with similar problems, and like other cities, it's devastating to see it in San Francisco.

But I think that for the most part, San Francisco still has the same heart and soul that it has had for years. People care about their neighbors, their parks, and the world at large.

5. I miss being close to nature in the Bay Area

There are so many great green spaces and beaches around the Bay Area that are easy to get to. You can take a hike on your lunch break. Crissy Field, Golden Gate Park, Bernal Heights Hill, Dolores Park, Ocean Beach, Stinson Beach, Angel Island and Rodeo Beach are all great places.

When I lived in San Francisco, I served on the board of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, where I learned in depth about the amount of thought that goes into every single plant planted in the city, as well as the educational and research work that goes on in the city's parks.

The access to nature and the beauty of the outdoors is also what made the Bay Area such an incredible place to grow up. There really is a mix of indoor and outdoor learning that is unmatched by LA or any other place I've lived.

If you've moved to a new city or state and want to share your experience, email Manseen Logan at mlogan@businessinsider.com.

Read the original article on Business Insider

The post I left San Francisco and moved to LA. Listed below are the 5 worst issues about leaving the Bay Space. appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

• Stevie Howell is a San Francisco born and raised artist who now lives in LA.

• Howell says she misses the support system that San Francisco provided her and her company.

• She finds LA socially distant and misses SF's diverse food, art and neighborhoods.

This essay is based on a conversation with Stevie Howell, an artist and business owner living in Los Angeles. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I was born and raised in San Francisco and spent six years of my adult life there before moving to Los Angeles about five years ago. I thought it would be a very simple step, but I was surprised by some things that a big city like LA doesn't have compared to a small city like San Francisco.

People love to hate San Francisco – I recently heard the word “war-torn” used to describe it – but the truth is that it is beautiful. The city has parks and incredible views and the hills are scenic and fun to drive up and down. There's great architecture – from colorful Victorian buildings to the monstrous Salesforce Tower – and easy access to the ocean and bay.

It is a well-planned urban space and the city continues to make careful decisions to make it visually appealing and stimulating.

Although LA is much larger than San Francisco, unlike San Francisco, LA does not feel urban. Here are, in my opinion, the five worst things about leaving the San Francisco Bay Area and moving to LA.

1. LA is feeling socially distant

LA feels like a vast network of suburban enclaves. In San Francisco I feel an urban feel – this hustle and bustle and people moving around instead of staying in their houses like in LA.

San Francisco is relatively densely populated, so you can know your neighbors, walk for coffee or grocery shopping, meet up with a friend at the last minute, or walk across town for dinner rather than all evening have to spend to get there like we do in LA.

2. I miss the diverse food, art and neighborhoods

As you walk around you can hear a mix of languages ​​and taste different cuisines. There is amazing food and so many creative chefs doing great things. A few restaurants I miss the most are Flour + Water (Italian), Mandalay SF (Burmese food), Marnee Thai (Thai), La Taqueria (Mexican), and Swan Oyster Depot (Seafood).

I've heard the art world in San Francisco described as “provincial,” but it's home to both great galleries and important collections. Some of my favorites include Jessica Silverman Gallery, SFMOMA, Rebecca Camacho Presents, and Minnesota Street Project.

Additionally, each neighborhood has its own identity, personality and unique characters.

3. I miss San Francisco's support system

I loved the community I had in my studio; It's a sense of community that I haven't found in any other city.

My art studio was at the end of an old wooden building among a row of beautiful old brick warehouses and shipbuilding facilities. Other artists lived in the building and we helped each other. We referred each other to new clients, presented each other's work to the press, and shared resources for opportunities.

As an artist and business owner, I founded my eco-friendly textile and wallpaper collection business in San Francisco in 2013. I don't think I would have ever started a business in any other city. San Francisco breeds entrepreneurship that extends beyond the world of technology.

4. I miss the culture and philanthropic spirit of San Francisco

I live in San Francisco and have noticed that many of its companies have a good environmental or social mission. I miss the philanthropy that is embedded in the city. People care about the world and each other.

While San Francisco has done many things right, one thing it has done wrong is the way it has handled — or failed to handle — the homelessness crisis. It's due to how the city deals with drug addiction, mental illness and the high cost of living. Many other cities in the US are facing similar problems, and like other cities, it is disturbing to see.

But I believe that for the most part, San Francisco still has the same caring heart and soul that it has had for years. People care about their neighbors, their parks, and the world in general.

5. I miss the Bay Area's accessibility to nature

There are so many great green spaces and beaches within easy reach around the Bay Area. During your lunch break you can go for a hike. Crissy Field, Golden Gate Park, Bernal Heights Hill, Dolores Park, Ocean Beach, Stinson Beach, Angel Island and Rodeo Beach are great places.

When I lived in San Francisco, I served on a conservation committee at Golden Gate National Park and was able to learn in depth about the amount of thought that goes into each plant planted in the city and the education and research that takes place in the parks takes place in the city.

Access to nature and natural beauty is also what made the Bay Area such an incredible place to grow up. There really is a mix of indoor and outdoor learning that can't be compared to LA or anywhere else I've lived.

If you've moved to a new city or state and would like to share your experience, email Manseen Logan at mlogan@businessinsider.com.

Read the original article on Business Insider

The post I left San Francisco and moved to LA. Listed below are the 5 worst issues about leaving the Bay Space. appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Earlier this year at an event in San Francisco, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman dismissed the idea that fully remote work could replace the value of in-office collaboration. This week, his surging company signed the largest office lease seen in the city since 2018.

In a period of doom and gloom for the commercial real estate sector, hammered by remote work and high vacancy rates in cities across the U.S., the deal offers a dose of hope. And for San Francisco, whose struggles with crime and homelessness have been well documented, it adds to a growing presence of companies involved in the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence.

Since kickstarting the AI boom with the release of ChatGPT last year, OpenAI has quickly become one the world’s most valuable closely held companies. Bloomberg reported earlier this month that OpenAI is in talks to sell shares an $86 billion valuation, and it reported in August that the company is on track to generate $1 billion in annual revenue.

OpenAI is leasing two buildings from Uber, which is “right-sizing” its real estate usage, at the ride-hailing company’s headquarters campus in the Mission Bay neighborhood. An Uber spokesperson confirmed to Fortune that the deal had finally closed. (Since it’s a sublease, landlords had to give their consent, which meant longer negotiations.) OpenAI is taking 486,600 square feet in all in the four-building campus.

As the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month, office attendance in large cities is still only about half the level seen in 2019. That’s despite a slight uptick recently and tough talk from high-profile CEOs about enforcing return-to-office policies.

As for San Francisco, it notched a record-high 33.9% office vacancy rate—nearly 30 million square feet listed for lease or sublease—in the third quarter, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. The paper noted that about 150,000 workers could fill all the empty office space.

The lack of all those employees hurts local businesses, including retailers and restaurants. That combined with the crime problem has prompted companies to give up on the city. In August, one of the city’s flagship retailers, Nordstrom, closed its once-vibrant store.

Story continues

As the owner of the mall that Nordstrom inhabited noted, “A growing number of retailers and businesses are leaving the area due to the unsafe conditions for customers, retailers, and employees, coupled with the fact that these significant issues are preventing an economic recovery of the area.”

The city’s “doom spiral” fears continue, but the move by OpenAI provides a bit of hope. And it helps that this year other AI firms have also leased office space in San Francisco.

As the Chronicle reported, Hive AI leased 57,117 square feet in a downtown skyscraper next to Salesforce Tower. Hayden AI leased 41,196 square feet, Anthropic leased 17,735, and Tome AI 16,887. (On Friday, Google said that it’s agreed to invest up to $2 billion in Anthropic, following Amazon saying it will invest up to $4 billion.)

That means five AI companies, including OpenAI, are leasing nearly 620,000 square feet of office space in the city. Of course, that’s still a drop in the bucket compared to amount of vacant space.

“There’s definitely a lot of hope and optimism that [AI] could be the catalyst for the next growth cycle not only for the office market, but for the San Francisco economy,” Colin Yasukochi, executive director of CBRE’s Tech Insights Center, told the Chronicle. But it could be years before “we see this growth cycle really explode,” if it does at all, he noted.

As it turns out, OpenAI’s office deal closed just as another San Francisco tech company ended a return-to-office experiment. Expensify, with a market cap of about $215 million, said this week that it’s closing an upscale office lounge where employees could enjoy champagne or a draft beer while collaborating in a restaurant-style booth or working on laptops at the bar.

In a blog post this week, Expensify CEO David Barrett described the lounge as an experiment on luring employees back into the office, and he concluded that remote work had won. “We’re just never going back to a regular nine-to-five office culture, a staple of not just our modern culture, but also the foundation of most urban planning,” he wrote.

For his part, OpenAI’s Altman—who has become a household name in the tech world and perhaps beyond—stressed the need for in-person collaboration and noted the shortcomings of remote work during a Stripe conference in San Francisco earlier this year.

“I think definitely one of the tech industry’s worst mistakes in a long time was that everybody could go full remote forever, and startups didn’t need to be together in person and, you know, there was going to be no loss of creativity,” he told attendees. “I would say that the experiment on that is over, and the technology is not yet good enough that people can be full remote forever, particularly on startups.”

OpenAI did not immediately reply to Fortune’s request for comments.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

The post OpenAI seals deal for San Francisco workplace house after CEO Sam Altman calls distant work ‘experiment’ one in every of tech trade’s worst errors appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Signs advertising drug rehab or access to emergency overdose kits are easy to spot here. It’s harder to find the downtown homeless encampment, a discrete cluster of three tents along the Ohio River, squeezed by a bridge and a construction site.

To people who believe drug addiction is to blame for the mushrooming tent cities in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, West Virginia presents a paradox. It leads the nation in overdose deaths per capita — by a wide margin. But this state best known for coal mines and the leafy Appalachian Mountains has one of the country’s lowest rates of homelessness.

“People conflate these crises,” said Dr. Margot Kushel, a UC San Francisco professor who led the largest representative study of homeless people in three decades, released earlier this year. “They are related but they are far from one and the same.”

Huntington, a college town and riverside port city along the border of Ohio and Kentucky that was once dubbed the overdose capital of America, illustrates the knotty relationship between the two plagues.

Nearly two-thirds of the homeless people here self-reported that they were struggling with addiction this year. But cheap and available housing has kept the official homeless count at 244 people in Huntington’s two-county service area, up since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic but still about a fourth of the per capita homeless population of Los Angeles County.

Housing markets operate a bit like rock concerts. Almost everyone can get in when demand and prices are low. But when Taylor Swift comes to town, and far more people want a seat than can get one, the barriers to entry grow, even for the cheapest tickets.

Those with the most hurdles — addiction, mental illness, criminal convictions and poverty, in the case of housing — are most likely to be stuck at the end of the line and shut out of a tight market.

From there, the problems feed off each other. People who lose housing are more likely to increase their drug and alcohol use, according to research by Kushel and others. And experiencing both homelessness and drug addiction — along with mental health issues in many cases — lengthens the time it takes to tackle each of the problems.

“A lot of people don’t understand that — but my substance use was kind of fleeting,” said Amanda Leffler, a 42-year-old Huntington resident who was homeless for about 15 years after leaving her husband.

She began taking more prescription drugs after getting hit by a paint truck, but shame from being homeless pushed her over the top, she said.

“The amount of loathing that you can sense, just by somebody looking at you from across the street, is enough to break your damn soul,” Leffler said. “So if you can imagine having that happen for 24 hours a day, every day, for years and years and years, you’d get f—ing high too.”

Using drugs made it harder for her to imagine a life off the street, where she would need to shop and cook or perform tasks beyond “basic survival instincts,” she said.

Leffler said she kicked her drug habit before she found a subsidized apartment seven years ago, but she still has trouble living inside.

Leffler is a patient at OVP, a primary care and outpatient treatment clinic where signs under the fluorescent lights tell patients that they are loved and that “you can start where you are and change the ending.”

Changing the ending is hard work when it involves OxyContin, heroin or methamphetamine. People relapse. Overdose deaths haunt the nurses and counselors. They keep sticky notes on their computers to remind them of their successes: “I LOVE MY JOB — LOVE MYSELF.”

One patient who came in on a recent Wednesday said he knew of at least seven members of his high school football team — and 30 people at his school, including the homecoming king and queen — who died from overdoses.

Amid the wreckage, Julie Thompson, a nurse practitioner who grew up in the area, estimates that 75% of her addiction patients are currently housed, though not always consistently.

“A lot just float from family member to family member to keep them off the street,” she said. “Some of [those relatives] are drug addicts themselves. So it’s kind of like — give me drugs and you can stay here.”

That codependence can prolong addiction.

But extremely low housing costs and long-term ties to the region make it possible for West Virginians to get by with less. The state has 50 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely-low-income households, more than double the number that California has, according to a study by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

An average family here can afford a modest two-bedroom rental on less than $17 an hour, the second-lowest figure in the nation. The same family would need to make more than $40 per hour to afford a two-bedroom rental in California, which has the highest costs, according to the coalition.

Candy Robinson, 42, said she never had a problem finding work or a place to stay during more than a decade of drug use, living mostly in a nearby coal-mining town where she grew up. Her family occupied a house in a coal camp where they had been living for generations, paying a nominal $16 a month in rent until she was in 11th grade, when it went up to $200. She stayed there and in trailers, sometimes with no electricity or running water, in the years she used drugs.

“I was a functioning addict. So I always had money and drugs,” said Robinson. “Everybody wanted to be my friend.”

Others struggling with addiction here have been able to maintain a higher standard of living. Thompson, the nurse practitioner, ticked off a list of people who had been in the clinic for treatment in recent days: a nurse, a surveyor, employees at the Toyota plant and a slew of truckers.

“It was just in my routine,” said Rodney Johnson, a 58-year-old cook who described his heroin habit while working in restaurants where he said drug use was rampant. “Get up, take a shot, go to work.”

Johnson said he “put his wife and family through hell,” sometimes disappearing for stretches when they had no idea if he was alive or dead. He lost his oldest son and oldest daughter to overdoses. He spent time behind bars, including four years on federal charges. But he never lost his home.

He often worked and his wife held a steady job with the state highway department, allowing them to pay about $900 a month in rent, even as they struggled to buy groceries. Last year, as Johnson began rebuilding his life, they bought a house for $65,000, with a $450-a-month mortgage.

It’s a two-story brick house, with a backyard and a grill on the porch along a cobblestone street. His neighbors across the street pay $400 a month in rent and fees to live in one of an estimated 70 sober houses sprinkled throughout the city.

The mix of cheap real estate and high addiction rates has led to a proliferation of these houses, which rent rooms to people fighting addiction who might otherwise struggle to pay a security deposit or pass a background check.

City officials, concerned that the houses were growing without proper regulations, approved an ordinance in September requiring the facilities to create exit plans so that patients aren’t dumped onto the street without recourse. Some of the operators had become almost predatory, profiting off tenants who sometimes are asked to surrender their benefits checks, said Sarah Walling, a City Council member and attorney with OVP.

“A roof over your head does not necessarily equal stable housing or a safe place to live, or a healthy place to live,” Walling said.

Walling pointed to Craig Hettlinger, a former Marshall University soccer player who started a recovery program after he stopped using drugs in 2018, as one of the good guys. Hettlinger, 41, runs an in-patient treatment program, operates recovery houses with counseling services and fixes up apartments for people who progress toward independent living.

His business depends on buying properties for as little as $4,000 to $6,000 — including former drug houses — and then fixing them up himself for another $20,000 or so.

Chuck Evans, who works for Hettlinger as a rehab counselor, lives in one of Hettlinger’s more expensive properties — a six-unit apartment building that went for $225,000.

Evans and his fiancee pay a combined $600 a month. Their clean two-bedroom unit has a full kitchen, a washer-dryer, a living room that holds Evans’ coin collection and a back room where he keeps several bicycles.

It’s a vast improvement for Evans, who spent six years homeless — living in camp sites, on couches and in “trap houses” with fellow drug users.

But Evans doesn’t want to stay at his current apartment much longer. He’s been looking for a fixer-upper that never had homeless people squatting in it because, he said, they are more likely to have stripped out the plumbing and electrical wiring.

On a recent Tuesday, he pulled up an auction website and pointed to a listing. He had put in a bid the night before to buy the house for $1,500.

Then he called his father, who offered to help pay for it, or whatever else he might find. “Get one dirt cheap,” his father instructed him.

—-

©2023 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The post West Virginia has the nation’s worst drug downside, however a lot much less homelessness than LA | Area appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Signs advertising drug rehab or access to emergency overdose kits are easy to spot here. It’s harder to find the downtown homeless encampment, a discrete cluster of three tents along the Ohio River, squeezed by a bridge and a construction site.

To people who believe drug addiction is to blame for the mushrooming tent cities in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland, Ore., West Virginia presents a paradox. It leads the nation in overdose deaths per capita — by a wide margin. But this state best known for coal mines and the leafy Appalachian Mountains has one of the country’s lowest rates of homelessness.

Blake Orner, right, stands in the doorway of his bedroom as he talks with Fred Von, transition coordinator at Huntington Addiction Wellness Center. Orner has been in the program for four months after battling addiction.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

“People conflate these crises,” said Dr. Margot Kushel, a UC San Francisco professor who led the largest representative study of homeless people in three decades, released earlier this year. “They are related but they are far from one and the same.”

Huntington, a college town and riverside port city along the border of Ohio and Kentucky that was once dubbed the overdose capital of America, illustrates the knotty relationship between the two plagues.

Nearly two-thirds of the homeless people here self-reported that they were struggling with addiction this year. But cheap and available housing has kept the official homeless count at 244 people in Huntington’s two-county service area, up since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic but still about a fourth of the per capita homeless population of Los Angeles County.

A man walks on a road that leads to West Huntington.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

Housing markets operate a bit like rock concerts. Almost everyone can get in when demand and prices are low. But when Taylor Swift comes to town, and far more people want a seat than can get one, the barriers to entry grow, even for the cheapest tickets.

Those with the most hurdles — addiction, mental illness, criminal convictions and poverty, in the case of housing — are most likely to be stuck at the end of the line and shut out of a tight market.

From there, the problems feed off each other. People who lose housing are more likely to increase their drug and alcohol use, according to research by Kushel and others. And experiencing both homelessness and drug addiction — along with mental health issues in many cases — lengthens the time it takes to tackle each of the problems.

“A lot of people don’t understand that — but my substance use was kind of fleeting,” said Amanda Leffler, a 42-year-old Huntington resident who was homeless for about 15 years after leaving her husband.

1

2

3

1. Amanda Leffler said she kicked her drug habit before she found a subsidized apartment seven years ago, but she still has trouble living inside. 2. Amanda Leffler cleans her apartment. 3. Amanda Leffler stands in front of the apartment.
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

She began taking more prescription drugs after getting hit by a paint truck, but shame from being homeless pushed her over the top, she said.

“The amount of loathing that you can sense, just by somebody looking at you from across the street, is enough to break your damn soul,” Leffler said. “So if you can imagine having that happen for 24 hours a day, every day, for years and years and years, you’d get f—ing high too.”

Using drugs made it harder for her to imagine a life off the street, where she would need to shop and cook or perform tasks beyond “basic survival instincts,” she said.

Leffler said she kicked her drug habit before she found a subsidized apartment seven years ago, but she still has trouble living inside.

Leffler is a patient at OVP, a primary care and outpatient treatment clinic where signs under the fluorescent lights tell patients that they are loved and that “you can start where you are and change the ending.”

Changing the ending is hard work when it involves OxyContin, heroin or methamphetamine. People relapse. Overdose deaths haunt the nurses and counselors. They keep sticky notes on their computers to remind them of their successes: “I LOVE MY JOB — LOVE MYSELF.”

One patient who came in on a recent Wednesday said he knew of at least seven members of his high school football team — and 30 people at his school, including the homecoming king and queen — who died from overdoses.

Amid the wreckage, Julie Thompson, a nurse practitioner who grew up in the area, estimates that 75% of her addiction patients are currently housed, though not always consistently.

1

2

1. A patient of OVP clinic, which provides treatment for people with substance use disorders among other treatments. 2. Blake Orner stands in the doorway of his bedroom at Huntington Addiction Wellness Center. Orner has been in the program for four months after spending time battling addiction. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

“A lot just float from family member to family member to keep them off the street,” she said. “Some of [those relatives] are drug addicts themselves. So it’s kind of like — give me drugs and you can stay here.”

That codependence can prolong addiction.

But extremely low housing costs and long-term ties to the region make it possible for West Virginians to get by with less. The state has 50 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely-low-income households, more than double the number that California has, according to a study by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

An average family here can afford a modest two-bedroom rental on less than $17 an hour, the second-lowest figure in the nation. The same family would need to make more than $40 per hour to afford a two-bedroom rental in California, which has the highest costs, according to the coalition.

Michael, 39 and Candy Robinson talk on the tailgate of their truck outside their apartment. Candy says she never had a problem finding work or a place to stay during more than a decade of drug use.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

Candy Robinson, 42, said she never had a problem finding work or a place to stay during more than a decade of drug use, living mostly in a nearby coal-mining town where she grew up. Her family occupied a house in a coal camp where they had been living for generations, paying a nominal $16 a month in rent until she was in 11th grade, when it went up to $200. She stayed there and in trailers, sometimes with no electricity or running water, in the years she used drugs.

“I was a functioning addict. So I always had money and drugs,” said Robinson. “Everybody wanted to be my friend.”

Others struggling with addiction here have been able to maintain a higher standard of living. Thompson, the nurse practitioner, ticked off a list of people who had been in the clinic for treatment in recent days: a nurse, a surveyor, employees at the Toyota plant and a slew of truckers.

Zachary Moore, left Advanced Practice, RN., conducts a follow up visit with a patient of OVP clinic , which provides treatment for people with substance use disorders.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

“It was just in my routine,” said Rodney Johnson, a 58-year-old cook who described his heroin habit while working in restaurants where he said drug use was rampant. “Get up, take a shot, go to work.”

Johnson said he “put his wife and family through hell,” sometimes disappearing for stretches when they had no idea if he was alive or dead. He lost his oldest son and oldest daughter to overdoses. He spent time behind bars, including four years on federal charges. But he never lost his home.

Rodney Johnson has a cigarette on his front porch in Huntington, West Virginia.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

He often worked and his wife held a steady job with the state highway department, allowing them to pay about $900 a month in rent, even as they struggled to buy groceries. Last year, as Johnson began rebuilding his life, they bought a house for $65,000, with a $450-a-month mortgage.

It’s a two-story brick house, with a backyard and a grill on the porch along a cobblestone street. His neighbors across the street pay $400 a month in rent and fees to live in one of an estimated 70 sober houses sprinkled throughout the city.

The mix of cheap real estate and high addiction rates has led to a proliferation of these houses, which rent rooms to people fighting addiction who might otherwise struggle to pay a security deposit or pass a background check.

A riverfront homeless encampment in Huntington.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

City officials, concerned that the houses were growing without proper regulations, approved an ordinance in September requiring the facilities to create exit plans so that patients aren’t dumped onto the street without recourse. Some of the operators had become almost predatory, profiting off tenants who sometimes are asked to surrender their benefits checks, said Sarah Walling, a City Council member and attorney with OVP.

“A roof over your head does not necessarily equal stable housing or a safe place to live, or a healthy place to live,” Walling said.

Craig Hettlinger, founder and chief executive officer of Huntington Addiction Wellness Center, stands outside one of his facilities.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

Walling pointed to Craig Hettlinger, a former Marshall University soccer player who started a recovery program after he stopped using drugs in 2018, as one of the good guys. Hettlinger, 41, runs an in-patient treatment program, operates recovery houses with counseling services and fixes up apartments for people who progress toward independent living.

His business depends on buying properties for as little as $4,000 to $6,000 — including former drug houses — and then fixing them up himself for another $20,000 or so.

Chuck Evans, who works for Hettlinger as a rehab counselor, lives in one of Hettlinger’s more expensive properties — a six-unit apartment building that went for $225,000.

Chuck Evans, a peer support specialist at Huntington Addiction Wellness Center, walks in front of the facility.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

Evans and his fiancee pay a combined $600 a month. Their clean two-bedroom unit has a full kitchen, a washer-dryer, a living room that holds Evans’ coin collection and a back room where he keeps several bicycles.

It’s a vast improvement for Evans, who spent six years homeless — living in camp sites, on couches and in “trap houses” with fellow drug users.

But Evans doesn’t want to stay at his current apartment much longer. He’s been looking for a fixer-upper that never had homeless people squatting in it because, he said, they are more likely to have stripped out the plumbing and electrical wiring.

Rows of railroad track wind their way through the town of Huntington, West Virginia.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

On a recent Tuesday, he pulled up an auction website and pointed to a listing. He had put in a bid the night before to buy the house for $1,500.

Then he called his father, who offered to help pay for it, or whatever else he might find. “Get one dirt cheap,” his father instructed him.

The post West Virginia has the nation’s worst drug drawback, however a lot much less homelessness than L.A. appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

LOS ANGELES — J.D. Davis took batting practice five hours ahead of game time, landing balls in the center field net. He did it again when it counted.

LaMonte Wade Jr. hit a three-run homer, Davis added a pinch-hit grand slam, and the San Francisco Giants routed the slumping Los Angeles Dodgers 15-0 on Saturday night for their season-high sixth straight victory.

It was the Giants’ largest margin of victory over their NL West rival since a 19-3 victory on Sept. 14, 2013. It also matches the worst home shutout loss in Dodgers history, which came in 1898 against Pittsburgh when the team was based in Brooklyn.

With the loss, the Dodgers dropped a home series to the Giants for the first time since losing three of four in July 2021.

“It’s huge to get a series win versus LA and get a chance for a sweep,” winning pitcher and former Dodger Alex Wood said.

Wade and Davis drove in five runs apiece, while Brandon Crawford had four of the Giants’ 17 hits.

San Francisco did most of its damage in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

Luis Matos drew a leadoff walk in the fifth, stole second and took third on Bobby Miller’s errant pickoff throw. Matos scored on Crawford’s RBI single, snapping Miller’s streak of scoreless innings at 20⅓.

“The offense was rolling, just putting balls in play against a really good pitcher,” Davis said. “A lot of guys coming back in the dugout were complimenting him on how great of stuff he was and how we needed to make the adjustments.”

Miller (3-1) then hit Casey Schmitt and Wade followed with his fifth homer of the season for a 4-0 lead.

“Not really many guys swing first-pitch curveball off of me,” Miller said. “Hats off to him, it was a really good hit.”

Crawford’s RBI single extended the lead to 5-0 in the sixth. Davis blasted the first pitch from Alex Vesia 441 feet to center with two outs for a 9-0 lead.

“It was 5-0, it was just an opportunity for me to ambush him,” Davis said. “He left a fastball middle away and I didn’t try to pull it, I didn’t try to fillet it to right field, I stayed through it.”

Wood said, “That was a dagger. For sure, it changed the whole game.”

Davis is dealing with a Grade 1 right ankle sprain, so the grand slam gave him a little more time to get around the basepaths.

“Definitely made it easier just to go 30, 40 percent around the bases and jog around than to have to sprint around,” he said.

The Giants tacked on three more in the seventh, with Patrick Bailey’s two-run double and Wade’s RBI single off Nick Robertson. They added three more in the ninth.

Wood (2-1) allowed three hits in five innings, struck out four and walked none. The right-hander came off the injured list earlier in the day after dealing with a back strain.

“Just glad to be back,” Wood said. “I feel really good.”

Tristan Beck earned a four-inning save.

Miller gave up seven runs and seven hits in 5⅔ innings. The right-hander struck out five and walked three in his fifth career start.

Trainer’s room

Giants: IF Wilmer Flores (left foot contusion) and RHP John Brebbia (right lat strain) went on the IL.

Dodgers: LHP Julio Urías (hamstring) threw 40 pitches in a bullpen session. He’ll next face hitters and then go to Single-A Rancho Cucamonga for a rehab assignment. … 3B Chris Taylor received a cortisone shot in his right knee, which shows signs of cartilage wear and tear. He likely won’t be available Sunday, but won’t go on the IL for now. … LF David Peralta, who left Friday’s game with a left hamstring strain, is feeling better.

Up next

Giants: RHP Logan Webb (5-6, 3.15 ERA) has been one of the NL’s best starters since April 22. His 2.53 ERA over that stretch is second-best in the league behind San Diego’s Michael Wacha (1.33).

Dodgers: RHP Tony Gonsolin (4-1, 1.93) is 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA with 14 strikeouts in four career games against the Giants.

The post Giants’ 15-0 rout of slumping LA matches worst residence shutout loss in Dodgers’ historical past appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Sneezing and wheezing our way through the day is something none of us enjoy doing, and some of us suffer from seasonal allergies more than others. Something called 2022 Allergy Capitals did a study in 100 cities across our country, and Connecticut has 2 in the top 10 worst cities nationwide for seasonal allergies.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America conducted the 2022 Allergy Capitals study, The Most Challenging Places to Live with Allergies. They took 100 American cities and looked at several factors, including spring pollen levels, fall pollen levels, over-the-counter medicines and more for the ranking. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, we absolutely love analytics in this building, and here’s another great example of metrics that kind of make life better. We live in an area with a lot of pollen, I get these alerts quite often:

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Hartford was ranked 7th and New Haven 9th on the list of the most challenging places to live with allergies. From the website:

The top 10 most Difficult living places with seasonal allergies are:

1. Scranton, Pennsylvania
2. Wichita, Kansas
3. McAllen, Texas
4. Richmond, Va
5. San Antonio, Texas
6. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
7. Hartford, Connecticut
8. Buffalo, New York
9. New Haven, Connecticut
10. Albany, New York

The top 10 at least Difficult living places with seasonal allergies are:

91. Fresno, California
92. Phoenix, Ariz
93. Provo, Utah
94. Denver, Colo
95. Sacramento, California
96. Portland, Oregon
97. San Jose, California
98. San Francisco, California
99. Durham, North Carolina
100. Seattle, Washington

sneezing woman

Getty Images

If you are not affected by seasonal allergies then you are in luck and I think you can live anywhere you want without any problems. I’m a Claritan type, must be to be able to breathe properly. Thanks again for hanging out and see you soon.

Interactive map gives you a bird’s-eye view of 1934 Connecticut

10 of the best waterfalls in Connecticut

Positive vibes radiate from the walls of this Torrington cafe

The post New Research Ranks 2 Connecticut Cities Amongst Worst For Allergic reactions appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The vehicle search engine iSeeCars.com recently published a study on the availability of electric vehicle charging stations in US cities and states. Analysis of data through the end of 2022 looks at publicly available DC fast chargers that can deliver a charge directly to the car battery, as well as the Tesla network of chargers.

EV owners often charge at home. However, according to iSeeCars, many drivers, including those living in apartments and condominiums, use the approximately 146,000 public electric vehicle charging stations in the United States.

In the following slides we show the US metro areas with the fewest inhabitants per public charging station. Next you will find the metros with the most EV charging stations per person. The city that iSeeCars calls the best equipped for EV drivers is at the bottom of our list.

5. Cleveland-Akron, Ohio

Pedro Gutierrez / Shutterstock.com

Number of inhabitants in this metropolitan area per charging station for electric vehicles: 5,217

Total number of electric vehicle charging stations in this metropolitan area: 635

According to ISeeCars, Cleveland’s low number of chargers per capita ranks it among the cities with the “worst EV charging support for EV owners wanting to plug into public chargers.” But in Cleveland’s defense, the survey doesn’t say how many EVs in the city are vying for use of these chargers.

Cars are bread-and-butter in Ohio. At the peak of industry in the state in 1990, Ohio had 144,000 automotive jobs, according to Cleveland.com. Today, Ohio’s automotive workforce — 91,600 assembly and parts workers — remains the second-largest in the United States

Ford, GM, Honda and LG Chem are now spending billions to reconfigure manufacturing, including at Ohio plants in Avon Lake, Toledo, Lordstown and elsewhere in the rush to rebuild factories and compete in the electric vehicle world state.

4. Saint Anthony

Sean Pavone/Shutterstock.com

Number of inhabitants in this metropolitan area per charging station for electric vehicles: 5,386

Total number of electric vehicle charging stations in this metropolitan area: 464

CPS Energy in San Antonio is offering rebates to residential customers if they agree to change their EV charging habits at home. The rebates are given as utility bill credits for customers who agree to charge off-peak or accept slower charging speeds during periods of high demand.

3. Indianapolis

f11photo / Shutterstock.com

Number of inhabitants in this metropolitan area per charging station for electric vehicles: 5,422

Total number of electric vehicle charging stations in this metropolitan area: 491

Only 0.1% of registered vehicles in Indiana are electric, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation’s Summer 2022 Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan.

Its May 2022 data shows that 6,990 light electric vehicles were registered in the state, including hybrids, battery electric and plug-in vehicles.

2.Birmingham, Alabama

Sean Pavone/Shutterstock.com

Number of inhabitants in this metropolitan area per charging station for electric vehicles: 5,691

Total number of electric vehicle charging stations in this metropolitan area: 296

Alabama, a major auto manufacturing center, may be poised to become an electric vehicle manufacturing hub, supporters say.

According to EV publication Elektrek, the state has several major automakers transitioning to electric, including Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Toyota and Honda.

1. St Louis

CrackerClips Stock Media / Shutterstock.com

Number of inhabitants in this metropolitan area per charging station for electric vehicles: 5,787

Total number of electric vehicle charging stations in this metropolitan area: 473

Some Republican leaders in Missouri are pushing to repeal local ordinances that require EV charging stations to be added in parking lots if they make certain changes, such as making changes to parking lots. B. remodel or expand a lot. According to the Missouri Independent, St. Louis city and county governments are currently requiring the charger to be added.

Opponents claim building codes should not be used to advance what they see as a political agenda.

The best places for electric vehicles

Angel DiBilio / Shutterstock.com

ISeeCars also cites the “most EV-friendly metropolitan areas,” ranking cities by the total number of public EV charging stations, including charging stations on Tesla’s mostly private network.

According to Axios, Tesla has about 17,500 Supercharger plugs and thousands of other slower chargers nationwide. A Tesla pilot program opened up the company’s chargers to some non-Tesla drivers, but, according to Axios, “it turns out that only eight of Tesla’s 1,400 supercharger stations are open to non-Tesla drivers so far.”

Following are iSeeCars’ five best subways for electric vehicles, starting with #5.

5. Fresno-Visalia, California

stellamc/Shutterstock.com

Number of inhabitants in this metropolitan area per charging station for electric vehicles: 1,024

Total number of electric vehicle charging stations in this metropolitan area: 1,692

Fresno’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project is offering a rebate for drivers transitioning from a gas-powered car to an electric car.

Discounts range from $1,000 to $4,500 for purchasing or leasing an electric vehicle.

EV car buyers whose income qualifies may be eligible for an additional $2,500.

4. Denver

f11photo / Shutterstock.com

Number of inhabitants in this metropolitan area per charging station for electric vehicles: 992

Total number of electric vehicle charging stations in this metropolitan area: 4,128

Denver is lagging behind on its greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, according to The Denver Gazette.

The city predicts that plug-in electric vehicles could account for 10% of all light commercial vehicles by 2030. But that’s only a third of Denver’s original goal of 30%.

3.Los Angeles

Threesome shoot / Shutterstock.com

Number of inhabitants in this metropolitan area per charging station for electric vehicles: 852

Total number of electric vehicle charging stations in this metropolitan area: 18,287

Building a nationwide charging network for electric vehicles is a complex undertaking. The Los Angeles Times, reporting on a Stanford University study, says plans to expand EV charging in the western US are increasing the demands on the region’s electric grid.

One solution: Encourage more drivers to charge their cars during the day.

2.San Diego

bondandbon/Shutterstock.com

Number of inhabitants in this metropolitan area per charging station for electric vehicles: 824

Total number of electric vehicle charging stations in this metropolitan area: 3,450

California’s large number of public EV charging stations – 44,287 – puts the state at the top of the iSeeCars chart (Vermont is the #1 state).

But California also has a large number of electric vehicles on its roads: 425,300 according to a study by Electrek.

And so, in San Diego, you might be waiting to use a charger more often than, say, in a city in Alabama, where there are fewer chargers but also fewer EVs competing for use.

1. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, California

IM_photo / Shutterstock.com

Number of inhabitants in this metropolitan area per charging station for electric vehicles: 465

Total number of electric vehicle charging stations in this metropolitan area: 14,083

South San Francisco recently became the site of the first “electrified” Taco Bell franchise, according to the San Francisco Examiner. You can charge your electric vehicle there while you have dinner.

This particular Taco Bell is just the first of 298 that franchisee Diversified Restaurant Group is planning solar-powered EV charging stations for.

The post The 5 Greatest and 5 Worst Locations for Electrical Automobiles appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

What is the best stadium in baseball? Major League Baseball is home to some of the best ballparks in sports, with venues offering beautiful views and a seat to witness America’s pastime. Sportsnaut’s MLB stadium rankings serve as a guide for the best and worst ballparks in MLB.

There are a lot of factors when determining how each stadium stacks up against one another. The location certainly plays a big part, with ease of travel and proximity to places to eat a huge part of the evaluation. However, specific spots like Oracle Park, PNC Park and Busch Stadium demonstrate how an incredible view strengthens the atmosphere.

We also have to think about what each stadium offers once you step inside, with merchandise and food helping define the setting for your live baseball experience. Of course, the fans also play an influential part in defining a stadium’s ambiance.

Related: Fastest MLB players

Before diving into our 2023 MLB stadium rankings, let’s look at the biggest and smallest stadiums in MLB by capacity.

MLB stadium capacity 2023 – Biggest MLB stadiums

The Oakland Coliseum is the largest stadium in MLB with a seating capacity of nearly 57,000. However, the Oakland Athletics are near the bottom in MLB attendance with fewer than 10,000 fans per home game (9,973) in 2022.

1. Oakland Coliseum (Oakland A’s) – 56,782 capacity
2. Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles Dodgers) – 56,000 capacity
3. Coors Field (Colorado Rockies) – 50,144 capacity
4. Rogers Centre (Toronto Blue Jays) – 49,282 capacity
5. Chase Field (Arizona Diamondbacks) – 48,405 capacity

Smallest MLB stadium capacity – What is the smallest stadium in MLB?

Progressive Field is the smallest MLB stadium, with the Cleveland Guardians the only MLB team playing in a stadium with fewer than 35,000 seats.

1. Progressive Field (Cleveland Guardians) – 34,830 capacity
2. LoanDepot Park (Miami Marlins) – 37,442 capacity
3. Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox) – 37,755 capacity
4. Kauffman Stadium (Kansas City Royals) – 37,903 capacity
5. Target Field (Minnesota Twins) – 38,544 capacity

Let’s get into our MLB stadium rankings, from worst to first.

MLB stadium rankings – Worst stadiums in baseball

30. RingCentral Coliseum – Oakland Athletics

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

• RingCentral Stadium dimensions: 330 ft. (RF foul line), 330 ft. (LF foul line), 400 ft. (center)
• RingCentral Stadium capacity: 56,782
• Guide to RingCentral Stadium

There are a variety of things that make RingCentral Coliseum the worst stadium in MLB. Formerly known as the Oakland Coliseum, players and fans have dealt with a variety of plumbing issues for years, the stadium is a literal waste bucket at times. There are feral cats and moths everywhere, it’s almost like the franchise doesn’t want fans inside. Incredibly, we didn’t even factor in the bad product on the field which is a result of the lowest payroll in MLB.

Related: MLB games today

29. Tropicana Field – Tampa Bay Rays

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

• Tropicana Field dimensions: 322 ft. (RF foul line), 315 ft. (LF foul line), 404 ft. (center)
• Tropicana Field capacity: 42,735
• Tropicana Field guide

A new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays can’t come soon enough. The old idea of the Rays splitting home games in Tampa and Montreal seemed absurd until you see Tropicana Field. It’s a 30-minute drive with traffic from Tampa to St. Petersburg, where the Rays play. Inside the stadium, the artificial turf is an issue for players, the railings interfere with fly balls and not a single element of the in-stadium experience is memorable for a positive reason. At least the team is good.

28. Guaranteed Rate Field – Chicago White Sox

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

• Guaranteed Rate Field dimensions: 335 ft. (RF foul line), 330 ft. (LF foul line), 400 ft. (center)
• Guaranteed Rate Field capacity: 40,615
• Guide to Guaranteed Rate Field

Improvements have been made to Guaranteed Rate Field over the years, slightly improving the experience for fans. Yet, the original construction never seemed to take into consideration the visual aesthetic of having the Chicago skyline behind the outfield seats. Instead, fans must settle for unappealing video board displays, a forgettable fan experience, a complicated parking situation and you’ve got a far better chance of getting a parking ticket than a free baseball.

Related: 2023 MLB awards predictions

27. Chase Field – Arizona Diamondbacks

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

• Chase Field dimensions: 334 ft. (RF foul line), 330 ft. (LF foul line), 4047 ft. (center)
• Chase Field capacity: 48,519
• Chase Field ballpark guide

A state-of-the-art ballpark when it opened in 1998, Chase Field has slipped rapidly down MLB stadium rankings in the years since. It looks more like an airline’s hangar than a ballpark. It’s not located in an ideal location and the interior is just as off-putting as the view from a few miles away. Chase Field shouldn’t be on anyone’s bucket list because it’s one of the last places you would want to watch a baseball game.

Related: MLB MVP race 2023

26. Angel Stadium of Anaheim – Los Angeles Angels

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

• Angel Stadium dimensions: 350 ft. (RF foul line), 347 ft. (LF foul line, 370 ft. (center)
• Angel Stadium capacity: 45,050
• Guide to Angel Stadium

One of the oldest MLB stadiums around, Angel Stadium of Anaheim reflects the $24 million investment ($221 million today) put into its construction. While its location provides some convenience, there is very little to brag about once fans get inside. Walk a few minutes and it becomes evident, in the worst ways, that this ballpark is nearly 60 years old. Fans hoping that new ownership would lead to a future stadium were certainly crushed when Arte Moreno kept the club.

Ranking MLB stadiums – Middle of the pack

25. Rogers Centre – Toronto Blue Jays

Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

• Rogers Centre dimensions: 328 ft. (RF foul line), 328 ft. (LF foul line), 400 ft. (center)
• Rogers Centre capacity: 53,506
• Guide to Rogers Centre

Considering the Toronto Blue Jays are the only MLB team in Canada, you’d expect better from the Rogers Centre. However, it opened in 1985 and renovation plans are still being worked on. For now, we’re judging the home of the Blue Jays on the current set-up. While the location in downtown Toronto is a huge plus for convenience, the atmosphere, food variety and overall visual appeal are lackluster. We’ll revisit Toronto’s ranking at the end of the 2023 season.

Related: Longest hitting streak in MLB history

24. American Family Field – Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Content Services, LLC

• American Family Field dimensions: 337 ft. (RF foul line), 342 ft. (LF foul line), 400 ft. (center)
• American Family Field capacity: 41,900
• Guide to American Family Field

When a state is willing to invest hundreds of millions of dollars into ballpark renovations, that should tell you about the current state of the Milwaukee Brewers ballpark. Formerly known as Miller Park, the entire bowl of seating and scoreboard need to be replaced. We still love the yellow slide and you can’t go wrong with the beer options, but the aforementioned renovation plans for the stadium should tell you why American Family Field is so low in the MLB stadium rankings.

Related: Wisconsin governor offers massive sum to fix Milwaukee Brewers stadium

23. Great American Ballpark – Cincinnati Reds

Jim Owens-USA TODAY Sports

• Great American Ballpark dimensions: 325 ft. (RF foul line), 328 ft. (LF foul line), 404 ft. (center)
• Great American Ballpark capacity: 42,319
• Great American Ballpark guide

Great American Ballpark is one of the most hitter-friendly stadiums in MLB, so fans in attendance can just about guarantee they’ll see a home run in person. Opened in 2003, GAB today offers excellent seating options with the view from just about any spot worth the price of admission. However, the cost of food is abnormally high for one of the worst teams in baseball. We also have to knock the ballpark design, with the tall bleachers hiding the Ohio river and the Cincinnati skyline on the other side of home plate.

22. Globe Life Field – Texas Rangers

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

• Globe Life Field dimensions: 326 ft. (RF foul line), 329 ft. (LF foul line), 407 ft. (center)
• Globe Life Field capacity: 40,300
• Guide to Globe Life Field

Opened in 2020, Globe Life Field is the newest baseball stadium. However, the home of the Texas Rangers can’t even crack the top 20 in our MLB stadium rankings. It cost $1.1 billion to build this ballpark, which looks like a warehouse from the outside. We’d be willing to look past the underwhelming atmosphere because of the Rangers’ struggles in recent years. However, the food options will leave most fans in Texas disappointed, the lighting is subpar and getting inside does little to erase the impression that you’re inside a warehouse.

Related: Longest championship droughts

21. Comerica Park – Detroit Tigers

Kirthmon F. Dozier via Imagn Content Services, LLC

• Comerica Park dimensions: 330 ft. (RF foul line), 342 ft. (LF foul line), 412 ft. (center)
• Comerica Park capacity: 41,083
• Comerica Park visitors guide

Comerica Park opened in 2000 and is located in downtown Detroit. Home of the Tigers, Detroit’s LB stadium offers a nice background view of the city skyline. Fans certainly preferred the old Tiger Stadium, which provided a better aesthetic and fat atmosphere. While the costs are a bit on the high side, Comerica Park ranks about average compared to its peers.

Related: MLB mock draft 2023

20. Nationals Park – Washington Nationals

James A. Pittman-USA TODAY Sports

• Nationals Park dimensions: 335 ft. (RF foul line), 337 ft. (LF foul line), 402 ft. (center)
• Nationals Stadium capacity: 41,313
• Nationals Park guide

The experience inside Nationals Park is an enjoyable one for fans of all ages. Spectators can sit just about anywhere and have a great sightline, tickets are reasonably affordable and the vendor options are solid. Outside the ballpark, there were multiple shootings and a carjacking in 2022, an element that must be accounted for in MLB stadium rankings.

19. Minute Maid Park – Houston Astros

Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

• Minute Maid Park dimensions: 326 ft. (RF foul lien), 315 ft. (LF foul line), 409 ft. (center)
• Minute Maid Park capacity: 41,168
• Guide to Minute Maid Park

The Houston Astros might be the newest dynasty in baseball, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement in their ballpark. Minute Maid Park is certainly better now that Tal’s Hill is gone, but there are a lot of complaints about the food (quality and cost) and parking. The view inside the Astros’ home provides an up-close feeling, but it’s the little things and the lack of the aesthetic background view that prevent this from being one of the best MLB stadiums.

Related: Houston Astros still deny Jose Altuve’s involvement in cheating scandal

18. Kauffman Stadium – Kansas City Royals

Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

• Kauffman Stadium dimensions: 387 ft. (RF foul line), 330 ft. (LF foul line), 410 ft. (center)
• Kauffman Stadium capacity: 37,903
• Kauffman Stadium Guide

Kauffman Stadium is 50 years old and the Kansas City Royals are looking everywhere for new locations to replace it. While that opener might lead you to believe the Royals’ ballpark is one of the worst MLB stadiums, that’s simply not the case. There’s a bit of a rustic feel to it, but the open concept helps make the experience at Kauffman Stadium more delightful and the renovations went a long way toward improving the fan experience. As long as it’s around, it’s loved.

Related: MLB teams spend record sum in 2022 free agency

17. Progressive Field – Cleveland Guardians

David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

• Progressive Field dimensions: 325 ft. (RF foul line), 325 ft. (LF foul line), 400 ft. (center)
• Progressive Field capacity: 35,041
• Progressive Field vistors guide

One of the best MLB stadiums when it opened in the 1990s, Progressive Field has fallen far behind the times in the two decades since. It’s also one of the smallest MLB stadiums, but in many ways that provide a more intimate setting in the lower bowl. We like seeing the view of downtown Cleveland, even if it isn’t a spectacular one. Overall, this is a quality ballpark that just falls short of some of the other venues in our rankings.

16. Truist Park – Atlanta Braves

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

• Truist Park dimensions: 325 ft. (RF foul line), 335 ft. (LF foul line), 400 ft. (center)
• Truist Park capacity: 41,084
• Truist Part guide

One of the newest MLB stadiums, Truist Park opened in 2017. We do have to knock the Atlanta Braves for taking the team out of Atlanta, with the ballpark located in Cobb County. The relocation took away the opportunity for a gorgeous skyline in the background. It offers a positive experience for fans with new amenities and a clean feel, but nothing stands out about Truist Park and the absence of personality drops it in the MLB stadium rankings.

Related: MLB revenue 2022

15. LoanDepot Park – Miami Marlins

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

• LoanDepot Park dimensions: 335 ft. (RF foule line), 344 ft. (LF foul line), 400 ft. (center)
• LoanDepot Park capacity: 36,742
• Guide to LoanDepot Park

We’ll start with the obvious, the name of the Miami Marlins Stadium doesn’t do it any favors but at least the organization removed the “sculpture” that stuck out like an eyesore. The architecture and visual appeal of LoanDepot Park are factors in its favor, but there is very little inside outside of the club and music that reminds you you’re in an incredible city. We also have to knock the Marlins’ home because it often lacks an exciting atmosphere and that’s on the rare occasion there is a pulse at all. Of course, that’s a reflection on the organization itself.

14. Citizens Bank Park – Philadelphia Phillies

Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

• Citizens Bank Park dimensions: 330 ft. (RF foul line), 329 ft. (LF foul line), 401 ft. (center)
• Citizens Ban Park capacity: 42,492
• Guide to Citizens Bank Park

We’ve got to give it to the fans in Philadelphia, they play a huge part in Citizens Bank Park even making it this high in the MLB stadium rankings. Roughly 15 minutes away from downtown Philadelphia, CBP misses out on the skyline background and falls short a bit in terms of convenience. It also lacks any distinct features that would make it one of the best MLB stadiums. It’s still a good place to attend a ballgame, just don’t expect to be amazed when you’re inside.

13. Yankee Stadium – New York Yankees

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

• Yankee Stadium dimensions: 314 ft. (RF foul lne), 318 ft. (LF foul line), 408 ft. (center)
• Yankee Stadium capacity: 46,537
• Guide to Yankee Stadium

We’ll say what everyone else is thinking, old Yankee Stadium is missed. Watching the New York Yankees in their current ballpark feels like you’re in proximity of a corporate retreat. While that might be great for the club financially, it does diminish a trip to Yankee Stadium for the average fan. Speaking of the die-hard fans, they play a crucial role in creating an intoxicating atmosphere and that almost makes up for the extreme costs to attend a game here.

12. Citi Field – New York Mets

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

• Citi Field dimensions: 330 ft. (RF foul line), 335 ft. (LF foul line), 408 ft. (center)
• Citi Field capacity: 41,800
• Citi Field ballpark guide

The fact that Citi Field misses the top 10 in our MLB stadium rankings should simply tell you about the quality of ballparks around the country. Opened in 2009, risks were taken by implementing a more classic feel to the stadium but there is still an abundance of modern amenities that balance things out. Citi Field is the best MLB stadium in New York, with the emphasis on fans over companies just putting it over the top even if it’s not as modern in feel as the new Yankee Stadium.

Related: Why the Supreme Court must end MLB’s unfair stranglehold on baseball

11. Busch Stadium – St. Louis Cardinals

Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

• Busch Stadium dimensions: 335 ft. (RF foul line), 336 ft. (LF foul line), 400 ft. (center)
• Busch Stadium capacity: 45,494
• Busch Stadium travel guide

Opened in 2006 and built for $365 million, Busch Stadium immediately grabs the attention with the view of the Gateway Arch and skyscrapers. St. Louis Cardinals fans create the ambiance that truly complements the environment so well and the color design, statue and brick all make this one of the most beautiful parks in MLB.

Related: How St. Louis Cardinals may have answer to MLB’s declining fan base

2023 MLB stadium rankings: 10 best MLB stadiums

10. Target Field – Minnesota Twins

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

• Target Field dimensions: 328 ft. (RF foul line), 339 ft. (LF foul line), 411 ft. (center right)
• Target Field capacity: 39,504
• Guide to Target Field

While the Minnesota Twins might not be one of the most popular teams in MLB, Target Field is a stop every baseball fan can love. From a design standpoint, it’s all relatively simple, but the execution should be a guideline for future MLB stadiums. There isn’t a bad spot to sit, you can get season tickets and never get tired of the food, it’s travel friendly in and around the stadium, there are different spots honoring the Twins’ history and we must appreciate the Budweiser Roof Deck.

Related: Latest MLB power rankings

9. T-Mobile Park – Minnesota Twins

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

• T-Mobile Park dimensions: 326 ft. (RF foul line), 331. ft (LF foul line), 401 ft. (center)
• T-Mobile Park capacity: 47,943
• T-Mobile Park Guide

T-Mobile Park is hosting the 2023 MLB All-Star Game and it’s so easy to understand why. Formerly known as Safeco Field, the Seattle Mariners’ humble abode is one of the biggest stadiums in MLB. When it’s raining, the retractable roof provides shelter for fans so they can escape the water. T-Mobile Park offers some of the best food and beer selections in all of baseball and a day of perfect weather only amplifies the glorious views from all around the park. Plus, you’re walking distance from downtown Seattle and everything it has to offer.

Related: NFL stadium rankings

8. Oriole Park at Camden Yards – Baltimore Orioles

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

• Oriole Park dimensions: 318 ft. (RF foul line), 333 ft. (LF foul line), 400 ft. (center)
• Oriole Park capacity: 45,971
• Guide to Oriole Park

Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened in 1992 and to this day it remains a spectacular place to visit. Found in downtown Baltimore, the Orioles’ home takes full advantage of the local food scene and still ties in some of the comfort bites for visitors. Oriole Park at Camden Yards broke through walls as an innovator, laying the groundwork for ideas that some of the best MLB ballparks adopted decades later. The Ringer’s Dan Moore captured why Oriole Park holds a place in history and whatever eventually replaces it years from now must honor its predecessor.

7. Dodger Stadium – Los Angeles Dodgers

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

• Dodger Stadium dimensions: 330 ft. (RF foul line), 330 ft. (LF foul line), 395 ft. (center)
• Dodger Stadium capacity: 56,000
• Dodger Stadium guide

While the classic ballparks all fall a bit short of the elite tier in our MLB stadium rankings, it says something that places like Dodger Stadium continue to stand the test of time. Built at the start of the 1960s for $23 million, less than Mookie Betts makes this season ($25 million), Dodger Stadium is a gem. We’re not going to blame fans for showing up late, that’s Los Angeles traffic, but Dodger Dogs, the Chavez Raigne, the open layout, carne asada nachos and the raucous vibes help cement this old relic among the greatest MLB ballparks of all time.

Related: MLB scores

6. Fenway Park – Boston Red Sox

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

• Fenway Park dimensions: 302 ft. (RF foul line), 310 ft. (LF foul line), 389 ft. (center)
• Fenway Park capacity: 37,731
• Guide to Fenway Park

OLDEST MLB STADIUM: Opened in 1912, Fenway Park is a place on the bucket list for every sports fan. Whether you snag a seat on the Green Monster, are sitting high in the upper decks or just walking through the equivalent of baseball’s cathedral, it will stick with you forever. While so much of what makes this park great is the nostalgia and the atmosphere, with the Boston Red Sox influencing that in so many ways, Fenway Park is truly one of the best MLB stadiums ever.

MLB stadium rankings: 5 best stadiums in MLB

5. Wrigley Field – Chicago Cubs

Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports

• Wrigley Field dimensions: 353 ft. (RF foul line), 355 ft. (LF foul line), 400 ft. (center)
• Wrigley Field capacity: 41,649
• Wrigley Field guide

TOP 5 MLB stadiums: Wrigley Field takes you into a time machine, making fans feel for a moment like they traveled back in MLB history. One of the oldest MLB stadiums opened in 1914, with the Chicago Cubs’ home base providing the unmatchable ivy wall and a vibe that takes you back to classic moments in baseball. Fans are sacrificing a few modern conveniences at Wrigley Field, but that’s a price just about everyone is willing to pay and the renovations have certainly improved a structure that started to show its age years ago.

4. Coors Field – Colorado Rockies

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

• Coors Field dimensions: 350 ft. (RF foul line), 347 ft. (LF foul line), 415 ft. (center)
• Coors Field capacity: 46.897
• Guide to Coors Field

If you thought Coors Field is friendly to the hitters who step foot inside, just wait until you experience it as a baseball fan. Few ballparks do a better job of capturing the natural environment encompassing it. There’s a touch of creativity with the mountain-themed scoreboard, a solid list of food vendors to choose from and the people inside only amplify the experience. Coors Field captures Denver perfectly. There are small areas for improvement – specialty foods and atmosphere – but it’s still a must for all baseball fans with an itch for travel.

Related: Longest home runs ever

3. Petco Park – San Diego Padres

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

• Petco Park dimensions: 322 ft. (RF foul line), 336 ft. (LF foul line), 396 ft. (center)
• Petco Park capacity: 42,445
• Petco Park Guide

Based near the heart of downtown San Diego, Petco Park checks off so many boxes and is based in one of the best cities in the United States. The San Diego Padres’ home offers arguably the best food in all of baseball. It’s based in the perfect spot downtown, the weather is universally fantastic and the fans have now created a stimulating vibe inside. Credit to the NL West, the division home so so many of the best MLB stadiums.

2. PNC Park – Pittsburgh Pirates

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

• PNC Park dimensions: 375 ft. (RF foul line), 325 ft. (LF foul line), 399 ft. (center)
• PNC Park capacity: 38,362
• Guide to PNC Park

It says something about a stadium when its occupant can finish near the bottom of the MLB standings every year and it doesn’t diminish the ballpark experience. PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, is truly a must-see setting. You’ve got the Pittsburgh skyline, a walk along the Allegheny River, the Roberto Clemente bridge, stunning architectural designs, great food and an overall atmosphere that represents its city so well. It’s truly neck-and-neck with No. 1 in our 2023 MLB stadium rankings.

Related: Discover what happened to Roberto Clemente’s bat from the 3000th hit

1. Oracle Park – San Francisco Giants – Best MLB stadium

Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

Oracle Park is the best MLB stadium in 2023. While you don’t get to see a view of the San Francisco skyline, being right next to the water more than makes up for it. There isn’t a single bad seat in the house, there are a lot of fun things to do for families and the food variety is outstanding. If you have a bucket list of MLB stadiums to visit, Oracle Park must be on it.

The post Greatest, worst stadiums in baseball appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Sneezing and wheezing your way through a day is not something any of us like to do and some of us suffer from seasonal allergies more than others. Something called the 2022 Allergy Capitals conducted a study of 100 of our nation’s cities and Connecticut has 2 in the top 10 of the nation’s worst for seasonal allergies.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America conducted the 2022 Allergy Capitals study of “The Most Challenging Places To Live With Allergies.” They took 100 American cities and looked at several factors including Spring pollen scores, Fall pollen scores, Over-the-counter medicine use, and more for the rankings. I have said this before and I will say it again, we absolutely love analytics in this building, and here is another excellent example of metrics making life better, sort of. We live in an area with a lot of pollen, I get these alerts quite a bit:

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Hartford came in number 7 and New Haven at number 9 on the list of the MOST challenging places to live with allergies. From the website:

The top 10 most challenging places to live with seasonal allergies are:

1. Scranton, Pennsylvania
2. Wichita, Kansas
3. McAllen, Texas
4. Richmond, Va
5. San Antonio, Texas
6. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
7. Hartford, Connecticut
8. Buffalo, NY
9. New Haven, Connecticut
10. Albany, New York

The top 10 least challenging places to live with seasonal allergies are:

91. Fresno, California
92. Phoenix, Ariz
93. Provo, Utah
94. Denver, Colo
95. Sacramento, California
96. Portland, Oregon
97. San Jose, California
98. San Francisco, California
99. Durham, North Carolina
100. Seattle, Washington

Woman snowing

Getty Images

If you aren’t affected by seasonal allergies, you are lucky and I guess you can live anywhere you want without a problem at all. I am a Claritan type of guy, have to be to breathe properly. Thanks again for hanging out and see you again really soon.

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The post New Research Ranks 2 Connecticut Cities Amongst Worst For Allergy symptoms appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.