Symphonies and Ballparks: 4 City Walks Worth Considering

My wife and I both love symphony orchestras. And I love big-time major league sports. So while trying to come up with creative vacation ideas for us both, I thought of something. Why not visit cities that are known for both world class symphonies and major league sports? That sounded good to me, but I was concerned about the possibility of spending too much time in taxicabs and fighting crime, grime and smog in between our cultural destinations. (Pay attention, New York). My bride and I would much rather walk, because we enjoy taking in an area's sights, sounds, aromas and tastes.

Fueled by my fascination with maps, I set out to find which of the world's great symphonies and sports stadiums were within 2.5 miles-or-less walking distance of each other. I set down some rules for my quest, and they are as follows:

1. The symphony orchestra must be one of the world's top 20, as defined by Gramophone magazine's list, here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97291390

2. I only consider teams that play in stadiums that hold fans of about 50,000 or more. This limited my choice of sports to Major League Baseball, NFL Football, major world international football (that's soccer to Yanks), and international rugby (a sport that packs in big crowds and continues to grow). 

The result? Only 4 cities on the planet made my cut...and all of them are right here in the USA. I was hoping that a few non-U.S. cities would make my list, but many of these (mostly European) cities seem to fit a similar pattern: Symphony halls are located in the thick of downtown, while soccer stadiums (examples - London's Wembley Stadium, Amsterdam's Ajax Arena, Munich's Allianz Arena) are located in exurban industrial areas. For the record, the closest example I could find was in London...where the London Symphony's Barbican Centre (and the West End theater district for that matter) is about a 4-mile walk away from Arsenal FC's Emirates Stadium. For us, that would require a ride on a double-decker London bus or on the underground Tube.  (*Of course, I still want to make that trip!)

Without further ado, here are the 4 American (and world) winners:

I grew up in Boston during the 1970's, and was fortunate to see Arthur Fiedler's Boston Pops at Symphony Hall, plus my beloved Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. What makes these two destinations especially unique is the fact that they are located just over 1 mile from each other....easy walking distance. No wonder the Boston Pops' rendition of The Impossible Dream has such a magic ring to it! I am only sorry that I couldn't find a clip of it online to share with you. The Pops have a magic sound that is all their own, and it fuses well with Red Sox baseball lore: a team that had as much success winning World Series titles from 1919-2003 as Don Quixote did slaying windmills.

Chicago has the top-ranked symphony in America, and with good reason. The city's heavy German and Eastern European population has long supported this wonderful orchestra, and its unmistakable booming brass sound seems to blast out of its Michigan Avenue symphony hall, echo off the skyscrapers surrounding Grant Park, then sail off over Lake Michigan. I have a Chicago Symphony recording of Wagner's classic opera suites that fits the lakefront location beautifully. This Chicago Midway sound is just 2 miles north of Soldier Field:  the home of more "Monsters of the Midway"..."a team that is collectively known as Da Bearss!"

If anyone on the HubPages staff is reading this, please offer your feedback...because this one is right in your backyard! San Francisco offers the rarest of scenic feasts: the combination of mountains, ocean bays and a dry Mediterranean subtropical climate (widely considered the world's most comfortable). Add to that world-class cultural amenities such as Michael Tilson-Thomas' San Francisco Symphony and the San Francisco Giants' AT&T Park with McCovey Cove on the Bay...well, say no more. It's all just a 2 1/2 mile walk to connect these two great attractions. No wonder Tony Bennett left his heart here.

While I grew up dreaming about being a Red Sox pitcher, I also imagined playing for the Dodgers. Every time that NBC Sports broadcast the Angelenos' home games, the batter's eye view of the center field backdrop was amazing...where else could you view towering palm trees against a desert mountain backdrop? Pure glamour! So imagine my surprise when I found out that the Los Angeles Philharmonic's dazzling Walt Disney Center is just a 2-mile trek to Chavez Ravine's Dodger Stadium. The only caveat with this possible walk is that you'd have to deal with crisscrossing freeways to get there. Still, why am I not surprised that the Three Tenors performed at Dodger Stadium with the Philharmonic on the eve of the 1994 World Cup final?

I hope to take these walks someday. However, if any of you have done so, please feel free to share your feedback. Enjoy the inspiring music and the roar of the crowd!