Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Local Hotel Is Ideal For Bright House Networks Field

By Chris Matthews


Clearwater is one of the three main cities in the Tampa Bay Area in Florida. The city, in Pinellas County had about 208,000 inhabitants estimated by the 2005 census. Tourism is an important part of the local economy, and the town has miles of beautiful beaches, as well as being close to the major vacation centers of Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg. The local baseball team, the Clearwater Threshers, have played at Bright House Networks Field since 2004.

The Clearwater Threshers baseball team play in the Florida State League, in the West Division. The Threshers are a high-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. In fact the Threshers were at one time known as the Clearwater Phillies.

In 2004 the Threshers move home from Jack Russell Memorial Stadium to Bright House Networks Field (now called just Bright House Field). The stadium capacity is 8,500. There is seating for 7,000. The local cable company, Bright House Networks, paid $1,700,000 for ten year naming rights to the ground.

Bright House Field is the spring time base of the Philadelphia Phillies, their third Clearwater base since 1947. In 2010 a training game versus the New York Yankees attracted 10,724 fans to Bright House Field, the highest attendance so far at the ground. The record attendance for a Threshers game is 9,090.

Clearwater can be reached via two major airports. Tampa International (TPE) is the most busy. It is mostly used by scheduled passenger services. St.Petersburg-Clearwater (PIE) is rather less busy, but passenger numbers are growing. Many services into St.Petersburg-Clearwater are run by low-cost and charter airlines.

Tourism is important in Clearwater. The city is near to the major vacation centers of Tampa Bay and St.Petersburg, and Clearwater itself has many miles of beautiful beaches. Annual events and festivals in Clearwater include the Imagine International Film Festival, the Fun N Sun Festival, the Hispanic Heritage Festival and the Clearwater Jazz Festival.

The Sunset at Pier 60 event is held every night. It starts two hours before sunset, and ends two hours after sunset. This is attended by many locals and visitors, and is completely free. There are street performers, stalls selling souvenirs, arts and crafts, and live music concerts.

Visitors to Clearwater, FL and baseball fans who are watching the game at Bright House Networks Field may like to consider the Hampton Inn in Clearwater if they need overnight accommodation. The hotel's amenities include fitness center, outdoor pool, hot tub, a children's pool and playground, and a putting green.




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