Crowds wowed by Toyota Center But some floored by parking fees

October 7th, 2003

By MARY VUONG
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle
reprinted by permission

HOUSTON, TEXAS -- Oh, what a feeling. Toyota Center threw open its doors Monday evening for its inaugural event, a Fleetwood Mac concert. Fans complimented the facility but balked at the parking prices.

"Come get your tall beer right here!" bellowed a man in a red cap and shirt. "Ice cold beer! Right here!"

Before Fleetwood Mac was to perform, competing beer vendors, stationed steps from the entrance, provided an opening act. Their voices bellowed as the first drove of fans rushed in past police officers and officials in suits. They began arriving an hour early at 6:30 p.m. -- some excited about the performance, others unsure of the parking situation.

Ushers in gray vests and black pants scanned tickets with an electronic gizmo as patrons entered. Gleaming Toyotas, polished floors and mounted TVs tuned to CNN greeted fans, almost 12,000 of them on this opening night. When set up for concerts, the arena holds 19,200.

It's "a lot more advanced than I thought it would be," said Doug McMullen, a 42-year-old operations engineer at NASA, who was pleased with the food, drinks and seating.

Still, he said, "I think, in all honesty, they could have renovated Compaq Center and gotten the same thing." And without the astronomical parking fees, he added, calling them "ridiculous."

He and co-worker Cheryl Jones, a 36-year-old systems engineer, forked over $20 to park across the street. The Toyota Center's garage costs $15.

There were some first-day kinks to be worked out. Ticket holders wandered directionless, and one concession stand ran out of tortillas and taco shells.

Not wanting to take the food to their $125 seats, stay-at-home moms Rebecca McDowell, 36, and her sister, Patti Wendlandt, 38, searched for seats near the vendors. Not finding any, they plopped down on the floor.

McDowell said the arena is beautiful but she didn't like the self-promotion. "I think it's kind of gross that they have cars around. It's one thing to have the name on there, but to have the cars," she said.

Still, they and others gushed over the amenities.

Especially Twila Ross, 57, and Patricia Greer, 52, who shared a thick wedge of seven-layer carrot cake at a dessert bar inside the club area.

"It's a step up from the Compaq Center, and you can (still) get a hot dog," said Ross.

And you can wash it down with a cafe latte.