For Most, a Diamond View of the Ballpark is 'Fan'tastic

Baseball fans in Durham just cannot beat the view at the new Diamond View office complex just beyond right field at theDurham BullsAthletic Park.

When the game is won and the crowds are, gone there is peace. The green pasture and cool blue seats buffer the urban landscape and inspire tranquility.

"No question," says Fox 50 General Manager Tommy Schenck. "Somebody said, 'All you're missing is water.' And that's not really true because when they water the field you've got the big sprinklers going. It's really nice."

The corporate offices of WRAZFox 50are located on the ground floor of Diamond View.

You might think the privilege of rubbing shoulders with the ballpark all day long would be bestowed upon only the most devoted of fans.

But some at this office complex are just learning to like the game.

"I wasn't a baseball fan before I moved here," admits Schenck. "But my wife's a Braves fan, now I am. You can't help but be when you've got this outside your window."

Of course, not everyone gets a field side seat. But the offices were designed so that everyone has access to a diamond view with magnification, if necessary.

Still the contrasts between the haves and the have-nots are too great to ignore.

"You've got the police that come and park along here," says Fox 50 National Sales Manager Niel Sollod, who works on the other side of the building. "You know, it's not all together bad."

Of course, privilege has its price. The distractions can be great, especially when work and game time intersect.

"I'm going to have a lot of frequent visitors come summer time," says Fox 50 Program Manager Joanne Stanley.

"They come up to the window and they peer in and they see you and they jump back," says Fox 50 Station Manager Paul Pope with a laugh. "I guess we scare them."