CSGO fan concerned BLAST Premier Spring Final venue is in “the hood”

Declan Mclaughlin
BLAST Premier World Final 2021 trophy for CSGO

A CS:GO fan took to Reddit to warn people about traveling to the BLAST Premier Spring Final, which is being held in Washington, D.C. at the Entertainment & Sports Arena, calling the area “the hood.”

The BLAST Premier Spring Final is set to start on June 7 and will see the eight teams that qualified through the group stage, and the Spring EU and AME Showdowns, battle it out for the top prize pool share and a spot at the 2023 World Final.

Tickets for the event went on sale recently and one CS:GO fan took to Reddit to warn those who are planning on attending the tournament how bad the surrounding area is in terms of crime rate.

“If you’re not familiar with the area, you should know that it is the hood – I’m talking dilapidated houses with yards full of junkers and shops with bars on the windows just 450 meters away from the venue,” the post said.

CS:GO fan calls area around BLAST Premier Spring Final venue “the hood”

The post cites multiple websites that give crime statistics to one of the surrounding areas near the venue, where some fans might choose to stay if they are attending the tournament.

One fan responded to the post on Reddit and said he is not going to the event because of the rise in crime in the city.

The building and surrounding area in which the event is set to take place in Washington D.C is in the middle of the metropolitan city and is a short car ride away from the White House, the National Mall and Capitol Hill. The venue, the Entertainment & Sports Arena, is located in Mount Vernon Square and does have a crime rate above the national average for some offenses, according to Niche.

Washington D.C has seen an increase in crime in 2023, with the specific area around the venue seeing an increase in robberies and theft compared to this team last year, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. However, these early statistics come after the city saw a steep reduction in crime rate from 2021 to 2022.

BLAST Premier Spring Finals attendees will see whether the area lives up to the Reddit poster’s concerns as the event kicks off on the first weekend of June with international powerhouses FaZe Clan, NAVI and G2 Esports all in attendance.