citi field guide
Citi Field is the new home of the New York Mets as of 2009. I would say that anything would be an improvement over Shea Stadium, so this qualifies. As you might expect, with a new ballpark comes new, higher prices. The great news is there are still plenty of ways to save money on your next trip to a Mets game.
If you are looking for a literal piece of old Shea Stadium, click the image below for the perfect gift for any Mets' fan.
If you are looking for a literal piece of old Shea Stadium, click the image below for the perfect gift for any Mets' fan.
parking
There are a couple of options for getting to Citi Field, one is driving and the other is public transportation. Taking the subway is usually a preferred method for getting anywhere in New York, and you can take the 7 train to get within steps of the ballpark. The link I just provided will give you more details on the ins and outs of that, as I don't feel like repeating what is already readily available.
An alternative to taking train 7, (which can be ridiculously crowded at times) is to drive. Believe it or not there are places you can park for free near Citi Field. If you cross over Roosevelt Ave to the West side of the stadium, you will find a decent residential area south of Roosevelt. The streets in the area are one way, so you may want to turn left on 111th and then hang a left on 41st Ave.
If you can't find anywhere to parallel park there, go right on 114th and take the next right at 42nd Ave. Again you will need some parking skills, but these are unmetered residential spots that many times you can take. You should arrive in plenty of time for the game to do this. If you do find parking, you really don't have a bad walk from there. Your car is going to be as safe there as it would be just about anywhere in the area in my opinion, but always use your best judgment when parking on the street.
If you are early, you will always have time to retreat and park in one of the easy to find official lots around Citi Field. These lots cost about $18 for a normal game, so its worth your while to try to find free parking in the neighborhood I think.
There are a couple of options for getting to Citi Field, one is driving and the other is public transportation. Taking the subway is usually a preferred method for getting anywhere in New York, and you can take the 7 train to get within steps of the ballpark. The link I just provided will give you more details on the ins and outs of that, as I don't feel like repeating what is already readily available.
An alternative to taking train 7, (which can be ridiculously crowded at times) is to drive. Believe it or not there are places you can park for free near Citi Field. If you cross over Roosevelt Ave to the West side of the stadium, you will find a decent residential area south of Roosevelt. The streets in the area are one way, so you may want to turn left on 111th and then hang a left on 41st Ave.
If you can't find anywhere to parallel park there, go right on 114th and take the next right at 42nd Ave. Again you will need some parking skills, but these are unmetered residential spots that many times you can take. You should arrive in plenty of time for the game to do this. If you do find parking, you really don't have a bad walk from there. Your car is going to be as safe there as it would be just about anywhere in the area in my opinion, but always use your best judgment when parking on the street.
If you are early, you will always have time to retreat and park in one of the easy to find official lots around Citi Field. These lots cost about $18 for a normal game, so its worth your while to try to find free parking in the neighborhood I think.
tickets
The Mets take the cake for the most confusing and annoying ticket price structure in baseball. With ease. I am not joking about this; if you look at the seating and pricing page of Citi Field, there are 190 different ticket prices shown. That is ridiculous.
There are 38 different sections and 5 different pricing levels based on the game. I am having trouble getting past this, but that is just stupid. How overwhelming is it to look at? See my small view of it:
The Mets take the cake for the most confusing and annoying ticket price structure in baseball. With ease. I am not joking about this; if you look at the seating and pricing page of Citi Field, there are 190 different ticket prices shown. That is ridiculous.
There are 38 different sections and 5 different pricing levels based on the game. I am having trouble getting past this, but that is just stupid. How overwhelming is it to look at? See my small view of it:
Alright, lets move on.
What can you take from this? Well at Citi Field it pays to plan ahead. The difference in ticket prices between a value game and a platinum game are significant. From $16 in the cheapest seat to $400 in the best seat in the house. There is a pretty easy to follow link which clearly lays out which games are which. If you are the kind of Mets fan who really just wants to get out to the ballpark, you may not care if you are going to see the Nationals or the Phillies. If that is the case, the Nationals game might be hundreds of dollars cheaper for your family, depending on where you sit.
This may change from year to year, but a good rule of thumb is to look for games against poor teams like the Marlins and the Nationals. In 2009 those were the only two teams considered a value game. From my perspective its almost a good thing because the Mets have a better chance of winning the game I go to, and I paid less money.
As far as the best value tickets at Citi Field, if you go with the cheap seats you want to keep it as close to the infield as possible. Something like a 525 or a 504 will get you about the best view possible for the cheapest price. If you sit out in the left field upper deck around 536, you will feel like you are a mile from the field, and they are the same price as the sections I mentioned above.
Another benefit of getting closer to the infield is that you can see the impressive jumbo tron located in centerfield. This provides great information and entertainment throughout the game, so I always consider it a must to see the big screen. Most of your seats in the outfield of Citi Field will not give you a view, and you kinda feel like you are missing something.
The best budget seats for being closer to the action are the Big Apple Reserved seats. They run about $21 for value games and $50 for premium. These seats are in centerfield, but if you get on a low row you can practically reach out and slap the centerfielder. These go against what I said about having a view of the big board, but if you are taking a kid these may work out better. It is definite homerun territory so keeping a kid closer to the action with the hope of catching a ball may keep them from wandering as much as if you are in the nose bleed seats of cavernous Citi Field.
That is about it. You can look on StubHub for good deals, as some games are obviously more in demand than others, but Citi Field has went a similar route as New Yankee Stadium which means that many of the budget tickets options are being squeezed out. I would say you will find your best deal if you are flexible with your dates, and you keep an eye on the aforementioned StubHub and Ebay
Here is my advice for ticket buying on eBay; wait until the last minute. I know that sounds crazy, and you would think that closer to the event the prices would shoot up; but that is not the case. I have bought and sold plenty of tickets on eBay and I have found that when I sell them early I get top dollar because there is less competition. As the event gets closer, everybody in America who is selling tickets begins to list them at auction. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that when the market is flooded with supply the price is driven down. I don't know if there are any published numbers to back me up, but I have seen it time and time again. So if buying on eBay, buy late. Here are a couple of auctions ending soon with a current bid under $50.
What can you take from this? Well at Citi Field it pays to plan ahead. The difference in ticket prices between a value game and a platinum game are significant. From $16 in the cheapest seat to $400 in the best seat in the house. There is a pretty easy to follow link which clearly lays out which games are which. If you are the kind of Mets fan who really just wants to get out to the ballpark, you may not care if you are going to see the Nationals or the Phillies. If that is the case, the Nationals game might be hundreds of dollars cheaper for your family, depending on where you sit.
This may change from year to year, but a good rule of thumb is to look for games against poor teams like the Marlins and the Nationals. In 2009 those were the only two teams considered a value game. From my perspective its almost a good thing because the Mets have a better chance of winning the game I go to, and I paid less money.
As far as the best value tickets at Citi Field, if you go with the cheap seats you want to keep it as close to the infield as possible. Something like a 525 or a 504 will get you about the best view possible for the cheapest price. If you sit out in the left field upper deck around 536, you will feel like you are a mile from the field, and they are the same price as the sections I mentioned above.
Another benefit of getting closer to the infield is that you can see the impressive jumbo tron located in centerfield. This provides great information and entertainment throughout the game, so I always consider it a must to see the big screen. Most of your seats in the outfield of Citi Field will not give you a view, and you kinda feel like you are missing something.
The best budget seats for being closer to the action are the Big Apple Reserved seats. They run about $21 for value games and $50 for premium. These seats are in centerfield, but if you get on a low row you can practically reach out and slap the centerfielder. These go against what I said about having a view of the big board, but if you are taking a kid these may work out better. It is definite homerun territory so keeping a kid closer to the action with the hope of catching a ball may keep them from wandering as much as if you are in the nose bleed seats of cavernous Citi Field.
That is about it. You can look on StubHub for good deals, as some games are obviously more in demand than others, but Citi Field has went a similar route as New Yankee Stadium which means that many of the budget tickets options are being squeezed out. I would say you will find your best deal if you are flexible with your dates, and you keep an eye on the aforementioned StubHub and Ebay
Here is my advice for ticket buying on eBay; wait until the last minute. I know that sounds crazy, and you would think that closer to the event the prices would shoot up; but that is not the case. I have bought and sold plenty of tickets on eBay and I have found that when I sell them early I get top dollar because there is less competition. As the event gets closer, everybody in America who is selling tickets begins to list them at auction. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that when the market is flooded with supply the price is driven down. I don't know if there are any published numbers to back me up, but I have seen it time and time again. So if buying on eBay, buy late. Here are a couple of auctions ending soon with a current bid under $50.
food
Another way to save money at Citi Field is to bring your own food in. Many of you may have done this at Shea, but the concession prices are outrageous as you might expect; so don't pay them. You can also bring in non alcoholic unopened beverages in a soft sided cooler no larger than 16x16x8.
If you are looking for fast food near the stadium, you might want to park your car in the Woodside area where there are plenty of cheap eats and then take the 7 train from there to the game. If you are familiar with the area you can usually park for free and have a pretty easy time getting out after the game.
Obviously you can just pack the cooler at home as well.
Citi Field is built right next to where Shea stood, so its not really close to anything. You are near the airport and the suburbs, but there is not too much food within walking distance. However, another option that I consistently recommend is Restaurant.com Here you can buy $25 gift certificates to local restaurants for $10. You can also do a google search for "Restaurant.com coupon codes" and almost always get an extra 60 - 80% off that. I often buy these $25 certificates for $2. That is the best way to eat a decent meal before or after the game and save a chunk of change. When you follow the link, just type in the zip code of Citi Field (11368) to see what restaurants are nearby.
Another way to save money at Citi Field is to bring your own food in. Many of you may have done this at Shea, but the concession prices are outrageous as you might expect; so don't pay them. You can also bring in non alcoholic unopened beverages in a soft sided cooler no larger than 16x16x8.
If you are looking for fast food near the stadium, you might want to park your car in the Woodside area where there are plenty of cheap eats and then take the 7 train from there to the game. If you are familiar with the area you can usually park for free and have a pretty easy time getting out after the game.
Obviously you can just pack the cooler at home as well.
Citi Field is built right next to where Shea stood, so its not really close to anything. You are near the airport and the suburbs, but there is not too much food within walking distance. However, another option that I consistently recommend is Restaurant.com Here you can buy $25 gift certificates to local restaurants for $10. You can also do a google search for "Restaurant.com coupon codes" and almost always get an extra 60 - 80% off that. I often buy these $25 certificates for $2. That is the best way to eat a decent meal before or after the game and save a chunk of change. When you follow the link, just type in the zip code of Citi Field (11368) to see what restaurants are nearby.