pnc park guide
In 2001 the Pittsburgh Pirates opened PNC Park which would be the new home to one of the most consistently pathetic teams in all of baseball. In fact, I believe the Pirates are going on 19 years in a row without a winning season, which is tough to do. However everything you read says that the PNC ballpark is one of the best in all of baseball. You can pick up some great local food at the stadium, and really take in some phenomenal views of downtown Pittsburgh from the upper deck. One of the side benefits of the Bucs no talent team is that you can see this great park for not alot of money. You won't be running into many sell out situations.
parking
Lets talk about where you can park for free at PNC Park. Most of the free parking is going to be on the street in and around the cultural district near the Clemente Bridge. If you have seen overhead pictures of the Pirates' Stadium you have seen the yellow Clemente bridge behind centerfield which leads to downtown. So many people actually prefer to park on the opposite side of the bridge and walk across before the game. The feeling you get walking across the bridge before the game is pretty cool, and it's a relatively short walk. If you don't mind a little walk, or if you are Mr. Energy and really enjoy a good walk - you really should park in downtown and walk across the bridge.
Now I mentioned free parking at PNC Park in downtown, and that would be in the way of metered parking. According to the Pittsburgh parking authority their meters are only in effect until 6 pm, so after that you are home free. You shouldn't have any problem driving around within a couple blocks of the bridge and finding a spot if you are arriving before 6 o'clock. There is construction in the area right now so as game time draws closer it can get pretty crazy in that area - so you may want to just give it up and pay to park.
If you don't feel like doing a little searching for free parking, or if you parallel park like my wife, you can easily find $5 garages around the bridge as well. That will save you some money vs. the stadium lots and you have a pretty easy out after the game.
tickets
I mentioned earlier that bad teams and the thickness of your wallet generally go hand in hand. The Pirates could have $1 tickets for all seats and not sell out. That is good news for you if you are a baseball fan and you want to check out PNC Park. Regular game ticket prices start at $9 for the bleachers and the outer view level which ain't bad. The Pirates also offer a fair amount of specials and incentives throughout the year, so if you plan your trips to PNC Park ahead of time you can really save some money. One thing the Pirates do is offer a full list of games that you can get half price outfield box seats to if you have a PNC check card. So banking with PNC has it's benefits when it comes to being a Pirates fan. If you think about getting a $20 seat for $10 x's a family of 4 - you can really save some serious money there. PNC Park is known for having great sight lines wherever you sit. The View from behind the plate in the upper deck is tough to beat not only for a birds eye view of the field, but a breathtaking view of downtown Pittsburgh. If I was going, I would buy upper deck seats close to right behind the plate. In fact the outfield is so open you really get a nice view of downtown in the lower level behind the plate and down the 3rd base line.
However another way to look at this if you are doing a baseball trip, or coming from out of town, PNC Park is also a great place to splurge a good seats without getting killed on price. Infield box seats are $27 day of game and there will be plenty available. Another thought to keep in mind is that the right field side of the stadium is going to be the first in the shade for a summer evening game and may prove to be a little more comfortable than it's left field counterpart.
The Pirates have $35 all you can eat seats which are right behind the outfield fence in right. Classic ballpark fare is included, but no alcohol. You don't get the cool view of downtown from here either.
Speaking of all you can eat seats; if you are overweight and tend to feel uncomfortable and cramped in stadium seats, the PNC Park has you covered. They have a fair amount of seats that are on the aisle and don't have an arm rest. So you can spread out a bit and not worry about trying to cram into a seat. These are usually in the last couple rows of the section, but if you go to the ticket window and just ask about the seats with no arm rests - they will know what you are talking about.
If you fit comfortably in a stadium seat, you might want to think about a seat in the middle of the row; especially in the lower level. It seemed to me that Pirate fans weren't all that into the game, which led to fans constantly walking up and down the steps. We were on the aisle so we missed what seemed like 45 minutes of the game because of people walking by us in the middle of the inning. It was a small sample size, but you could greatly reduce that by sitting mid-row.
Tickets are always available on eBay as well. 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.
parking
Lets talk about where you can park for free at PNC Park. Most of the free parking is going to be on the street in and around the cultural district near the Clemente Bridge. If you have seen overhead pictures of the Pirates' Stadium you have seen the yellow Clemente bridge behind centerfield which leads to downtown. So many people actually prefer to park on the opposite side of the bridge and walk across before the game. The feeling you get walking across the bridge before the game is pretty cool, and it's a relatively short walk. If you don't mind a little walk, or if you are Mr. Energy and really enjoy a good walk - you really should park in downtown and walk across the bridge.
Now I mentioned free parking at PNC Park in downtown, and that would be in the way of metered parking. According to the Pittsburgh parking authority their meters are only in effect until 6 pm, so after that you are home free. You shouldn't have any problem driving around within a couple blocks of the bridge and finding a spot if you are arriving before 6 o'clock. There is construction in the area right now so as game time draws closer it can get pretty crazy in that area - so you may want to just give it up and pay to park.
If you don't feel like doing a little searching for free parking, or if you parallel park like my wife, you can easily find $5 garages around the bridge as well. That will save you some money vs. the stadium lots and you have a pretty easy out after the game.
tickets
I mentioned earlier that bad teams and the thickness of your wallet generally go hand in hand. The Pirates could have $1 tickets for all seats and not sell out. That is good news for you if you are a baseball fan and you want to check out PNC Park. Regular game ticket prices start at $9 for the bleachers and the outer view level which ain't bad. The Pirates also offer a fair amount of specials and incentives throughout the year, so if you plan your trips to PNC Park ahead of time you can really save some money. One thing the Pirates do is offer a full list of games that you can get half price outfield box seats to if you have a PNC check card. So banking with PNC has it's benefits when it comes to being a Pirates fan. If you think about getting a $20 seat for $10 x's a family of 4 - you can really save some serious money there. PNC Park is known for having great sight lines wherever you sit. The View from behind the plate in the upper deck is tough to beat not only for a birds eye view of the field, but a breathtaking view of downtown Pittsburgh. If I was going, I would buy upper deck seats close to right behind the plate. In fact the outfield is so open you really get a nice view of downtown in the lower level behind the plate and down the 3rd base line.
However another way to look at this if you are doing a baseball trip, or coming from out of town, PNC Park is also a great place to splurge a good seats without getting killed on price. Infield box seats are $27 day of game and there will be plenty available. Another thought to keep in mind is that the right field side of the stadium is going to be the first in the shade for a summer evening game and may prove to be a little more comfortable than it's left field counterpart.
The Pirates have $35 all you can eat seats which are right behind the outfield fence in right. Classic ballpark fare is included, but no alcohol. You don't get the cool view of downtown from here either.
Speaking of all you can eat seats; if you are overweight and tend to feel uncomfortable and cramped in stadium seats, the PNC Park has you covered. They have a fair amount of seats that are on the aisle and don't have an arm rest. So you can spread out a bit and not worry about trying to cram into a seat. These are usually in the last couple rows of the section, but if you go to the ticket window and just ask about the seats with no arm rests - they will know what you are talking about.
If you fit comfortably in a stadium seat, you might want to think about a seat in the middle of the row; especially in the lower level. It seemed to me that Pirate fans weren't all that into the game, which led to fans constantly walking up and down the steps. We were on the aisle so we missed what seemed like 45 minutes of the game because of people walking by us in the middle of the inning. It was a small sample size, but you could greatly reduce that by sitting mid-row.
Tickets are always available on eBay as well. 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
Like many other stadiums PNC Park allows you to bring your own food into the stadium. You can also bring sealed bottled water in a soft sided cooler if you would like. That is a great way for a fan on a budget to save a few bucks at a Pirates game. If you are coming from out of town, I would recommend ponying up the cash for a Primanti Brothers sandwich in section 310. Pictured below, these are one of the things that Pittsburg is famous for and worth the money in my opinion.
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 PNC Park (15212) to see what restaurants are nearby.
Like many other stadiums PNC Park allows you to bring your own food into the stadium. You can also bring sealed bottled water in a soft sided cooler if you would like. That is a great way for a fan on a budget to save a few bucks at a Pirates game. If you are coming from out of town, I would recommend ponying up the cash for a Primanti Brothers sandwich in section 310. Pictured below, these are one of the things that Pittsburg is famous for and worth the money in my opinion.
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 PNC Park (15212) to see what restaurants are nearby.
