progressive field guide
Formerly known as Jacob’s Field, Progressive Field is now the official home of the Cleveland Indians. Cleveland is often referred to as the ‘Mistake By The Lake’, and I guess I won’t argue. However this is a nice ballpark that provides decent value for fans. Lets take a look at some parking tips.
parking
Cleveland is proud of the fact that there are enough parking spots in downtown for Progressive Field and the Q to be sold out at the same time. With that many parking spots it can get overwhelming. I did find a great blog post from 2007 where these guys summarized some of the best lots around the stadium based on price and distance. Allow me to summarize.
1. 3 lots next to the cemetery between Erie and Bolivar puts you less than a quarter mile from the center field gate and costs about $5.2. Amphitheater parking is only $2, but its probably not worth it as there is a good bit of stairs and walking ivolved.3. Half a block from E. 9th, there is a $7 lot on north side of Bolivar which puts you really close to the centerfield gate. Best value at that close of a distance.
Here is a link to the full post if you are interested.
I do want to offer a word of warning on these prices I mentioned and the one’s in the article. The lots around Progressive field have been known to jack up the prices depending on who the Indians are playing. So when the Yankees and Sox come to town, these are going to go up. You can also expect that if the Indians happen to be in a playoff run. Keep that in mind if you only plan to go to a few games per year. It may be worth it to you to go see the Yankees and pay double what you normally would, but if you aren’t too concerned about the opponent you may save money going to watch a crappy team.
If you want to park for free near Progressive Field you are probably going to need to find metered spots. There meters are only in effect until 6pm unless noted otherwise, and one good place to look for such spots is W. 10th St.; you could also try Chester near E. 9th as I know people who find metered parking there, but you need to be in that area around 6:00 if possible.
When we went to Cleveland we just stayed in a hotel downtown and walked to the game. If you are coming from out of town that is a great option.
tickets
I tell you what, a great place to buy Indians tickets is on eBay. I know that may not be earth shattering news, but if you haven’t been a big “ebayer” in the past, buying out of demand tickets will make it worth your while.
Most of the time the Indians don’t come anywhere close to selling out, which means that you could just walk up and buy tickets at the Progressive Field gate. However this also means that the poor souls trying to sell Indians tickets for a profit are getting hammered; and you can grab a mallet and join in the fun.
If you live in or around Cleveland, you probably don’t care too much which games you go to, you just like to catch a few games. That is where eBay comes in. Look for auctions as many of them will end with tickets below face value, which saves you money vs. walking up and buying them. For instance, as I wrote this I tested my theory and saw 2 tickets to a Royals game on the field level, right behind the plate, sell for $31 – total.
Here are a couple of auctions ending soon that are going for less than 50 bucks.
parking
Cleveland is proud of the fact that there are enough parking spots in downtown for Progressive Field and the Q to be sold out at the same time. With that many parking spots it can get overwhelming. I did find a great blog post from 2007 where these guys summarized some of the best lots around the stadium based on price and distance. Allow me to summarize.
1. 3 lots next to the cemetery between Erie and Bolivar puts you less than a quarter mile from the center field gate and costs about $5.2. Amphitheater parking is only $2, but its probably not worth it as there is a good bit of stairs and walking ivolved.3. Half a block from E. 9th, there is a $7 lot on north side of Bolivar which puts you really close to the centerfield gate. Best value at that close of a distance.
Here is a link to the full post if you are interested.
I do want to offer a word of warning on these prices I mentioned and the one’s in the article. The lots around Progressive field have been known to jack up the prices depending on who the Indians are playing. So when the Yankees and Sox come to town, these are going to go up. You can also expect that if the Indians happen to be in a playoff run. Keep that in mind if you only plan to go to a few games per year. It may be worth it to you to go see the Yankees and pay double what you normally would, but if you aren’t too concerned about the opponent you may save money going to watch a crappy team.
If you want to park for free near Progressive Field you are probably going to need to find metered spots. There meters are only in effect until 6pm unless noted otherwise, and one good place to look for such spots is W. 10th St.; you could also try Chester near E. 9th as I know people who find metered parking there, but you need to be in that area around 6:00 if possible.
When we went to Cleveland we just stayed in a hotel downtown and walked to the game. If you are coming from out of town that is a great option.
tickets
I tell you what, a great place to buy Indians tickets is on eBay. I know that may not be earth shattering news, but if you haven’t been a big “ebayer” in the past, buying out of demand tickets will make it worth your while.
Most of the time the Indians don’t come anywhere close to selling out, which means that you could just walk up and buy tickets at the Progressive Field gate. However this also means that the poor souls trying to sell Indians tickets for a profit are getting hammered; and you can grab a mallet and join in the fun.
If you live in or around Cleveland, you probably don’t care too much which games you go to, you just like to catch a few games. That is where eBay comes in. Look for auctions as many of them will end with tickets below face value, which saves you money vs. walking up and buying them. For instance, as I wrote this I tested my theory and saw 2 tickets to a Royals game on the field level, right behind the plate, sell for $31 – total.
Here are a couple of auctions ending soon that are going for less than 50 bucks.
If buying directly from the team, they do have promotions like 4 tickets, with 4 hot dogs and 4 drinks for as low as $51 on Sundays Only. This honestly isn’t as good of a deal in my opinion as some other teams. However the deal applies to different sections, and the deal gets sweeter as you buy better tickets. In fact lets do a little ballpark savvy math for Progressive Field. (This is for the above mentioned package deal in a “Prime” game)
4 Tickets in the Outer Reserve: Normal - $36, Package - $51
4 Tickets in the Lower Reserved: Normal - $120, Package - $95
So if you are following me, the outer reserve package saves you a few bucks assuming you were going to buy hot dogs and sodas for everyone in the ballpark. However, if going with 4 people you will spend $25 less if you purchase the KeyBank package and you will get a soda and a hot dog or slice of pizza included with your ticket. Even if you don’t want the food and drink, you still save $25. In other words, if you walk up and purchase 4 lower reserved seats at the gate on a Sunday, you are an idiot. As always, plan ahead and you will find a better deal. Moral of the story: Sunday is a great day to take a family.Cheap Fan Contest$9 is generally the cheapest ticket you will purchase from the team, which will put you in the upper deck of right field. The seats aren’t bad; I guess what you would expect for $9 so there is decent value here. Another thing you can do if buying these tickets is stand behind the outfield seats one level below you. What I mean is, behind the last row of seats in the 300 level of right field there is a stand up bar where you can lean up and set down your food and drink. I guess it depends who you are, but if you tend to get cramped in your seats you can improve your view a little bit and have some room to maneuver. Its also worth mentioning that the 300 level Mezzanine seats in right are a pretty great view for about $20 each. You definitely won’t be disappointed there if you want to fork out about $10 -12 more per person.
Two more items worth considering: Remember the scoreboard and jumbo screen are in left field, so don’t sit in the outfield seats in left if you care about seeing the screen. I personally think that is a big deal because the screen provides good entertainment and stats during the game. Secondly, the shade comes to those down the third base line first. You will be in the sun for a while in the summer time in the right field seats that I mentioned above.
food
You can take soft sided coolers into Progressive Field with your own food and snacks. This is a great way to save money as always.
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 Progressive Field (44115) to see what restaurants are nearby. At the time I am writing this, it looks like the best ‘normal’ food option truly near the ballpark is Cadillac Ranch. You could save up to $23 off your dinner there and walk to the game.
Also the All-You-Can-Eat Seats at Progressive Field offer a pretty good value. You pay $32 for tickets that are usually $24 (depending on the game), so about an extra $10 isn’t that bad when it comes to food. The nice thing is it comes with nachos, which are everybody’s favorite. If you aren’t familiar, you can spend $10 per person on ballpark food with a large drink and a hot dog. If you always wanted to try the all you can eat seats somewhere, Progressive Field is a good value opportunity to do just that.