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.
cheap or free parking at citi field
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.
A guest blogger to this site, Gary Herman, wrote in more detail about the streets where you can find free parking at Citi Field
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.
The most stress-free choice for parking at the Mets game is using Park Whiz. This lets you find a spot ahead of time and reserve it, so you know exactly where you are going before you ever leave your house. Here is a list of upcoming games, just click the date you need to find the cheapest spots:
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.
A guest blogger to this site, Gary Herman, wrote in more detail about the streets where you can find free parking at Citi Field
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.
The most stress-free choice for parking at the Mets game is using Park Whiz. This lets you find a spot ahead of time and reserve it, so you know exactly where you are going before you ever leave your house. Here is a list of upcoming games, just click the date you need to find the cheapest spots:
get the best bang for your buck on mets tickets
As of 2010, the by far the best way to see a Mets game is the McFadden's VIP package. From my friend Kurt Smith's blog; "A VIP Package at McFadden's Citi Field includes: one hour of open bar, an order of chicken wings, a ticket for a free drink after the game, and a ticket to the game--and not just a ticket but a ticket to the 100 or 300 level! All for somewhere between $30 and $60, generally depending on whom the Mets are playing.
Buying directly from the Mets, a 100 or 300 level ticket alone costs more than that. At $60 this is a total steal, at $30, well, you start to think like me...wondering what the catch is."
Kurt goes onto say that there really is no catch, but there is a limited number and it is for select dates. Who knows if this will be an option for years to come, but here is the McFadden website for more information on dates and prices. My recommendation would be to plan ahead and take advantage of this phenomenal deal. More commonly, the package is an open bar for an hour or two and then a certificate and a free drink after the game (not including ticket). Check out their site for the latest details.
On the topic of ordinary tickets to Citi Field; the Mets have moved to dynamic pricing, which is to say that the prices change from day to day. Anything from the opposition, to the weather, to the day of the week may decide if your ticket is $20 or $40. Typically your cheapest seat is going to be in the low teens.
Buying directly from the Mets, a 100 or 300 level ticket alone costs more than that. At $60 this is a total steal, at $30, well, you start to think like me...wondering what the catch is."
Kurt goes onto say that there really is no catch, but there is a limited number and it is for select dates. Who knows if this will be an option for years to come, but here is the McFadden website for more information on dates and prices. My recommendation would be to plan ahead and take advantage of this phenomenal deal. More commonly, the package is an open bar for an hour or two and then a certificate and a free drink after the game (not including ticket). Check out their site for the latest details.
On the topic of ordinary tickets to Citi Field; the Mets have moved to dynamic pricing, which is to say that the prices change from day to day. Anything from the opposition, to the weather, to the day of the week may decide if your ticket is $20 or $40. Typically your cheapest seat is going to be in the low teens.
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 center field. 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 (estimated based on dynamic prices). These seats are in center field, but if you get on a low row you can practically reach out and slap the center fielder. 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 home run 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.
The Mets also offer promotional days and such which vary from year to year, so check out their fan value page. An example is Mets Student Rush tickets for select games. The Mets encourage you to "Make Citi Field your classroom this baseball season!" Which seems a little weird to me, but whatever. If you have a valid student ID for college or high school you can land a cheap ticket in advance of game day.
Another benefit of getting closer to the infield is that you can see the impressive jumbo tron located in center field. 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 (estimated based on dynamic prices). These seats are in center field, but if you get on a low row you can practically reach out and slap the center fielder. 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 home run 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.
The Mets also offer promotional days and such which vary from year to year, so check out their fan value page. An example is Mets Student Rush tickets for select games. The Mets encourage you to "Make Citi Field your classroom this baseball season!" Which seems a little weird to me, but whatever. If you have a valid student ID for college or high school you can land a cheap ticket in advance of game day.
Another great place to buy tickets is from Score Big. Let's face it, most ticket broker sites are the same but this one is actually different. It is kind of like the Priceline of sports tickets. Essentially you can search events in your area, and make an offer on tickets and get an instant answer on whether your bid is accepted.
Here are a couple of screenshots of how it works. You can select a quantity, and then it gives you different tiers. It gives you an approximate discount percentage, and shows on the seat map which sections your tickets could possibly be in.
Next you enter in a price, again it gives you an idea how how likely that is to be accepted. I made the comparison to Priceline, and it is true, you have to put in payment details prior to making an official offer. But if you are going to the game, what a great way to save money on tickets!
Check out discounts below:
Here are a couple of screenshots of how it works. You can select a quantity, and then it gives you different tiers. It gives you an approximate discount percentage, and shows on the seat map which sections your tickets could possibly be in.
Next you enter in a price, again it gives you an idea how how likely that is to be accepted. I made the comparison to Priceline, and it is true, you have to put in payment details prior to making an official offer. But if you are going to the game, what a great way to save money on tickets!
Check out discounts below:
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. Another note about that...
Stubhub is the official marketplace for MLB tickets, and they protect you against fraudulent tickets. If you want to buy on Stubhub, you are usually better off if you can wait until close to game time. For baseball, you usually print your tickets at home after you buy. This means you can often buy tickets up until a couple hours before game time. From the seller perspective, Stubhub encourages sellers to reduce their price incrementally as the event gets closer so they aren't stuck with the tickets. So when you are looking at a game that starts in just a few hours, it is likely you are going to find some great value.
affordable food at citi field
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.
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.
where to stay in NYC
Hotel prices in New York can be crazy, and if you are coming in from out of town be prepared to overpay for everything and be tolled to death if you are driving around. Also use caution on the roads as it is a pretty intense experience!
If you are coming in and looking for an affordable option, you could stay at the place on the left in swanky Soho for just over $100 per night. How? Through a site called Airbnb. This is a site where people let you stay in their home or apartment, and they generally host you as you would be in a bed and breakfast. Sometimes you can get the entire place to yourself, while other times you get a private room in their residence. It is great way to meet people and stay in a unique space. I've done it myself and recommend checking it out.
If you are coming in and looking for an affordable option, you could stay at the place on the left in swanky Soho for just over $100 per night. How? Through a site called Airbnb. This is a site where people let you stay in their home or apartment, and they generally host you as you would be in a bed and breakfast. Sometimes you can get the entire place to yourself, while other times you get a private room in their residence. It is great way to meet people and stay in a unique space. I've done it myself and recommend checking it out.
other fun, free things at citi field
- Perhaps you have never been to Citi Field. The first time you do go you can stop by the fan assistance desk and get a free certificate signed by Mr. Met. I think autographed items by Mr. Met go for hundreds on Ebay, so just resell that baby!
- The Designated Driver program is designed to encourage our guests to make responsible choices regarding drinking and driving. Guests wishing to participate must sign a pledge that they will not drink alcohol at the event. Guest receive a wristband indicating that they should not consume alcohol. In exchange for this pledge, guests receive a coupon that can be redeemed for a free 16oz fountain soda at any concession stand. The booths are located along the exterior of the 3B side of the Hyundai Club, 310, and 419. Booths are open from the opening gate until the end of the second inning
- Kids get to run the bases and a ton of other freebies can be had on promotional days. Check the schedule and maximize the value of your ticket.