Saturday, July 18, 2009

THE METSGRRL.COM GUIDE TO CITI FIELD.

Last updated: September 5, 2009

Now that we’re halfway through the first season, I finally had time to put this together. Obviously, this is aimed at visitors to the new ballpark, or first-time Mets fans finally getting to see the new digs.

Welcome to the new “world-class home” of the 2009 New York Mets. This is the fan guide, the unofficial guide, the list of things that I, as a fan coming to visit the place, would want to know. it is not meant to replace any official information offered by the Mets and MLB.

This guide to Citi Field is highly subjective, based on my own experience with the ballpark. It is not pretending to be objective. It is, however, definitely the fan’s perspective, which is something I value when I visit other ballparks. Your mileage may, and probably will, vary. That’s what makes the internet a wonderful place.

I will continue to update/amend this guide throughout the season.

BALLPARK TOURS

There are no tours of Citi Field. They didn’t offer tours of Shea, which made sense in some fashion, as the place was so decrepit and I imagine the internal workings only more so.  I would not count on this changing in 2009, simply because the Mets organization hates dealing with fans more than they have to.

BUYING TICKETS:

August 2009 update: Since we suck these days, you can easily walk off the 7 train and find people standing at the bottom trying to get rid of their extras. So if you’re not picky and want a bargain, that’s the way to go.

Do not count on walking up to the box office - especially during a weekend game, or a game with a popular team - and being able to find an affordable ticket. The days of the $5 Upper Reserved seat are gone.  Do not even count on being able to find an affordable ticket in advance. There will be games where you will not be able to buy a seat in Promenade Reserved, which are the cheapest seats in the ballpark. (This has already happened to me, wanting to get in to see Johan pitch on a Saturday afternoon.)

There are, of course, plenty of seats available in the secondary market, on StubHub, eBay, and Craigslist. Given the way the Mets are playing lately, the bottom is falling out of the market, so you should be able to find something at a price you want to pay, but in our experience, people are being stubborn. They paid a lot of money for their tickets and want to recoup their investment and it seems that they would rather not sell a ticket than take a loss.

We have better luck on eBay than Stubhub, and on eBay, at least, there isn’t a 15% markup on every ticket like there is for StubHub. We buy on eBay regularly and have never had a problem - just be smart about it, and never ever buy Ticketfast (aka “Print at home” tickets from anyone) UNLESS you are doing an official ticket transfer from a season or plan ticket holder via the Mets. On StubHub, they check the bar codes - you don’t even ship people tickets any more - so you should be fine.

Standing Room tickets at Citi Field: While there are places you can officially and freely stand to watch the game on the field level, you cannot buy a standing room ticket. At some point they are going to realize that just because there are tickets in the Metropolitan Club does not mean that someone who is looking for a Promenade Reserved ticket is going to cough up the bucks, but we are not at that point yet.

Big Apple seats/Bridge Terrace seats outfield bleachers/picnic areas: There are no longer bleachers at Citi Field. There are seats in the outfield near the new Home Run Apple that are going to serve the same purpose as the former bleachers in that they are aimed at accommodating groups. These show up in the dropdown menu on Mets.com as a ticketing option, but you can’t buy them - that’s because they are being sold to groups now. Members of “Club Mets” have gotten offers to buy them (for the ridiculous price of $42) but they are not selling them to the general public at this time. It’s the same with the Bridge Terrace seats - it’s a group seating option only. If you are interested in sitting there, pick up the phone and call 718-507-TIXX and see what they can do.

WHERE TO SIT AT CITI FIELD:

First things first: let’s break down what the various levels are called and where they are. It’s confusing, because there’s the corporate sponsor name for things, and then the permanent name, so that when the Delta Club becomes the JetBlue Club they don’t have to change all the damn signs again. This photo should help:

Everyone has heard of the infamous problems with what the fans call “obstructed view” and the Mets call “blind spots”. (See the photos on the Mets Police for examples of these obstructed view seats.) Generally speaking, it seems that seats along the right field line - on every level - have less problems than seats along the left field line. This is highly anecdotal, gathered from conversations and other reports online. It also seems that rows 1-3 of the Promenade and Excelsior level have more problems than seats higher up due to plexiglass barriers and railings (and on the promenade, the ribbon boards). I’ll provide more info about those levels below.

Please understand, I do not mean to be difficult but I cannot answer questions on a seat by seat, section by section basis. No one, including me, has sat in enough of the ballpark yet to be an expert.

If you sit on the left field side on any level, you will not see the out of town scoreboard.

Shade at Citi Field: It took me almost the entire season before I made it to a day game. If you want to sit in the shade, or have shade reach you at some point during the day, you want to sit from about the far edge of the Mets dugout to the left field corner just before the foul pole. Do NOT sit in left field at all, do not sit in the Pepsi Porch. Of course, I mostly paid attention to the shade on the upper deck and not in the $$$ seats, but this should help you make a decision or be able to plan accordingly.

Field Level:  I am told by plan ticket holders on this level that if you are along the left field line,  even just past third base, you cannot see into the corner.  Otherwise - it’s the field level.  Only the very high rows are covered, except in far left and right field.

The level above the field level is a party suite level, the Empire Level. I saw it on the tour. You can see some photos here. Don’t get me wrong - the suites are really nice. They’re just not part of my day to day experience as a Mets fan.

Excelsior Level:  The Excelsior level has three main areas:  the Caesar’s Club, the Left Field Landing, and the Acela Club Restaurant, and then there is the Pepsi Porch. More on those below. You cannot walk 360 degrees around on this level - this is important - and two of the seating areas (Left Field Landing and Pepsi Porch) you can only get to by the stairs or escalators in the left and right field corners.  You cannot get into the Caesar’s Club level - which is most of this level - without a ticket for it.

Caesar’s Club: This is the ‘premium’ level, which is 70% covered, and has bars throughout the section and a Caesar’s Club restaurant, which is behind home plate, and does not have a dress code. It is a glorified Aramark stand with some nice leather couches. It’s a nice place to sit out a rain delay, but otherwise, I’m not sure what the attraction is. The bars - which have windows to the outside and some nice views of Manhattan - are kind of nice, I have to admit.  If you are along the left field line (even section 329) you cannot see into the left field corner.

The other premium club members can use this space but I’m not sure why they would bother.

Left Field Landing: These are normal seats out along left field. They are also partially covered. You can only get there from the escalator on the field level in left field, and from the stairs in that area. It does offer easy access to the premium food out in centerfield, since it’s just down a level.

The Acela Club restaurant: This one is tricky. You can’t just have a ticket to the game and make a reservation. You have to have a ticket that allows you access to this restaurant, and those are the expensive tickets:    Delta Club Platinum & Gold, Ebbets Club Gold, Metropolitan Box (all), Caesars Club Platinum & Gold, and Field Box (all). There are various seatings, some before the game, some during the game. If your ticket tells you have access, call and get the particulars. I do not see myself spending the cash this season to experience this so I cannot provide you with the full scoop. There is a dress code, I just don’t know or care what it is. I have heard very mixed reports on the food, however.

Pepsi Porch: You have to like sitting in the outfield to enjoy yourself out here, and of course, many people do. I am the wrong person to offer an opinion on this because I don’t like sitting in the outfield. If you’re up there, you are pretty isolated; they have their own concessions, and you can’t walk around on the level because it’s the Excelsior level and that’s closed unless you’re ticketed for it. You can only get up to the Porch from the stairs, elevator or escalator in the right field corner.

Promenade Level: Welcome to the People’s Seats. If you want to know what the view is like, look at any post from any game in 2009; that’s where my seats are. There is a promenade club, but it’s a tiny room with one Aramark vendor and a couple of tables. Nowhere to sit, no restaurant, and I don’t believe it has its own facilities. However, the beauty of the level is the area behind home plate, on top of the rotunda. Sitting here in the sun before the game starts, eating your hot dog, is just awesome. There is a Mama’s stand up here, even.

The Promenade seems to have the worst visibility problems. The first row of the boxes seems to have problems because of the ribbon boards along the edge of the level.  (The back row is supposed to be awesome because you have space behind your seat to stash your stuff.)

DUGOUTS: The visitor’s dugout is on the third base side.

GETTING TO THE BALLPARK:

You can take the 7 train, you can take the Long Island Rail Road (aka LIRR), or you can drive. (There are probably other methods, like charter buses, or the ferry from the Jersey Shore, but I am dealing with the three methods above.)

7 Train (NYC Subway)

If you are visiting the park for the first time and want a real NYC ballpark experience, you will take the 7 train. The 7 train is fast, convenient, inexpensive and perfectly safe. It starts in Manhattan at Times Square, stops at 42nd St. and 5th Avenue (near the Library) and then again at Grand Central Terminal before going under the river and emerging on the other side in Queens. The train runs express out to Queens during evening rush hour, and after the game, there are ‘super-express’ trains that make limited express stops back to Manhattan - no more milk train from hell. End to end, it’s 40 minutes. You’ll ride the train with commuters and students and other Mets fans and fans of the opposing team, and since the train runs above-ground in Queens, you’ll actually get to see some of New York City that’s not Manhattan. So take the 7 train.

Now, if you don’t like mixing with other people of different ethnicities, or you’re John Rocker - don’t take the 7 train. But in that case I would advise you to not come to New York, either.

The stop is METS - WILLETS POINT, even if the subway maps will still say WILLETS POINT - SHEA STADIUM. But the train runs above ground, you’ll see the ballpark before the stop.  The ballpark will be on the left side of the train, if you want to watch for it. (On your right will be the US Open grounds, which many first-time visitors get excited about, thinking it’s the baseball stadium.)

The 7 train still has an open window on the front of the train in case you want to watch while you ride.

Subway fare is now $2.25 each way for a single ride as of July 2009. (It is less if you buy a weekly or daily card, which may make sense if you are visiting for a few days. You need 4 or more trips to make the daily card economical.) You need to buy a Metrocard to pay your fare, swiping at the turnstile. For the love of all that’s good and holy, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH TO PAY YOUR FARE COMING HOME. If you aren’t sure, or need to put more money on your Metrocard, do it when you get to the ballpark, or do it before you get on the train coming out. Don’t be that person standing at the turnstile when the game is over, swiping your card again and again, with the display reading INSUFFICIENT FARE. Then you have to go all the way back downstairs and get in the line to fill your card back up, and you’ve annoyed every Mets fan in the metropolitan area in the process. It is astonishing to me how many people have no idea how much money is on their card and end up standing there with hundreds of people behind them.

All trains stop at the ballpark stop, but you really want an express. How do you know it’s an express train? Look for a red diamond lit up around the 7 in the side windows. A round green circle indicates a local train. Also, the conductor will announce it (if you can hear it) and if you get on at Grand Central or Times Square, there’s usually someone on the platform with a megaphone (this is during rush hour during the week only.)

However, if you find you’ve gotten on the local instead, don’t panic. IT GOES TO THE SAME PLACE. Sometimes I actively choose to get on a local so i can have a seat. It’s going to add 10-15 minutes to your travel time at the most.

DON’T TAKE A CAB. JUST DON’T, UNLESS THE 7 TRAIN STOPS RUNNING (in which case we probably have bigger problems on our hands). You can, but you’ll sit in traffic and it will cost you a fortune and if you’re that scared of people in New York, don’t come here. There is absolutely no reason to take a cab to Citi Field UNLESS you are coming here straight from LaGuardia Airport, which is right next to the ballpark. Also, you assume that every cab driver knows how to get to Citi Field - that’s a pretty big assumption and one that could cost you a lot of money. (Cab drivers in NYC do not have to pass any kind of knowledge test.)  And whatever you do, don’t just get in the cab and ask to be taken to “the ballpark” or “the baseball stadium”. You’ll end up on 161st St. in the Bronx, guaranteed.

Taking a cab will not be quicker or save you money. I really do have your best interests at heart.

Other routes:
The Long Island Rail Road runs from Penn Station (34th Street). It only stops at the ballpark when there’s a game. You have to buy a ticket in advance. The link for LIRR info is here. No, I am not an advocate of this route, unless you live in Jersey and have to commute to the games regularly, then I completely understand it. But a one time visitor to our great city should experience the subway.

If you really, really need more help in figuring out how to get to Citi Field from Long Island or New Jersey, HopStop is a good start.

Driving:
Parking is $18. Most of the lots are open - they did a great job in cleaning up the debris-that-was-shea-Stadium. We are city drivers, not coming from the suburbs - the Mets have directions on their web site and there isn’t much to improve on. There is unofficial parking, but unless you’re a local, it’s too hard to explain - and I’m also not going to document the unofficial parking on the internet because it would then become OFFICIAL parking very quickly.

Take public transportation. It’s better for you.

ARRIVING AT THE BALLPARK:

The subway platform is elevated. During 80% of the year, there is one exit: you walk downstairs and follow the crowd.  One side goes off to the World’s Fair grounds and the tennis stadium, and there is a sign reading TENNIS. Then there’s the side where the ballpark is, and it says METS BASEBALL.

Isn’t it awesome?

When the US Open is in season, you just want to make sure you head towards the ballpark. Follow the people wearing Mets stuff.

There are public bathrooms in the subway station, but as a New Yorker, I cannot envision any situation where I would use them if I was going to a game. Just sayin’.

For photography and history buffs, there are some old legacy Shea Stadium signs on the Manhattan-bound local platform, in about the middle of the platform. Unfortunately, the only way to get close to them with the new subway station layout would be to go downstairs and then re-enter the subway system again since they’re on the other side of the turnstiles. (The entrances used to be downstairs so you could have crossed over without paying another fare.) The bonus here is if you walk all the way to the front of the platform, it gives you the perfect angle to take a wide shot of all of Citi Field. To me it would be worth the extra $2 for both of those things.

Once you’re out of the subway, it should be obvious where you need to go. Ahead of you is the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. On the plaza in front of the rotunda is the “Mets Fan Walk,” where fans were coerced out of hard-earned cash to have their name on a brick in front of the new place. Take some time to read some of the bricks. There are some definite gems.

To the right as you’re facing the rotunda is the main Team Store. It is open from the outside *before* the first gate opens (also open non-game days 9-5). Once the first gate opens, the outside entrance closes and you can only get inside from the rotunda.

(I talk more about the various entrance gates further down.)

SHEA STADIUM MARKERS

As you leave the subway and walk towards Citi Field, the brass markers for Shea are located in the parking lot on your right between sections B and D. (Look for the signs on the light poles.) In a move uncharacteristically fan-friendly, the parking rows are positioned so the markers are in the aisles and as such are visible at all times - no one can park on the markers.

All of the bases are marked, in addition to home plate and the pitching rubber. I would recommend that you start or finish (if you’re at a day game) your visit to Citi Field with this part of the ballpark.

EARLY OPENING

The Jackie Robinson Rotunda is the early opening gate now. It opens 2 1/2 hours before game time. If you can’t do the math, that means:

                                                         

Gate entry times for batting practice at Citi Field.

	1:10 p.m. game	4:10 p.m. game	7:10 p.m. game
Mets BP	10:40 a.m.	1:40 p.m.	4:40 p.m.
Visitor BP	11:30 a.m.	2:30 p.m.	5:30 p.m.

THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THERE WILL BE BP. Day game after a night game, assume no BP, but that can change. The Mets do not have a batting practice status hotline, and if you call the main number, you will not get an answer, or that answer will be wrong. The gates do open early even if there is no BP, so you can go in and walk around.

If you have club-level tickets that direct you to a VIP entrance, that entrance also opens 2 1/2 hours early and you can go in from your respective VIP entrance so you don’t have to mix with the hoi polloi.

SECURITY

You *can* bring food and water and drinks into Citi Field. The standard MLB bag sizes apply, and no cans or glass. For years we have been able to get in with unsealed bottles, and then this year there was a big show of enforcing the sealed bottle policy. Of course, they do things like have vendors walking around the plaza outside the ballpark selling bottles of water - which, if you opened them, technically you wouldn’t be able to bring inside. It’s a crap shoot. Entering early at the rotunda, I would not suggest that you chance it.

They are also now not allowing empty bottles of any kind, including metal bottles (like SIGG or Klean Kanteen). Just saw some confiscated the other day. They might hold them for you until after the game but I wouldn’t count on it. Leave them at home. I wouldn’t try bringing plastic refillable bottles or Nalgene bottles. This is insanely stupid, given that they’re so common, and that Citi Field is supposed to be so “green”. But it is what it is. You are allowed to bring in as many sealed plastic bottles of juice, water, Gatorade, soda, etc. A lot of parks limit you or don’t allow that, so I’m not going to complain too much.

You cannot bring in spray aerosol cans of sunscreen. It’s not sunscreen that’s prohibited, it’s that particular container. They will confiscate them.

You *can* bring your camera into Citi Field. I’ve seen guys with professional lenses sitting in the field level shooting, but if you call the Mets and ask they will tell you something like “200mm is too big” or “no professional cameras”. The new security is miles friendlier than the old security, but they didn’t suddenly develop the ability to look at your camera lens and know what the length of it is. I’ve walked in there with a D40 and a 18-200mm lens four times now - not in a bag, blatantly hanging around my neck - and stood next to guys with tripods (also not allowed, and NOT NECESSARY on your point and shoot) and larger lenses than the shooters in the photographer’s well. I think that basically as long as you’re not getting in anyone’s way with your equipment, no one will care.

THERE IS NO BAG CHECK at Citi Field.  Don’t bring your suitcase from LaGuardia or cart your large backpack along. Shopping bags will probably make it through but just go back to the hotel and dump your stuff before coming to the ballpark. We have more legroom now but it’s still not spacious by any means. Plus someone will spill beer on your new whatever that you just bought at Macy’s and then what?

There isn’t a restaurant or a bar or a store or a bowling alley or anything near Citi Field that you might be able to throw $20 to to watch your bag during the game.  There is no bag check at Grand Central. There is, however, one at Penn Station, at least according to the internets. I cannot vouch for this or guarantee it so please don’t get angry at me when it’s not open or it isn’t open late enough. You know there’s no bag check at the ballpark, so please make arrangements accordingly.

ENTRANCES TO THE BALLPARK

There are four gates: the Jackie Robinson Rotunda (Gate JRR - behind home plate), Left Field, Right Field, and the Bulllpen Gate. If you want to enter the ballpark early, you have to go through the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. If you’re not there early, I recommend you use the Right Field or Bullpen Gates as they are never, ever as crowded since they are further away from the subway and parking.  The Bullpen gate is the closest to the much-vaunted premium food options out in center field, and is also the home of the old Home Run Apple and the championship banners from Shea. This is the closest we have to a Hall of Fame right now. The Left Field gate has some of the only strongly historical Mets-centric imagery you will see in the entire park.  They put a lot of thought into it, so it’s worth taking a stroll down to check it out.

Additionally, every gate has its own theme:

Left Field:

Endy Chavez.

Bullpen Gate:

Tom Seaver.

Right Field:

Ron Swoboda.

And, of course, the Jackie Robinson Rotunda.

Entrance Strategies:

If you’re at the ballpark early, and want to go in early, you have to go in the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. There will be a line. They try to move it along pretty quickly. The problem is usually with the fans and not the security.

The Right Field gate, while the most boring gate out of the four of them, is the closest access to the Pepsi Porch.

The Bullpen gate will get you near the Shea memorabilia and the premium food quickly, but it also means you have to go across the yet-unnamed fan bridge - and all traffic crawls to a dead halt when people walk across it. The place is still new, many people are still making their first visits, all of this I understand - but realize that it will take you time to walk around the ballpark. Everyone is mall walking, six abreast, stopping abruptly.

The Left Field gate has an escalator up to the field level, and also has quick access to another escalator up to the Excelsior and then Promenade levels as well as the Acela Restaurant. There is also an escalator in right field that will take you up to Excelsior and Promenade (and also the closest to the Pepsi Porch). The escalator in center field, closest to the food court, only goes up to the Left Field Landing, you will need to walk up the stairs to get to the Promenade on that side. You CANNOT get to the Caesar’s Club level from that escalator because of the Acela Club.

There are multiple staircases that will take you to every level as well. If you have a stroller or need an elevator, there are now elevators along the left field and right field lines.  You can easily get from one level to the next via a combination of escalator and stairs, and it’s not easy to get lost.

The gates at the bottom of the staircases open towards the end of the game. I don’t have an exact time for that, and I doubt I will because I never leave real games early.

Remember: If you have a ticket for the Pepsi Porch, the only way to get up there is from the right field corner. You cannot walk around the Excelsior level to get there. If you go up on the left field side you will have to go up and go back down, or go down and then go up again.

If this is your first time, I would recommend you get to the ballpark super-early, so you can see the Shea markers before too many people show up, and so you can do a full 360 of the ballpark to see the different gates. Then, go in via the JRR. If you want your photograph taken with the 42 and don’t want to wait in line, that’s your best bet. Or if you care more about the Home Run Apple, go in later and be the first person through the bullpen gate.

BATTING PRACTICE:

With pride, I would tell you that the Mets used to have the most generous BP access in MLB. That is no longer the case now that we have moved to Citi Field. They claimed that it would remain the same, but it has been drastically curtailed.

You cannot go behind the dugout any more unless you have a ticket in that exact section. You cannot even get close to the dugout. You can stand in the outfield, and they will let you down to the field in the corners (section 111), but that’s it.

That’s as close as you can get.

Frankly I think it’s a waste of your time to get there early if your intent is to watch BP because you can’t get anywhere near the field to see anything worthwhile. It’s just heartbreaking to me, personally. Sure, you can go out in the outfield and scream for balls if you want.

GETTING AUTOGRAPHS AT CITI FIELD:

Don’t count on it. I know, someone’s going to tell you about the time that David Wright walked over and signed everything for everybody, but the fact remains that the Mets generally are not fan-friendly anywhere. If you are a fan of any other team except the Yankees (who are worse), you will be in for a rude awakening when you realize that you have almost zero chance to get an autograph. Competition is also fierce beyond belief. My best advice to give you is to not count on anything and then be pleasantly surprised if something happens.

BULLPENS:

You probably know by now that there is negative visibility into our bullpens - even for the announcers and for the members of each team. You can see through multiple layers of chain link fence if you go down to the field level at the Bullpen Gate area (hence the name).  The bullpens are covered by tarps, so you can’t see them from the seating area, and the area above the bullpen is for groups only and security won’t allow access - even pre-game - unless you are ticketed there.

Why we bothered to construct open-plan bullpens remains a mystery to just about everyone. The Shea bullpens were more accessible.

HALL OF FAME, WORLD SERIES TROPHIES, ETC.: Yeah, we’re still waiting for those, too.

RETIRED NUMBERS: Are out in left field. There are championship banners out there now too.

OLD HOME RUN APPLE/CHAMPIONSHIP BANNERS:  Those are downstairs at the Bullpen Gate. Walk to the fan bridge and then take the stairs down. Lots of people head out to find the apple and don’t realize that it’s below the field level concourse.

You can also see the old skyline from the Shea scoreboard in the food court. I honestly don’t have a problem with it there, I’m actually astonished that they bothered to save it and didn’t try to sell it.

SHOPPING

The new Mets Team Store is a marked improvement on the old one, except for the fact that they still check your receipt like a shoplifter every single time you leave the store with a bag. Don’t put your receipt in your wallet or you won’t be able to leave the store until you show it to security. (They won’t search your other bags if you have them, though. Explain it to me, please.)

If you are looking for player number t-shirts, however, don’t waste your time with the main store, you want the one on the field level not far from home plate.

There are shops on every level. The main Team Store is accessible via the Jackie Robinson Rotunda once the gates open.

The Alyssa Milano store is on the second level (“Excelsior”) in the corner of the outfield. If you do not have a ticket for that level, you have to go to the right field corner and then take the escalator or elevator up one level. (Please see the info above in “Where To Sit” that describes how you can’t do a 360 on that level before you set out from the Left Field Landing to get there.)

RESTAURANTS / FOOD

Bringing Food into Citi Field

You can bring food into Citi Field. You can bring drinks as well. In years past we have gotten away with bringing in unsealed bottles, but we had a run-in with security earlier in the year where they decided to start enforcing the sealed bottle provision. (For all that Citi Field wants to boast that they are ‘green’, forcing fans to bring sealed bottles creates decidedly non-green waste. You can open a bottle and check it for alcohol if you are really that suspicious.) But if the drink is in a plastic bottle and is sealed, and is non-alcoholic, you can bring in pretty much whatever you want on the drink front - water, gatorade, soda, etc.

Restaurants and Food in Citi Field

The Acela Club restaurant out in left field requires BOTH a premium/club-level ticket and a reservation. You can’t just roll up and watch the game from there, it’s not Outback in the Outfield or the Hit It Here Cafe.  More details above in the “Where To Sit” section.

Neither the Promenade “Club” nor the Caesar’s Club have a dress code. No, I don’t know what the Acela Club dress code is. If I ever go there, I’ll find out and let you know.

I don’t know anything about the other club restaurants, and if you write and ask me I will scoff at your email before deleting it. YOU’RE GOING TO SIT IN SEATS THAT COST MORE THAN I SPEND ON BASEBALL IN A MONTH! I think the food will be okay there.

There are no ‘public’ restaurants at Citi Field. You have to have a ticket to the game that allows you access to a particular restaurant.

SHAKE SHACK, BLUE SMOKE, TAQUERIA, BOX FRITES AND OTHER PREMIUM FOOD OPTIONS:

The lines are horrific. If you want food from any of these places, then you need to go get it as soon as you walk in the ballpark, and if you are there any less than 30 minutes before first pitch, assume that you will still be in line when the game starts.  They are all in the same area in the outfield plaza, behind the main scoreboard.

Adjacent to those areas is a huge beer stand, and Nonna Delia pizza. Dig the wood burning ovens.

On the other side of the fan bridge you will find Catch of the Day (seafood-related dishes - to me this stand has been a real disappointment) and other various hot dog stands

In the Right Field corner there is the World’s Fare Market and inside this store you will find our Shea favorites Daruma (sushi) and Mama’s (Italian heroes). There are also nuts, snacks, candy and salads, and there is rarely a line.

You will find your Nathans / Italian Sausage / etc. scattered around the park. We are big fans of the nachos deluxe, which are located on the field level in left field, and on the Promenade Level along right field.

Here’s a food map:

The Mets have their own map online now, but it doesn’t print out well at all.

FOOD/DRINK/HANGING OUT NEAR CITI FIELD:

There is nothing.

This hasn’t changed since Shea was on the other side of the parking lot. Some day, maybe, the city will tear down the chop shops on the west side of the ballpark, but for now, you are in the middle of nowhere. There are no bars nearby to hang out in or restaurants around the corner to stroll to. Think Miller Park more than Wrigley or Fenway.  There’s nowhere to meet, nowhere to hang out, nowhere to get a quick bite either before or after the game. It sucks.

You can get good Korean or Chinese food in Flushing, one subway stop away, and there is probably great Latino food up Roosevelt Avenue. But it’s a serious hike away from the ballpark.

If you want to provision at a grocery store before you get to the ballpark, switch to the local at Junction Boulevard (the last express stop before Willets Point) and get off at 103d Street. There’s a grocery store on the corner that seatmates of ours have provisioned at in the past. Then you can just walk down Roosevelt to the ballpark. It’s not a bad walk.

WEATHER

Night games:  Unless it is the middle of July or August, I do not care how warm it is when you left the house, or how sunny it is in Manhattan. It will be 10 degrees colder out at the ballpark in the evening because of the wind that blows in from the water. Shea had its own wind tunnel, and Citi Field has the same, only different. Just assume that you will be cold. You can bring a bag in, so bring that sweatshirt. It is easier to find a place to warm up at Citi Field, but it’s still just going to be cold certain times of the year. At least once a year I underestimate the cold and I am miserable for the entire game - this year it was the end of June and everyone was freezing. This year we ended up buying $30 long sleeve t-shirts during a lengthy rainout because that morning it was hot and miserable, but after the rain, it was almost April cold.

Day games should be safely warm once you’re at the end of June.

VIDEO BOARDS/SCOREBOARDS:

The out of town scoreboard is in left field. It is very difficult to read at night.

Pitch count and pitch speed are on the ribbon board, and on the large video board in right field.

Lineups are on the right field board 15 minutes before first pitch. They will disappear during the anthem and the various special presentations. It is a pet peeve that the lineups are not immediately and always visible once you walk in the ballpark. The Mets say that fans like the trivia and other presentations, we’re not sure why that can’t be confined to the main video board.

There is a new video board out in right field, but it will only be visible and of interest to you if you are sitting on the left side of the stadium.

MR. MET

We used to see Mr. Met a lot more at Shea because there were no concourses. Now we only see him for the t-shirt launch and for the 7th inning stretch. He enters from the right field for the t-shirt launch, and from the left field for the 7th inning stretch. He no longer gets on top of the dugout or rotates sides for the stretch, but is consistently on the warning track just past the dugout in left field. He does, apparently, walk around the concourses.

SMOKING

Yes, Citi Field is a smoke-free facility but there are smoking sections located outside the gates. I have seen them. I would ask a security guard when you get to the ballpark where these locations are because it could change and I am just not incented enough to run this information down and keep it up to date.

THINGS TO NOT DO AT CITI FIELD

  1. The roll call. Go to the Bronx if you want to pull that shit.
  2. The Wave. I don’t care if someone wearing a David Wright jersey starts it first.
  3. Wear gear of a team that is not playing the Mets. I’m not talking about the two guys from Kansas City wearing their hats while touring every baseball stadium in America, or the various Twins fans who show up for Johan Santana starts wearing their old 57 jerseys. I’m talking about the morons who show up decked out like their team was actually playing. (Yes, this means you, Phillies fans. Winning one World Series does not entitle you to suddenly act like you’re the Yankees. Unless you are playing at our ballpark, have some class and leave your crap at home.)
  4. Start the “Yankees suck” chant unless we are actually playing the Yankees. This isn’t Boston.
  5. It’s not our tradition to throw back home run balls of the opposing team, but we respect people that do.
  6. Sing “Sweet Caroline”.

HOTELS NEAR CITI FIELD:

Stay in Manhattan.

See the section above about how there is nothing near Shea. There is a Holiday Inn we charitably refer to as “across the street from Shea” but it’s across the Grand Central Parkway, which means that walking there is a hike, you’d have to call car service to take you, and then you’d probably just sit in traffic for twice as long as it would have taken you to walk there. Plus, staying out here means there is nothing nearby in terms of amenities.

Shea is near La Guardia Airport, which also has its share of airport hotels, and you could cab it over to the ballpark, or get the shuttle to a bus to the subway to… you get the idea. There are also hotels in downtown Flushing.

However, given that we are in the greatest city in the world, unless you have serious budget constraints, I can’t imagine why you’d stay out near the ballpark, unless you were flying in just to see a game, and flying out early the next day.

OFFICIAL A-Z GUIDE

The Mets organization has their official A-Z Guide on mets.com, which I absolutely urge you to peruse in addition to this guide. Think of this as the unofficial companion guide to the Official A-Z. Whenever I go to a new baseball stadium, the first thing I do is read their A-Z. (They are usually more unintentionally funny and more interesting than this one, but maybe I’m prejudiced.)
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Comments are deliberately off on this article because while I value corrections or omissions, I do not want to turn this post into another endless debate about the 7 train vs. the LIRR, or try to be a hotel guide (impossible - those sites exist already, please use them) - which is what happened with my Shea guide. 

Errors and glaring omissions should be sent to the main email address (metsgrrl at gmail dot com). Within reason I will endeavor to answer any questions not specifically addressed by this guide sent to that address as well (provided it isn’t about the food quality at the Delta 360 Club or if your seat is obstructed). You can also find me on Twitter at metsgrrl.