Tuesday, April 08, 2008

THE METSGRRL GUIDE TO SHEA STADIUM.

Hi there. You probably want to take a look at my GUIDE TO CITI FIELD, given that Shea Stadium no longer exists.

In honor of the last season, for those of you out-of-towners headed for Flushing to see the old gal before they knock her down (can’t implode buildings in the NYC limits any more), I present to you The MetsGrrl Guide To Shea Stadium. Obviously, this is not for the people who are out in Flushing every week. I looked and looked for a good guide to Shea, and couldn’t find one. Since I’m relatively new to the joint, I judged myself most qualified to write one.

I’ve closed the comments because it wasn’t being helpful any more, and too many potential visitors were leaving comments looking for advice instead of writing in.

Last updated: July 22, 2008: I keep updating based on search queries I see come into the site. Here’s a summary list of the most popular requests:

1. There is no bag check at Shea Stadium, but you can bring bags, water, and food into the stadium. You can bring soda or any other non-alcoholic drink in a plastic bottle. You can also bring sunscreen.
2. There are no bars, restaurants or things to do near Shea.
3. There is no detailed seating map beyond the one that’s on the Mets’ web site. We’re losing the stadium this year, no one is going to do one now.
4. Obstructed view seats are noted below.
5. Where to sit is discussed ad nauseum below.

BUYING TICKETS

Unless you’re trying to come to see the Subway Series, a Saturday game, or flying thousands of miles, you probably don’t need to buy tickets months in advance if it’s just important for you to be in the stadium.  Keep in mind, however, you’re not the only one thinking this - there are hundreds of thousands of people in the Tri-State area who want to take Grandpa or the kids or their nephew to Shea one last time. So ticket sales are up this year and it will be harder than it’s been before to get tickets.

Mets.com is your friend for ticket purchasing, or you can call 718-507-TIXX. They are still not in bed with Ticketbastard, so enjoy the quaintness of our ticketing system for one last year. If you don’t like what you’re pulling, pick up the phone and call until you get someone who knows the system well and can help you out. Not all ticket operators are equal. You want to find the one who can say, “Well, I can put you in row K of Section 1 but if you’ll sit in Section 4 I can put you in row C.”

Important: Just because the ticket system online says that you’re getting “best available” does not necessarily mean that you are. Let me stress this again: if you do not like what you pull up online, pick up the phone and call. You are not dealing with a Ticketmaster operator, you are dealing with someone who will likely know the vagaries of the Mets ticketing system and can help you get something better. If you live overseas, you are better off waiting until you can call than buying anything just to get in the door. And if you read this guide only to discover you’ve bought a crappy seat, call the Mets: in the comments below, people note how they went through the same thing only to have the Mets exchange their tickets for them.

Secondary market: You can also try StubHub (now that MLB is in bed with them), but be prepared to pay. A lot. A heckuva lot, if you’re coming from out of town, and are used to lower ticket prices. There is now a StubHub pickup window at Shea, and fairly decent buyer protection. I have seen some incredible bargains there, but I have also seen a lot of overpriced crap there. Caveat emptor.

Day of Game: There are ticket windows at gate E (the first gate you come to after getting off the subway) and gate A, all the way on the other side of the stadium. If you are in town ahead of time, you can go to the Mets Clubhouse Shop on 42nd St., right near 5th Avenue, and buy a ticket there. Do not expect great knowledge of the ticketing system or the Shea seating chart, however.  Keep in mind that service charges apply to all purchases except those at the stadium. However, these are not Ticketmaster-type charges, they’re still somewhat reasonable.

[yet more, after the jump]