MetLife Stadium Review, Home of the NY Giants

Official Review by Andrew Kulyk, Stadium Journey Special Correspondent

This is the new home of the New York Football Giants. The sexy new Meadowlands Stadium, renamed MetLife Stadium, and at a cost of $1.2-billion, is one of the glitziest showplaces in the NFL, yet still retains a venue which is deferential to the average fan. The building is also shared with the NFL's New York Jets, but as will be explained, the stadium takes on a whole different look and feel, depending on who is the home team.

Food & Beverage    5

Make no mistake, the variety and presentation of the ballpark fare here is outstanding. The main themed stands are named "??Brooklyn Burger"??, "??New York Delicatessen"?? and "??Boardwalk Fryer"??, and NYC specialties such as knishes, pepper and egg sandwiches, deli carved meats, Nathan's famous hot dogs and crinkle fries. All can be found here, in addition to the cheesesteaks, bbq sandwiches, and Papa John's pizza. There are even organic options and gluten free items. Pick up a brochure at any guest relations booth for directions. There is also a vast and varied beer offering, try the "??Beers of the World"?? stands on the 100 and 300 concourses.

Atmosphere    3

Maybe it's the size of the stadium, or the massive upper deck, but most of the real fans here seem disconnected from the action, and it doesn't get as noisy as in some other NFL venues. Helping the cause is the presence of four, that's right, four huge HD video boards in the seating bowl, one in each corner. They not only keep fans in the game, but promotional and crowd noise promoting video clips are a frequent entertainment diversion.

Neighborhood    1

Hmm, what neighborhood? The stadium is surrounded by parking, parking and more parking. Directly east is the huge, and uncompleted, Xanadu entertainment center and mall and the shuttered Izod Center. The land is used for parking. Then to the south is the famed New Jersey swampland. Pretty desolate. A plethora of expressways traversing in each direction. Guess one would call the makeshift tailgate city the "??neighborhood"?? on game days.

Fans    3

Props to the fans for spending outrageous amounts for season tickets, personal seat licenses, and other accoutrements of the paying customer. Lower level sideline seats run about $720 per ticket when license fees are factored in, and the cheapest end zone nosebleeds are $85 face value. Despite these eye popping prices, Giants season tickets are sold out, and there is a huge waiting list for tickets. The minus? Once these fans get into the building, they really don't turn up the volume all that much.

Access    4

State route 3 is the prime east/west route, while I-95 is the prime north/south route, and there are plenty of off ramps and directional signage to get fans into the stadium grounds and the appropriately marked lot. Most lots are reserved via prepaid pass, with one distant lot accommodating cash customers, so buying a parking pass in advance is a good strategy. There is also a NJ rapid rail station just outside the east gate. Fans coming by rail can transfer at Secaucus Junction to almost anyplace in the tri-state area, including a quick hop to Penn Station in Manhattan.

Return on Investment    2

Yeah the venue is gorgeous. The sightlines are outstanding. But the cost of one ticket runs into three figures and just goes up from there. Concession prices are on the high side, parking can go as high as $90 per space. And yeah, there are even toll booths at most expressway exits to snare you out of more of your hard earned cash. Add the PSL fee for season ticket holders. Oy vey! Hey at least one can buy a blue foamy finger for a buck.

Extras    5

Extras are a plenty "??

There are numerous unique design elements to change this entire stadium from Jets green/white to Giants blue/white and back"?¦ of course the field walls and end zone carpet. But other touches "?? such as the massive LED kiosks at each gate, the in concourse signage which is floodlit in different colors, as is the team store. Even signage and murals are easily exchanged on game day. Clever touches to distinguish the Jets and the Giants.

Nice beer gardens and pregame entertainment, including live music or DJ's, are set up at various entry points, to liven up the tailgate and pregame atmosphere. Speaking of tailgating, New York fans know how to do it up, and the parking lot is full of partiers 3-5 hours before the game.

A nicely appointed NY Giants museum can be found on the west side of the lower concourse. The Giants Super Bowl trophies are all on display, and lots of other memorabilia tracing the team's long and glorious history, going back to their Yankee Stadium days. The line is long for this free exhibit, but moves quickly.

The "??Buffalo Chicken"?? Mac and Cheese? (Located at the Food Network stands). Keep moving...nothing to see here.

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