Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.43
Citi Field
123-01 Roosevelt Avenue Flushing, NY 11368
Year Opened: 2009
Capacity: 41,922
New York Citi
The New York Mets is one of two major league clubs based in New York City, the other being the New York Yankees. The Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed teams, the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants. The team's colors evoke the Dodgers' blue and the Giants' orange.
The Mets played home games for the 1962 and 1963 seasons at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan before moving to Queens. From 1964 to 2008, the Mets played their home games at Shea Stadium, named after William Shea. Since 2009, the Mets have played their home games at Citi Field next to the site where Shea Stadium once stood.
The first game at Citi Field was on March 29, 2009, with a college baseball game between St. John's and Georgetown. The Mets played their first two games at the ballpark on April 3 and 4, 2009 against the Boston Red Sox.
Citi Field hosted the 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, marking the second time the Mets have hosted the event (the first being in 1964, the inaugural season of Shea Stadium). The naming rights were purchased by Citigroup, a New York financial services company, for $20 million annually.
Citi Field is located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, specifically the Willets Point neighborhood. The neighborhood near the Flushing River has been known for years for its automobile shops and junkyards. Changes do appear to be happening.
Food & Beverage 5
Citi Field has one of the most extensive programs of food variety we have seen around any league. There are basic food stands all the way to specifically unique offerings. There are over 100 concession stands and restaurants. Fuku by David Chang serving spicy chicken sandwiches is an example of one of the unique options.
A Shake Shack sits in center field behind the scoreboard and surprisingly seems to be not too much more expensive than other, non-stadium locations of the chain. This is a good time to mention prices around. the park. Prices are not cheap but it is a major league stadium and in one of the major cities of the world, so high prices shouldn’t be a shock.
Other great options are Tacocina, Pat LaFrieda’s, Caesars Sportsbook Metropolitan Grille, and the chopped cheese cart in the left field concourse. Chopped cheese is a legendary NYC specialty.
There are numerous clubs and specialty locations around that stadium that different tickets get one into. Even cheap tickets may get you into a club or two.
Atmosphere 5
Outside the stadium is the original Big Apple from Shea Stadium. That makes a great pre-game meeting spot. You will also see the wonderful structure of the ballpark which is trying to resemble Ebbets Field.
Entering behind home plate by way of Jackie Robinson Rotunda sets a great tone for the stadium. Maybe Jackie didn't play for the Mets, nor even in any team based in Queens, it is a special place for any fan. As you go up the staircases or escalators you will see the day’s lineup presented as a series of oversized baseball cards.
Walking around the stadium's concourses is a pleasure with cool touches such as the Shea Bridge, Mets Museum and Hall of Fame, as well as the Piazza 31 Club.
While it might be a bit weird how much of the stadium is trying to reach into the history of the Brooklyn Dodgers and Ebbets Field since that is a whole different part of New York City, that doesn't mean it doesn't work. This is a great place to watch a game with a knowledgeable and diverse baseball crowd.
Neighborhood 3
In the past, we would rank this as a two, but our experiences in the neighborhood were better than that grade. We also have hope for the future of Willets Point.
The construction of the new soccer stadium for New York FC of Major League Soccer is happening across the street from the back of Citi Field. That is bringing to an end many of the junkyards and auto shops that made such a horrible view from Citi Field, as well as Shea Stadium.
We also attended a game during the qualifying matches for the US Open Tennis Championships, commonly called the US Open. Since 1978, that tournament has been played at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center right across train tracks from Citi Field.
It would be hard to miss the massive Arthur Ashe Stadium. The qualifying matches are free to attend, draw a good crowd, and provide a great atmosphere to the area. The main tourney brings in even larger crowds and even a greater feeling of excitement to the area.
We admit that without the US Open going on, the feeling around Citi Field could be a bit dreary. We are hopeful that Willets Point will soon become a new place.
Fans 5
The Mets seem to have a good and strong fan base that shows up even when the team is not doing so well. Fans cheer when they need to and support at all the right times. There is a very knowledgeable fan base.
Access 5
This is New York City, so traffic and busy areas are the norm, but Citi Field is as easy to get to as one can expect.
The 7 Train of the New York Subway system runs right next to the stadium and drops fans off at the Mets- Willets Point station. The 7 runs from Hudson Yards on Manhattan’s west side and terminates one stop beyond Citi Field in Flushing.
The Long Island Railroad, running between Penn Station in Manhattan and Port Washington in Long Island, also stops at Citi Field and is connected to the 7 train station by an elevated boardwalk. This boardwalk also takes fans to the USTA facilities. Beyond the USTA is also the remains of the 1964 World's Fair.
There are also massive amounts of parking lots around the stadium, but once again, note that this is New York City and driving might not be the best solution to getting to the stadium., If the US Open is going on you may also want to think again about driving as spaces will get even more limited.
Lines are long to get into the stadium since most want to enter via the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. Other gates will have smaller lines and you can always visit the rotunda at a later part of your visit.
Return on Investment 3
This is a Major League Baseball stadium in a Major League kind of town, so expect prices to be high, especially if a big rival such as the Phillies are in town. If it is a Subway Series with the Yankees expect even higher prices. Even with all of that, the secondary market can likely get you some decent prices, especially on a weeknight game.
Extras 5
The Ebbets Field style facade is a nice-looking extra for this ballpark. The Jackie Robinson touches might not make sense, but as long as a baseball great like Jackie is remembered who could complain?
The concourses and all the cool extras such as the Shea Bridge make for a great atmosphere for fans.
The team displays its history throughout the facility in cool ways. Make sure to stop at the Hall of Fame and Museum as it is slightly hidden.
The ability for fans who have bought tickets of various prices to get into a special club is a cool touch, even if that club is pretty much a bar and food stall with some seating, it makes one feel like you are special. We spent some time in the Hudson Whiskey Club waiting for a brief rain delay, and it was wonderful.
The view to Arthur Ashe Stadium is pretty cool, as well as some views back to Manhattan and nearby LaGuardia Airport.
Final Thoughts
It is surprising to this writer that Citi Field has not gotten much love in terms of being a great ballpark. It is a fun place to see a game. We can only surmise that the Willets Point neighborhood has been a drag on the fan experience of this place, as well as at Shea Stadium. Hopefully, the neighborhood will improve.
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