Stadium Secrets

[wiper]

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Jacobs Field in Cleveland

Free parking on the street on most nights if you get there early enough. Head east off of 9th onto either Euclid or Prospect and you should find a street spot just fine.

I'm not much help with food and drink options. The Indians website has lots of help with that last time I looked.

Several good bars/restaurants in the vicinity of the stadiums - Panini's, The Winking Lizard to name a few.

If you insist on having your car housed somewhere, park in the Tower City parking lot. It will be off to your left if you are heading north on Ontario. Typically about $6/$7. Take the walkway from Tower City to the Arena and the ballpark is right next door.

Same goes for Cavs games right next door at The Q Arena.

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probably not too many people flocking to the jake, but i'll add my two cents...

best way to find cheap scalped tickets is to sit in a bar/restaurant about 1-2 hours before a game (either cavs or tribe)...go out and find a scalper (there will be tons in the area) and tell them that you're sitting in panini's, and when he's ready to sell the tickets for ______ amount, you're right in the bar...

in my experience, they'll be in 10 minutes before gametime.

next, i always park right on the deck on east 9th, with the big 'parking' sign. it's 8 bucks, and literally right across the street from the stadium(s)...

don't be afraid to spend the 6 bucks on bleacher seats. atmosphere is great, and if you're drinking, so is everyone else...

[Homer]

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Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia:

Parking: The Holiday Inn (5 minute walk, is usually 5 bucks cheaper than the lots next to the stadium)

Beer: There are several bars including a McFadden's and smaller stands throughout which you can get Victory and some other local name beers

Food: Tony Luke's cheesesteaks.. don't miss this. Also, Harry K's has some good food.

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Also:

-- Bull's BBQ (far end of Ashburn Alley) has some good eats (my preference is the pulled pork sandwich). McFadden's, in addition to having decent beer is a good place for a pregame meal (decent prices, nice eye candy waitresses).

-- Best seat value in my opinion is left field lower level for $24. Good atmosphere during the game and easy access to the best food in Ashburn Alley. Second best value is 400 level behind the plate for $20.

[ScottieK]

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Coors Field in Denver: (and possibly other baseball parks)

After the 4th inning, everyone who is going to the game has already showed up. There will be empty seats at the field level, but there are still stadium guys (gate keepers) standing at each entrance, checking ticket stubs. If you have crappy nosebleed seats, you and your wife or buddy or whatever go down to the first level inbetween innings and do one of the following:

1) Act like you belong there and hope to get lost in the sheer numbers of people going back to their seats from the bathroom, etc, and grab 2 empty seats. Or:

2) You approach a friendly looking gate keeper and tell them that it's your wife's birthday and that you can't afford great seats and that you saw that a couple of them were empty, and would he let your wife sit there because it would be such a thrill, etc....These guys are so used to drunk a-holes and scammers, that a lot of them will let you through. My brother and I used this technique to sit front row, behind home plate one game. My uncle happened to be watching the game and saw us, and was like WTF, how did you guys afford THOSE seats?

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Sweet. I'm going to a couple Rockies - Yankees games, and I bought nosebleed seats fully intending to do something like this. I will probably try #2 first. Thanks for the tip [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] We also plan on parking at some parking lot on the 16th street mall and taking the bus to the stadium. Any other tips?

EDIT: for Albuquerque, there aren't many secrets. If you're going to a Lobo football / basketball game or an Isotopes baseball game, the traffic coming in from the north and west can drive you nuts. I always take this route from the east, coming and going:



Take Santa Clara to Yale, where it becomes Cesar Chavez. You don't have to wait two or three lights to get through the intersection.

For packed football games, I park on Kathryn and walk if I don't get there at least two hours before kickoff. The parking lots fill up quick with tailgaters, and UNM ropes off some of the spaces for no reason at all. You don't have to deal with traffic coming or going. Just make sure you secure your valuables, it's not a nice neighborhood.

ScottieK

[Wondercall]

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Chase Field (Dbax): They have a food stand on the third base side called, "Taste of the Majors." They sell unique dishes from every National League park like Toasted Ravioli from St. Louis and Clam Rolls from SF.

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Also:

Parking is great on the south side of the stadium about a half mile away. You turn onto some obscure street (can't think of the name) that is about a half mile south of the stadium. Parking ranges from 5 to 10 dollars and traffic is minimal after the game.

Also, there is a hot dog stand that makes some very creative hot dogs that are really good, can't remember the name of that one either. It is located on the south side, upper level.

[KurtSF]

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For the Oakland Colosseum, I have found that you can't go wrong when bringing a gat.

Seriously though, awesome thread. I have a question for the ATT (Ginats) park: the guy said you can get in for free along the right side of the outfield. Can you elaborate? Your directions were a bit unclear. I am not 100% aquainted w/ that side, but I believe the wall is a minimum of 20 feet, (you basically need to climb over the standing room?

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Just to clarify, you can't get in for free. You can watch the game for free through the fence. If you walk along McCovey Cove next to the ballpark you'll get to the open section.

Like I said, not really a secret for locals, but for out-of-towners who don't have the time or don't want to spend the money on an entire Giants game its pretty cool to go watch for free.

[Slow Play Ray]

I would tell you my secret (free) parking space near Fenway, but then next time I go to a game one of you [censored] would probably be in it. So, suffice it to say there is one. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

I will tell you that it is extremely easy to sneak in a half-pint or pint of your favorite liquor- to mix with a $5 refillable large coke, and it sure beats the hell out of paying $7 a beer. I don't even try to hide them anymore, just drop it in my back pocket or cargo pocket. They look for guns and knives, not booze.

And whoever shared the secret about the bar w/ the back entrance - yeah, that one definitely works if you're smooth (or know somebody).

[idrinkcoors]

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Sweet. I'm going to a couple Rockies - Yankees games, and I bought nosebleed seats fully intending to do something like this. I will probably try #2 first. Thanks for the tip [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] We also plan on parking at some parking lot on the 16th street mall and taking the bus to the stadium. Any other tips?



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If you are going on the weekend, just park at a metered parking spot near 16th Street or 15th, whatever. They don't ticket on weekends, and just walk to the game. The stadium is at 20th Street, so it's only 4 blocks, and there are fun sports bars on the way you can stop at.

P.S. You should try the Rocky Mountain Oysters that some of the vendors sell. No other baseball stadium in the country has them.

[By-Tor]

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I would tell you my secret (free) parking space near Fenway, but then next time I go to a game one of you [censored] would probably be in it. So, suffice it to say there is one. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

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errrrrrr, I gave up the only 5 free spots within 3 miles of Pacbell.

Get with the program! [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

[Slow Play Ray]

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I would tell you my secret (free) parking space near Fenway, but then next time I go to a game one of you [censored] would probably be in it. So, suffice it to say there is one. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

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errrrrrr, I gave up the only 5 free spots within 3 miles of Pacbell.

Get with the program! [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

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that's your own dumb fault!

[uberoval]

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Chase Field (Dbax): They have a food stand on the third base side called, "Taste of the Majors." They sell unique dishes from every National League park like Toasted Ravioli from St. Louis and Clam Rolls from SF.

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Also:

Parking is great on the south side of the stadium about a half mile away. You turn onto some obscure street (can't think of the name) that is about a half mile south of the stadium. Parking ranges from 5 to 10 dollars and traffic is minimal after the game.

Also, there is a hot dog stand that makes some very creative hot dogs that are really good, can't remember the name of that one either. It is located on the south side, upper level.

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Also, if you get tickets extremely close to the field you get to enter that bar right behind home plate, inside the stadium innerds. My buddy and I grabbed some scalped tickets in the 1st row directly next the Dback dugout and when we went to grab some beers the usher asked us why we weren't heading to the "secret" bar. We were like WTF and he showed us the way. You walk right past the indoor batting cages and other stuff and alot of the players wives and friends were in there. It was pretty cool.