This will be a long post with plenty of pictures after the jump. Let’s kick it off with two videos, one is a raw iPhone shot of me walking around the deck, the other a slideshow.
Quick summary: Try it! 8.5/10
More details, descriptions and photos after the jump.
Today I watched the game from the Party City Deck in Citi Field.
It’s a great view. You feel a lot lower than you do from the seats directly behind it. I was high on life the entire time and really really enjoyed the day and hope I get to sit out there again.
To get there, you head down in front of the LF stands where there are some new staircases.
And you find yourself here!
Maybe I’m just nerdy but I liked being near the numbers. They are soft to the touch (padded wall). Lose the dropshadow.
This is the view from my seat. Stadium Nerds note: the ticket said “Row 1” – there is no row 1. There is a Row A. Also your section is Section PD.
As you can see I started with beverages. There is water, soda (Pepsi products of course), Bud and Bud Light. A server (is that the term? A nice man anyway…) asks if you’d like something and gets it for you.
So I snapped some nerdy blogger pics…
Here’s the folks in the front row of the main stands. I’m looking up from the deck here.
The severs aren’t taking orders really – they are walking around with food and offer it to you. Kind of like on a plane, sort of. We have hot dogs right now, would you like one? Would you like some chicken with that?
I got a hot dog and chicken fingers. I think burgers were available too.
Early in the game I was thrilled with the service.
However, at one point I asked for a beer which never came. Not a big deal, I just got up and walked over to the tap-meister who poured me one.
When I came back from the bathroom I saw everyone had pretzels. I scolded my mom for not being on pretzel guard and told her she dropped the ball. I asked the waitress/hostess/nice lady for 2 pretzels. They never came. Hmmm.
The lesson: either get up yourself or really hound the servers.
Later in the game there was a round of cookies. Very yummy.
The view is really nice. You are in total sunshine. I got more sun than I expected, so if you go be sure to bring sunscreen. I wonder if you will bake out there on a hot day. The stands block the wind which is good in April and maybe not in the summer.
One fan was, um, enthusiastic about heckling the Braves. It got annoying after a while, and I noticed a stack of plastic cups nearby him that were more than the Mets would want me to mention. (It’s possible he is just a cup collector or the wind blew them by and neatly stacked them.) So keep in mind that with free beverages sometimes comes a knucklehead.
The good: the view, the atmosphere, the sunshine, no wind, food and beverages.
The bad: stay on top of your servers, might be baking hot in the summer (time will tell), potential for knucklehead fellow fans who can ruin the atmosphere.
The recommendation: All Mets fans should try it once. If you’re planning a birthday outing or something, I could especially see this working for a scenario like “Steve’s 30th Birthday.”
8.5/10 Point off for my pretzel. Half point off for the cup enthusiast.
I estimated I put away about $60 in food, and the face value of the ticket was $125. I did not pay for the tickets and was a guest of the New York Mets. Thank you Mets!
You may want to try this out for an individual game while they are still selling them as individual seats (see below). Go for it.
Here’s the original press release:
METS AND PARTY CITY SWING FOR THE FENCES WITH
THE NEW “PARTY CITY DECK” AT CITI FIELD
Unique Group Hospitality Area Above New Leftfield Wall Puts Fans on Top of the Action,
Ticket Price Includes Food, Beverage and Beer
Tickets Are Available Online at Mets.com/PartyCityDeck and by Phone (718) 507-TIXX
FLUSHING, N.Y., April 3, 2012 – The New York Mets and Party City today announced a multi-year partnership that will enhance the fan experience with Citi Field’s newest group hospitality area, the recently branded Party City Deck. The unique seating section immediately above the new leftfield wall places fans on top of the action and includes complimentary food, beverage and beer. Tickets for the Party City Deck are on sale now at Mets.com/PartyCityDeck and by phone (718) 507-TIXX.
The Party City Deck accommodates groups of 25-102 through a combination of padded seats and barstools. Ticket prices range from $100 to $200. Individual tickets will be sold for the final five games of the opening homestand only (April 7-11).
“Fans will never miss a pitch at the Party City Deck with food and beverage delivered to their seats,” said Dave Howard, Mets Executive Vice President, Business Operations. “The Party City Deck will also be a prime location to catch balls during batting practice and the game so fans should make sure to bring their gloves.”
Fans on the Party City Deck will enjoy classic ballpark fare served by a dedicated wait staff beginning two hours before the scheduled first pitch. The menu includes peanuts, popcorn, hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken tenders, house-made potato chips, soft drinks and beer. Fresh baked cookies are also served two hours after the first pitch through the end of the ninth inning.
The Mets created the Party City Deck section after moving in portions of the leftfield wall as much as 12 feet.
Where is the negative crowd who said “don’t move the fences?”…this was a win-win all around. Mr. David Wright seems to be a new man…even if it was mostly in his head.
Are you kidding me? I paid 125 a pop for lower level seats on opening day and that didn’t include anything. At 125 for all the food and beer you want….that is definetly worth the money.
The tickets prices in the outfield seating at CitiField has been and will continue to be clearly obscene. All the food and drink (which as Shannon points out, comes with the very real possibility of Knuckleheads) can’t change this for me.
From now until I win the lottery, I will be getting tickets through connections, on the cheap via stubhub and with my kids via the fanclub. Dropping more than $100 on a single ticket to a baseball game just is not in the cards.
You are comparing Apples to Oranges. Florida prices for a basketball game versus New York prices for a baseball game. At $8 a pop beer and $10 burgers/fries, the ticket becomes reasonable in a hurry.
Bud and bud light. End of list
I did. Every time. I thought about mentioning it and took it out.