The underdogs of New York baseball, the Mets have two World Series rings to the Yankees' twenty-six. Since their World Series win in 1986, they've been notoriously unlucky, famously losing to the Yankees in the 2000 Subway Series and again to the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 7 of the 2006 National League Championship Series. About twice as many New York baseball fans root for the Yankees than for the Mets. Still, Mets fans are a proud and loyal bunch: go to a game in Queens, and you'll see they wear their hearts on their sleeves, wholly supporting their team despite its recently unfortunate record. The fans have an easy camaraderie with one another in this authentic setting that is less about commercialism and hype, and more about the baseball.
That said, the Mets experienced a stadium upgrade last year. For 45 years, they called Shea Stadium home – a concrete tangle with rusty, hard-backed seats, sticky floors and filthy bathrooms. Only the most devoted fans would trek to Flushing, as the experience of sitting through nine innings in Shea was less than pleasant. The opening of Citi Field in 2009, then, was a godsend not only for die-hard fans, but for the franchise and for the city of New York. Now going to a Mets game makes for a fun outing, and New Yorkers and tourists alike are taking advantage of the spiffy new field.
Citi Field was designed to feel like an old-fashioned arena, with cast-iron pillars around the stadium that form high arches, allowing for a summery, open-air feel. The pillars reflect the bridge motif in their architecture, evoking the 2,000 bridges of New York City, as well as the symbolic bridge the Mets represent, between the past New York National League teams, the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants. In the outfield section is the pedestrian Shea Bridge, as well as the Taste of the City food court. The eatery features food from a number of restaurateur Danny Meyer's establishments, including Blue Smoke barbeque, El Verano Taqueria Mexican cuisine, and most popularly, Shake Shack, home to arguably the best hamburgers and milkshakes in the city. The Acela Club, located in left field, is the new field's dining highlight, with food from restaurateur Drew Nieporent (of Nobu and Tribecca Grill fame) and a full view of the playing field.
Most notably, the Jackie Robinson Rotunda honors the legendary Brooklyn Dodger at the front entrance of the field. Robinson's personal values are etched above high archways – words like "Courage," "Justice" and "Teamwork" – as is his famous quote: "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." The rotunda serves as a beautiful dedication to the legendary player.
Surprisingly, Citi Field has 15,000 fewer seats than Shea did, but oozes the charm, authenticity, and sense of New York history that the old stadium lacked. Shea Stadium has since been knocked down and turned into something else the franchise desperately needed: a bigger parking lot.
Attraction Information
- Hours:
- Day games are around 1pm and night games are around 7pm
- See the complete 2010 Mets Schedule at mets.mlb.com/schedule
- Admission:
- Tickets range from $19 for bleacher seats to $460 for the most premium.
- Learn more and buy tickets at mets.mlb.com/ticketing
- Parking costs $19
- Directions:
- Subway: Take the 7 train to Mets/Willets Points Station (The 7 makes stops in Manhattan at Times Square, 5th Avenue, and Grand Central Station) Via E, F, G, R or V trains: Connect to the 7 train at the 74th Street-Broadway / Roosevelt Avenue stop in Jackson Heights Via N or W trains: Transfer to the 7 train at Queensboro Plaza
- Long Island Rail Road (LIRR): Train service to Mets/Willets Point Station is also available on eastbound Port Washington Branch trains from Penn Station and westbound trains from Great Neck and Port Washington. Citi Field is just two stops from Penn Station.
- Water Taxi: A free water taxi is provided to every home game from Pier 11/Wall St. in Lower Manhattan. Seating is limited; make reservations at nywatertaxi.com. Note: Service is only provided to the game; there is no post-game return taxi to Manhattan.
- Contact:
- Location: Citi Field, Roosevelt Avenue, Flushing, NY
- Phone: 718-507-TIXX
- Website: mets.mlb.com
