Still Time To Head Out To The Ball Game at Citi Field

From the moment the train whooshes to a stop at Mets-Willets Point on a game day, you can sense the excitement in the air. Even as autumn begins, the crowd still rushes from the LIRR and subway, up the steps to see what remains of the Mets inaugural season in the new Citi Field. I recently attended a New York Mets home game and had the opportunity to explore the park with my family. It can be pricey to take your family to a baseball game these days, and Citi Field has done a good job of providing experiences and options to keep your family happy and comfortable while creating lasting memories.

 Whether you have sons or daughters, it’s an awesome experience for your kids to be a part of the crowd at a ballpark, and at Citi Field it begins before you even enter the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. You can see the smiles erupt on their faces as you approach the steps to your seating, the field comes into view and they hear the dim roar of the crowd. Citi Field is no exception, and should the game prove too long to occupy them sitting in their seats, there are food, shopping and entertainment options to break things up. A simple stroll around the ballpark gives you a completely different view of the game. Even when walking around the spacious concession area, Citi Field provides few obstructions of the game, and there’s plenty of TV monitors installed to keep you attuned to the action.

If peanuts, popcorn and Cracker Jacks from passing vendors aren’t what the kids are craving, then head back to the concessions and restaurants where you can find chicken nuggets, pizza and even carnitas. Lines move fairly quickly (always a good thing if you have a younger kids with you), and the variety goes far behind the standard hotdog fare, including barbeque, Mexican, and seafood options. Fair warning: the famed Shake Shack had just over an hour wait when we stopped by in the 3rd inning, but most people didn’t seem to mind. If you’re able to grab a table in the vicinity of the restaurants, it’s a great place to relax while still soaking in the atmosphere of the game.

Perhaps you want a change of scenery in a quiet venue with fine cuisine – we had access to the Acela Club located on the Excelsior Level. There a two story escalator escorted us up to a classy glass-enclosed bar and restaurant (easily spotted in left field), and offered a completely different view of the game. For those who want to enjoy a beer or cocktail, the wrap-around bar at the entrance of the club offers plenty of seating, and for well-behaved kids, multi-tiered seating is available further into the club at the restaurant.

If you walk behind center field, there is a small area carved out for kids to entertain themselves at the Mets 2K Sports Fan Fest. You’re first greeted with two video game kiosks, where you can play baseball on two wide screens. While the living-room like experience is fun, you need to fight it out with other fans for a chance to play. If you’re looking for something for your kids to do, the base running challenge is a fun way for older children (maybe 6-12 year olds) to demonstrate their batting prowess with plenty of on-lookers to cheer their efforts. For a more initimate baseball experience, they can entertain themselves at the two batting cages located nearby. Staff members can pitch to you, or they have a T-ball stand as well so younger kids can get into the fun.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s still plenty for kids to enjoy from their seats. Uh, the game itself for one. (How cool to see athletic and community heroes live in action?) There’s also watching for the home run apple to pop up, the between-inning trivia and sponsored animated races on the big screen, ballpark music, the traditional singing of “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” and “Meet the Mets“ and of course trying to catch foul balls or home runs, or t-shirts from the throwers/launchers.

Editor’s Note: Last game for 2009 Season is on October 4th so get tickets now!

Photo credit: Heidi Leder