Take Me Out to the Ballgame...
Written: May 23 '00 (Updated Jun 08 '00)
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Pros: classic stadium architecture, intimate seating, excellent food choices, nice views
Cons: better bring the ATM card...expensive!
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| bienstock's Full Review: Pacific Bell Park |
Pac Bell Park is intimate and beautiful and a vast improvement over Candlestick. This is what a baseball stadium should be...cozy, comfortable and classic. Upon walking through the gates (Pac Bell Park utilizes a unique laser scanner which reads a bar code on the tickets in lieu of traditional turnstiles) one feels transported back in time before astroturf, designated hitters, multi-million dollar spoiled atheletes and the other woes commonly expressed by baseball purists.
From my seat at Pac Bell Park, I felt closer to the action than I have at any other major league ballpark. This is largely due to the fact that the foul territory is minimal (making for lots of souvenirs...even despite those that end up in the Bay off of Barry Bonds' bat). The views are phenomenal, especially at sunset and the stadium's uniqueness and odd outfield wall dimensions are a nice departure from the cookie-cutter stadiums constructed in the '70s and '80s.
The food selections, while not cheap are among the best that I have encountered at any sports stadium or arena. The choices are extensive: on the Promenade and View Levels, you will find Doggie Diner, Say Hey Sausage Specialties, Gilroy Garlic Fries (really tasty), Portwalk Pizza and fastfood burger chain Carl's Jr.. In addition, on the Field Club Level and AAA Club Level, you will find Joe Garcia's (tacos and burritos), Giuseppe Bazurro's (excellent pizzas), Edsel Ford Fong's (Chinese and sushi) and John J. McGraw's Derby Grill (typical American fare). As previously mentioned, the food is not cheap, and even adjusting for Bay Area prices and the typical stadium egregiousness, I was still a bit stunned...
Surprisingly, transportation to and from the stadium is not the nightmare that I had envisioned. I luckily live within walking distance of the park, but when I took the N-Judah Muni line to the game, it was a pleasurable and hassle-free experience. Pac Bell Park touts that it offers the widest array of transportation options of any major league stadium and that is true - one can get there by car, ferry, bus, train or foot...as far as parking, I believe that there are slightly below 5,000 spots, which should be sufficient, provided that you can stomach the $15 per game fee. However, if you are driving to the game, I suggest that you find parking near the stadium (even if it means a short walk) and use the money you save to buy some garlic fries...
There are only about 40,000 seats, so good tickets are not easy to come by, but should some happen to fall into your pocket, you will not be disappointed. Pac Bell Park makes for a wonderful outing and deserves all of the acclaim that it has already achieved in its short existence...
Recommended:
Yes
Parking Availability: Busy But Manageable
Seat Location: Lower Level
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Epinions.com ID:
bienstock
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Location: San Francisco, CA
Reviews written: 17
Trusted by: 8 members
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