I’ve got to do some traveling to DC in September for work, and I’ve decided to take the opportunity to catch a game at [del]Camden Yards[/del] Oriole Park while I’m there so I can put another notch in my belt. I want to catch a game at all of the ballparks some day, don’tcha know?
Are there any things about the stadium I shouldn’t miss, or that I should generally be aware of? Are there “ideal” seats? I’m willing to spend a decent amount, particularly since I’ll likely be going by myself. Any tips would be appreciated.
It’s really nice and there’s good food (a whole promenade of it) and it’s close to other attractions, etc. You can even get there by train (or two) from DC. As far as seats go, I don’t know, though. You could probably get better info from an O’s board or something.
There’s a baseball team and stadium in DC, you know…they’re pretty good, too. (you must’ve already been there, right?)
Of course, I just basically said “yeah, it’s great, man!” :smack: Anyway, You’re right there near the Inner Harbor, and an easy cab ride away from Fell’s Point, Little Italy, etc. great food can be had blocks away, so keep that in mind. It’s very well located for hitting all the tourist must-sees and even the odd spots. Baltimore is fun! I’ll defer to Bawlmerians on the finer details, plus, looking in the Baltimore Sun or Washington Post will help with some of the basics.
I had seats there once located in, I think, the Lower Reserve section. It was in the outfield down the third base side, just inside fair territory. The seats were far back enough in the section that the overhang from the upper deck above us pretty much killed the view.
Worst fucking seats I have ever had at a sporting event. It would have been easier to swallow if the ticket agent hadn’t had the balls to tell us they were great seats. So stay away from those.
Avoid seats that are either too far down the line in foul territory or back under the overhang on the lower level. On either upper or lower level, go for the forward rows between home and third. For food, make sure you go to Boog’s.
Yes, definitely talking about inside the stadium. I won’t get to Baltimore until mid-afternoon Friday, and I’ll leave on a flight early the next morning, so there won’t be any tourism other than the stadium itself.
And yes, I’ve already crossed Nats Stadium (and Dodger Stadium, Angels Stadium, Petco Park, AT&T Park, Chase Field and Wrigley Field) off my list!
I was also going to mention Boog’s BBQ. I’ve only seen 3 games at Camden but have not found a bad seat. The last time I was there was over 5 years ago and I was able to scalp great tickets (3 rows from the field, even with 3rd base) for something like $40 a piece…and that was against the Red Sox, whose fans dominated that stadium. Got a few autographs before the game. Now that the O’s are decent, I don’t know what you’d have to pay for good seats.
How are you getting your tickets? I ask because Camden Yards has a Scalp Free Zone where folks can sell unused tickets but may not exceed the face value. It’s located on… let’s see, the southeast-ish side of the stadium. (I’m not so good in placing something according its cardinal direction. It’s across from Pickles Pub and you can ask any officials as the area is monitored by the stadium.)
Boog’s is good as compared with most stadium fare. Several of the eateries serve crab cakes which are reputedly very decent but be expected to pay ball park prices.
If you get there during batting practice, you should situate yourself on the “porch” just beyond right field. Left handed batters will routinely launch balls in the area but be prepared for the mad scrum that ensues.
And if you do get there by mid-afternoon, you can still take in the Inner Harbor. It’s within walking distance if you don’t mind a 20 minute walk. Nothing that especially stands out but a nice view of the harbor skyline and typical tourist-y, schlock-y goodness.
I’ll pop in to third Boog’s BBQ. Surely better barbecue exists, but it’s pretty darn good for ballpark food, and when else are you going to have the chance to buy a pork sandwich from Boog Freakin’ Powell?
Get out to the park early and just hang around Eutaw Street for a while. It’s outside the stadium proper but within the ticketed admission area. It’s a fun place to be, kind of a street festival vibe.
I do recall that for as nice a ballpark as Camden is, the back half or so of the lower deck offers some surprisingly sub-par views due to the upper-deck overhang. I’d recommend upper-deck seats if you can’t get (or don’t want to pay for) close-in lower boxes. I’m not sure how well the O’s draw these days, but when I was there we were able to move around at will and sample several different views without getting hassled by the ushers. This was 13 years ago, mind you, so YMMV.
I think that the middle level is the best place to go. Looking at it online I’d say its the 200 level seats. You enter into it on the same level as the luxury boxes. Its an entirely different feel. Tiled floors. Nice lounges. All the food from the rest of the stadium can be found up there. The World series trophies, gold gloves, Cy Young awards are there. And the seats themselves are reasonable and good quality.
The middle level (whatever they call it these days) is well-appointed, maybe a good place to take a date who finds prole sports fandom too scruffy. But the sight lines down the lines are no better; you just pay more for them than you would for the seats above and below.
Well, I’ll be seeing them against the Yankees, so I’m guessing there will be quite a few visiting fans as well (that’s a fairly reasonable train ride from NY, isn’t it?). Because of that, and because I tend to be a planner, I was just going to buy my tickets through the website or through Stubhub. I’m willing to attempt to buy a ticket on the day of the game if there’s a real advantage to getting those unused tickets, but as this is labeled a “premium” game, I just worry about availability.
I finally bought my ticket. I’m sitting in Section 340, if anyone’s interested. Should get there plenty early enough to walk around the stadium and see what there is to see!
Doesn’t MARC stop pretty much in the “Oriole Park at Camden Yards” parking lot? Then again, MARC doesn’t run on weekends, so you’re stuck with the (much more expensive) Amtrak, which only goes to Penn Station; from there, there’s always the Light Rail system. (Then again, I haven’t been to Baltimore since 2003, so my info may be a little out of date.)
(I was in Baltimore when they were building the stadium, and there was a fan vote of some sort about what to name it; IIRC, except for a handful of votes for Babe Ruth Stadium (he was born in Baltimore), the vote was pretty much split between “Oriole Park” and “Camden Yards”, and somebody decided on “Oriole Park at Camden Yards” as a compromise.)
Hey Asimovian, it sounds like you’ll be there for the singing of the Star Spangled Banner. You may want to yell the “O!”, an Oriole tradition for nearly 40 years.
It’s not a big deal but the one time I visited the park, it came and went before I realized what it was. It would’ve been nice to know beforehand.
I don’t know which team you root for and it may offend you to yell the O! (like doing the chop would when this SF Giants fan visits the ATL Braves for the first time :dubious:), but at least be ready for it as it comes.
The last MARC leaves from Camden at 6:15 pm. It’s a commuter train and not going to run often. Here’s the schedule. If I see my friend who lives up that way I’ll ask the best way to get to and from DC and the stadium.
(you must’ve already been there, right?)