october_fun

My husband and I will be in New York 12-18th October and I thought it would be exciting for my husband to go to a sports game while there. We will be visiting other cities on our trip to the US but we dont have as many nights in each of those as we do in New York. I think he would prefer to see a football game as that is something we will never get to see over here. What is the name of your ticketing system over there so that I can order tickets if we are lucky enough to be there when there is a game. Are games usually sold out quickly? Where are football games played in New York? We will do a tour of Yankee stadium seeing that we missed the baseball season. The trip is a surprise for him so I want to take him places that will appeal to a sports fan as a trade off for having to walk with me while I check out Macy's, Bloomingdales etc.
Any advice would be appreciated.

abram

I believe that both the Jets (www.newyorkjets.com) and the Giants (www.giants.com) play at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.

HappyTrvlr

NY Rangers Hockey at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan might have some games in October.

nytraveler

It can be very difficult to get tickets to football games - which are usually played either Sunday afternoon or MOnday night. You can go to the web sites of the teams (Giant or Jets to get their schedule). But don;t be surprised if the games are sold out - and you need to go to a scalper to get tickets at a (VERY) premium price,

The Knicks (basketball) and Ranger (hockey) should also be playing then.

However, don;t give up on baseball. October is the month for playoffs and the Yankees have been in the playoffs 16 of the last 17 years. So they may well be playing when you are here. However, for that you would also probably have to pay a premium to get seats in a sold out stadium

HowardR

There's not much football to choose from in the New York City area except for the professional Giants and Jets. And, you'll probably have to pay top dollar and then some for tickets.
There are a few colleges in the general area with teams, but they usually aren't prime examples of quality football. Columbia University (which is located in Manhattan), for example, is indeed an outstanding center for higher education, but its football team is rarely a winning one. If you want venture outside the city, Rutgers University and Princeton University, both in neighboring New Jersey are possibilities.

capxxx

Hockey games at MSG are a lot of fun, and you should have no problem getting tickets. And New York does have a professional soccer team with October dates on its schedule: New York Red Bulls.

Two other ideas if you are having trouble getting tickets to a football game:

www.stubhub.com Stubhub is a respected website for ticket resales.

I have had good experience with Road Trips Sports Travel, a travel agency that specializes in sports packages (hotel plus tickets, usually). Their website says they can get you into any game in any city ...

october_fun

@nytraveler.. Would love to go to a baseball game but tickets to the playoffs via scalpers would totally wreck the travelling budget.
@capxxx... soccer is probably the one football that hubby doesnt watch unless its Australia playing to qualify for the World Cup.
@howardR and abram.. thank you for the football information. I will do some more research.
@HappyTrvlr.. I didnt think of Ice Hockey. Only ever see it in movies when someone gets slammed against the perspex. If its easier to get tickets thats even better. (i can then say ive been to MSG too!)

Thank you so much for your replies. You are a big help.
PS. are the Rangers any good? He is used to supporting a non-winning team.

bmw732002

PS. are the Rangers any good? He is used to supporting a non-winning team.

This years playoffs have just started and the Rangers are one team picked to win it all!

Hope you get tix for an event. Pro Football teams, as mentioned, play just outside NYC in New Jersey. Rangers Hockey team play right in midtown Manhattan (34th street/7th avenue)

-john

nytraveler

For football games the prices (and it will probably have to be from scalpers) will cost just as much as Yankee tickets. Look at the websites to see what prices are (if there are any tickets available). Fine if he prefers football to baseball - but don't assume they will be cheaper. (Giants won SuperBowl this year - so fewer of their sold out season tickets will probably be available on the resellers market.)

Bwino

Hi October_fun, My husband and I were in NYC in November the year before last and wanted to go to a major sporting event. We bought good tickets through stubhub for an Ice Hockey game between the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders. This would be like an Aussie rules game between West Coast Eagles and Fremantle. It was a fantastic night out and the atmosphere was really great. The Islanders were the underdogs and they did not have anywhere near as many supporters as the Rangers. We took the subway to the stadium and there were heaps of fans on the subway and on the streets to the stadium. It was our first and only ice hockey game and was one of many higlights to our 3 weeks in NYC. Whatever you do have a great time.

october_fun

@bmw.. even better if we can support a winning team even if its only for one game. We might see you there..... just look for the awestruck aussies!

@nytraveler.. Hubby may not have a preference but I would probably prefer baseball over football (just to say ive been to a Yankee game I suppose). It seems that Ice Hockey may bethe way for us to go though. Cheaper and easier to obtain tickets plus easier for us to find our way there. thanks

@Bwino.. Thanks for your info.It gives me an idea of how it would be for a novice to go to a hockey game. Sounds like good fun. Only time Ive been near ice is "Disney on Ice"

I hadnt planned on a sporting event until the other day and now I am looking forward to going to one. Thanks heaps

capxxx

For the novice, may I recommend, ``Ice Hockey Made Simple: A Spectator's Guide,'' by Harari and Ominsky.

Be warned: I became a huge fan of the sport after reading this small book -- once I was able to follow the play, I couldn't stop watching. Its a serious addiction now.

october_fun

capxxx thanks for that. If there is a game I will read up a few rules. (is the main one - try to avoid being whacked with a hockey stick?)

Now if I can get hubby to a game I think I can milk his gratitude for a very long time.

october_fun

I have done some searching but cannot find any dates for the new season. Searched Rangers website and ticketing. Do you know when they release the dates? Also, if I am lucky enough to have a game when we are visiting NY is there seating you would NOT recommend buying as its overpriced or simply a bad view? (of course whenever I go to a concert etc you can guarantee that a man who is 6'6" with a full head of thick hair and shoulders that are 2 pick handles across will always sit in front of me.)

Tomsd

The Yankees will be toast by October. And if you don't go to a hockey game (and they are fun) - and you are there on a Sat or a Sunday - buy your Dear Hubby a couple six packs of his favorite beer (assuming that's his beverage of choice) - get all kinds of great NY snacks - and let him watch the fall college or pro football games on TV in the hotel room - and have his own party while you flit around the Big Apple black holes of shopping.

october_fun

Tomsd I take it you are a Mets fan?
Hubby doesnt need to be told twice to grab a beer and watch footy on TV I assure you. He may be still taste testing local beers at that stage to find one with a similar taste to his favourite aussie beers. Hard work for sure!
I love the way you say Big Apple black holes of shopping. I am almost delirious at the thought of them. Excess baggage is already filling me with dread!

capxxx

I think they usually announce the schedule in July. The season will start around the first week of October, and there are usually 3 to 4 games a week.

If you get unlucky with no Rangers home games during your stay, its an easy trip by public transportation to the New Jersey Devils arena in Newark, NJ. The New York Islanders also play on Long Island, but their arena might be harder to get to from Manhattan without a car (I'm not sure).

I would avoid corner seats down-low by the ice, because the glass around the rink can obstruct your view. Seats near the center-ice line are considered best; seats at the ends behind the goalies are good, too.

It could be argued that the cheapest seats (way up high) are the best because you can see everything from there -- in a really big arena the players look like ants, but MSG is not so bad. I have found relative bargains sitting behind the goalie about half-way up.

And brace yourself. Nothing is cheap in NYC, including hockey tickets.

october_fun

Capxxx thank you for the seating and ticket info. I will start looking around July to see if there are games when we visit. Im not sure I am confident enough to be trying to find my way to Long Island at night. I am fairly confident I will get lost most days in broad daylight but I can cope with that.
I am prepared for the cost of visiting New York. Luckily hubby likes hot dogs (he may be eating them 3 times a day if the budget blows out).

Speaking of budgets........ I am taking him to Vegas after New York. I will have to get him drunk so he falls asleep and doesnt gamble! Wonder if I could sell him to a rich widow visiting Vegas? I would consider all offers.
This trip is a surprise for him for our anniversary. He has no idea yet that we are off to the US. He wont know until mid July. I can see it now. I will give him tickets to the US..... he will give me...... a card.

Tomsd

LOL. Actually - I grew up a Dodger fan - way out here on the left coast - and even had run rivalries with others who were Giant fans - as Major League baseball didn't move west (to LA and San Francisco) until the 50's.

As for Hot Dogs in NYC - if you get down Greenwich Village way - my favorite quick snack is Guava Dog - where you can grab a couple tasty little dogs - and good mustard - with your choise of fresh fruit juice - for $5 - a veritable find in the Big Apple. http://www.bigapplegreeter.org/

And some of the street carts/vendors can also be good quick/tasty bite, and I had a great Greek/Gyro - from a cart down by Union Square - in Greenwich Village. Also loved Noble Frankfurter - which was in San Francisco - but was modeled after Nathan's in NYC. http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/h...road_trip.html

My Greeter showed me around Greenwich Village - my favorite area with a whole lotta history.

Also - you might check out Big Apple Greeters. They very nicely and proudly show people around their beloved NYC for free - and only ask for a donation to their organization afterward.

Tomsd

Oops. Somehow the cut and paste got scrambled - but hopefully you get the idea about hot dogs/street food, and also Big Apple Greeters/showing you around.

The reason I like Greenwich Village so much is that a number of the streets are tree lined - and only have mid-rise buildings (six stories) or so - so it makes for nice walking around (see the NYU students having fun in Washington Square park - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Square_Park ) and it's a break from the hustle and bustle uptown or downtown.

There are also a lot of places to dine - and if you are a Pizza fan - it's ground zero.