GDT: PANTHERS at DEVILS 7 p.m., MSG+

[Nicomo]

5 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Yeah even the local jerseys hung about the concourse...looking back on it, that was clearly a "How do we make this place look a little less stark and a bit more lived-in, without spending too much?" kind of measure.  Almost like when you get your first apartment, and you're just trying to find some cheap accessories to give it some warmth.

You are right about "bland", but bland/safe will definitely age better and last longer than "bold but with a lot of plastic-looking materials and a general cheesy feel".  When the current lounges get a refresh in 3-5 years, it won't surprise me if the needle falls somewhere between bold and safe.  The one issue with the current lounges is that they're SO down-the-middle blah that I don't think they really elicit any kind of reaction or opinion.  They're just there...they have a cafeteria feel to them.  I think they could kick up the lux factor a notch when the inevitable refresh comes.  

Nationwide has all the Ohio high school jerseys hanging up in their concourse as well. I’ve only been to two arenas, but since both had that, I figured it was a thing around the NHL? 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

8 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

Nationwide has all the Ohio high school jerseys hanging up in their concourse as well. I’ve only been to two arenas, but since both had that, I figured it was a thing around the NHL? 

Not that I know of (I've been to Boston, MSG, the old Cap Centre, the old Spectrum, Wells Fargo, America West Arena (where the Yotes used to play), the CAA, and the Rock.  But initially, once you got past the "We got a brand new building!" excitement, you could really see how the Rock was much like a coloring book with a lot of pages yet to be colored in...once you settled in, it really did feel like a place where about 65% of the way through construction, someone said "Oh by the way, you're getting low on funds here, what do you want to do?  You're gonna have to nix some stuff, or cut some corners." 

And like DD56 posted, it was like that for a while.  Not that I need tons of bells and whistles at my games (I go to see the game more than anything else), but the arena has come a LONG way in that regard, over the second half of its young life.  It feels FAR more fleshed out now, in a good way.  I'd say more than anything else at this point, the bathrooms need some TLC, and the lounges could use some pizzazz.    

Edited February 12, 2020 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[mfitz804]

5 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Yeah even the local jerseys hung about the concourse...looking back on it, that was clearly a "How do we make this place look a little less stark and a bit more lived-in, without spending too much?" kind of measure.  Almost like when you get your first apartment, and you're just trying to find some cheap accessories to give it some warmth.

I am not a fan of that display either. Even the location is kind of stupid. 

 

2 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

We used to do the clubs quite a bit, but we've migrated to the lofts as our "first choice" (my daughter loves those seats).  Due to the team being where it is in the standings, tickets off Stubhub for the lofts are now extremely reasonable...including the tack-on fees, I've been able to get tickets in the $100 - 125 range.  All you can eat of course (though I don't eat nearly as much as I once did...I'd say the food is better than what is served in the clubs, though not overwhelmingly so), and very comfortable seating.  Also much less people milling about in the loft area between periods...the clubs can get very crowded and a little hairy at times.  

Know what you mean about the glass, heh heh.  Does kind of feel like you're a museum exhibit.  

I'm not opposed to going back to the club seats again, and I do like sitting in the lower bowl (though not too too close), but I just like the overall feel of the lofts better.  We do the restaurant seating on occasion too.  

I haven't made the leap yet to those seats, but given that I am able to make less and less games this year as opposed to last, I may eventually just head in that direction and just spend more on the few games I attend. 

[Satans Hockey]

2 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

I'd say more than anything else at this point, the bathrooms need some TLC, and the lounges could use some pizzazz.    

I've been complaining about the bathrooms for a few seasons now. Some of the toilets leak clean water so by the end of the game it will be a puddle on the floor. Some of them legit don't even have all the lights on, I assume it's something to do with the wiring because I just refuse to believe it's something as simple as changing a light bulb. 

I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to arenas and I love ours but stuff like that not being fixed is really unacceptable to me. 

[mfitz804]

23 minutes ago, Satans Hockey said:

I've been complaining about the bathrooms for a few seasons now. Some of the toilets leak clean water so by the end of the game it will be a puddle on the floor. Some of them legit don't even have all the lights on, I assume it's something to do with the wiring because I just refuse to believe it's something as simple as changing a light bulb. 

I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to arenas and I love ours but stuff like that not being fixed is really unacceptable to me. 

It’s not a nice arena. Sorry, but between the sh!tty concessions and the lack of maintenance, I don’t find anything special about it other than that it’s our home. And the enormous Jumbotron. 

[Nicomo]

3 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

It’s not a nice arena. Sorry, but between the sh!tty concessions and the lack of maintenance, I don’t find anything special about it other than that it’s our home. And the enormous Jumbotron. 

That thing is seriously impressive. 

[mfitz804]

8 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

That thing is seriously impressive. 

It’s ridiculous. Just like with your home tv, ridiculous is the perfect size. 

[DevsMan84]

13 hours ago, Satans Hockey said:

I've been complaining about the bathrooms for a few seasons now. Some of the toilets leak clean water so by the end of the game it will be a puddle on the floor. Some of them legit don't even have all the lights on, I assume it's something to do with the wiring because I just refuse to believe it's something as simple as changing a light bulb. 

I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to arenas and I love ours but stuff like that not being fixed is really unacceptable to me. 

If it has something to do with the wiring then color me not shocked.  This arena has some serious electrical problems.

I also noticed in the last game that the Devils are finally starting to fix/replace the monitors on the concourse.  There was a time, not too long ago, where 3/4 of the monitors on the concourse were either not on or not working.

And yeah the bathrooms definitely need some TLC.  A lot of the fixtures need to be replaced.  I cannot wait when the Devils finally do and gives us beautiful new bathrooms and working fixtures and the fanbase rages at ownership because they didn't etch the Devils logo into the new urinals/toilets.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

29 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

If it has something to do with the wiring then color me not shocked.  This arena has some serious electrical problems.

I also noticed in the last game that the Devils are finally starting to fix/replace the monitors on the concourse.  There was a time, not too long ago, where 3/4 of the monitors on the concourse were either not on or not working.

And yeah the bathrooms definitely need some TLC.  A lot of the fixtures need to be replaced.  I cannot wait when the Devils finally do and gives us beautiful new bathrooms and working fixtures and the fanbase rages at ownership because they didn't etch the Devils logo into the new urinals/toilets.

TVs are so cheap now (and with terrific quality) that you figured that they were going to get to that eventually.  Nothing says neglect or lack of maintenance like non-functioning TVs, for all to see.  And new bright up-to-date screens have a way of making everything around them look cleaner and more modern somehow.  

I'm kind of surprised the bathrooms haven't been taken care of yet.  Gotta think that's coming in the next year or so.  Not like ownership hasn't paid attention to the rest of the building.  

14 hours ago, mfitz804 said:

It’s not a nice arena. Sorry, but between the sh!tty concessions and the lack of maintenance, I don’t find anything special about it other than that it’s our home. And the enormous Jumbotron. 

You really don't think it's "nice"?  Other than the issues I pointed out (bathrooms and overly vanilla lounges), I think the arena has since been filled out...well...rather "nicely".  Admittedly I can't really comment on the concourse food selections...when I take my daughter, we either do the lofts, lounges, or restaurant.  As far as those areas go, I'd say the food varies, but in order of both quality and selections, I rate the restaurant first, the lofts second, and the lounges third.  The first two I'd say are somewhere between pretty good and good, and the lounge is decent.  None are amazing.  

If I were to rate the overall experience 1-10, right now I'd say it's about a 7.  Fix the bathrooms and add some flash to the lounges and it would be an 8 - 8.5.  Improve the food quality throughout the arena and I think it goes up to a 9.  I have no issues with the layout or the sightlines, no matter where I'm sitting (and I've been everywhere from directly behind the penalty box all the way to the upper corners).  And it does fully feel like I'm in the Devils' building...that may sound like a "Well, duh" kind of observation, but as a Mets fan, I can tell you when CitiField first opened, it felt much more like a place that the Mets just happened to play in 81 times a year.  Had a very cookie-cutter by-the-numbers "modern retro" feel to it (and of course Fred Wilpon is obsessed with the Brooklyn Dodgers, so he made that building more of a shroud to them, than to the team that actually plays there).  It's gotten better, because the Wilpons need to screw up first and get ripped before they figure out how to do something correctly, but it took some time to get there.  Though there hasn't been much success in the Rock to date, it does feel very much like home to me.  

Edited February 13, 2020 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[mfitz804]

54 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

You really don't think it's "nice"?  Other than the issues I pointed out (bathrooms and overly vanilla lounges), I think the arena has since been filled out...well...rather "nicely".  Admittedly I can't really comment on the concourse food selections...when I take my daughter, we either do the lofts, lounges, or restaurant.  As far as those areas go, I'd say the food varies, but in order of both quality and selections, I rate the restaurant first, the lofts second, and the lounges third.  The first two I'd say are somewhere between pretty good and good, and the lounge is decent.  None are amazing.  

If I were to rate the overall experience 1-10, right now I'd say it's about a 7.  Fix the bathrooms and add some flash to the lounges and it would be an 8 - 8.5.  Improve the food quality throughout the arena and I think it goes up to a 9.  I have no issues with the layout or the sightlines, no matter where I'm sitting (and I've been everywhere from directly behind the penalty box all the way to the upper corners).  And it does fully feel like I'm in the Devils' building...that may sound like a "Well, duh" kind of observation, but as a Mets fan, I can tell you when CitiField first opened, it felt much more like a place that the Mets just happened to play in 81 times a year.  Had a very cookie-cutter by-the-numbers "modern retro" feel to it (and of course Fred Wilpon is obsessed with the Brooklyn Dodgers, so he made that building more of a shroud to them, than to the team that actually plays there).  It's gotten better, because the Wilpons need to screw up first and get ripped before they figure out how to do something correctly, but it took some time to get there.  Though there hasn't been much success in the Rock to date, it does feel very much like home to me.  

It’s fine. Other than that it is “home”, there’s really nothing special about it. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

26 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

It’s fine. Other than that it is “home”, there’s really nothing special about it. 

What do you think would make it more special?  Different layout/theming?  More luxuries?  Just asking.  I haven't been to a lot of other arenas lately, so I don't have much to compare the Rock to.  Went to MSG 5 years ago or so, but that was to see a concert, not hockey.  Thought Wells Fargo was cool at the time, but the Devils were still in CAA at the time, so Wells Fargo seemed damned near futuristic by comparison.  Thought the Bruins' "new" arena (went there a LONG time ago) was OK.  Nothing about it stood out to me.    

[mfitz804]

4 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

What do you think would make it more special?  Different layout/theming?  More luxuries?  Just asking.  I haven't been to a lot of other arenas lately, so I don't have much to compare the Rock to.  Went to MSG 5 years ago or so, but that was to see a concert, not hockey.  Thought Wells Fargo was cool at the time, but the Devils were still in CAA at the time, so Wells Fargo seemed damned near futuristic by comparison.  Thought the Bruins' "new" arena (went there a LONG time ago) was OK.  Nothing about it stood out to me.    

As I noted above, the concessions are awful (except for you, Mr. Loft Fancypants lol). The facility is poorly maintained. The "Kids Club" area is crammed in a corner because it was an afterthought. The displays on the concourse are poorly executed (why would you drape your franchise's most famous player's rookie jersey on the floor like its a Christmas Tree skirt??).

Aside from that, I would turn it around and ask, what's so special about it?

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

22 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

As I noted above, the concessions are awful (except for you, Mr. Loft Fancypants lol). The facility is poorly maintained. The "Kids Club" area is crammed in a corner because it was an afterthought. The displays on the concourse are poorly executed (why would you drape your franchise's most famous player's rookie jersey on the floor like its a Christmas Tree skirt??).

Aside from that, I would turn it around and ask, what's so special about it?

Never really said it was special.  I was more disputing the idea that it isn't a nice building...it does have flaws (I agree, Kids Club area isn't terribly inviting and if I had a little one I probably wouldn't bother with it, and though I don't pay much attention to them, the displays you're referring to aren't eye-popping), but I would never leave there thinking "Man, place is overrated, needs work."  Bathrooms are the most glaring issue right now, as were some of the monitors.  And yeah, not a good look when a tile falls from above. 

It's funny, when it comes to "Fancypants" (heh heh), I make a point to let my daughter know to enjoy these goodies while they last...part of the reason we sit in those areas is because I can usually find tickets at a not-insane price, and since she does like to eat, to me those areas represent a "Well at least we can do it all pretty painlessly...no scurrying out of our seats to get into intermission food lines" option.  If (hopefully WHEN) the Devils become a good team again, I fully expect finding relative bargains for those seats to be a lot harder to come by.  

[sundstrom]

my biggest complaint with the Rock is that the food is just utter dogsh!t on the concourse and there really isn't much variety. to be fair though, i haven't been upstairs in years so maybe there's more there.

MSG since its renovation is leaps and bounds better when it comes to food.

as for the seats and sightlines - prudential has done very well with that. and the size of the concourses are also decent.

when it comes to being a STH and why I'm not renewing, prudential center isn't even a consideration. i think the staff are really pretty friendly and easy to deal with and there's no real issue with the building. even the bathrooms which CR76 brought up aren't really much of an issue for me other than I'd appreciate monitors in them to follow the game.

[mfitz804]

35 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Never really said it was special.

I didn't mean YOU specifically, just in general. What makes the Prudential Center "better" than any other arena? It seems like a pretty basic place with bad food and a huge Jumbotron. 

And I don't begrudge your Fancypants, I was just talking about the regular people concessions .

 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

53 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

I didn't mean YOU specifically, just in general. What makes the Prudential Center "better" than any other arena? It seems like a pretty basic place with bad food and a huge Jumbotron. 

And I don't begrudge your Fancypants, I was just talking about the regular people concessions .

 

The bolded is what I alluded to before...I don't have enough recent experience going to other arenas to make any real comparisons...I wish I did, just to see what else is out there.  I haven't been to Wells Fargo since the late 90s...I'd be curious to see how much it's evolved since then.  As much as I hate the Rangers and everything related to them, there's a part of me that wouldn't mind a trek to MSG, just to see what it's like to watch a game there now (all my MSG visits were pre-reno).  

Oh I know you don't begrudge...I'm just saying that I'm not sure how much more I'll be buying those "fancy" seats...especially if I'm not getting them at fairly (to me) reasonable costs.  As the food isn't mind-blowing no matter where you go at the Rock, I may start trying to squeeze in pre-game dinners at restaurants on the way (say the Martinsville area), and then head to the game with little to no intention of eating much else (my daughter does like the "cup o' cookies", so maybe something like that).  When it comes to viewing, I honestly don't care where in the building that I'm sitting...if anything, I enjoy getting different looks and vantage points.  

Edited February 13, 2020 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[mfitz804]

13 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

The bolded is what I alluded to before...I don't have enough recent experience going to other arenas to make any real comparisons...I wish I did, just to see what else is out there.  I haven't been to Wells Fargo since the late 90s...I'd be curious to see how much it's evolved since then.  As much as I hate the Rangers and everything related to them, there's a part of me that wouldn't mind a trek to MSG, just to see what it's like to watch a game there now (all my MSG visits were pre-reno).  

Oh I know you don't begrudge...I'm just saying that I'm not sure how much more I'll be buying those "fancy" seats...especially if I'm not getting them at fairly (to me) reasonable costs.  As the food isn't mind-blowing no matter where you go at the Rock, I may start trying to squeeze in pre-game dinners at restaurants on the way (say the Martinsville area), and then head to the game with little to no intention of eating much else (my daughter does like the "cup o' cookies", so maybe something like that).  When it comes to viewing, I honestly don't care where in the building that I'm sitting...if anything, I enjoy getting different looks and vantage points.  

Honestly, by the time I move bought my tickets, and then dinner and ice cream,  I’m probably in just as deep. As more of the season tickets away, and I realize there are fewer and fewer opportunities to get there, I just may grab some loft tickets coming up soon.

[Satans Hockey]

I love the sightlines and that's more important to me than anything else. When it comes to concessions I almost always eat before I go or I'll just eat when I get home. The only way that will change is it we get fan friendly prices that a lot of places are adopting. I'm never paying $5 for a water or $8 for a hot dog. I can count on both hands how many times I've eaten at the arena since it's opened. I know that's not the norm for basically everyone but I just can't justify feeling ripped off at the prices when it comes to food. 

The only year I really ate a lot at the arena was when they were giving the food/merch gift cards for paying in full and that's only because it was "free" money. 

I know some people have issues with traffic and parking but I'm in and out of the place so much quicker than the old Meadowlands and that's really important to me too because I really don't like showing up early unless there's a giveaway, otherwise I'm usually entering the building 5-10 mins before the anthem gets played lol

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

3 minutes ago, Satans Hockey said:

I love the sightlines and that's more important to me than anything else. When it comes to concessions I almost always eat before I go or I'll just eat when I get home. The only way that will change is it we get fan friendly prices that a lot of places are adopting. I'm never paying $5 for a water or $8 for a hot dog. I can count on both hands how many times I've eaten at the arena since it's opened. I know that's not the norm for basically everyone but I just can't justify feeling ripped off at the prices when it comes to food. 

The only year I really ate a lot at the arena was when they were giving the food/merch gift cards for paying in full and that's only because it was "free" money. 

I know some people have issues with traffic and parking but I'm in and out of the place so much quicker than the old Meadowlands and that's really important to me too because I really don't like showing up early unless there's a giveaway, otherwise I'm usually entering the building 5-10 mins before the anthem gets played lol

The move to Newark shaved at least 20 mins off my drive home from games (most nights I'm leaving from work, then meeting my wife, who drops off my daughter).  I live in Clinton and am usually back in 40-45 mins, with very little traffic getting out (I get to my car quickly).  We get there at least an hour before game time, but that's only because we've doing all of these buffet seats.  If not for those, I'm fine with parking about 20 mins before puck drop.  

When I used to eat "bad food" in my youth, I was plenty happy going through a fast-food drive and chowing down on the way to the game.  I was definitely not one to stuff my face with arena food most of the time.  

 

[DevsMan84]

2 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

The bolded is what I alluded to before...I don't have enough recent experience going to other arenas to make any real comparisons...I wish I did, just to see what else is out there.  I haven't been to Wells Fargo since the late 90s...I'd be curious to see how much it's evolved since then.  As much as I hate the Rangers and everything related to them, there's a part of me that wouldn't mind a trek to MSG, just to see what it's like to watch a game there now (all my MSG visits were pre-reno).  

Oh I know you don't begrudge...I'm just saying that I'm not sure how much more I'll be buying those "fancy" seats...especially if I'm not getting them at fairly (to me) reasonable costs.  As the food isn't mind-blowing no matter where you go at the Rock, I may start trying to squeeze in pre-game dinners at restaurants on the way (say the Martinsville area), and then head to the game with little to no intention of eating much else (my daughter does like the "cup o' cookies", so maybe something like that).  When it comes to viewing, I honestly don't care where in the building that I'm sitting...if anything, I enjoy getting different looks and vantage points.  

Joe's Drive-In Pizza in Vauxhall.

Greasy, but awesome pizza.

Not a whole lot of good, quick options in Martinsville area.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

4 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

Joe's Drive-In Pizza in Vauxhall.

Greasy, but awesome pizza.

Not a whole lot of good, quick options in Martinsville area.

Chimney Rock is right there...been there before.  The one there is much better than the one that opened up in Flemington not too long ago.  

Lombardi's is supposed to be solid.  Also 3West isn't far from there.  

[DevsMan84]

3 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Chimney Rock is right there...been there before.  The one there is much better than the one that opened up in Flemington not too long ago.  

Lombardi's is supposed to be solid.  Also 3West isn't far from there.  

Chimney Rock is a bit away from 78 though close to 22.  It can get crowded at dinner time though.

Lombardi's is solid.

3West is good, but that's not exactly a quick bite lol.  There is a Panera's in the strip mall across the same exit on 78.  There is also Origin (French/Thai fusion) and Bolu (Italian) as well as Chipotle.

[Satans Hockey]

No towels to dry your hands in the bathroom I was just in, has happened a few times this season but that's usually later into a game, I'm not early tonight so there shouldn't be an excuse. Budget cuts I guess lol