- Location: Flushing (New York), New York
- Address: 126th St. & Roosevelt Ave., Flushing, New York 11368
- Capacity: 41,800
- Parking: Parking passes are available for purchase
- Year Opened: April 2009
- Occupants: New York Mets
- Prohibited Items: Items larger than 16 "x16 "x8 ", coolers (hard-sided), cans, glass bottles, beverage containers, open containers, commercial audio/video equipment, alcoholic beverages, illegal substances, laser pointers, noisemaking devices, fireworks, animals (except for assistive purposes), weapons, food items and the like.
The New York Metropolitans (Mets) played their first game in 1962, and their orange and blue color scheme was influenced by the two departed New York teams, the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants. The Mets were initially going to be part of a new baseball league formed by attorney William Shea, dubbed the Continental League and New York was to receive a team as one of its charter members. The National and American League felt threatened by this change and opted to take two of each of the new franchises, one of which would become the Mets. In honor of this new era of expansion, the Mets named their new ballpark Shea Stadium and began play in 1962.
In 2006, after many great years in the old ballpark, the Mets tore down the structure and began building Citi Field in the parking lot adjacent to the former venue. The new ballpark was inspired by the classic structure of Ebbets Field, with a brick rotunda and a contoured seating arrangement to give fans clear sight lines all around the stadium. With a capacity of approximately 45,000, the ballpark is surprisingly intimate and designers added wider seats and increased space between rows to improve comfort and leg room. One of the greatest features of the new ballpark are the extremely wide concourses that span the entire perimeter of the stadium. Since Citi Field opened in 2009, fans can feasibly walk all around the venue and visit the building's many concessions without having to miss a minute of the action.
Along with all of the standard amenities fans have come to expect, Citi Field also features multiple sit-down restaurants and bars. One of the highlights of the ballpark is the Shake Shack - a New York City burger joint that has become a Big Apple institution that stadium planners felt compelled to include. Additionally, the stadium features Fan Fest family entertainment areas with interactive baseball games, as well as a Mets museum that pays homage to the greats that have worn a Mets uniform.
Ever since the Mets' magical run to a World Series title in 1986, the team has made numerous postseason appearances as well as a trip to the Subway Series in 2000 against their cross-town rivals, the New York Yankees. In a very competitive division like the NL East, fans will have no shortage of big-time games to look forward to in the future.