My Inaugural Visit to Oakland

by bluelightrain84 on Jul 18, 2006 12:42 PM PDT Comment 11 comments

Hey folks, I've just booked plane tickets to Oakland for the September 1st - 3rd Baltimore series (no, not because the Orioles are an awe-inpsiring team, but because I'll have the weekend free from classes!), which will be my first visit to Oakland. Anyways, anyone have any recommendations as to where to acquire some decent A's tickets? Any preferable sections to sit in? I've checked out eBay and stubhub.com with no luck. Oh, what about hotel recommendations? Keep in mind, I tend to be frugal when visiting ballparks, but with gas prices the way they are . . . who isn't? :)

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Well...

The official website should still have good ones. This is Oakland after all. I've scored seats 4 rows above the dugout less than a week before the game. Bleachers are the cheapest seat ($10), and are pretty fun.

Stephen Colbert: "Kids who look up to athletes become athletes themselves."
The Word: Or bitter sports journalists.

by JLaff on Jul 18, 2006 12:44 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Three games?

My suggestion: get seats in different areas for all three games, just so you can take in the whole park. Call the A's ticket office directly (have a map of the coliseum in front of you when you do), and they'll take you through the ticket buying so that you can get what you want. If you can afford it, get one game in either 216-218 or 116-118 (2nd and 1st decks, behind home plate - great seats for watching the pitch come in and hearing the game). Get at least one game in the bleachers (because, it's the bleachers, you gotta do it).

Just my two cents worth....

There's no crying in baseball!

by gigglingone on Jul 18, 2006 1:19 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I second that

I had tickets for a game in 217, about 8-9 rows up, right in the middle of the row so I had a perfectly stright view of the plate and pitcher and it was awesome! One of the best views I've ever had.

And you just can't beat the energy in the LF bleachers!

by twinkle toes on Jul 19, 2006 1:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

If you'd like, I'll save you a seat near us:

In the LF Bleachers.

Life would not complete without a vsit to the LF Bleachers!!!

While taint is everywhere and baseball is certainly no different, it's important that it be treated with open attention-Devo

by saint on Jul 18, 2006 1:30 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Agree.

Taking in at least part of the game from LF is an essential Coliseum experience. Things wouldn't be the same without Duke, Bobby, saint, and all the other LF goons!

Can intangibles exist? Only the ones you can touch.

by salb918 on Jul 18, 2006 2:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ah

Thanks guys, it's going to be so strange wearing my A's jerseys and not getting heckled for it. It's almost hard for me to fathom. 0_o I'm going to call and arrange tickets this week sometime -- and I will most definitely try the bleachers! :)

"It's never 'just a game' if you're winning" - George Carlin

by bluelightrain84 on Jul 18, 2006 1:45 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: hotels

Go to Priceline, choose the 'deep discount' option in the hotel section, pick 'Oakland airport' area, go three stars, and bid about $50 a night. You'll get the Hilton, which has a free shuttle to and from the Coliseum, and is a bargain at that price.

If you don't get it at that price, go up in $5 increments until you get it.

Full price is for tourists. :)

"I smell like a meadow." - Yuniesky Betancourt

by Ozzz on Jul 18, 2006 2:48 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

If you want tips on making the most of...

...Priceline, write me (my e-mail address is in my profile). The airport Hilton deal is your best bet. This area id very expensive and you can easily pay over $100 a night for something NASTY.

"I'm a lexicon devil with a battered brain."--Darby Crash

by lexdevil on Jul 18, 2006 8:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ah

Thanks again guys, all of these tips are being utilized. :)

"It's never 'just a game' if you're winning" - George Carlin

by bluelightrain84 on Jul 18, 2006 11:44 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

heard on radio

that hilton airport is offical a's hotel. i think thats what they said but told about ride to park

by smasfan on Jul 19, 2006 11:55 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Alameda

... has a couple of hotels. One is near a shopping center for food etc, over on Shoreline. I guess it depends on your transportation, if you'll have a rental car etc. I knew someone who stayed in a hotel near the shoreline shopping center for three months and they liked it. You get a nice view of the Bay from across the street, and the shoreline has a walking path and park. It's about 5 miles from the stadium, but if you're driving to the Coliseum you have to of course pay the exhorbitant parking fees. Besides that, I recommend Alameda as a nice, quiet place to stay, if you're a nice, quiet person. Used to live there and I was quiet unless the As or the Raiders were getting blown away. Can't recall if there are hotels on Bay Farm Island, but there is a ferry dock there that will take you across the Bay to SF for tourist stuff. And, there's Jack London Square about 6 miles from the Coliseum which has hotels, places to eat (mmmmm, Yoshi's and jazz in a world-class acoustic environment) and another ferry dock. From Jack London Square you can walk to top-notch Chinese restaurants in Oakland, which exceed SF's overrated tourist clip joints. Am I talking about food too much? Must be dinner time.

by Dan_Honolulu on Jul 19, 2006 5:44 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs