Fenway Park

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
Post Reply
Topic Author
ddb1419
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2014 10:54 am

Fenway Park

Post by ddb1419 »

My son and I would like to go to a couple of Cubs and Red Sox games in late April. We will be coming from Chicao so we will need hotel rooms.

The hotels around Fenway Park are very expensive. We can stay outside of Boston, but need to take public transportation to Fenway. We would want to make only one subway ride or commuter train to get near Fenway. We are looking to spend around $100 per room per night.

Thanks for any ideas of hotels that have easy public transportation to Fenway.
DiMAn0684
Posts: 324
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 10:27 am

Re: Fenway Park

Post by DiMAn0684 »

Is Airbnb on option? You might be able to find something around a $100 along one of the green lines.
User avatar
LadyGeek
Site Admin
Posts: 95466
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 4:34 pm
Location: Philadelphia
Contact:

Re: Fenway Park

Post by LadyGeek »

This thread is now in the Personal Consumer Issues forum (tickets).
Wiki To some, the glass is half full. To others, the glass is half empty. To an engineer, it's twice the size it needs to be.
Slapshot
Posts: 337
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2007 11:26 am
Location: SE Mass.

Re: Fenway Park

Post by Slapshot »

You can go on the MBTA website and check out where the T lines go in relation to Fenway. Then look for hotels near T stops. I'd look out around Quincy and Braintree. Take the Red Line into Park St. then transfer to the Green line for Fenway. If you didn't mind a 20 minute walk, you could get off at Park St. and walk up Commonwealth Ave. to Fenway.
This time, like all times, is the best of times if we but know what to do with it.
veggivet
Posts: 1455
Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2015 12:07 pm
Location: New England

Re: Fenway Park

Post by veggivet »

If you think the hotel rooms around Fenway are expensive, brace yourself for the concessions! Airbnb is your friend; lots of inventory to choose from in and around Boston.
imyeti2
Posts: 211
Joined: Fri May 31, 2013 3:45 pm

Re: Fenway Park

Post by imyeti2 »

Check out Hotel Indigo in Newton.

http://www.newtonboutiquehotel.com/

It is right next to Riverside MBTA station from where you can take the Green Line D to either Fenway or Kenmore stations. Fenway park is a short walk from those stations.
crg11
Posts: 535
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2014 7:16 am

Re: Fenway Park

Post by crg11 »

You're in for a treat, although dress warm (Fenway in April can be a bit chilly/rainy). I have a good feeling about the Sox this year :)

If you want to avoid any public transportation transfers, even if it is simple ones like changing T line colors, then your main bet is to take the Green Line B, C, or D trains to Kenmore Station (http://www.mbta.com/riding_the_t/redsox/). From Kenmore Station (the closet station) it is a short 10 minute walk to Fenway Park. Find logging somewhere on the Green Line and you should have an easy trip to the game.

However, transferring from Commuter Rail or other color lines to the Green Line is usually pretty straight forward. All the Commuter Rail lines either go to North or South Station. North Station (which is directly under the TD Garden where the Boston Celtics & Bruins play) has direct access to the Green Line.
DoWahDaddy
Posts: 319
Joined: Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:32 am

Re: Fenway Park

Post by DoWahDaddy »

Check out the Boston park plaza, right next to the public garden. Reasonably cheap. Note that every room in Boston is tiny, I think because it was built when Americans were four feet tall. Fenway is awesome. You'll have a blast.
"I've worked in the private sector. They expect results." - Dr. Raymond Stantz
ghudson
Posts: 127
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2014 3:33 pm

Re: Fenway Park

Post by ghudson »

Look for hotels on the green line. B or C lines. Then you can just take the train into Kenmore Sq, and take the short walk to Fenway from there.
SavageAmusement
Posts: 77
Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2015 7:02 pm

Re: Fenway Park

Post by SavageAmusement »

I'm from the Boston area and I can tell you that people either love or hate Fenway. While most people seem to love it, I'm not a fan. So take what I'm about to say with as many grains of salt as you wish.

In my opinion, the experience isn't worth the cost and inconvenience. Tickets, concessions, and parking are wicked expensive as we like to say in Boston. The pricing is just plain piggy. The seats are extremely small and way too many of them have obstructed views. You may want to lose a few pounds before your trip. Also, pick your seats carefully or you will only see a portion of the field. Fenway is a dump compared to modern ballparks. It's old, dirty, and poorly laid out. The bathrooms are disgusting. I've seen massive rats there, so be on the lookout.
bcc1234
Posts: 107
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2016 3:24 pm

Re: Fenway Park

Post by bcc1234 »

SavageAmusement hit the nail on the head. Seats are too small. Place is a dump. The whole Yawkey Way thing is cool. You can go in and out of the park without "leaving".

Going to Fenway should be done.......ONCE.
Casper
Posts: 311
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2013 8:32 pm

Re: Fenway Park

Post by Casper »

When my wife and I made a similar trip in 2010, we used Priceline and ended up at the Omni Parker House for $85 a night. It's a great location downtown and we just walked the 2.5 miles to Fenway (stopping several times for "refreshments" along the way). Took the T back after the game.
ERISA Stone
Posts: 1626
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 8:54 am

Re: Fenway Park

Post by ERISA Stone »

bcc1234 wrote:SavageAmusement hit the nail on the head. Seats are too small. Place is a dump. The whole Yawkey Way thing is cool. You can go in and out of the park without "leaving".

Going to Fenway should be done.......ONCE.
To each his own. It's one of my favorite stadiums to visit.
chw
Posts: 1315
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 4:22 pm

Re: Fenway Park

Post by chw »

Casper wrote:When my wife and I made a similar trip in 2010, we used Priceline and ended up at the Omni Parker House for $85 a night. It's a great location downtown and we just walked the 2.5 miles to Fenway (stopping several times for "refreshments" along the way). Took the T back after the game.
+1. Used Priceline for a decent hotel (Guestquarters) at $75 a night right in the financial district. Just make sure you select the appropriate star rating, and neighborhood of Boston. May not see these type rates during the week, but you never know...
fishmonger
Posts: 817
Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2014 1:20 pm

Re: Fenway Park

Post by fishmonger »

crg11 wrote:You're in for a treat, although dress warm (Fenway in April can be a bit chilly/rainy). I have a good feeling about the Sox this year :)
+1. I've been to Sox games in April in full winter gear - hats, gloves, parka, etc.
RoadHouseFan
Posts: 279
Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2016 6:55 pm

Re: Fenway Park

Post by RoadHouseFan »

Bleacher bar was our favorite part of the Fenway area.
dowse
Posts: 570
Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2013 3:10 pm

Re: Fenway Park

Post by dowse »

I go to a game there once a year or less. For hard-core baseball fans, I would say it's a must-see, but agree with others that there are many bad seats there, especially in the right field corner and many of the grandstand areas. It is, however, unique and steeped in history. For a once-in-a-lifetime event, it might be worthwhile paying a premium for decent seats by going through a ticket broker. The Red Sox also run their own ticket resale program.

As for a hotel, I agree with others that searching along the Green Line routes makes sense. I would also search for anywhere in the city you can get a deal, though. There are plenty of Uber cars in Boston. After the game, you could just walk a few blocks to get away from the congestion, then hale an Uber.
chw
Posts: 1315
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 4:22 pm

Re: Fenway Park

Post by chw »

fishmonger wrote:
crg11 wrote:You're in for a treat, although dress warm (Fenway in April can be a bit chilly/rainy). I have a good feeling about the Sox this year :)
+1. I've been to Sox games in April in full winter gear - hats, gloves, parka, etc.
April is a transitional month weather wise. Been to many games in tee shirt and shorts in April as well. Don't want the OP to think we still have a foot of sno on the ground in April (though in 2015 we did).
MrNewEngland
Posts: 807
Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2014 11:38 am

Re: Fenway Park

Post by MrNewEngland »

SavageAmusement wrote:I'm from the Boston area and I can tell you that people either love or hate Fenway. While most people seem to love it, I'm not a fan. So take what I'm about to say with as many grains of salt as you wish.

In my opinion, the experience isn't worth the cost and inconvenience. Tickets, concessions, and parking are wicked expensive as we like to say in Boston. The pricing is just plain piggy. The seats are extremely small and way too many of them have obstructed views. You may want to lose a few pounds before your trip. Also, pick your seats carefully or you will only see a portion of the field. Fenway is a dump compared to modern ballparks. It's old, dirty, and poorly laid out. The bathrooms are disgusting. I've seen massive rats there, so be on the lookout.
This, a thousand times this. I love the Red Sox but Fenway really only has nostalgia going for it. The seats are extremely cramped and often don't face towards home plate so your neck will be sore after a few innings.

Although the bathrooms aren't as nasty as they used to be. When I was a kid they really were bad, but they've improved a lot. Idk when the last time SavageAmusement went was...

When the Sox got really good back in 03-04 and a few years after that I noticed the place was full of townies that were always getting into fights. I haven't noticed that the last few times I've been.

With that said it is a ballpark you should go to once if you're a baseball fan. I would also recommend spending the extra money and staying closer. The T is absolutely packed on gameday. Plus staying in Boston is fun. It's a great city with a lot of history and lots to see.

Just my $0.02.
User avatar
SmileyFace
Posts: 9080
Joined: Wed Feb 19, 2014 9:11 am

Re: Fenway Park

Post by SmileyFace »

The Indigo in Newton is a nice hotel and short MBTA ride to Fenway BUT is likely to cost you more than $100 per night.
If you are really set at $100 per night you might have to stay further out and take the Commuter-Rail into/out-of Boston but then you are shifting your costs from hotel over to a higher-transportation cost.
Are you flying in or driving in? If flying in it makes sense to stay in the city even though you will have to pay more to do so - if driving in - parking costs in the city might make it more worthwhile to stay outside the city and commute in.
Copper John
Posts: 251
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 11:31 am

Re: Fenway Park

Post by Copper John »

I am assuming you are a Cub fan. As a die-hard Cub fan born and raised 3 miles from Wrigley and having lived the last 20 years in Boston I think you will love Fenway. It will feel at home in some ways and very different in others. You will have an instant kindred spirit with most of the fandom.

Small seats, some obstructed views, mega $$ for beer etc . I am sure will be nothing "shocking" to you. Hell guys he is coming from Wrigley not AT&T park in SF. Suggestions to stay away from grandstand and box seat in the right field corner are right on the money. Your neck will be turned at a right angle to view home plate. Unless you are going to spring for higher priced premium seats, I would suggest the bleachers. If you are okay with bleacher seats at Wrigley (which I think are great), go with those at Fenway.
Last edited by Copper John on Sat Dec 31, 2016 12:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
fasteddie911
Posts: 457
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 3:13 pm

Re: Fenway Park

Post by fasteddie911 »

Just did a quick search for hotels that meet your criteria for the weekend the cubs are in town, slim pickings. If you can expand your budget a little more there's a Holiday Inn on Beacon St. in Brookline that's along the Green line, but walkable to Fenway. If you stayed further out, it may be cheaper but also more troublesome commuting back and forth to the airport and games. Factor in the extra cost of the commuter rail ticket, time spent waiting and riding the train and the overall inconvenience of riding a train (especially after the game if it's late and crowded). I would suggest trying to expand your budget and staying at a closer location, ideally one that is walkable (post game trains are terrible), and it will also allow you to explore the city a bit during non-game time.
Copper John
Posts: 251
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 11:31 am

Re: Fenway Park

Post by Copper John »

fasteddie911 wrote:Just did a quick search for hotels that meet your criteria for the weekend the cubs are in town, slim pickings. If you can expand your budget a little more there's a Holiday Inn on Beacon St. in Brookline that's along the Green line, but walkable to Fenway. If you stayed further out, it may be cheaper but also more troublesome commuting back and forth to the airport and games. Factor in the extra cost of the commuter rail ticket, time spent waiting and riding the train and the overall inconvenience of riding a train (especially after the game if it's late and crowded). I would suggest trying to expand your budget and staying at a closer location, ideally one that is walkable (post game trains are terrible), and it will also allow you to explore the city a bit during non-game time.

+1

I lived right around this Holiday Inn on Beacon. Great area! You would find the area being somewhat similar to Evanston in Chicago. About a 25 minute walk to Fenway. Great restaurants all around this area with a full gamut of price ranges. This is a very safe and and walkable area, and has great access to downtown areas and Cambridge with the T stop right outside your door.

I also hate getting packed into the train post game and loved being able to walk home after the game. The Holiday Inn, however, will run you around $225-$250 a night. I just did a quick look at Airbnb and saw a couple of 1B listings for Coolidge Corner in Brookline( which is where this Holiday Inn is located) for $140-$160 a night.
Post Reply