I'm reading not so favorable reviews on yelp and google regarding the cramped seating - even if you're average sized at the LCA. Complaints also about very steep steps to the upper bowl to get to the child-sized seating. I figured expensive food/ parking would be the main angst, but sounds like even the cup-holder positioning is making some yearn for the Joe. Any thoughts?
I was fine in the upper-bowl, but I'm 5'5" and 145lbs, so I would imagine I'm on the small-side of folks that would be going there.
On a positive note, SMART added a stop in front of the LCA for the 461 and 462 routes.
LOL I didn't think it was any more steep or cramped than the Joe when I visited in the fall. People love to bitch and moan.
I've never had an issue with it. I buy the tickets and get wrapped up in what ever event I'm watching. If I want luxury comfort I'll stay at home and watch from my couch. If the seat is an inch or two too narrow it will hardly ruin my experience, and I'm a bigger guy. It is far more spacious than Michigan Stadium, which sets the standard for lousy seating.
The upper bowl seat sizes were about the same size as the Joe in my estimation, but the leg room is certainly more cramped than the Joe IMO due to that steepness. I'm 6-0 200lbs and it was tight, but not uncomfortable. I think people are just pissed because it was implied there were going to be bigger seats/more leg room/cup holders.
It isn't great in the upper deck. Seats are wider than The Joe, but there is less leg room. Not great for anyone over 6 feet, plus the cupholders on the floor ensure someone will trip over your beer while trying to shuffle by you. One of my other beefs with the upper deck is that gondola, which looms over the sides, blocking the scoreboard and creating a weird disconnected feeling from the rest of the arena. It's like you are in a different room or something. It also blocks the video boards with all the stats in the ends.
While it might be no worse than The Joe, this is nearly a $1 billion state of the art arena, not some old structure made in the 70s. I'd expect better.
The upper deck is steep. I typically don't mind being high up but it took me some time to actually acclimate to the height of the area. The seats were not tighter than the Joe, but they were close. I expected a little more room.
My significant other has walking issues so we have to really make certain about venue accessibility before we venture out. Steep steps can be a problem.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dtowncitylover
Yeah, a friend who is petite said the seat/ armrest/ cup-holder scene was a bit odd. Even for her.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EGrant
IMHO the same size as the Joe...if you want deluxe fork out the $$$
Seats aren't that comfortable, and if you're kinda tall, you don't have much leg room. I'm sure the Suites are a totally different experience.
I have been in those upper seats now plenty of times. They are fine. No, they are not luxurious, but you get what you pay for.
People forget that they are the seats of an upper deck in a sports arena, not a la-z-boy recliner. Are the seats a little cramped? Sure. But if I was choosing solely based on comfort, I’d either just stay home or pay $$$ for the better seats.
If anything, the close spacing actually helps contribute to the loud and intimidating atmosphere of a sporting event. Sadly, that aspect probably has not been realized much thus far given the on-court/on-ice performance of the teams playing there.
I went to a Pistons game back in January and sat in the first row of the upper level. I'm 5'10" and about 180 lbs so pretty average in size. I could barely wedge myself into the seat- the cupholder on the arm extends into the area your body has to penetrate to sit down. I have no idea how a bigger person would possibly fit. This was more uncomfortable to me than I recall ever being at the Joe or the Palace.
I'm going O/T but I have a comment about seating, planes. NO not the width of the seats or the pitch [[the distance between rows) but the wide of the CENTER Aisle.
Flew a standard 737 with 6 seats across cross country.
Couldn't Boeing and Airbus add another 3" to the width of the plane so that flight attendants can navigate the center aisle even if they are not sharing it with someone else trying to pass.
OR hire petite women less than 110 lbs... Lol.
Those seats are cramped af. My friends and I stood in the walkway by the curtains the whole time we were there, and left early when we got tired. Guess Ill attend less events, and only go to the ones where I can afford to shell out the big bucks for the normal seats.
It’s by design. They’ve got so many levels of suites, it pushed the upper level higher requiring a steeper incline to preserve sight lines.
In 50 years, all new arenas will just be walls of corporate suites surrounding the court. Actual fans will stay home and watch in virtual reality.
That's what I'm hearing. Too much for me, I've already taken a bad fall in a theater before. I'll just not attend events unless I can do the lower level seating option.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wolverine
I actually think the trend will be to reduce corporate boxes at ballparks, where they clearly overbuilt. Comerica Park, Rogers Centre, Progressive Field and probably many more have lots of unsold boxes. They now try to sell them as party suites on a per game basis. Arenas, including Little Caesars, still are selling out but maybe that will change eventually. Certainly for baseball and basketball the best seats are near the field and courtside.Quote:
Originally Posted by EGrant
There will be some re-calibration in coming years. The generations born in the 80’s and on doesn’t have the type of disposable income to throw down on lower level seats. For basketball and hockey, I’ve opted now for one memorable game per season along the glass or floor seats at the “worst games”. It’s like $300-$400 per seat but comprable to buying a bunch of cheap seats and beer over 1 season that basically adds up to all that and isn’t memorable at all.
I've sat in both upper and lower bowl seats. The upper bowl seats seemed narrower than the lower bowl seats. I spent one whole game in the upper bowl rubbing shoulders with the person next to me and neither he nor I were/are large people. I thought the difference in seat sizes was just my imagination but some on this board and on others are claiming that there is an actual width difference. A quick Google search couldn't confirm this from an official or fact-checked source. Other than anecdotally, has anybody confirmed that the seats are actually different sizes?Quote:
Originally Posted by drjeff
Went to last night's Red Wings game. Sat in the lower bowl. A GOOD experience. A good game helped that of course, but win or lose, a GOOD experience. Went and sat in the upper bowl for 1 period. I am 6'0, 270 pounds. I found nothing uncomfortable about the upper bowl seats. The cup holder thing is a problem - they don't need to be on the floor. Other than that, it's fine. People complaining now are pushing the traditional "Detroit" rethoric that everything "old" is better than everything "new". If you were ever at Olympia Arena [[I wasn't - too young), from what I understand, the upper deck was the same way. Even Joe Louis was steeper in my opinion. Had a great time at the new arena. The sightlines were everything I could hope for, and the amenities were timely and satisfying. Probably could have built it without taxpayer funding, but that's not my decision to make and it is what it is. I'm glad I went last night, and I will go again in the future.
^^^ Hah! I remember the Red Barn [[Olympia Stadium)!
Lived nearby, and attended some events as a kid and teen [[mostly roller derby) and well you don't care about seating, heights or inclines then!
I've never actually measured the seats, but let me tell you what I was told when the Red Wings did their season ticket holder pitch.
The "club level" lower bowl seats are 2" wider than the seats at JLA. Those are the seats in between the white railings. Those seats come with free parking and unlimited food and drink. They also come with a price tag which varies between $240 and $330 per ticket. When you see the empty seats on TV, those are the people trying to soak up enough food and drink in their private room beneath the stands to justify the ticket cost.
Many of the JLA crowd were priced out of this area and either surrendered or relocated to a lower priced area. The lower bowl pitch matched that at JLA. All other seats in the arena were widened by 0.5".
My personal experience is that the LCA seating feels exactly the same as at the Joe. The cup holders are nice, but their location in the walk-way is unfortunate.
I'll be surrendering my season tickets this year after 32 years. I had center ice seats in the upper bowl at JLA at a ticket cost of $68 per game. My seats at the JLA were still at center ice, in the mezzanine...at a cost of $126 per game. I expected a cost bump something like $100. The center ice seats came at a cost premium over other mezzanine seats.
With the sad state of the current team and the price premium that the new arena brought...there are MANY sub-cost tickets available on the secondary ticket markets. I'll be using stub-hub and tick-pick for the foreseeable future to see my Red Wing games.
Truly, this year...after 32 years...the Wings priced me out of their market. It would be interesting to learn the season ticket renewal rates now that everyone has seen the new arena [[it IS marvelous) and watched the hockey teams descent first-hand.
Generally speaking for Stadiums/Arenas a majority of the seat widths are two sizes, within an inch of each other. Depending where at in the upper/lower and the row you are in could determine the sizes. When the the bowl starts to make its way around the bends. They have more room for wider seats to fill the row space, i.e if the row from aisle to aisle is 100 inches wide, you could have 5 - 20 inch seats. The higher you get up the aisle, the row could be 118 inches wide you could have 6 seats, 4 which are 20 inches and 2 which are 19 inches. You could then have the occasional oversize width of 21,22 inches to make the aisles line up.
Another example, is similar to seats at Ford Field, there are an odd number of seats in one row, 23 seats, then immediately behind that row there are 24 seats. So you will have "roomier" seats in the front row, but "tighter in the back row.
Olympia Stadium, it was btw.Quote:
Originally Posted by djtomt
I was there are a child and teen. I remember being positively frightened that I'd roll from the upper deck onto the ice surface. I held the mid-aisle rails for dear life. It was really steep. Its also why the upper level was an excellent place to watch hockey.
Vancouver has very steep upper deck seating, so much that there are rails in front of every row. It did have a lot more leg room and the actual deck was lower to the ice than the LCA.
I have been to a concert and a hockey game so far. At the concert I sat in the first row of the upper deck. Very cramped leg room. The seat was much more narrow. I actually had to come out of it a little sideways [[I'm a little bigger than average). I didn't get a feel for the steepness because for these seats you go up the ramp to the level then down one or two steps to the row. At the hockey game I sat behind the net in row 4 of the second level. For this section you have to go up to the third level then down the back to get to your seat. It was steep enough to make you feel like you needed to hold on to the rail, but made for an excellent view of the ice. The seat had a little more room here. While I wasn't lounging, I didn't feel cramped by the seat. The leg room was sparse here also, but not having a glass wall in front of me made it feel better. It would have been very easy to accidentally knee or kick somebody in the head if there was anyone in front of me though.
Having seen this though, I think my favorite seats in the house would be the last row. It has a drink rail and bar stools. They are very protective of them also. I just set a drink down to take my coat off and an usher was on me to check my ticket.
Ah yes. I grew up nearby. Recall seeing folks walking to get there for fancy events as a kid/teen. This link shows some of the seating and events held there...
http://historicdetroit.org/galleries...um-old-photos/
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch
Mezzanine seating at LCA is shallow [[front to back) and narrow, in my opinion unnecessarily so. Greed.
I have only attended an event at the LCA once, the Duel in the D. My seat was all right, but the row was way narrower than normal, plus the cupholders were right on the floor.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zacha341
Great find, Zacha341. A lot of forgotten history.
Cup holders on the floor sounds really hygienic? Not to mention stepping over or into. Just drink before you go would be the answer I suppose.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mtburb
I remember when Elvis played there right before he died. It was nuts the traffic near my parents home. The horns blowing and what not. O-S was quite a landmark too which you could see for miles away!
See second photo..... in link below comparing the arenas including LCA:
https://arenadigest.com/2017/10/04/a...oit-red-wings/
Quote:
Originally Posted by Honky Tonk
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zacha341
You can see that pizza-pizza logo, which I paid $350 mil for, pretty well on your tv set on game day.
^^^ My money's tight - for the logo, so I saved my pizza box from a five dollar hot-and-ready purchase made after dark! --:cool:--
Yes, but what a place to see Gordie Howe skate and a Dick the Bruiser vs. The Sheik cage match.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch
^^^ The Roller Derby action was a hoot too!
I have been to about a dozen events at LCA, sitting all over the building. Tonight I sat in the upper Gondola level, section G24.
If you are a hockey player or fan of the intricacies of the game, this is an absolute MUST SEE vantage point. It had the steepness of a a view only previously possible on a video game. Even though it is 65 feet above the ice, it seemed very close to the action. However, I could really see this being a bad seat for basketball due to the lack of perception of elevation of the ball.
Make sure to get a "row 1" seat on the glass, not the drink rail behind it. You can't beat it!!
Yeah, this sums it up.Quote:
Originally Posted by dtowncitylover
^^^ Uh, beyond that, this thread has been cool to help people find varied seating options for their needs. It seems the seats vary as well as the steepness of various sections/ levels. I feel better prepared to choose which options if I attend an event there.
and not bad for Pink Floyd! They played a GA concert at Olympia after Wish You Were Here came out.Quote:
Originally Posted by jiminnm
I made my first visit to LCA with a friend who had been handed a couple of lower bowl tix. So let's check it out.
After a hot bowl of Vietnamese noodles at Pho Lucky in the Addison it was off to the arena.
Walking south we passed the nearing-completion Wayne State Business School.
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2018/lca/lca-wsubiz.jpg
Entering the LCA one is struck by the immensity and spaciousness of the interior surrounding the seating arena. Those familiar with the narrow confines of the Joe Louis Arena will be in for a surprise.
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2018/lca/lca-escal.jpg
Not surprisingly there is a statue to Detroit hockey icon Gordie Howe.
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2018/lca/lca-gordie.jpg
Less featured is another Detroit Sports legend, Joe Louis whose name was on the former arena. The new name sells pizza not history.
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2018...a-joelouis.jpg
Across from Joe Chevy, a with huge sponsorship presence, has stuck a Corvette to the wall.
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2018/lca/lca-vet.jpg
Want to be a Red Wing? This photo-op set lets you sit on the bench.
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2018/lca/lca-selfie.jpg
As to the theme of this thread, this view gives a slice of the arena from my 17th row lower bowl seat five layers up to the nose bleed seats.
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2018/lca/lca-decks.jpg
My seat had just enough room to squeeze into but absolutely no room to stretch out my legs. After ten minutes I had to retreat with my recent-knee-replacement knee to the handicap seating at the top of the lower bowl. My advice: get those seats even if you aren't handicapped. Oh and the ticket price? A mere $178. What a deal, eh, to see two losing original six teams.
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2018/lca/lca-tix.jpg
Checked out the LCA for the first time and spoiled with Rehmann Club access. Pretty sweet I must say. Decent food, service and seats. Place is awesome.
The cheap seats at the Palace were horrible; you needed a sherpa guide and a yak to get up there. Got free tickets once, made my way up there, turned around and went back to the bar and watched the game on TV.
BTW, aren't cheap seats cheap because they are really... [[fill in the blank).
I never understood why the even built them. Let me explain: The seats are so bad [[just like the third deck in the OUTFIELD of a baseball stadium) that as the previous poster indicated, it might be the last place to watch the game. Go to the bar and watch there. Watch the game at home. Etc. Hint: and one can't get a sun tan in an arena.
I assume that they are there for PR reasons: Tickets available from $40. Or to give out to students, etc. etc. [[I was at the Wizards' MLKjr day matinee game and the rafters were full of students).
I was up in the rafters last April for a Wizards playoff game and promised next time I'd rather go to Hooters :rolleyes: * or watch at home.
* I had a ticket from a reseller for a Wizards playoff game a few years ago. The seller messed up and the ticket wasn't good and the reseller couldn't get me another tix. They refunded my money, plus a bonus, and I watched the game at Hooters a few blocks away.
It is my guess that the massive scoreboard was LCA's way of handling nose-bleed seating complaints. It is essentially eye level to the second and third levels. Even from my view it offered a good alternative. But it also begs the question others noted above, "Why not go to the bar, with drinks and eats a third of the cost?". Or stay home. And yet they come.
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2018/lca/lca-score.jpg
Lowell, I can offer you a first hand explanation:
I have a friend who will not watch a NBA game at home [[say Wizards vs. Cavs) but wants me to shell out $200 per ticket to see it live.
My guess is that the GAME ATMOSPHERE* that folks are paying for.
OTOH, I watch EMU FB and men's basketball via ESPN3 [[streaming) on a PC [[or tablet) and am happy. But I'm a die-hard.
If I could only watch on a 5" phone, I would...
* In baseball there is no game atmosphere when the temps are in the 30s or 40s and the hot dogs are cold and there are 5 - 10K folks [[maybe) in the stands.
Contrast that to game 6 or 7 of a NBA playoff where the crowd is electric.
Awesome photos Lowell and thanks for the info regarding knee room! Yeah hard-ware knees need more room usually...
I am convinced that the only reason people are complaining is because the on ice/court product is so bad. If we were in the playoffs in one or both of the sports played there, people would not care about cup holders or a 1 inch seat difference...they would just be thrilled to be in the building.
Think about it this way: With LCA now open, none of the current Detroit sports venues have ever seen the home team raise a championship banner in that facility, be it NHL, NBA, MLB or NFL.Quote:
Originally Posted by DetroitSoldier
Taking it one step further, CoPa is the only venue that has even hosted a playoff game that involved one of the Detroit teams. So it is hard to have traditions and memories at these new places that, frankly, haven’t hosted much if any sporting success.