Little Caesars Arena-Cramped Upper Seats, Steep Stairs-Generally Uncomfortable?

**Wesley Mouch** · March-22-18, 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by djtomt

...If you were ever at Olympia Arena [[I wasn't - too young), from what I understand, the upper deck was the same way. ...

Olympia Stadium, it was btw.

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.

**EGrant** · March-22-18, 03:37 PM

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.

**gencinjay** · March-23-18, 10:29 AM

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.

**Zacha341** · March-24-18, 07:02 PM

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/

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Olympia Stadium, it was btw.

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.

**Crystal** · March-24-18, 08:23 PM

Mezzanine seating at LCA is shallow [[front to back) and narrow, in my opinion unnecessarily so. Greed.

**mtburb** · March-24-18, 10:08 PM

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.

**Honky Tonk** · March-24-18, 10:28 PM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

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/

Great find, Zacha341. A lot of forgotten history.

**Zacha341** · March-24-18, 10:37 PM

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.

Originally Posted by mtburb

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.

**Zacha341** · March-24-18, 10:39 PM

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/

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Great find, Zacha341. A lot of forgotten history.

**Honky Tonk** · March-25-18, 05:58 AM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

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/

You can see that pizza-pizza logo, which I paid $350 mil for, pretty well on your tv set on game day.

**Zacha341** · March-25-18, 08:25 AM

^^^ My money's tight - for the logo, so I saved my pizza box from a five dollar hot-and-ready purchase made after dark! --

--

**jiminnm** · March-25-18, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Olympia Stadium, it was btw.

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.

Yes, but what a place to see Gordie Howe skate and a Dick the Bruiser vs. The Sheik cage match.

**Zacha341** · March-25-18, 10:51 AM

^^^ The Roller Derby action was a hoot too!

**DetroitSoldier** · March-27-18, 10:29 PM

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!!

**Lombaowski** · March-28-18, 01:40 AM

Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

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.

Yeah, this sums it up.

**Zacha341** · March-28-18, 08:05 AM

^^^ 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.

**pjbear05** · March-28-18, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by jiminnm

Yes, but what a place to see Gordie Howe skate and a Dick the Bruiser vs. The Sheik cage match.

and not bad for Pink Floyd! They played a GA concert at Olympia after Wish You Were Here came out.

**Lowell** · April-07-18, 12:25 PM

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.

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.

Not surprisingly there is a statue to Detroit hockey icon Gordie Howe.

Less featured is another Detroit Sports legend, Joe Louis whose name was on the former arena. The new name sells pizza not history.

Across from Joe Chevy, a with huge sponsorship presence, has stuck a Corvette to the wall.

Want to be a Red Wing? This photo-op set lets you sit on the bench.

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.

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.

**SammyS** · April-07-18, 08:31 PM

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.

**jcole** · April-08-18, 06:57 AM

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.

**emu steve** · April-08-18, 07:07 AM

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

* 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.

**Lowell** · April-08-18, 10:17 AM

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.

**emu steve** · April-08-18, 11:22 AM

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.

**Zacha341** · April-08-18, 11:35 AM

Awesome photos Lowell and thanks for the info regarding knee room! Yeah hard-ware knees need more room usually...

**DetroitSoldier** · April-08-18, 06:26 PM

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.