March 9, 2014
Barclays Center (Capacity: 17,732)
Brooklyn, NY
Brooklyn Nets vs Sacramento Kings
Final Score: 104 – 89
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45 years after the Dodgers left Brooklyn, professional sports returned in 2012 with the NBA’s Nets moving into the new Barclays Center. Before the game, I spent the day exploring the largest of New York City’s five boroughs. With a population of 2.5 million, it was still surprising to me how much Brooklyn is like its own city, complete with a downtown and business district. Citizens show great pride and the diverse borough is made up of many distinctive neighborhoods and districts. The Nets started out in Long Island as part of the ABA and won a few titles before their move to New Jersey as they became absorbed into the NBA. After a few mostly down decades, they made the Finals in the early 2000s, led by Jason Kidd. A planned move to Brooklyn took many years to complete as Bruce Ratner’s ownership group made the plans to build a controversial new arena. Finally in 2012, the facility was finished and the Nets began their Brooklyn years by bringing in star players with high price tags to try and quickly win. The long awaited completion of the Barclays Center was met with optimism for a returning sports franchise, but dread by the local neighborhood that did not want the accompanying change, which included the removal of homes and businesses. A stunning exterior introduction is the prized feature of the building, though while the inside is modern, it has some dark downfalls.
Prestige Ranking: 3.5 out of 5
Location
As part of the Atlantic Yards project, Barclays Center is situated in the changing Prospect Heights neighborhood, located in the northwest side of the borough. This section is mixed between residential housing units and the very busy commercial section of Atlantic/Flatbush Avenues. New business and shopping centers line the streets to the left of the arena, with much of it being big-box retail as this is essentially a shopping mall. Down Flatbush, more local eateries can be found and different establishments are also being created. This whole area likely will be changing for decades as continued development takes place, which include many new high-rise condos (as evidenced by the towering cranes in the background of some photos). About a 20 minute walk from Barclays Center is the Grand Army Plaza and the entrance to Prospect Park, a huge open public space that includes the Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. While the borough does not have the attractiveness found in Manhattan, there is still plenty to do as we spent our time before the game in downtown and in the Brooklyn Heights section, about a five-minute subway ride away. Along with some great food, especially Pizza and Italian, the area offers the Transit Museum, historic walking sections and of course, the famed walkable Brooklyn Bridge.
Location Ranking: 7.5 out of 10
Accessibility / Parking
I was not even thinking about driving to the Barclays Center due to the unpredictable traffic, usual high congestion and stress of driving in NYC. It is likely that an expensive toll bridge is needed to get to the BQE (I-278), which would be the main highway to get down Atlantic Ave. While various garages and surface lots are around, driving is discouraged by the Barclays Center as they say parking is very limited. Mass Transit is the way to get around New York City and the ease of access going that route to Barclays is excellent. The Atlantic Ave station is a huge transportation hub as many subways converge there. We took the 3 train from midtown Manhattan for a 20 minute ride. It was impressive to see the exit of the underground station open right to the main entrance and front doors. Commuters from Long Island can use the LIRR, though many branches have to transfer at Jamaica for an annoying second train. Signs are all clear on where to go and I was pleasantly surprised that foot traffic wasn’t unbearable after the game.
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 4 out of 8
Exterior
Coming out from the underground subway is a stunning introduction to a remarkably unique and modern arena. Designers went completely out of the box on the look and I loved it. The shape may be best described as an oyster and the oval (oculus) overhang above the entrance plaza is quite distinctive. The inside of this oval has an advertising video screen, while “Barclays Center” is written horizontally in blue on the front façade. Large windows above the entrance doors feature murals of Nets players. The other notable feature is the use of brown panel, with a gentle wavy appearance from far away. The paneling has a sort of window siding resemblance, while the dominant brown color represents the brownstone houses throughout much of the borough. This all comes together to really wow from the outside.
Exterior Ranking: 10 out of 10
Concourse
A large open atrium includes a glimpse at the inside of the arena, primarily the center scoreboard. From here, the main concourse circles the arena. An urban chic look includes a lot of dark coloring with charcoal-colored walls and interesting horizontal lighting. While there are some open outlets, I feel like there could be another gathering area to disperse some traffic a bit more. Along with a couple large team stores, one of odder things in the concourse is the GQ Barber Shop and while I get the idea, how many haircuts do you really think happen here? There is a second-level concourse, but access is an issue as only two escalators lead to this area. Trying to get back down during the game is annoying because each narrow escalator inexplicably only goes one way and the lone elevator down is slow. Stairs are almost disguised too. Anyway, upstairs is a smaller, plainer level with less space for concessions and many narrow spots.
Concourse Ranking: 3 out of 5
Food
Brooklyn has a distinctive flavor for food and it is showcased wonderfully at the arena. Nearly every stand highlights the borough and even the snacks are Made in Brooklyn (like McClure’s Potato Chips and Belgals’ Black and White Cookie). Huge (and expensive) deli sandwiches include corned beef or pastrami, while just a few of the other local favorites include Knishes, Fatty Cue’s Smoked Brisket, excellent Sicilian Pizza from L&B Spumoni Gardens and Nathan’s Hot Dogs. Barclays features one of the more high quality deserts at a sporting event. That’s right, Brooklyn’s own Juniors provides their amazing cheesecakes. While Bud products dominate the venue, Brooklyn Brewery offerings are available too. Lastly, there is a bar near the main entrance called Eighteen76 to go along with the Foxwoods Bar.
Food Ranking: 8 out of 8
Interior
I was turned off by the inside because something else was turned off…the lights. In order to showcase the court (similar to what the Lakers and Knicks do), the lights are dimmed in the bowl and it is so ridiculously dark, that I could not read my program. Fans stumbled across feet walking through an aisle and my pictures came out like crap as I cursed the lack of light. As for the shape, it is an octagon which is optimal for basketball and all of the seats are black. The lower level has a partial walkway two-thirds up the bowl that separate the double digit and triple digit sections. In the middle levels of the arena are specialty seating in the form of traditional suites, loge boxes and the opening to the Honda Club. The 200 level upper deck is quite steep with each row beginning at the feet/floor of the row above. It promotes good sightlines, but this area is quite high up on the sides thanks to the double-decker suite level. We sat in a corner of the upper level and I also didn’t like how there were some obstructions as glass partitions get in the way of a few seats (mind-boggling for an arena just built). I left the arena underwhelmed and a little insulted with my experience sitting in the cheaper seats, specifically sitting in the oddly divided section 221, which cut the row in half.
Interior Ranking: 6 out of 14
Scoreboard
The center scoreboard almost seems too big, but that is being picky as it is presented very well with the now requisite crystal-clear image. Each of the four sides has a square screen that displays video perfectly and the mix between live action and replays is balanced. A smaller rectangular screen above can join the bottom one for an even bigger picture, but during the game it is utilized as the game info and stats board. Above that is a circular ad board with the “Barclays Center” logo rounding around the very top. Near the roof at each end is a sizable video screen, while ribbon displays go around the middle façade.
Scoreboard Ranking: 4 out of 4
Displays
The young arena does not feature too many displays and I’m not sure if that’s purposely done to keep the consistent, monotone black/gray look. On the walls, there are a few pictures of old athletic club teams in Brooklyn. While the Nets may not have been new to the borough, there are plenty of other franchises or even Brooklyn sports honors that could have been done. Inside, it was a nice touch to maintain all the franchise banners and they include ABA titles, along with the more recent division/conference championships while in New Jersey. Six retired numbers are on the other side, while hanging above one end showcases the 8 sold-out shows that Jay-Z opened the arena with. Back outside, there is a rock structure under the main entrance that has no explanation. A better display can be found further back, where the start of the plaza includes the flagpole that stood at Ebbets Field.
Displays Ranking: 2.5 out of 6
Cost
I couldn’t find a seating diagram that has individual ticket prices as the best that can be found is costs from TicketMaster for each game. These differ drastically as my $35 seat (without the exorbitant fees) for a Sunday game vs Sacramento went for just $13 on a Wednesday vs Charlotte. Meanwhile, when Boston came to town on a Friday Night, that same seat was $63. It certainly appears that the Nets are using the trendy pricing model that takes into account day and opponent. Based on season-ticket average, Brooklyn is sixth highest in the league. Given the location, high cost is expected and that is the case with parking (most lots $20 – $40) and food. The latter is outrageous, especially the $16 deli sandwich. A hot dog costs $6, while a ‘prime’ burger goes for $10 and even a five dollar bill is needed to buy chips. A large beer costs over $10 and bottled water is $5. At least the programs are free!
Cost Ranking: 4.5 out of 8
Fan Support
This is one of the few franchise moves that seems right as Brooklyn makes for a better home and fan base than New Jersey ever did. While this has not translated to continuous sell-outs (the Nets have only ranked in the middle of the league for attendance their first couple years), the support seems better. As the only professional franchise in the borough, Brooklyn has taken well to the team and I think that will hold or build in the years to come. The game I attended filled the arena about three-fourths of the way, though it was a slow arriving crowd.
Fan Support Ranking: 6.5 out of 8
Atmosphere
The atmosphere was a little disappointing as it seemed fans needed to be prompted by the PA or scoreboard for their cheers. As expected there were loud individuals that make it be known you are in Brooklyn, some entertaining, some not. While the usual big plays brought noise, nobody ever came out of their seat or really had the place rocking. Maybe it was the lowly Kings keeping the crowd down as the next night, the atmosphere was more elevated against division-leader Toronto. Playoff appearances thus far have not elevated the status of Brooklyn fans or made for an impressive home court advantage.
Atmosphere Ranking: 8 out of 14
Other Stuff
In 2015, the New York Islanders plan to play here. The whole circumstance is odd as the Islanders wanted to stay in the region, but could not get their new arena or renovations in Nassau County. Though they went with Barclays, it will be very awkward as the arena was solely designed for basketball, thus leading to strange hockey configurations (along with being a true second-rate tenant). Let’s see how long this lasts……Jay-Z is a small, but visible part of the ownership group and his fingerprints can be seen all over, specifically in regards to the color scheme…..After the franchise initially was called the “Americans”, the new name of “Nets” was chosen not just for the basketball reference, but also because it rhymed with other local teams “Mets” and “Jets”…..Accessible from both inside and out are the Shops at Barclays Center, which include Rocawear, MetroPCS (why?) and a Yogurt place…..The Nets Kids have become a highlight during a timeout. These young folks perform a choreographed dance routine with moves that elicited more than a few gasps from the interested crowd. They are really good and worth waiting for.
Game
Brooklyn came into the game as overwhelming favorites and they flexed their muscles from the very beginning, even without Kevin Garnett in the lineup. Sacramento turned the ball over 24 times, yet they were able to come back in the third quarter and tie the game at 55. However, Nets reserve Marcus Thornton exploded for 27 points and he helped Brooklyn make the final push. A 21-6 run propelled the Nets at the end of the game and they went on to win 104-89.
Stadium and Arena Visits 
