I thought I was having an adverse reaction to my medication when I walked through on opening night. It was very disorienting.
Quite honestly, the building is a giant lawsuit waiting to happen.
Improvements to North Station and TD Garden taking shape
- Thread starter Fenway
- Start date
Quite honestly, the building is a giant lawsuit waiting to happen.
talkinaway
Registered User
The main entryway lights were almost completely off when I left the game Saturday. Very dangerous, especially for people not familiar with the garden, and for kids and the elderly.
The light show is kinda cool, but not when 17000+ people are trying to get home.
On the plus side, the entrance by Dunkin’ wasn’t that packed. They closed it for the Chicago preseason game, which was a shitstorm., but it’s open now.
The light show is kinda cool, but not when 17000+ people are trying to get home.
On the plus side, the entrance by Dunkin’ wasn’t that packed. They closed it for the Chicago preseason game, which was a shitstorm., but it’s open now.
I sat in the 4th row of the loge at the Celtics last Friday and I sat in the corner loge for the Bruins the previous Saturday. I can honestly say that this seating debacle is truly friggin horrible. The loge seats were somehow worse than my balcony season tickets.
2 big guys cannot sit comfortably next to eachother.
Does anyone know how they plan to fix this? they are BRUTALLY uncomfortable.
2 big guys cannot sit comfortably next to eachother.
Does anyone know how they plan to fix this? they are BRUTALLY uncomfortable.
An update posted on the Garden web site a couple of weeks ago said that technicians have completed a full modification to Loge seating sections, adjusting seat back angles to improve legroom. I don't know how big you are but I am not terribly tall and my knees were up against the seat back in front of me. Games I have gone to after the 17th I did notice a slight improvement in leg room. But don't hold your breath on the seat width I think we are stuck with that.
talkinaway
Registered User
This is my biggest complaint, and, sadly, I think you're right. I don't see how they pop out a seat in some of the balcony sections and magically install seats that match the width of the old seats.
One other thing I've noticed form the birds-eye view - section 10 in the loge has a row with 22 (!) seats! Imagine if you're in seat 11-12 in that row, and you have to climb over 10 people to get to the aisle? I don't think it was that way before, but I could be wrong.
The main question is what they plan to do to make it up to STHs. My pipe dream would be some combination of:
1) Refund of the regular season price increase from 2018-2019 to 2019-2020.
2) A freeze on future price hikes for regular season AND playoff ticket packages for STHs until a significant and meaningful change is made to the seating.
3) Make the first preseason game free for 2020-2021.
4) A food and beverage card (aka the "Jumbo homemade meatball" option) with some preloaded amount on it.
5) Half-priced food and non-alcoholic (thanks, Ground Round!) beverages for select weekday games (aka the Aramark option - if Fenway can produce a $5 ticket, 1 inning game with $1 hot dogs, Delaware North can damn well cut prices for a game or two per month)
6) An additional Team Event or two. For any Bruin that shows up to more than one event, a significant donation to the charity of their choice - frankly, it's not the players' responsibility to pick up after the owners' doo-doo, so they should get something for this.
7) Restore the State of the Bruins event, with Charlie and Jeremy in attendance, like how it used to be. Throw it up as a live webcast, too.
8) A public apology, and regular updates. It's been 20 days since a three-sentence update on the website, and 27 days since the longer message that promised to "make it right for guests". At least once a month until the problem is -actually- fixed....they're not there yet, but I'd like to know if that October 17th update means they think they're done? Because they're not. It'd be nice for the Globe to run a "One Month Later" article, but I'm not sure if that'll happen - but I'm 100% certain that the meager response we got was due to all the media coverage of the new seating.
9) It's November already. Get the promotions page up - and have extra promotions, with at least double the number of items given away. With the increased capacity, 5,000 bobbleheads/hats/whatever will go too quick - make it 10K. I guess they're just nixing all promotions this year? The page also usually has the "special nights" listed - military night, cancer night, EMT night, hearth health night, etc. Every team in the Atlantic except for Buffalo has some form of a promotions page up.
None of these actually solve the problem. I'd love for them to rip up the seats this summer and put seating back in that's as close to the old configuration as possible, but I know that's not realistic. But it would be recognition that they made a big mistake, and would be a meaningful way to make it up to the fans.
I got this form email YESTERDAY
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. Sorry for the delay. I appreciate your opinion regarding the Garden HDX, ice conditions and new ticketing process. As you know, we have been working diligently to evaluate everyone’s feedback with the arena changes. Please send me your seat location and STH account number.
Best,
Amy
I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts they end doing the airline ripoff of making some seats bigger and offering them at premium prices. Comfort class. Or whatever bullshit they’re called.
talkinaway
Registered User
I think they're trying to create a "heat map of dissatisfaction" - I remember that I got an unprompted survey from the Garden after opening night. It was basically 3 questions: how's the legroom, how's the width, and where are your seats? I guess it's a good sign, but I'm overall skeptical.
They're trying, but when the Iron Chef reveals that the secret ingredient is shit, it honestly doesn't matter what the chefs do. You can admire the technique, but it's still a pile of shit.
talkinaway
Registered User
Just got an email touting some "improvements" to Account Manager:
The top item is just a PDF file of four "certificates" that you have to print out yourself. (Hope you have lots of black and gold toner!) I guess you stick it a card and send to your friend/family. You know, instead of the simplicity of giving them an actual HARD TICKET. You still have to get the recipient of your ticket to make a Ticketmaster/Bruins account and have them figure out how to get to the webpage that has the QR code on it.
The other three "improvements" have always been available online.
I'd say the improvements are tone deaf, but that would be an insult to Justin Bieber.
- Download certificates when transferring tickets for holidays, birthdays, and more
- Learn more about experience upgrades, like suite rentals
- Stay up to date with exclusive Season Ticket Holder events
- View your Season Ticket payment schedule
The top item is just a PDF file of four "certificates" that you have to print out yourself. (Hope you have lots of black and gold toner!) I guess you stick it a card and send to your friend/family. You know, instead of the simplicity of giving them an actual HARD TICKET. You still have to get the recipient of your ticket to make a Ticketmaster/Bruins account and have them figure out how to get to the webpage that has the QR code on it.
The other three "improvements" have always been available online.
I'd say the improvements are tone deaf, but that would be an insult to Justin Bieber.
I decided to send a scathing email to my rep about the seats.
cut and pasted response of "exploring any and all fixes... fixing the leg room in the loge first.. blah blah blah"
cut and pasted response of "exploring any and all fixes... fixing the leg room in the loge first.. blah blah blah"
talkinaway
Registered User
Just remember that your rep had nothing to do with the decision that was made to shrink the seats, and has everything to do with some temporary patches that they may be able to provide. It may be a band-aid on knife to the jugular, but it's something.
Polite but firm is my advice.
I'm literally wondering if there's been ANY positive feedback they've had about the seats? Is there anywhere that wasn't screwed up? I'm thinking maaaaaaaybe the suites and club, but even those seats don't seem quite as good - it's a lateral move at best. And probably the promenade.
I told my rep outright that while The Hub, the expanded concourses, and the revamped tunnel from North Station to the T are all nice, I'd gladly give up all of that to have the old seating arrangement back.
They invested in areas where the fans spend money.. they made the area where we don't spend money less comfortable
Therick67
Registered User
talkinaway
Registered User
I'll admit, this crossed my mind back in Feb/March when they announced the plan to squeeze extra seats in and expand the concourse. I'm not sure my literal take on it is 100% accurate - "Make the fans so uncomfortable in the arena that they'll be forced to go out into the concourse and eat". Do that too much, and you wind up with fans like me who go on a concessions strike, and you shoot yourself in the foot. Plus, as a practical matter, beer in the balcony is now tricky. Literally opening night, security had to be called to my section because of spilled beer between two people. There's a good chance it might have been on purpose, but accidental spillage has to be up, with everyone sitting shoulder-to-shoulder.
I realize that after last nights loss, it is not the time to revel in JJ's concession developments......
BUT.... that back row bar and gathering area is the best thing they've done to the buiding since it's opened. a HUGE area to mingle and the bar is really cool as it's made from the old boards and dasher and the bartop is old parquet
They of course, screwed up the bathroom situation by only adding 4 urinals and a stall.
It really changes the balcony experience on the 301 side.
BUT.... that back row bar and gathering area is the best thing they've done to the buiding since it's opened. a HUGE area to mingle and the bar is really cool as it's made from the old boards and dasher and the bartop is old parquet
They of course, screwed up the bathroom situation by only adding 4 urinals and a stall.
It really changes the balcony experience on the 301 side.
Now the Bruins are saying the capacity is 17,850 so they seem to be counting the new Level 8 and 9 seats.
When I worked for a major government contractor and was a union steward I spoke to a friend who was management about complains that I was receiving regarding certain issues. He told me in confidence that management decided that it's "impossible to make everyone equally happy BUT it was possible to make everyone equally UNHAPPY."
IMO team owners have taken on the same attitude when faced with complaints from their loyal customers:
Point at the other building/team owners and state that "they were in line with other arenas." It's basically a game of waiting for the s***-storm to die down and rake in the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!
BigGoalBrad
Registered User
- Jun 3, 2012
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BruinsFanSince94
The Perfect Fan ™
Is this the bar that you need to spend like 1300 dollars on just to be a member and then buy tickets to go?
what was it before? the have the new level 8 bar stools, but there is also standing room behind those seats. wonder how many standing room tickets they will sell.
- Mar 8, 2011
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Chief Nine
Registered User
- May 31, 2015
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