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Carnesecca Arena, St. John's Basketball
Official Review by Samantha Bunten, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent
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Having gotten used to seeing college basketball teams playing in pro-caliber venues, walking into Carnesecca Arena felt a lot like walking into a high school gym at first. But that turned out to be kind of a good thing.
With so much trouble in the world of college sports relating to players and schools behaving as though they are running a professional sports organization, it ends up being quite refreshing to see a team play in a venue that reminds you that these are student athletes who are representing their school, not themselves, on the court.
And of course, once you really examine the facilities at Carnesecca, it becomes apparent that while this looks and feels a bit like a school gym, St.John's and their Red Storm facilities really offer much more than that.
Carnesecca is a bit of the best of both worlds: many of the modern, state-of-the art conveniences offered by pro-caliber venues, but that casual, school-spirit filled ambiance that only an amateur facility and its team can provide.
4.3
What is FANFARE?
The FANFARE scale is our metric device for rating each stadium experience. It covers the following:
Food & Beverage
Atmosphere
Neighborhood
Fans
Access
Return on Investment
Extras
Each area is rated from 0 to 5 stars with 5 being the best. The overall composite score is the "FANFARE Score".
Food & Beverage 3/5
You won't find a lot of bells and whistles at the Carnesecca concession stand. This is a college facility catering primarily to a student audience, and the food they serve reflects that.
There's no five-star dining here, and none of the sort of exotic cuisine that has become commonplace at many pro sports venues. But you won't miss that at all.
The food is standard, traditional sports venue fare like hot dogs, sodas, and pretzels, but it's good traditional sports venue fare. The food was fresh, the concession workers were friendly, and the prices were reflective of the fact that the majority of the audience is students from the university.
Atmosphere 5/5
St. John's plays a portion of its home schedule at Madison Square Garden, so going to see them on their home turf at Carnesecca on their campus in Queens is quite a shock if you've seen them on the big stage in Manhattan.
It takes some getting used to, but it turns out to be infinitely appealing. School pride is evident when you enter the building as you walk past the team's trophies and other memorabilia from the past.
The court and seating area itself feels small and a bit bare bones at first (seating capacity is 6,000), but ultimately the smaller, more traditional venue evokes a sense of intimacy and electricity. The compact seating bowl insures there are no bad seats where you're too far away to see the action on the court, and the closeness to both the court and the other fans gives you a feeling of direct involvement in the game even though you're merely a spectator watching one of the country's top basketball programs do their thing.
Neighborhood 5/5
Carnesecca Arena is located on the Queens campus of St. John's University, which means exploring the surrounding area gives you a chance to experience being a part of college life.
The campus is pretty, vibrant, and bustling with students, making it a great place to explore before or after the game for those looking to get the feel of the school as a whole rather than just catch a basketball game.
Fans 5/5
This is where the difference really emerges between watching a college team in its own facilities on its own campus and watching it make a guest appearance in a pro-style arena.
The Red Storm is the perfect team to illustrate this, given the portion of their schedule spent in Madison Square Garden. While watching the team in the Garden, the crowd seemed a bit detached and restless. There were groups who looked really into the action, but the rest seemed more like passive observers.
Not so at Carnesecca Arena, where everyone in the stands looked like they were on the edge of their seat and doing their best to be part of the action. The fans at Carnesecca were engaged with the play on the court and totally focused on the game.
It felt as though the audience was almost completely made up of St. John's students, and that's a very good thing. The evident sense of school pride is refreshing for anyone who remembers what it feels like to cheer on a team that is truly your own.
Access 5/5
As long as you're comfortable with New York City public transportation, getting to Carnesecca Arena couldn't be easier. The subway ride from Penn Station is just under an hour, and Carnesecca is about a 15 minute walk from the 169th street station in Queens. There are also city buses and cabs available for those who prefer not to walk the final stretch.
When walking between the station and the arena, you truly get the feel of strolling a college campus for much of the journey. However, you should take care to remember, especially at night, that this is still New York City. While the area is not particularly dangerous, those walking at night should exercise caution, stick to well-lit areas, and take a cab or bus if you feel uncomfortable.
For those who prefer to drive, the University is easily accessible via car (directions can be found on their website) and they have plenty of parking near the arena.
Return on Investment 4/5
All in all, attending a Red Storm game at Carnesecca felt like it was well worth the money. The ticket prices do feel a little steep if you want to sit near the court ($35 for court level seats, $20 for the upper area of the seating bowl), but when you factor in the low cost of transportation to the arena and notably lower concession prices than many college basketball venues, it winds up being a pretty good deal.
Not to mention the fact that if you can spare the $35 for the court level seat, you'll have an up-close view of the action that is well worth the money. And if you're fortunate enough to be a student at St. John's, tickets are just $5.
Extras 3/5
There aren't a lot of extras at Carnesecca, but the extras that are there are pretty satisfying. The chance to explore the campus makes it worth going a little early to the game or staying a little late after it.
The collection of trophies and team memorabilia on display in the arena is worth a look, and the university's dance team puts on a great halftime show.
Carnesecca Arena, St. John's Basketball
Official Review by Samantha Bunten, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent
0 Comments | 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Having gotten used to seeing college basketball teams playing in pro-caliber venues, walking into Carnesecca Arena felt a lot like walking into a high school gym at first. But that turned out to be kind of a good thing.
With so much trouble in the world of college sports relating to players and schools behaving as though they are running a professional sports organization, it ends up being quite refreshing to see a team play in a venue that reminds you that these are student athletes who are representing their school, not themselves, on the court.
And of course, once you really examine the facilities at Carnesecca, it becomes apparent that while this looks and feels a bit like a school gym, St.John's and their Red Storm facilities really offer much more than that.
Carnesecca is a bit of the best of both worlds: many of the modern, state-of-the art conveniences offered by pro-caliber venues, but that casual, school-spirit filled ambiance that only an amateur facility and its team can provide.
4.3
What is FANFARE?
The FANFARE scale is our metric device for rating each stadium experience. It covers the following:
Food & Beverage
Atmosphere
Neighborhood
Fans
Access
Return on Investment
Extras
Each area is rated from 0 to 5 stars with 5 being the best. The overall composite score is the "FANFARE Score".
Food & Beverage 3/5
You won't find a lot of bells and whistles at the Carnesecca concession stand. This is a college facility catering primarily to a student audience, and the food they serve reflects that.
There's no five-star dining here, and none of the sort of exotic cuisine that has become commonplace at many pro sports venues. But you won't miss that at all.
The food is standard, traditional sports venue fare like hot dogs, sodas, and pretzels, but it's good traditional sports venue fare. The food was fresh, the concession workers were friendly, and the prices were reflective of the fact that the majority of the audience is students from the university.
Atmosphere 5/5
St. John's plays a portion of its home schedule at Madison Square Garden, so going to see them on their home turf at Carnesecca on their campus in Queens is quite a shock if you've seen them on the big stage in Manhattan.
It takes some getting used to, but it turns out to be infinitely appealing. School pride is evident when you enter the building as you walk past the team's trophies and other memorabilia from the past.
The court and seating area itself feels small and a bit bare bones at first (seating capacity is 6,000), but ultimately the smaller, more traditional venue evokes a sense of intimacy and electricity. The compact seating bowl insures there are no bad seats where you're too far away to see the action on the court, and the closeness to both the court and the other fans gives you a feeling of direct involvement in the game even though you're merely a spectator watching one of the country's top basketball programs do their thing.
Neighborhood 5/5
Carnesecca Arena is located on the Queens campus of St. John's University, which means exploring the surrounding area gives you a chance to experience being a part of college life.
The campus is pretty, vibrant, and bustling with students, making it a great place to explore before or after the game for those looking to get the feel of the school as a whole rather than just catch a basketball game.
Fans 5/5
This is where the difference really emerges between watching a college team in its own facilities on its own campus and watching it make a guest appearance in a pro-style arena.
The Red Storm is the perfect team to illustrate this, given the portion of their schedule spent in Madison Square Garden. While watching the team in the Garden, the crowd seemed a bit detached and restless. There were groups who looked really into the action, but the rest seemed more like passive observers.
Not so at Carnesecca Arena, where everyone in the stands looked like they were on the edge of their seat and doing their best to be part of the action. The fans at Carnesecca were engaged with the play on the court and totally focused on the game.
It felt as though the audience was almost completely made up of St. John's students, and that's a very good thing. The evident sense of school pride is refreshing for anyone who remembers what it feels like to cheer on a team that is truly your own.
Access 5/5
As long as you're comfortable with New York City public transportation, getting to Carnesecca Arena couldn't be easier. The subway ride from Penn Station is just under an hour, and Carnesecca is about a 15 minute walk from the 169th street station in Queens. There are also city buses and cabs available for those who prefer not to walk the final stretch.
When walking between the station and the arena, you truly get the feel of strolling a college campus for much of the journey. However, you should take care to remember, especially at night, that this is still New York City. While the area is not particularly dangerous, those walking at night should exercise caution, stick to well-lit areas, and take a cab or bus if you feel uncomfortable.
For those who prefer to drive, the University is easily accessible via car (directions can be found on their website) and they have plenty of parking near the arena.
Return on Investment 4/5
All in all, attending a Red Storm game at Carnesecca felt like it was well worth the money. The ticket prices do feel a little steep if you want to sit near the court ($35 for court level seats, $20 for the upper area of the seating bowl), but when you factor in the low cost of transportation to the arena and notably lower concession prices than many college basketball venues, it winds up being a pretty good deal.
Not to mention the fact that if you can spare the $35 for the court level seat, you'll have an up-close view of the action that is well worth the money. And if you're fortunate enough to be a student at St. John's, tickets are just $5.
Extras 3/5
There aren't a lot of extras at Carnesecca, but the extras that are there are pretty satisfying. The chance to explore the campus makes it worth going a little early to the game or staying a little late after it.
The collection of trophies and team memorabilia on display in the arena is worth a look, and the university's dance team puts on a great halftime show.