UMBC Stadium is a practice and performance space that provides 90,000 square feet of artificial turf surface for the UMBC outdoor sports teams. The stadium is the dedicated competition field for the men's and women's lacrosse teams and the field hockey team, although the soccer team also uses it as a back-up playing area. UMBC Stadium also features a locker room complex, training facilities, a full-sized scoreboard, a public address system, a press box and two concession areas.
M&T Bank Stadium is a stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. M&T Bank Stadium currently houses the NFL team the Baltimore Ravens. The stadium opened as Ravens Stadium at Camden Yards on September 6, 1998 with the construction taking just over a two years at a cost of just over $220 million, $310 million in present day dollars. In 2003 M&T Bank acquired the naming rights to the stadium. The stadium was built to accommodate the newly acquired team.
The Baltimore Ravens are two time Super Bowl Champions and are members of the North Division of the American Football Conference within the NFL. They are known by their team colors consisting of purple, black, gold and white. The current owner of the Baltimore Ravens is Steve Bisciotti.
The stadium currently holds 71,008 fans. There are 119 luxury suites and over 8,100 seats at the club level. Currently, it was the fifteenth largest stadium in the NFL. M&T Bank Stadium is also a great venue for concerts and has hosted such musicians as Justin Timberlake, Coldplay and Billy Idol. M&T Bank Stadium also has hosted several college football, high school football, soccer and lacrosse games.
The majority of tickets for Ravens’ games are sold out and there is an extensive waitlist for season tickets. However, fans can possibly find available tickets for individual games at ticket exchanges.
This Mount Washington Aquatic center is most famously known as the home training center for local Olympian Michael Phelps, and the impressive facility lives up to its high profile.
The star of Meadowbrook is the 1 million gallon outdoor pool, but members also have access to indoor lap pools, a therapy pool, an expansive children's pool with fountains, and a hot tub.
Membership also includes use of the exercise rooms, which offer weight training, cardio machines and a cycling area. In the seasonable months, members are encourages to play a game of tennis, or just enjoy a picnic lunch under one of the outdoor pavilions.
Roland Park Driving School, located in the Hamden Rotunda Building offers a quick but thorough preparation for the Maryland Driver's License exam. Students take class every night for 10 days. In addition, the school offers driver improvement courses and drug and alcohol awareness programs. It also loans vehicles to students, if needed, for taking the final MVA exam. Classes run continuously, and you can check the Web site for course dates and times.
Hopkins & Associates is an independent computer repair technician, serving Roland Park and the surrounding areas.
Located in Baltimore's sprawling, ever-expanding, and highly walkable Inner Harbor tourist fun zone, the first of its kind Oriole Park at Camden Yards "retro" stadium was constructed for one purpose: Orioles baseball. It's one of the best places in the country to catch a game, with loyal fans who are generally tolerant of visiting team colors. Even if you're there to root for the other team, get into the spirit of the Orioles by shouting that second "O" in the National Anthem.
Parking and parking alternatives at Orioles Park at Camden Yards
Camden Yards has a limited amount of reasonably-priced parking available on lots south of the stadium, but the closer spaces require a 10-day advance purchase. Allow yourself an extra half-hour to drive to parking near the ballpark. Gameday parking is available on stadium property, but it's more limited and more of a hike. Parking passes attached to season tickets are frequently resold as parking-only offers on ticket resale sites such as StubHub. There's also ample parking at a number of public surface and garage lots in the area, but if you're heading in from out of town for the day, consider starting out early vial light rail, after parking (free) at one of the larger commuter parking lots at stops outside the city. For a total tourist experience, take public transportation such as the Charm City Circulator (free) or an MTA bus, to a neighborhood handy to the Water Taxi, then cruise into the Inner Harbor, hop off at one of a number of Harborplace stops, and stroll down Pratt Street to the stadium.
Where to stay near Orioles Park at Camden Yards
If you're looking for a hotel handy to the game, you can't get any closer than the relatively new Hilton Baltimore, right across the street from OPACY (some of the suites even have a limited view of the field), but the in-season rates might be prohibitive. The Holiday Inn is only a block away from the stadium and a bit more reasonable. A bit further but still not too bad of a walk from the park is the restaurant and bar-rich Mount Vernon Neighborhood, with a few notable hotels such as the Wyndham and the Hotel Brexton, and some nice B&B's. If you're more budget-minded, you can look to surrounding Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties for accommodations that are a quick drive or trip on Light Rail, and if you're deeply budget conscious and want to stay in the city, there's always the ultra-budget Hi-Baltimore hostel located between Mount Vernon and downtown/Inner Harbor.
Seating at Orioles Park at Camden Yards
Seating at OPACY runs the typical gamut from nosebleed and hard seats to close to home plate with cup holders and extra padding. Sold-out games trigger inexpensive walk-up standing room only tickets. A great mid-price option are the Eutaw Street Bleachers (sections 90-98), which put you close enough to the outfielders to get off some good heckles, but also very close to the restrooms and food and drink vendors on Eutaw Street, and the center left side gives you a great view of the bullpens. For family gatherings, if you can swing a group purchase of 15 or more, try the left field "Picnic Perch," which entitles you to unlimited menu items such as hot dogs, soft drinks, and more. The relatively new Roof Deck Bar in center field is open to everyone attending games and great for those who can't stand waiting for a beer. There's also two rows of bar stools overlooking the field, which can be reserved with a regular ticket purchase.
Food at Orioles Park at Camden Yards
The dining experience at Camden Yards continues to evolve, in addition to Boog's BBQ and a crabcake at the Old Bay Seafood booth, there's also the Kosher Sports hot dog stand (closed on Saturdays) and the tasty and filling TAKO Korean BBQ kiosk featuring a different take on tacos plus dense steamed buns with an assortment of fillings.
Beer at Orioles Park at Camden Yards
The variety and availability of beer at the Yard also continues to improve, and all the usual domestic and import macrobrews are on offer, with local favorite National Bohemian being the value leader, generally a buck cheaper than everything else, along with lots of representation from the likes of Corona, Leinenkugel, and Flying Dog—where there's usually a surprisingly short line—at stands throughout the stadium, together with ever-changing craft beer offerings at the Free State Pub on the main concourse, and Dempsey's Brewpub on the Eutaw Street side.
What to bring
Most of the seating in the park is out in the open, so bring sunscreen for day games, and while you can bring an umbrella inside the stadium, you won't be able to use it in the stands if it blocks someone's vision, so bring a raincoat or fold-up poncho if it looks like rain and you want to stay in your seat.
Insider tips for visiting Orioles Park at Camden Yards
The lines into the park, especially on a giveaway day, can be frustratingly long at the highly-popular gate H entrance, where people tend to congregate to meet and deliver tickets before a game. Avoid that entrance. Great places to enter the ballpark are the gate A entrance, on the south side of Eutaw Street, or the gate E entrance, on the Russell Street side of the stadium.
If you are a traditionalist and like peanuts at the ballgame, the price you'll pay just outside the gates for nuts in a brown paper bag (you can bring into the stadium along with clear, sealed non-alcoholic beverage containers) are a fraction of what you'll pay inside the park.
Author's bio: Joe MacMap lives in Baltimore with his wife and cat. Two out of three of them regularly attend O's games.