Uncle Lars

I'm meeting my brother and nephew from Prague in New York next weekend, we're gonna be staying in Manhattan, and will be going to see the Islanders vs. Devils game on Saturday night. I know we gotta take the LIRR from Penn Station, and then transfer to a bus from Hampstead, but am wondering if there are any tips or warnings I should know about this journey. For example, what to do when several thousand fans are waiting for the buses at the same time after the game? How long should we plan for the trip there and back (I've heard on the order of 75 minutes or so...)?

Also, does the LIRR train have bathrooms

Thanks!

nerd

Yes, and you can bring beer on the train.

cordelli

There will be bathrooms, but there will also be hundreds of other people with impaired aim trying to use them. There is no worse time to ride the train then when it's full of sports fans (doesn't matter the sport) when they realize you don't drink beer, you only rent it, and eventually have to give it up.

Also check this page

http://www.mta.info/lirr/getaways/Lo...auColiseum.htm

If you don't want to take the bus to and from the train, they have a package deal for a taxi. I've never done it so I don't know how well it works, seeing it's the MTA I would guess not very well.

themicah

I've only been to Nassau Coliseum once and it was for a concert not a game. We took LIRR to get there, but hired a limo to pick us up afterward and take us back to the city, which ended up being a great move as it was fun, super convenient, and once we filled up the limo (we had 6 in our party, and easily found 4 more to fill the remaining seats by asking around after the concert) it cost only slightly more per person than the train, even with a generous tip to the driver.

Uncle Lars

I can easily see where that would be the case! Unfortunately, there are only 3 of us, so look for us on this rain-soaked Saturday night at the Mineola station waiting for a cab...

Analise

I thought the taxis line up at Mineola.

FlyingBear

I did this 2-3 years back for a Sat. night game as well vs the Panthers. The game went into a shootout and ran later than I had hoped so I ended up waiting at Hempstead for 45 min outdoors by the track (the indoor waiting area was closed for the night). The bus was not packed in either direction. There were only a handful of folks that used the LIRR to get there that included a pair of British gentleman and a French-speaking couple.

A lot of it comes down to timing with the trains. I regretted going back to Hempstead because you get stuck waiting out in the cold. Might not be a bad idea to spring for a taxi in front of the Colosseum and head over to Minneola if the trains are more frequent. I didn't think it was that bad getting there by train/bus though.

Anyways, that's what I recall from my journey out there. Hope that helps a bit.

Uncle Lars

Well, we took the LIRR out to Mineola, pretty easily found a cab, and got to the Coliseum for $20 for three of us. This was last Saturday night, when the major storm hit the East, and there were blinding rain and snow outside the Coliseum. After the game, we walked down to the Marriott, got a cab back to Mineola, and found that the LIRR line was down indefinitely due to storm damage. We found there's a bus (N-some-number) that leaves from the Mineola station, starting there, and goes all the way to Jamaica station. You can get off a little bit before before Jamaica and transfer to the F subway line. So, if you have a couple of hours and are cheap, you can get to Mineola station from Manhattan for just $2.25. What an adventurous evening! The Islanders won, and the cheap seats way up top in row R were not bad at all. Thanks for your help.

monitor

Interesting about the bus.

Also, there are no bad seats at the Nassau Coliseum. With the demise of the Forum, the Boston Garden, the Spectrum, and Chicago Stadium, it no longer has any contenders for being the best arena to watch hockey in the League.

dchristiva

Watch? Yes. But the amenities are subpar compared to Prudential Center, Verizon Center in D.C., Exel Energy Center in Minneapolis, and many other arenas around the league.

monitor

What amenities? You're going to watch a hockey game and the sightlines are great, the seats comfortable, and the parking is plentiful and convenient. What else could you conceivably need? A box seat?? A fancy dinner?? A personal TV to show you what you didn't see when it happened??

It's just a hockey game.

ETA: I have been to those other three many times and agree that they are nice but any seat at the NC is still as good or better than the comparables in any of them.

tondoleo

When the Coliseum first opened for Islander's hockey my fraternity brothers and I were scolded for cursing members of the opposition by older women wearing pearls. It was a stark difference from watching and rooting for the Rangers at MSG both old and new.

dchristiva

No complaints about any of the points you mentioned, but the concourses are tiny, the food choices are minimal, and the bathrooms are puny. Not that any of that is atypical of facilities built in the same timeframe. If all I knew was NC, I wouldn't complain, but after going to MN, DC, and other arenas, it leaves a lot to be desired. On the other hand, ticket prices are relatively cheap, especially compared to the other metro NYC teams, and I can always get tix to see the Caps when they are in town.

Analise

When was the Mausoleum EVER a contendor for the best arena to watch hockey?

monitor

This sounds like a fan of NY Rangers.