Seems like there is a growing number of out-of-town #12's coming to see the game. I've noticed the trend over the last few years, and it is awesome. So I thought I'd whip up a quick thread with some helpful "local" suggestions for newcomers and visitors.

If anyone would like to add to the thread, it might be cool to get a bunch of helpful info in one place.



Game Prep:

Drink LOTS of tea and honey:
Drinking 4-6 cups of Throat Coat (tea) with a few spoonfuls of real honey the night leading up to, and the morning of the game can be very helpful in preventing the loss of your voice the day after the game. Immediately following the game, a few ibuprofen if necessary and some more tea and honey, and you'll be a little hoarse but able to carry on a conversation.

Bring ear plugs:
If you're sensitive to noise, or have hearing difficulties, make sure to bring some ear plugs. It's going to get loud. Probably louder than you're used to. With a good pair of ear plugs, the volume will be reduced to safe levels (80-90db) and you still get to enjoy the chaos of it all.

Bring a parka if rain is expected:
Your section may be covered, but it's always better to be safe than sorry. Parkas also make good seat covers and will keep your butt dry if the seat is wet.



Bring food and water to the game:

Food and unopened drinks are allowed in the stadium. The food at the stadium is very expensive (~$10 for a slice of pizza or a hamburger, $8-10 for beer, wine and spirits). A 20oz bottle of water will cost you $4, and you can't keep the cap.

Jimmy John's - 102 1st Ave S.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/jimmy-johns-seattle-3
About 4-5 blocks north of the stadium on 1st Ave. Good food, excellent prices ($6 for a large sub), quick service. You can take the sandwiches into the stadium, they come wrapped in paper, and they're better than most food in the stadium. Highly recommended for pickup of food to bring into the game.

Saveway Market - 109 Occidental Ave S
http://www.yelp.com/biz/saveway-market-seattle
About 3 blocks north of the stadium, between 1st and 2nd Avenue, 1 block north of Occidental Square. The owner does a lot to help the homeless in the area, and prices are reasonable. Worth going to if you are parked north of the stadium.

Uwajimaya - 600 5th Ave S
http://www.yelp.com/biz/uwajimaya-seattle
A very unique Japanese grocery store only a few blocks from the stadium. You can buy sushi, there is an entire Asian food court, a bookstore, etc. It's a pretty cool and unique place to visit and you will be experiencing some Seattle history. Regularly priced groceries, sometimes long lines.



Parking:

Parking around the stadium is an expensive nightmare. You will pay $40 within 2-3 city blocks of the stadium, and the cheapest about $10-20 if you're further than 5-6 city blocks. Traffic will be a nightmare getting into and out of the SODO neighborhood where the stadium is located.

Various Parking Options:

CPS Parking - 721 1st Ave
http://seattleparking.spplus.com/Seattl ... rking.html
I love this parking garage. It's right next to the ramp onto the 99 South (Alaskan Way Viaduct), just on the northern edge of Pioneer Square. It's a short walk to the Stadium, and you'll pass Jimmy John's and a number of other places to party. This is where I generally park. Insider secret: If you take the 99 South, you bypass all the heinous game traffic and can get on to I-5 Southbound or Northbound, far south of the game, or drive all the way to the Northbound 405. Both routes bypass the heavy game traffic.

Park south of the stadium and walk
There are numerous parking lots about 5+ blocks south of the Stadium that will charge $10-20 for parking. It's a bit of a walk, but there is not much parking at all north of the Stadium, so this is your best bet. Parking is all over the place, it's an industrial area - just find any business with a large lot and they'll have someone collecting parking fees.

Ride the Sound Transit Light Rail to the Stadium!
http://www.soundtransit.org/rider-guide/link-light-rail
The Light Rail travels from Sea-Tac Airport (south of Seattle) all the way north to the front door of the Stadium, with a few stops along the way. The Tukwila International Blvd station offers free parking and will get you to the stadium in a few minutes for just a few bucks:
http://www.soundtransit.org/Rider-Guide ... vd-Station

Take the bus tunnel to the Stadium from downtown Seattle
http://metro.kingcounty.gov/tops/tunnel ... tions.html
If you park in downtown Seattle, or are staying in a hotel in downtown Seattle, there are bus tunnel stations all through downtown. You can catch any bus in the bus tunnel, ride it to the International District Station, and it will drop you off directly in front of the Stadium. A great way to avoid taxis and traffic, especially if you are staying in a hotel.

Park in Downtown Seattle
It's worth noting that many parking lots, such as the Pacific Place parking garage and the Macy's parking garage charge normal rates during Seahawks games - about $10-15 for a full day of parking. You can then walk to a bus tunnel station to avoid traffic, as mentioned above. If you're willing to walk 5-6 blocks, you can sometimes park for free if you park in Belltown. There are free parking spots on Sundays, and you can ride a bus to the Stadium or walk to a Bus Tunnel Station. Surface buses move very slowly on game day, you have been warned.




Getting into the Game:
If you're new to the CLink, you'll want to get to the game a little early. It's best to get to the ticket gate an hour before kickoff if this is your first game. It will take 20-30 minutes to get through the gates, and another 10 minutes to get directly to your seat.

The lines at the gates start getting really long about 30 minutes before kickoff. It can take forever to get through the body check, and you'll want to be prepared.

DO NOT have any open drinks or containers. They will tell you to throw them away. Only small see-through bags are allowed, which can be purchased at the team store or you can find the dimensions at the Policies page for Century Link here:
http://www.seahawks.com/gameday/stadium ... icies.html



Great places to eat, drink and celebrate before or after the game:

Temple Billiards
http://www.yelp.com/biz/temple-billiards-seattle-2
You can generally catch members of Seahawks.net hanging out here before the games. Pool tables, lots of TVs, cool bartenders, food is mostly pizza and sandwiches.

Slugger's Sports Bar
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sluggers-sports-bar-seattle
A 12th Man institution. The Real McCoy. This place is packed full of crazy 12's, before and after the game. Drinks and food are mediocre but if you want to celebrate with fans who've been around since 1976, this is one of the original spots.

FX McRory's
http://www.yelp.com/biz/fx-mcrorys-stea ... se-seattle
Excellent whiskey and beer selection, great food, tons of local fans, right across the street from the stadium's north parking lot. This place gets PACKED on game day and is right in the heart of the action. Great place for a post-game toast.

Pyramid Ale House
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pyramid-alehouse-seattle-2
By the South end of the stadium, directly across the street from Safeco Field. Huge crowds, quick drink service, decent food, fun place to be before or after the game.

King Street Bar and Oven
http://www.kingstreetbar.com/
Another Seattle classic. This place has been around since Jim Zorn was throwing touchdowns to Steve Largent. Tons of fans before and after games, also across the street from the stadium's north parking lot. The food is mediocre, the drinks are warm, but there's a huge Russell Wilson shrine, and these guys are HARDCORE #12's. If you want to get sloppy drunk after the game, this is a good place to do so.

Fuel Sports Bar
http://www.fuelseattle.com/
A great little bar right off Occidental Square. Good food, small place but excellent crowd. It's a fun place to grab a drink after the game as well.

Cowgirls, Inc.
http://cowgirlsinc.com/
This place regularly hosts parties before the game, where you can have shots poured into your mouth from a hot girl's cleavage. It's like a slightly naughtier Hooters, adults only. Great drinks, good food, awesome party. Across the street from the northwest corner of the stadium, on 1st Ave.

Some good advice, I like grabing a Doner Kebob at the Berliner on 1st. And I've had a good breakfast at Fuel Sports bar near 2nd it was packed but still friendly service. Blue thunder had a small group play some in there as well, that was pretty cool.

Fist bump for droppin' Jimmy John's as a recommend to people.

I believe it's only unopened water, nothing else goes in. And don't forget the clear bag policy...Also, kudos on mentioning Uwajimaya, one of my favorite places to hang before the game. http://www.seahawks.com/gameday/bag-policy.html

I have been to games where they did not allow drinks in. It was 1-liter bottles of pepsi, and they made us leave them or drink them on the spot.

Thanks for the tips. When will the bars start filling up? Or in other words, what time do I need to be in the vicinity?

Took my daughter to The Lodge (last on the list). Good spot near the stadium if you have kids. Didn't get too crazy, lots of TVs as Hans mentioned to watch the early game.

We arrived there by 8:30 or 8:45am and got the seat of our choice. Filled up and had a wait by 9:45-10:00 (1:35 game time that day).

I generally park in China Town there's a big lot that charges $20 ($30 for these huge games sadly). Easy access back onto 90 for me, and I can always stop into Uwajimayas or some random Chinese restaurant before/after the game.

Also, there is a 7-11 now up on 1st Ave in Pioneer Square. 627 1ST AVE S.

Also, what time does the CLink open and when do most ppl head to their seats??

salukihawk12 wrote:Thanks for the tips. When will the bars start filling up? Or in other words, what time do I need to be in the vicinity?

Good question.

Bars in Pioneer Square fill up pretty quick on gameday. People start hitting the bars about 3 hours before the game. If you want good service at any of the bars, start early and tip well. A $5 tip on a $4 beer buys you priority service and a friendly pour from most bartenders in the area. Treat them well, and you won't worry about how many people are there.

salukihawk12 wrote:Also, what time does the CLink open and when do most ppl head to their seats??

I believe gates open at 9 tomorrow. They were opened really early last Saturday too.

salukihawk12 wrote:Also, what time does the CLink open and when do most ppl head to their seats??

I'm not sure what time the Clink officially opens, but it's open a few hours before the game. I've gone in to watch the end of the early games in the Club Lounge a few times.

People start filling up the stadium about an hour before the game. The heaviest activity is 15 minutes before kickoff, lots of people rushing to their seats. The lines at the gates get pretty long about 30 minutes before kickoff.

I just realized I need to update my original post with info on the ticket gates. Check the end of the OP for that info on how early to get there, see-through bags, etc.

Hasselbeck wrote:

salukihawk12 wrote:Also, what time does the CLink open and when do most ppl head to their seats??

I believe gates open at 9 tomorrow. They were opened really early last Saturday too.

That would be 6 1/2 hours before the game. I would expect 2 hours prior, as usual.

OrFan wrote:

Hasselbeck wrote:

salukihawk12 wrote:Also, what time does the CLink open and when do most ppl head to their seats??

I believe gates open at 9 tomorrow. They were opened really early last Saturday too.

That would be 6 1/2 hours before the game. I would expect 2 hours prior, as usual.

I remember reading 9. I know last week they were open much earlier than normal.

Could be wrong though. Though I don't know who would want to be inside the stadium at 9 anyway.

Wenhawk wrote:Some good advice, I like grabing a Doner Kebob at the Berliner on 1st. And I've had a good breakfast at Fuel Sports bar near 2nd it was packed but still friendly service. Blue thunder had a small group play some in there as well, that was pretty cool.

Excellent. Fuel is a really good spot, kinda small, but good food and service. I'll add it to the original post. Should probably add Swannies and the Firehouse as well, Medi-Mix is another good spot. Some people would probably enjoy Cowgirls, Inc. So many places...

I've removed J&M because they hosted the SF party and are flying red 49er flags.

HansGruber wrote:Seems like there is a growing number of out-of-town #12's coming to see the game. I've noticed the trend over the last few years, and it is awesome. So I thought I'd whip up a quick thread with some helpful "local" suggestions for newcomers and visitors.

If anyone would like to add to the thread, it might be cool to get a bunch of helpful info in one place.



Game Prep:

Drink LOTS of tea and honey:
Drinking 4-6 cups of Throat Coat (tea) with a few spoonfuls of real honey the night leading up to, and the morning of the game can be very helpful in preventing the loss of your voice the day after the game. Immediately following the game, a few ibuprofen if necessary and some more tea and honey, and you'll be a little hoarse but able to carry on a conversation.

Bring ear plugs:
If you're sensitive to noise, or have hearing difficulties, make sure to bring some ear plugs. It's going to get loud. Probably louder than you're used to. With a good pair of ear plugs, the volume will be reduced to safe levels (80-90db) and you still get to enjoy the chaos of it all.

Bring a parka if rain is expected:
Your section may be covered, but it's always better to be safe than sorry. Parkas also make good seat covers and will keep your butt dry if the seat is wet.



Bring food and water to the game:

Food and unopened drinks are allowed in the stadium. The food at the stadium is very expensive (~$10 for a slice of pizza or a hamburger, $8-10 for beer, wine and spirits). A 20oz bottle of water will cost you $4, and you can't keep the cap.

Jimmy John's - 102 1st Ave S.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/jimmy-johns-seattle-3
About 4-5 blocks north of the stadium on 1st Ave. Good food, excellent prices ($6 for a large sub), quick service. You can take the sandwiches into the stadium, they come wrapped in paper, and they're better than most food in the stadium. Highly recommended for pickup of food to bring into the game.

Saveway Market - 109 Occidental Ave S
http://www.yelp.com/biz/saveway-market-seattle
About 3 blocks north of the stadium, between 1st and 2nd Avenue, 1 block north of Occidental Square. The owner does a lot to help the homeless in the area, and prices are reasonable. Worth going to if you are parked north of the stadium.

Uwajimaya - 600 5th Ave S
http://www.yelp.com/biz/uwajimaya-seattle
A very unique Japanese grocery store only a few blocks from the stadium. You can buy sushi, there is an entire Asian food court, a bookstore, etc. It's a pretty cool and unique place to visit and you will be experiencing some Seattle history. Regularly priced groceries, sometimes long lines.



Parking:

Parking around the stadium is an expensive nightmare. You will pay $40 within 2-3 city blocks of the stadium, and the cheapest about $10-20 if you're further than 5-6 city blocks. Traffic will be a nightmare getting into and out of the SODO neighborhood where the stadium is located.

Various Parking Options:

CPS Parking - 721 1st Ave
http://seattleparking.spplus.com/Seattl ... rking.html
I love this parking garage. It's right next to the ramp onto the 99 South (Alaskan Way Viaduct), just on the northern edge of Pioneer Square. It's a short walk to the Stadium, and you'll pass Jimmy John's and a number of other places to party. This is where I generally park. Insider secret: If you take the 99 South, you bypass all the heinous game traffic and can get on to I-5 Southbound or Northbound, far south of the game, or drive all the way to the Northbound 405. Both routes bypass the heavy game traffic.

Park south of the stadium and walk
There are numerous parking lots about 5+ blocks south of the Stadium that will charge $10-20 for parking. It's a bit of a walk, but there is not much parking at all north of the Stadium, so this is your best bet. Parking is all over the place, it's an industrial area - just find any business with a large lot and they'll have someone collecting parking fees.

Ride the Sound Transit Light Rail to the Stadium!
http://www.soundtransit.org/rider-guide/link-light-rail
The Light Rail travels from Sea-Tac Airport (south of Seattle) all the way north to the front door of the Stadium, with a few stops along the way. The Tukwila International Blvd station offers free parking and will get you to the stadium in a few minutes for just a few bucks:
http://www.soundtransit.org/Rider-Guide ... vd-Station

Take the bus tunnel to the Stadium from downtown Seattle
http://metro.kingcounty.gov/tops/tunnel ... tions.html
If you park in downtown Seattle, or are staying in a hotel in downtown Seattle, there are bus tunnel stations all through downtown. You can catch any bus in the bus tunnel, ride it to the International District Station, and it will drop you off directly in front of the Stadium. A great way to avoid taxis and traffic, especially if you are staying in a hotel.

Park in Downtown Seattle
It's worth noting that many parking lots, such as the Pacific Place parking garage and the Macy's parking garage charge normal rates during Seahawks games - about $10-15 for a full day of parking. You can then walk to a bus tunnel station to avoid traffic, as mentioned above. If you're willing to walk 5-6 blocks, you can sometimes park for free if you park in Belltown. There are free parking spots on Sundays, and you can ride a bus to the Stadium or walk to a Bus Tunnel Station. Surface buses move very slowly on game day, you have been warned.




Getting into the Game:
If you're new to the CLink, you'll want to get to the game a little early. It's best to get to the ticket gate an hour before kickoff if this is your first game. It will take 20-30 minutes to get through the gates, and another 10 minutes to get directly to your seat.

The lines at the gates start getting really long about 30 minutes before kickoff. It can take forever to get through the body check, and you'll want to be prepared.

DO NOT have any open drinks or containers. They will tell you to throw them away. Only small see-through bags are allowed, which can be purchased at the team store or you can find the dimensions at the Policies page for Century Link here:
http://www.seahawks.com/gameday/stadium ... icies.html



Great places to eat, drink and celebrate before or after the game:

Temple Billiards
http://www.yelp.com/biz/temple-billiards-seattle-2
You can generally catch members of Seahawks.net hanging out here before the games. Pool tables, lots of TVs, cool bartenders, food is mostly pizza and sandwiches.

Slugger's Sports Bar
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sluggers-sports-bar-seattle
A 12th Man institution. The Real McCoy. This place is packed full of crazy 12's, before and after the game. Drinks and food are mediocre but if you want to celebrate with fans who've been around since 1976, this is one of the original spots.

FX McRory's
http://www.yelp.com/biz/fx-mcrorys-stea ... se-seattle
Excellent whiskey and beer selection, great food, tons of local fans, right across the street from the stadium's north parking lot. This place gets PACKED on game day and is right in the heart of the action. Great place for a post-game toast.

Pyramid Ale House
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pyramid-alehouse-seattle-2
By the South end of the stadium, directly across the street from Safeco Field. Huge crowds, quick drink service, decent food, fun place to be before or after the game.

King Street Bar and Oven
http://www.kingstreetbar.com/
Another Seattle classic. This place has been around since Jim Zorn was throwing touchdowns to Steve Largent. Tons of fans before and after games, also across the street from the stadium's north parking lot. The food is mediocre, the drinks are warm, but there's a huge Russell Wilson shrine, and these guys are HARDCORE #12's. If you want to get sloppy drunk after the game, this is a good place to do so.

Fuel Sports Bar
http://www.fuelseattle.com/
A great little bar right off Occidental Square. Good food, small place but excellent crowd. It's a fun place to grab a drink after the game as well.

Cowgirls, Inc.
http://cowgirlsinc.com/
This place regularly hosts parties before the game, where you can have shots poured into your mouth from a hot girl's cleavage. It's like a slightly naughtier Hooters, adults only. Great drinks, good food, awesome party. Across the street from the northwest corner of the stadium, on 1st Ave.

Unbelievably cool of you to write that up. I won't be able to attend, but you brought back some great memories. Mahalos.

Am I the only one disturbed by the frogs???

hmm..I bought a bottle of water from an outdoor vendor and security made me toss it before going in as well as other fans too...every other game they let me bring it in? Guess they were losing too much money inside...

Cyrus12 wrote:hmm..I bought a bottle of water from an outdoor vendor and security made me toss it before going in as well as other fans too...every other game they let me bring it in? Guess they were losing too much money inside...

Stadium policy is that only unopened bottles of water and non-alcoholic drinks are allowed. No open containers.

If they refuse to let you bring in unopened drinks, bring up the Century Link Stadium Policies web page posted earlier and show it to them. Unopened drinks are allowed.

This was done last year but I thought it could use a bump this season.

Food and Beverage Policy
Seahawks fans may bring food into CenturyLink Field and CenturyLink Field Event Center on game days in clear plastic bags only, but per NFL Policy, outside beverages are not allowed. Exceptions are made for factory-sealed bottled water (non-enhanced, flavored or carbonated), baby bottles, beverages related to medical needs, and unopened, soft-sided single-serve containers (ie. juice boxes). Coolers and large backpacks are also prohibited on Seahawks game days (see Bag Search).

For most other events in CenturyLink Field and CenturyLink Field Event Center, outside food and beverages are not permitted.

http://www.seahawks.com/gameday/stadium-guide/gameday-policies.html

Park at a park and ride and take the bus or train. Always a fun crowd, skip all of the parking hassle. Drink before and after the game and don't have to hop in your car afterwords. I live on the eastside so it's not the same as living in the Seattle proper, but I most likely will never drive to a downtown sporting event again. The public transportation is just so much more fun, cheap and convenient.

Cyrus12 wrote:hmm..I bought a bottle of water from an outdoor vendor and security made me toss it before going in as well as other fans too...every other game they let me bring it in? Guess they were losing too much money inside...

The bottle rules are tied to security and safety. The food rules in general were a requirement by the city if Seattle when they put up money for the stadium. I wonder if Paul Allen ever figured out if it would have been better to decline city funds

Last couple of games I have been to at the Clink I have gone to Tat's Deli, right by Smith's tower. Deliciously good sandwiches.

Just sticky this. It is worth it for anyone coming to these boards to ask these questions before game days

When I lived in West Seattle I took the bus and it dropped me off 100 feet from Temple Billiards for $1.50.

1 problem with the OP's post. A Parka as a seat cover? WE DO NOT SIT!

One place we have gone for a couple years is Pho Fuschia - http://www.yelp.com/biz/pho-fuchsia-seattle

- $2 gameday beers (Corona, 33 Export (Vietnamese), Heineken, Blue Moon, Bud/Coors (+ Light), etc) in bottles.
- Great food... banh mi sandwiches for under $5, noodles, soup, great apps)
- Very good service

Only drawbacks: 1 big TV - it will be on the 10AM national football game and they do not have draft beer or cocktails.

We've gotten to know the staff pretty well - it gets full close to game time (meaning the tables fill up) but it seems they also take good care of everyone who comes in.

Thanks for taking the time to do the writeup.

Other little clues.

Public transportation is pretty awesome. I usually stay on the eastside at a hotel near a park and ride and take one of the tunnel buses in. Disembark at Pioneer Square Station. I don't for big night games (NFCC) since these are at night and I usually stay in downtown Seattle for a while after the game. Late night bus service is too sporadic. For big night games I stay in one of the hotels north of downtown (Eastlake, South Lake Union, Queen Ann, Seattle Center). Buses are more frequent, cabs are a possibility, and in a pinch they are within walking distance.

If you are planning on purchasing water in the stadium, throw a couple of bottle caps in your pocket since they won't let you keep the cap that the water bottle comes with.

- bsd

Thank you for this. I'm planning a trip for next season and I'd like to know where I can find information about the face value price of the single game tickets for each section? I can find the information that they are sold out now http://www.seahawks.com/tickets/single-game/ but I want to know what the prices would have been, because I intend to be at my computer when they become available next summer, if I know approx. the price, I can plan ahead where I want to sit.

Btw. Which sections are nicest for families?

I'm wondering about tailgating. 3 years ago I went and there seemed to be a sizeable tailgate in the (north?) parking lot. Last two years I've gone to games there have been only a few people in that parking lot; the security seems to be tightened up, and I don't think you're actually allowed to drink there.

Is there a different area near the stadium for tailgating?

I usually take the Sounder train from Everett.
$9 round trip with stops at Mukilteo and Edmonds. It drops you off at the stadium.
It also heads north from Tacoma I believe.
The only draw back for me is there isn't much time after the game to kick back and enjoy the moment as the trains is on schedule for it's return trip.

Also, Riley12 often mentions a deli he stops at on game day. Garth, wanna plug the deli?