The New York Islanders are playing their first season at Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn. I recently took a train ride up from Washington to see the Capitals face off against the Islanders and here are some of my impressions:
Location, location, location
Coming from Battery Park City it was actually easier to get to Barclays Center than Madison Square Garden. The arena is a short subway ride on the 4 or 5 train from Bowling Green, only a few stops away. The location next to multiple subway lines and the Long Island Railroad makes Barclays Center one of the most transit-accessible venues in the country, rivaling MSG. The arena is located adjacent to the Atlantic Avenue – Barclays Center MTA subway station (2 3 4 5 B D N Q R trains) and the LIRR’s Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn.
That said, the surrounding neighborhood still leaves a lot to be desired. There just aren't enough options for food and drink and other entertainment options in the immediate vicinity, so most basketball and hockey fans and concertgoers go straight from the transit station to the arena without spending time in the neighborhood. I did notice a new Shake Shack and there is more residential and office development lined up for the area, so that should increase the number of fan-friendly restaurants and bars so fans can hang out before and after the game.
Beautiful design, but not made for hockey
The Barclays Center design is groundbreaking and is an artistic achievement. And once inside, it gets even better. There are wide concourses, plush seating and other modern amenities expected of a newly built sports and entertainment venue.
However, Barclays was built for the Nets NBA team. Period. It is not a hockey arena. That is evident by the obstructed seats, the huge video board that hangs over the blue line instead of center ice, the black, grey and white color scheme of the arena that matches the Nets, but doesn't yet match the blue and orange Isles unis, although the team store displayed alternate Brooklyn Islanders merchandise that match the Nets' color scheme.
Also, there are hardly any seats on one side behind the goal, making for an awkward looking arena for an ice hockey game.
Islanders fans aren't embracing Brooklyn
Attendance has been poor and I overhead Islanders fans complaining about how the arena sucks. This coming from a fan base that was attending games at the asbestos-filled, decrepit Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale.
My impression is that it will take at least a decade for the Islanders to rebuild their fan base. There are just too many fans who are "suburbanites" and will not venture from the Island into Brooklyn. They will watch the Isles on TV or find something else to do. This is what happened when the Capitals moved from Landover to Chinatown when the Verizon Center was built. Many suburban Maryland Caps fans just simply stopped attending games because they didn't want to go into the city.
What will likely happen is that the Isles will start marketing themselves to the many young people living in Brooklyn and Queens who might not be from the New York and thus don't have a loyalty yet to the Rangers or Devils. There is an entire new generation of Islanders fans residing in rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods across Brooklyn and Queens and they will eventually sell out the Barclays Center every night just like the Verizon Center sells out every night in Gallery Place-Chinatown.
As expected, the food is awesome
From David's kosher deli to Williamsburg Pizza, the food is typically New York awesome. While not at the level of MSG's super dining options, the food is very, very good and reasonably priced. And this being New York, there is something for everyone. Bon apetit.
The Isles are a classy organization
At one point during the game the Isles paid tribute to Stanley Cup winner Mike Bossy. An Isles legend. Win or lose it made my night that the Isles honored a living legend like Bossy. Kudos to the organization.
Here is video from the game that the Caps won 4-1. I was in the Caps visiting fan section and we were very appreciative our hometown boys got a victory up in Brooklyn against a very good Isles team.
And here are more pictures from Barclays Center:
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