NYC Stadium Parking In The Summer

It’s summer in the city and for some NYC drivers, it’s the most wonderful time of year! Why? For one, baseball season has made its return. Also, there are many outdoor entertainment events and concerts that many New Yorkers love to attend. So whether you love to catch your favorite major league slugger belt one out of the ballpark or seeing your favorite musical artist, getting out to enjoy NYC’s stadiums can be fun. However, a trip to New York City’s stadiums, whether Yankee Stadium or Citi Field, can get expensive faster than some of the hardest thrown pitches in the game.

Purchasing gameday tickets and of course, all the must-have stadium eats once you’re at the game, already can burn holes in your pocket. Parking your car once you get to the stadium can be one more hit to your summer fun budget. Afterall, the price you pay for stadium parking can be terribly expensive, especially if you wait until the last minute. However, a little planning ahead is all you need to help not only cut the costs of bringing your car but also avoid parking tickets once you hit the stadium. 

Parking For Yankee Stadium

Fans driving to a Yankee game or concert may look forward to experiencing all the modern amenities that the new and improved Yankee Stadium has to offer. Nevertheless, there’s still one timeless headache that all drivers once they reach Yankee Stadium have to confront: finding a parking spot y.  No Stress! The important information and tips below will make sure you arrive at the game with a few extra dollars in your wallet and leave with a smile on your face!

Official Yankee Stadium Parking

If you decide to drive your car to Yankee Stadium, check around and compare prices for stadium parking garages. There are more than 9,000 “official” parking spaces surrounding the stadium, and thousands more in public lots and garages within walking distance. One thing drivers should know is that The Yankees do not own or operate the parking lots and garages surrounding the Stadium. Official Yankee Stadium parking is offered through a private company called icon/Quik Park, which lists on its website all available lots and garages in the area.  This means the Yankees have outsourced parking operations to Icon and they will be responsible for establishing and controlling parking rates, refund policies, rules, and procedures.

Pricing can be found on their site for parking at each of the garages and lots they run. Yankee fans can also see how pricing changes based on specific game dates so you can plan to park ahead.  They also offer discounts for season packages. These ranges from a nine-game package to full season (81 games) package at the various lots and garages it runs around the stadium. Check out the map below that has the official Yankee stadium parking lots and garages shaded in blue.

Parking outside of the stadium on private lots can be less expensive than parking closer to the entrance. You can save up to 50% on parking around Yankee Stadium by parking at garages or lots that are a little walk away from the stadium. 

Street Parking Around Yankee Stadium

If you want to avoid paying for parking, there’s always a chance to find street parking spots available. Of course, you’ll need to get there a couple of hours before the game since street parking is limited. Nonetheless, parking on the street can be easy. You just have to be willing to plan ahead and walk a few minutes to the stadium.  You can choose to park along the East side of the Major Deegan Expressway. Here, there are often available parking spots leading right up to the police precinct north of Yankee Stadium. If that doesn’t work we recommend looking for parking on Grand Concourse or near it. Because it’s a residential neighborhood there may be a little competition. Subsequently, there’s bound to be a parking spot somewhere, you just have to look.

Stadium Parking For Citi Field

For drivers heading to Citi Field, parking here is a bit more straightforward than Yankee Stadium. Drivers can choose to park at one of the convenient official stadium lots for roughly $25. They can also park farther away for less or if you’re lucky free and walk to the stadium.

Citi Field features 12 stadium parking lots that serve drivers who decide to bring their car to the stadium. 7 of these lots are inside the fences of Citi Field and 5 outside of them. Stadiums visitors can purchase “preferred parking” passes online ahead of time, giving them access to the best lots available. Parking spots can also be purchased on the day of an event. Drivers can either cash or credit card to pay, though these general parking lots are further away.

Official Citi Field Lots

The Mets’ seven official and primary lots A-G are right outside of the stadium and offer convenient, although often pricey, parking for drivers coming to Citi Field. These lots always open three hours before the scheduled start time of a game should you choose to arrive early to get your tailgating on. The $25 parking fee at Citi Field may not be the easiest on the wallet. Still, if you’re looking for a very convenient way to park and avoid a parking ticket, this may be a great option for you.

There are five parking lots outside of the fence line of Citi Field, all of which accommodate general guest parking for drivers who come to city field. Three of the five lots are available for all Citi Field events and two are available only in special circumstances. These lots are:

• Southfield/Commuter Lot – Located on Roosevelt Avenue between 126th Street and Shea Road. It accommodates commuter parking as well as general guest parking for games/events at Citi Field.
• Stadium View East & West – Situated north of Citi Field beneath the Whitestone Parkway overpass.
• Marina East – Located north of Citi Field along the marina.
• Marina West – Located north of Citi Field along the marina. This lot is only available for special events.
• Flushing Meadows-Corona Park – When these lots are used, shuttle buses will be available to transport guests from the lots to the Flushing Meadows Park entrance and back.

If expediting the process of finding parking interests you, preferred parking passes are available. Do note however that preferred parking passes are available to Mets season ticket holders first, but any remaining passes are open to the general public and can be purchased ahead of time on the Mets website. With a $6 service charge, single game preferred parking passes cost $31. Here, fans headed to more than one game can save money by purchasing preferred parking passes in bulk.

Public Parking Around Citi Field

There are many public parking lots and garages near the stadium that charge half the amount of the official lots. The catch is that you may have to walk a considerable distance. If you’re willing to make the trek to save a few dollars, check out the parking garages in the neighborhoods surrounding Citi Field. You may find parking available for as low as $8. Additionally, there are some hot spots in Queens for free street parking. Again, you’ll have quite a walk cut out for you. Nonetheless, it might be worth it for many when compared with the prospects of paying $25. You can find street parking near Citi Field either around Willet’s Point, the Corona neighborhood around  1st Avenue and 111th Street or Hinton Park Area.

Accessible Parking

Citi Field’s parking lots include more than 350 parking spaces designated exclusively for guests with disabilities. Lots A, B, and F, hold these spaces and make them available to any guest displaying a valid accessible parking pass. You must also possess either a Citi Field preferred parking pass or a daily parking receipt for that day’s event. Additional accessible parking spaces are available in the Southfield Lot. Accessible parking spaces in Lot G are only for guests with access to said lot and have a disability parking permit.