My Chief Concerns: Planning an Arrowhead Weekend

Im staying at the plaza, will be getting into town late Monday, so will be sleeping late and shopping Tuesday, I am really looking forward to the entire experience.

If u have never been, p&l district and stay at crown center. If u just there to hit the game and get outta town, stay northside by zona rosa.

Hey all..4 of us coming from New York to see game 1...a dream come true for us NYC-Chief fans. We would love to hang with chief people. See ya soon...go chiefs!!!!!

I'm doing almost the exact same trip to see a preseason game on August 27th. This is my first NFL game and I'm super excited. My husband and I are kind of shocked how much preseason tickets are going for on Stub Hub. I thought I had a free ticket hook up (friend of a friend) but that fell through. We are staying by the Plaza and are thinking of taking a cab to go tailgate, even if we don't get tickets to the game, just for the experience! I will bookmark this page, lots of great advice here!

Accommodations and Flight Where is the best place to stay (Hotel) and enjoy Kansas City all Saturday yet be close enough to get to the stadium on Sunday(give a couple of suggestions)? I'd suggest downtown by the P&L or the Marriott on Main by the Plaza. Should you stay closer to the Plaza, the airport, or the Stadium? Stay at either the Plaza or Downtown by the P&L How far is the stadium from the Airport? How far is downtown from the airport? Stadium is 20 minutes, downtown is 15 minutes. Is the stadium easy to get to on game day? There is a lot of traffic, so leave early. Gates open 3 hours before kickoff. How long does it take to get out of the parking lot after the game (gotta catch a flight, you know)? Similarly, when should your flight be scheduled to leave to go back home on Sunday? Is 5:00 pm to soon, or 6:00 pm,; how about 7:00 p.m.? We usually get out of the lot by 4:30 or so, so I'd schedule a flight for 7:00 to give yourself plenty of time. Eats Where should we go on Saturday? Depends where you stay, but in KC, it's steak and BBQ. I'd say for dinner, try JJ's on the Plaza or Il Centro on 51st and Main. Are there any good pubs or breweries in Kansas City? (We are all rabid beer drinkers). Tons of pubs. Charlie Hoopers is great in Brookside. You might have more fun at Martini Corner at 31st and Main. There are several bars with outdoor patios there. Get a Boulevard Wheat or Pale Ale. They are brewed here in KC. Museums, golf, shopping, etc., where are the spots for killing time on Saturday? Walk around the Plaza, go to the 810 Zone, have lunch. Or go to the P&L. Where is the best BBQ?( I know tough question) Not tough at all. It's Oklahoma Joe's in Mission. Anthony Bourdain has it on his 15 places to eat before you die. What would you want to do on a Saturday in Kansas City during football season? Catch college football games at the 810 Zone on the Plaza or down at the P&L. Tailgating What time do you arrive? 9:00 AM Are there any Arrowhead parking lot/tailgating rules? Some, no glass bottles for one, you can check their website for rules. Can you drink in the parking lot? (You can’t in Los Angeles) Hell yes! What does parking cost? $25 What other Do’s and Don’ts exist? Do drink and eat in the lot. Don't show up 30 minutes before kickoff. Do they have restrooms or portable restrooms in the parking lot? (The fiancé’ is coming, got keep the lady happy; insert sarcastic joke here) Guys open the car door and pee, for girls there are lots of portable restrooms. The Game Where is the best place to sit in the stadium? Between the 40's in the first 5 rows of the upper deck. Or, between the 30's between the 15th and 25th rows of the field level. What time should you get into the stadium, (not the parking lot)? Start walking in 30 minutes prior to kickoff to get through security, get to your seats and see the national anthem. How much are the brewskis in the stadium? $7.25 Can you bring your own food or snacks into the stadium? No What kind of temperature can I expect in late September? 70's, upper 60's. You never know here in KC. Any other unsolicited advice? (insert sarcastic joke here) If you are looking for people to tailgate with, let me know. We have a big group and would be more than happy to welcome you to Arrowhead. My friends and I all read the site!

I love Kansas City and how we can turn any conversation into a BBQ debate! Jeremy, all of these places are good in their own right. LC's is closer to the stadium than the others, so maybe you can grab it on your way out of town. Also, somebody else said something about bringing your own grill and grub to the parking lot. Don't go through all of that hassle, just hit me up at jeffbatte(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll give you the cell # so you can swing by our tailgate and eat some ribs.

"Are there any good pubs or breweries in Kansas City? (We are all rabid beer drinkers)." Absolutely. If you can, schedule a tour of the Boulevard Brewery. You'll have to schedule it a few months in advance but it would be a great thing to do on Saturday. http://www.blvdbeer.com Best Beer Bars in KC (my humble opinion) Westport -------- McCoy's is a pretty good local brewpub. The beer isn't anything out of this world but it's affordable ($4/pint on a normal night) and pretty tasty. They have 4 or 5 year-round brews with some seasonals mixed in. One of the best patios in KC. http://tinyurl.com/2b5njlb Right next to McCoys is The Foundry. They have an excellent bottle selection and roughly 20 - 30 rotating taps. Also, one of the best patios in KC. Midtown -------- Grinder's is a small little hole in the wall but has a lot to offer as far as beer goes. Pretty good bottle and tap selection. HUGE patio/concert area out back. http://tinyurl.com/24o282z Downtown -------- Flying Saucer has the best beer selection in Kansas City. It's a chain but it's worth it. 100 beers on tap plus hundreds more in bottles. You can't go wrong here. http://tinyurl.com/2egfb2w River Market ------------- Harry's Country Club has a really cool vibe to it. It's a little pricey to me (based on KC prices) but for an out-of-towner it would be a cool spot to visit. They have a good tap selection and some good bottles as well. http://tinyurl.com/23su3ce Brookside/Waldo --------------- Charlie Hooper's is more of a college-aged bar but it has a good beer list and is a staple of the Brookside area. http://tinyurl.com/25vtu2p Swagger is a little hole in the wall that has recently crept onto the beer scene. It's the farthest south and probably a little out of your way, but if you're feeling adventurous I'd recommend stopping by. It has EXCELLENT bar food and a reputation for having a good beer selection. It's a very neighborhoody bar. You'll find lots of locals here. http://tinyurl.com/2b9bgfs 75th Street Brewery is a small little brewpub in the heart of Waldo. I don't frequent this place enough to know about all of their beers. I know they have a good brown (Hogpound Brown) and a good Irish Stout. The food is also tasty. http://tinyurl.com/2cotzjk If you have any further questions, let me know! Also, if you want to bring me some beer from Russian River or Stone, I'd be happy to take it off your hands :)

holy cow this is awesome - I am so glad you posted this. I haven't been to Arrowhead in years. Me thw wife and my son will be in town for the Monday night game and the a's vs. Royals. The wife's a huge a's fan. . . weird, right? Anyway, I am going to bookmark this page and come back to it when we plan our trip. Thank you sooooo much for posting these questions. The response were awesome!! R

Thanks everyone. I am going to print all these things up and plan the best weekend ever.

Fiance***

arrive to tailgate at least four hours early, and make your way around the parking lot. It is like one giant party and there are tents and music set up in a bunch of different areas. Yes you can bring as much beer as you want. Parking is pretty cheap compared to most places. Also the traffic is not that bad going to the game. I would stay at P&L also like everyone else has mentioned. Plenty of rest rooms in the parking lots. Wear RED plain and simple. Make sure you are durnk but not hammered and the game will be worth the money, especially when Succop nails one from 55 for the win. Near the air port (10 min away) is a place called Zona Rosa that has a lot of great bars and even better shopping. Perfect for your wife and yourself IMO. Plus it is brand new and getting better everyday, and they have a shop that has all the chiefs gear you could want before the game.

TRACK DOWN THE MARSHALLS AND TJ MAXX STORES IN KC THEY HAVE TONS OF CHIEFS GEAR CHEAPO!

People have mentioned the boulevard tour. I've never been on that, but if you and your crew are beer connosieurs you should drink as much Boulevard as possible. It's really a pretty amazing microbrew. Could easily expand nationwide, but the owners want to keep it small (relatively, 4 or 5 states I think). Top notch wheat beer and pale ale are the staples, but there are many delicious options. http://www.blvdbeer.com/beer.htm

I am just excited to buy Chiefs gear in KC. I have to order all my stuff online right now. I will probably cough up a ton of cash at the stadium on tshirts and stuff.

Ok I've had some time to consider it, here is the advice I weould give: 1) You gots to get to Oklahoma Joe's. It's a bit off the beaten path, but The Z-Man and Carolina Style are truly legendary sandwiches. I think about them all the time. Gates may have the best sauce, but O-Joe's is the most authentic, delicious KC barbecue I can think of. 2) If you're into art and/or history, the Nelson Atkins is really a pretty great museum. The grounds are amazing, they have an excellent mix of a variety of schools of art, and its FREE (they were taking coluntary donations last time I was there). It ain't no backwater, either. The Nelson can hold its own on a national scale. 3) I am not a fan of the power and light district, but thats more a personal thing. I can see how people would like it (I guess). If I'd never been to KC I'd stay on the plaza. It's just a really gorgeous area, and impresses out-of-towners without fail. A walk on the plaza in the AM when its quiet is a beautiful thing. Your fiance will love it, I promise you that. It is a tad pricy, but a much better vibe than the P & L in my opinion. Many bars and restaurants to choose from. Plus its nigh to a pretty boss back-door route to the stadium I could clue you in to. Best not to get on that highway when going to Arrowhead if you can help it. 4) My only advice for tailgating would be to bring all your own stuff. I'm sure you planned to do this anyway, but I've heard of people just showing up and assuming everyone will welcome them into their tailgates. That doesn't seem realistic to me. People at Arrowhead are definitely friendly, but you should set up your own grill if you can get your hands on one.

ps I thought Oklahoma Joes wasnt very good.

GREAT POST! Dont stay anywhere near the stadium, stay at the Plaza! The 810 Zone is the best sports bar , its on the plaza. LC's, Arthur Bryants, Gates you cant miss on those BBQ joints, also try Strouds Chicken.

The Power & Light district is the "place to be" for the NIGHT LIFE but there's also a more UPSCALE option with the PLAZA and Crown Center which isn't too far away. All located in or close to down town. It's got the nicer outdoor shops (Armani, Burberry, etc) and some of KC's Best restaurants as well as some decent bars. When in comes to BBQ I'd have to say Oklahoma Joe's is my favorite. They're usually rated #1 or #2 consistently along with Jack Stack BBQ. It just depends on which environment you prefer. Jack Stack is more of a sit down place like Arthur Bryant's which is more expensive and upscale and OK Joes started as a gas station and is almost fast food but delicious and very affordable. I've heard good things about Gates and some like KC Masterpiece so maybe you should just try to eat at ALL 5 BBQ places and blog about which ones you like best and why? LOL... that would be one heck of a delicious weekend. Anywhere near mid-field or endzones on the first two levels are great seats. As far as what time to go in depends on if you want to see the warm-ups, running plays, punting, kicking field goals, some kind of pre-game presentation by a local high school or organization and maybe a Stealth Bomber or other fighter jets flyover. Eat and drink until you're ready to watch some football. It probably only take about 30 - 45 minutes to get out of the stadium which would put you at around 3:30-4:00pm and then get to the airport around 4:30-5:00pm. KC Airport(MCI) is probably one of the quickest when it comes to getting checked in and through security but I'd say a 7:00 flight to be safe and not have to rush. It may even give you a couple of hours to sober up and hit the bathrooms a few times before you get on the plane. Weather? too unpredictable. It could be in the low 50's or in the upper 90s and humid. I'd say on AVERAGE it would be in the upper 70's to mid 80's and a little humidity. Arrowhead is amazing and you will have a blast! I can't wait to go see the new and improved Chiefs!

P&L is nice like everyone has said, and is where I too would recommend you stay, but if you like good food and supporting some locals you should check out the Crossroads Arts district. Its with-in walking distances to P&L and has great restaurants like Grinders, Nara, Extra Virgin, etc, pretty much any kind of food you'd want. Plus if your at all interested in art there are a ton of great galleries you could waste a few hours at. Also here's a great website for some of the best restaurants in KC. www.kcoriginals.com/restaurants.asp

Hey Jeremy (and Paddy too, for that matter), How did you become such a big Chiefs fan if you're not from KC? Not trying to be derisive, I'm just curious. It wasn't my impression that the Chiefs had that much of a national appeal, particularly on the coasts.

Definitely stay at power and light (www.powerandlightdistrict.com). I suggest the President by Hilton. That will put you right in all of the action. On Saturday you should tour the Boulevard Brewing Company. If you are as excited about beer as you say, this is a mini-mecca that shouldn't be missed (it is a very cheap cab ride from Power and Light). Given that you are in for just the weekend, you may want to consider skipping the car rental and stadium & hotel parking fees, and have a car service take you to and from the airport and the game. Nick and Nino's is a trustworthy and modestly priced service I've used numerous times. As for tailgating, you can drink in the parking lot, and everyone does. Tell the old lady there are plenty of disgusting porta-potties in the lots. You'll be good on food because we all make way too much to eat, and regularly hand it out to passers-by. Lastly, relax and have a good time, and let me know you want to tag along at our tailgate. Happy to host you.

Well, lets start with Oklahoma Joe's to eat, its a must, best BBQ in the country, got to the gas station south of town, ask just about anyone how to get there. There is a hotel right by the Stadium called Adams Mark (I think, may have changed names)The visiting team usually stays there. Here is a link to others close (http://www.hotels-rates.com/hotels/locations/Kansas_City/MO/usa/278/)OK, get to the stadium areound 9:30-10 to avoid a mess of traffic and get a cheap grill to tailgate, burgers, dogs, brauts, dont for get the plastic silverware. Beers are $7 at the Stadium, Drink up in the lot with a 30 pack and ge in just before the game. The lower level is the best unless you have Club level tickets. Cant bring anything in. Portapodies are in the parking lot. Parking was $21 last year may be $22. As for a pub, well, they are everywhere, there is the Power and Light district, (kinda like the one in San Diego, the Plaza (kinda uppidy) DO NOT GO TO WESTPORT, unless you want your rental car stolen or get mugged. Well that should do it, have fun