OT - Attending season opener vs PHI

[underpressure]

Hello Wiz fans,

I will come from Europe to attend the season opener between the Wizards and Sixers. I thought of buying a ticket close to the Sixers bench, ie. in section 119, 120 and 121, or even BOX VIP West. My questions are: When is Verizon Center opening the gates for the game? I read that they open 1 hour prior to tip-off but I would like to double check. Is there a chance during pre-game to take pictures court-side, especially if I have obtained a ticket for sections close to the court? Are any amenities included when purchasing a BOX VIP West ticket?
Also, as I am attentively checking the ticket price for a while now: Is it expected that the ticket prices drop further as we approach the season opener? I thought that the attendance is a bit lackluster in WSH but then again, this is the season opening game.

And last: Any special advice for sightseeing (besides the obvious spots) and places to go out in DC?

Would be great if someone could give me some hints. This is much appreciated!

Oh and one more note: Trust the Process!

BTW: I hope the mods don't mind if I open a whole new thread. Feel free to move it to an existing thread if wished.

[montestewart]

Hello Wiz fans,

I will come from Europe to attend the season opener between the Wizards and Sixers. I thought of buying a ticket close to the Sixers bench, ie. in section 119, 120 and 121, or even BOX VIP West. My questions are: When is Verizon Center opening the gates for the game? I read that they open 1 hour prior to tip-off but I would like to double check. Is there a chance during pre-game to take pictures court-side, especially if I have obtained a ticket for sections close to the court? Are any amenities included when purchasing a BOX VIP West ticket?
Also, as I am attentively checking the ticket price for a while now: Is it expected that the ticket prices drop further as we approach the season opener? I thought that the attendance is a bit lackluster in WSH but then again, this is the season opening game.

And last: Any special advice for sightseeing (besides the obvious spots) and places to go out in DC?

Would be great if someone could give me some hints. This is much appreciated!

Oh and one more note: Trust the Process!

BTW: I hope the mods don't mind if I open a whole new thread. Feel free to move it to an existing thread if wished.

I haven't been to the arena in years, but I recall the occasional pre-game or post-game opportunity to get up close if you had lower level tickets. As a Sixers fan, you could probably get some of their players to come over even if you can't actually make it onto the court.

You can do an Abraham Lincoln's assassination tour: H street near 6th st (house where conspirators plotted), 10th st between E and F sts (theater where he was shot and house where he died), New York Ave between 13th and 14th (church he attended; granted, entirely rebuilt), and the White House

[BigA]

My quick takes:

--Yes, doors always open an hour before tip AFAIK.

--Don't know about pre-game pictures. I hope the ushers allow it, might be nice to tip them if they do. They've been much more strict about letting people come down and sit in nicer seats that have been vacated late in lopsided games.

--I don't think any amenities are included with single game tickets, but those who know differently should correct me.

--I looked at the seats for the Sixers game. For the sections where you are looking, there isn't a huge amount of inventory and resale prices are already much lower than the face value. You might continue to actively monitor, see if there's a situation where someone drops their price substantially and in panic. In general, I don't think prices will be much lower than they are now.

--I don't have much to suggest about sightseeing.

[underpressure]

Thanks guys for your input!

I will likely purchase the tickets sooner than later. I rather err on the side of caution than saving a little bit money.

Are there any places that are recommendable for food? It should not be too touristy and it obviously should not break the bank.

[BigA]

Maybe I will say a little about sightseeing. Your options will depend on how much time you have in DC, where you're staying, whether you'll have a car, etc.

Right across from the Capital One Arena is the National Portrait Gallery/Museum of American Art, which is one of my favorites of the Smithsonian museums (which are all free). I've actually never been to some of the private museums that you have to pay for in that area (e.g. Spy Museum, Newseum).

I haven't been to the African American museum yet (will go soon). It's on the Mall and has been open for 10 months. I think you still need timed tickets, which are free, but you have to go online for them.

There are many food options in the Penn Quarter neighborhood at a wide range of prices, though not many that are really cheap (there are food trucks along 7th Street, but they mainly operate around mid-day). There are new places appearing all the time. For less expensive, you have fast casual places like Taylor Gourmet and Shake Shack, you have the Greene Turtle in the arena at the corner of 6th and F for a sports bar atmosphere. I really like the ramen place Daikaiya across 6th Street from the arena. These places can get crowded before a game.

Hope you have a great time.

[underpressure]

Maybe I will say a little about sightseeing. Your options will depend on how much time you have in DC, where you're staying, whether you'll have a car, etc.

I'll stay close to Union station. In total I will spend two and a half days in DC.

I am pretty much set on visiting everything close to the mall (eg. Holocaust museum). This may consume around a day. Other than that I am pretty much inclined to check out everything of interest.

Last note: What's the deal that some tickets for this game at Stubhub can't give more info on the seats number? When I check any Philly home game, I get every single detail and I can immediately download the ticket.

[BigA]

Last note: What's the deal that some tickets for this game at Stubhub can't give more info on the seats number? When I check any Philly home game, I get every single detail and I can immediately download the ticket.

It looks like the tickets that need to be sent physically don't have seat numbers. On the other hand, it looks like there is an option to get electronic tickets on Stub Hub this year, which wasn't the case last year.

Ticketmaster is the official re-seller (Monumental/Ted Leonsis owns the DC Ticketmaster franchise), and on their site you can use a map to get exact seats.