Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.29
Chase Center 1 Warriors Way San Francisco, CA 94158
Year Opened: 2019
Capacity: 18,062
Chasing Another Championship
The Golden State Warriors have been one of the most dominant NBA teams over the last decade, as they have won six titles, including three in the last five seasons. They also hold the record for most regular season wins with 73. Coach Steve Kerr has an astounding winning percentage of .880 with the team. Despite free agency the team has managed to keep together its core players, including Stephen Curry, DeMarcus Cousins, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.
The 2019-2020 season has added yet another home court advantage for the team, as they moved into the Chase Center, their new home on the shores of San Francisco Bay. The 18,062-seat arena is the first 100% privately financed professional sports facility in generations. Chase Center is the Warriors fourth home in the Bay Area since relocating from Philadelphia in 1962. It replaces the Oracle Arena in Oakland, the team’s home since 1966.
Food & Beverage 4
When you are in one of the top foodie towns in the country, if not the world… you share that with your guests. Chase Center does that by curating a “Bay Area Only” food and beverage program. The concession offerings are part of the Center’s commitment to sustainability by sourcing most of its food ingredients from farmers and vendors with 150 miles of the arena.
Among the concession stands to choose from are Bakesale Betty (tenders/fries $14, fried chicken sandwich $13 and fried chicken salad $12), Sam’s Chowder House of Half Moon Bay (lobster roll $22,seafood chowder $9.50 and crab fries $20), City Bistro (chicken tenders $12.50, hot dogs $8.50, brats $11, corn dogs $8.50, nachos $9, and pretzels $6.50) and Nate’s BBQ, created by former Warrior and Hall of Fame member Nate Thurmond (pulled pork sandwich $15 and brisket sandwich $15). Dessert offerings include CC Made’s Artisanal Popcorn, Chef Boug Crab Cakes and Po’ Boys, Earl’s Peanut Brittle and Sugar and Spin Cotton Candy.
On the beverage front, Chase Center offers Pepsi brand sodas for $6, bottled water for $6 and tea for $7. Beers range from $12 for a domestic beer to $15 for a craft beer. You are located very near Napa Valley, so there is a vast wine menu available at select stands. For wine, prices begin at $16 and go up. Other beverage providers with a presence at the Chase Center on a rotating basis include Sequoia Sake, Drakes Brewing, Faction Brewing, Harmonic Brewing, and Triple Voodoo Brewing.
Atmosphere 5
The Oracle Arena was known for its “cozy” atmosphere with the closest seats in the NBA to the action. Chase Center continues that tradition. It has more seats in the lower level bowl than any arena in the NBA. In addition to its courtside seats, the seat options include 44 luxury suites, 32 courtside lounges and 60 theatre boxes.
The Chase Center features the largest center-hung video board in the NBA… a monster that measures 82 feet 9 inches X 52 feet 8 inches.
Neighborhood 4
The Chase Center is in the Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco. This area was formerly an industrial area but is quickly gentrifying into a center for tech companies, educational facilities (UCSF’s Research Campus is nearby) and a growing residential population. Even though it is located along the shore of San Francisco Bay, it has not developed into the tourist mecca that the rest of San Francisco has been. Most of the restaurants, tourist sites and lodging accommodations are located north of the neighborhood. The San Francisco Giants Oracle Park is located a few blocks north of the Mission Bay District.
One of the goals of the Chase Center is to be much more than just a sports arena. The area surrounding the facility is known as Thrive City, which includes 3.2 acres of plazas and green space. More than 20 restaurants and retail outlets have now opened in this area. In early 2020, a ferry dock will allow for direct access from the Oakland/Berkley areas to the Thrive City Complex.
The top tourist areas of San Francisco… Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz, Ghirardelli Square and Chinatown… are just a short trolley ride or walk away from the Chase Center. You’ll have no problem finding things to do before or after the game.
Fans 5
The Warriors fan base is known locally as the “Dub Nation.” They have been ranked as the second best fan base in the NBA by the Fansided website (the Boston Celtics are ranked #1). Thanks to the Dub Nation, the team has an average home attendance of 19,596 compared to the NBA average home attendance of 17,380. The Warriors have sold out more than 350 home games in a row as of the end of the 2019 NBA season.
Members of the Dub Nation come to cheer first and socialize second. They are an intimidating factor during tight games, making it impossible for the opposition to communicate with each other and creating a huge distraction when the visitors are at the free throw line.
One of the unique elements of the Golden State fan base is found in its diversity. San Francisco is a melting pot of cultures that seem to all come together when the Warriors are involved. In addition to the white and African American fans, there is a great amount of support within the Asian community for the team.
Access 4
One of the key elements in the design of the Chase Center is accessibility. San Francisco, by nature, is not a car friendly city. It has narrow streets, steep hills and parking decks are very expensive to build due to the sharp differences in elevation. Add to that a large influx of tourists unfamiliar with the city and the famous trolley cars taking up space in the street.
The accessibility plan took all these issues into account and has resulted in a very diversified set of options for fans to get to the Chase Center for Warriors games, concerts and other events. Chase Center has become its own transit hub, as it is serviced by both light rail and busses run by MUNI. The UCSF/Chase Center Station in turn, links to both the BART and CALTRAIN regional transportation stations located a few blocks away. Persons holding a ticket to a Chase Center event do not have to pay the fare for that day. Since the arena is located next to San Francisco Bay, it is relatively flat, which has allowed the construction of walking and biking paths that lead into the Mission Bay area from other parts of town. There are more than 300 bike valet spaces at Chase Center. In the very near future, fans from across the bay can avoid the traffic on the Bay bridges by arriving via ferry.
The Chase Center has two main lobbies inside of the building which reduces the gridlock greatly. The concourses are extremely wide, and the flow of traffic works well throughout the game. Getting to the upper level of seats is a piece of cake, as there are 19 sets of elevators available to transport you. We did reduce the rating score by one point in this area, as the concourse is not open to a view of the court and there are few monitors on the concourse to keep updated on the game.
Return on Investment 4
Success comes at a price, as the average price of a Golden State ticket is $80. The team has sold out more than 350 home games in a row and has more than 20 thousand people on its waiting list for season tickets. This means that the secondary market will always be offering tickets at a premium price if it all. The move to the new arena has only increased the interest in attending the Golden State games.
San Francisco is also one of the more expensive towns in the NBA when you look at lodging cost. A night in a Bay area hotel runs from $200-$300 on average. Parking is at a premium as the 957 spaces underneath the Chase Center are reserved for season ticket holders, as are many of the surrounding parking decks. You can cut this expenditure dramatically by using MUNI busses or light rail to get to the games. Your game ticket makes you eligible for a free ride all day long on the day of the game, which is a great way to encourage use of public transportation in a very congested city.
Extras 4
The Golden State name and Bay Bridge logo symbolizes the team’s shared homes of Oakland and San Francisco.
There are 17 Warriors players and coaches in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. They include such players as Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry, Al Attles, Chris Mullin, Nate Thurmond, Mitch Richmond and Jerry Lucas.
Chase Center has already achieved Gold LEED status for sustainability. This is due in part to its state-of-the-art construction techniques, the utilization of multiple environmentally friendly means of accessing the facility (mass transit, bike, ferry and pedestrian trails) and its sourcing of food from farms located within 150 miles of the arena.
The facility is a virtual art gallery, as there are more than 80 commissioned pieces of art throughout the complex.
There is a separate entity within the Thrive City complex that is open throughout the week, even if the team is on the road. It is a skilled based basketball mecca offering a wide variety of fun and interactive games featuring a Warrior theme. Tickets must be purchased in advance. For more information, go to www.thehooptopia.com.
Final Thoughts
One of the premiere franchises in the NBA now has a home to match up with its elite status. The Chase Center boasts of an unbeatable view of San Francisco Bay, cutting edge technology and a food and beverage menu featuring the best the City by the Bay has to offer. Chase Center is destined to be one of the top professional sports facilities in any league, much like its neighbor, the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle Park.