Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 1.86
Jordan Field 65 North Harvard Avenue Boston, MA 02134
Year Opened: 2010
Capacity: 4,100
In the Shadow of History
Jordan Field opened in 2010, and sits literally in the shadow of Harvard’s football stadium in Boston, MA – the venerable football stadium can be seen in the background, and is actually open to the public; plenty of joggers and other athletes can be found inside running the steps or walking around the concrete stands, and several Harvard athletics team use the field itself for practice.
But back to Jordan Field – the venue is a multipurpose field used by Harvard’s men’s and women’s soccer teams, and also by Harvard’s men and women’s lacrosse teams. The facility holds 4,100 fans and has two grandstands – one behind one of the end zones, and the other along one of the sidelines.
Food & Beverage 0
There are no concessions offered at Jordan Field.
Atmosphere 1
Jordan Field is nice enough, with a basic electronic scoreboard and decent bleacher seating, with plenty of Harvard signage around the field. But attendance is very low, and there aren’t any amenities or entertainment here – just the soccer itself to keep you occupied.
Neighborhood 5
The main part of Harvard’s campus is on the other side of the Charles River in Cambridge, while the athletic fields are all clustered on this side, which is technically part of Boston. Jordan Field itself is surrounded by Harvard’s baseball stadium, softball stadium, hockey center, tennis center, and the aforementioned football stadium, with the track, pool, and other athletics fields a little further out.
There are plenty of great restaurants just across the river in Cambridge, mainly to the south of the main campus. Two interesting spots are Night Market, which is a funky little place that serves Asian food, and Alden & Harlow, which offers upscale American fare. There are also plenty of hotels in the area, but they tend to be very pricey, as you might expect – the closest to Jordan Field is Studio Allston Hotel, which is practically within walking distance of the soccer field, while Farrington Inn is a little further away, but about half the price per night.
If you plan to be in town for the day or for the weekend, there is plenty to do in the Boston area. The Freedom Trail is arguably the most popular, with stops along it including Boston Common, Faneuil Hall, the Bunker Hill Monument, Paul Revere House, and the Old North Church. You can also visit the site of the Boston Tea Party, or go on a whale watch out of Boston Harbor. If you are coming to Boston for any reason, it is recommended planning to spend at least a couple of days in town, so you have time to take in some of the wonderful history here.
Fans 1
Women’s soccer games are less well-attended than the men’s games, but very few fans show up at either, especially depending on what time of day the game is.
Access 3
Traffic in the Boston area is pretty hairy as you might expect, and parking near Jordan Field is difficult. There are a few spots nearby, but they are metered or require a parking permit, so you’ll have to park there at your own risk. Most people who attend games here park further away and walk in – there is visitor parking on the other side of the football stadium (next to Harvard Business School), so that might be your best bet, but depending on the time of day you might spend $10 per hour.
Return on Investment 2
It doesn’t cost anything to attend soccer games at Jordan Field, so that is a plus, but there are no amenities here either. If you are looking for something to do while in Boston, or you know someone on the team (or maybe your team is playing on the road here), seeing a game here might be worthwhile. But if you are just looking for a game, there are other sporting events in the area that would be more enjoyable.
Extras 1
If you come to a game at Jordan Field, be sure to snap some photos of the historic football stadium, or go inside Harvard Stadium and walk around – you can actually get some pretty good views of the soccer field from inside.
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