Gallery: Inside North Jersey's $1.6 Billion Sports Mecca
01nmsopener
For more than 30 years, Giants Stadium in northern New Jersey was the butt of jokes both in sports circles and otherwise. (Jimmy Hoffa, anyone?) But that monstrous, postmodern hunk of concrete, which played host to NFL football, professional soccer, college football and thousands of top-draw concerts and events, is no more. Enter New Meadowlands Stadium, which cost $1.6 billion and took nearly three years to construct. Now, one of the crown jewels of sports architecture, NMS boasts some of the most forward-looking tech and eco-friendly initiatives that you'll find anywhere in the United States. The New York Giants officially christen the stadium Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, with the New York Jets taking on the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football. And judging from the [record ratings](http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81a6a2ef/article/saints-win-over-vikings-receives-record-television-ratings) the NFL pulled in for Thursday night's season opener, it looks like America is again ready for some football. __Above:__ Ready for Game Day ------------------ Seen from above on Sept. 2, before the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots in their final preseason warm-up, New Meadowlands Stadium contains 82,500 seats for football games. Ninety thousand spectators can pile in for non-football events such as soccer matches and music concerts. The stadium is more than twice as large as the old one — with more than 2.1 million square feet of space — but relative energy use has decreased by 30 percent. *Photo: [Tom Kaminski](http://twitpic.com/2kpuxe), WCBS Chopper 880*
02nmsconstruction
A Long Time Coming ------------------ The stadium's overall look, from the firm 360 Architecture, was inspired by stadiums in Berlin, Munich and elsewhere. Ground was broken back in September 2007, and construction of has been a joint effort between the Giants and Jets, the two NFL teams who'll be NMS' primary tenants. The field is next-gen Field Turf — synthetic "grass" with rubber granules that act a stand-in for dirt — and sports the only full-color, removable field logos and end zones in the world. So depending on if it's Jets green or Giants blue calling NMS home, the grounds crew doesn't have to painstakingly repaint the field as before. *Photo: Flickr/[slgckgc](http://www.flickr.com/photos/slgc/4629154121/), CC*
Bill Kostroun03giantspepsi
High-Def Overload ----------------- As fans enter the stadium, they won't miss the 20 high-definition video pylons encircling the structure. Ranging from 40 to 60 feet high and each 20 feet wide, the pylons are a mere precursor to the 2,100-plus HD monitors fans will find inside NMS. According to stadium officials, New Meadowlands Stadium will contain more high-def coverage than any other building in the country. Take that, [Cowboys Stadium](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/culture/design/magazine/16-09/st_stadium)! *Photo courtesy New Meadowlands Stadium*
Jesse D. Garrabrant04jetsbowl
Green in All Ways ----------------- With the New Meadowlands Stadium, there'll be the green you can see — namely the hundreds of thousands of rabid Jets fans that will fill the seating areas this season — and the green you can't. That would be the 11 million gallons of water a year stadium officials say NMS will save over its predecessor. ( [make up a quarter of the savings.)](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/magazine/2010/06/ff_waterless_urinal/) Or it could be the minimal impact they expect NMS to have on local landfills, thanks to an expanded use of recycled and compostable concessions packaging. Indeed, an EPA official recently called it "one of the greenest stadiums in American professional sports." But with 70 tons of solid waste created every game day, there's still room for improvement. *Photo courtesy New Meadowlands Stadium*
Jesse D. Garrabrant05giantsscoreboard
Tech Above and Around --------------------- In addition to the 4-foot-high, 2,200-foot-long ribbon board that circles the interior of the bowl, there are four 30-by-118-foot HD video displays placed in the four "corners" of the stadium. In case fans miss the instant replays on one of those enormous screens, they'll be able to pull it up on a specially designed app that will work only on the premises — thanks to the NMS' free WiFi. It provides highlights, updated stats, and more exclusive content. (Five hundred wireless antennas inside the stadium will make sure of that.) Designers spent $100 million in all tricking out NMS with tech-centric infrastructure. *Photo courtesy New Meadowlands Stadium*
06coachesclub
Up Close and Personal --------------------- There are loads of luxury accommodations in the New Meadowlands Stadium, including more than 200 suites, ranging from 16 to 24 seats each. Each one has multiple HD screens, access to private VIP parking, and climate-controlled seating areas. Down on the field level, fans in the Coaches Club can move down to a private viewing area just 5 feet away from the home team's bench. From that angle, the action is more intense than an episode of *[Hard Knocks](http://www.hbo.com/hard-knocks/index.html)*. And that's only when you're not chilling out at the nearby 18,600-square-foot lounge and bar designed by architect David Rockwell. *Photo: Flickr/[babyknight](http://www.flickr.com/photos/babyknight/4608679687/), CC*
07martinibar
Finding That Warm Feeling Inside -------------------------------- December temperatures in East Rutherford, New Jersey, average around 36 degrees. Wind usually comes in around 10 mph. That means you'll want to spend at least *some* portion of the game away from your seat in warmer territory. For that, NMS provides about 800 concession areas, highlighted by the East and West Clubs on opposite sides of the stadium's interior. There you'll find dedicated restaurants, sushi joints, bar-and-grills, and martini bars (shown here). And if you can get down to the Commissioners Club on the lower level, they've got cooking stations ready to go for celebrity chefs. (Tell Bobby Flay I like my burgers medium rare.) *Photo rendering courtesy New Meadowlands Stadium*
FRED MILLER08jetswestgate
20 Minutes From Everywhere -------------------------- Accessibility was a major priority for stadium designers, considering that millions of potential fans live less than an hour away. For those driving, there are now 38 access lanes heading into NMS — up from 17 at Giants Stadium — and more than 28,000 parking spaces around the exterior. For those preferring mass transit to North Jersey, it's just a 20-minute train ride from New York's Penn Station, with a dedicated new rail line that leaves fans directly at the stadium's main entrance. *Photo rendering courtesy New Meadowlands Stadium*
09nmsconcert
More Than Just Football ----------------------- OK, New Meadowlands Stadium is more than just football. The U.S. men's soccer team, fresh off its performance at the World Cup in South Africa, played Brazil at NMS in its first post-Cup friendly in August. The new venue is also concert-ready: It's already hosted the Eagles with Keith Urban and Dixie Chicks back in June. But the new structure has only football games — NFL and college — scheduled through the rest of 2010. That could change come January, although the Giants' and Jets' playoff hopes will have something to do with that. *Photo: Flickr/[asterix611](http://www.flickr.com/photos/28722563@N05/4701514399/), CC*
10nmsroof
A Stadium for the Future ------------------------ Giants Stadium lasted a good 33 years, but with a $1.6-billion investment, you can be sure that officials will be looking for a more long-term gain out of their spankin'-new facility. And soon, more than just Tri-State Area football fans will know its marvels, as NMS has been selected as site of the 2014 Super Bowl. (An amazing feat, really, when you consider the NFL's normally strict guidelines about only having the Super Bowl in climates averaging over 50 degrees.) Until then, Giants and Jets fans should have the New Meadowlands Stadium all to themselves. *Photo: Flickr/[joevare](http://www.flickr.com/photos/joevare/4884024636/), CC*
