San Diego Sports Gem: Why Petco Park Is #1

Pain Before Petco

There are many, many wonderful aspects to San Diego, CA, but one thing you won’t often hear it referred to is a sports town, at least not at the professional level. They were cursed with their NBA team leaving for Los Angeles way back in 1984… and then in 2017, the NFL’s San Diego Chargers also fled up north to LA.

That proved to be an even more painful saga, as the Chargers called San Diego home for 56 years before the brutal exodus. Indeed, the Chargers fielded some legendary squads over the years, including championship caliber teams with Dan Fouts and Kellen Winslow, and even a Super Bowl team in 1995, unfortunately losing to another California team, the San Francisco 49ers, in the legendary Jerry Rice’s final Super Bowl victory.

However, with the loss of both its NFL and NBA teams over the decades, one sport’s loss is clearly another sport’s gain, as evidenced by the incredible support San Diego gives to its very own San Diego Padres, the Major League Baseball franchise that’s called the city home since 1969 (and actually dating all the way back to 1936, where the squad began as a Pacific Coast League baseball team.

Venue Envy

Although you’ll find very few cities jealous of the Padres status in the record books (they’re one of only five teams to never win a World Series, and are sadly the oldest team in that bunch as well), pretty much every other fanbase in the country is a little green with envy upon getting a closer look at the Friars’ home: Petco Park.

Jealous you say? Yes, yes I do. And don’t just take my word for it – according to the latest stadium rankings from the USA TODAY earlier in 2024, Petco Park ranks as the number one MLB stadium in the country.

If you live in San Diego of course you already know this, but if you’re planning on paying a visit to the city during baseball season (and even if it’s outside of baseball season), you’ll want to make a slight detour from the Gaslamp Quarter to take in Petco Park. Here are five big reasons why…

#1 – Location, Location, Location

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this season, arguably the biggest contributor to its long-lasting success is one simple word: location. Why? Because Petco Park isn’t only located in San Diego, it’s located in Downtown San Diego.

The ballpark is essentially nestled in the heart of downtown, with the gorgeous skyline basically right there above you. In addition, two other words really help this venue shine: Gallagher Square. Earlier this year, during their annual FanFest, the Padres organization unveiled an epic $20 million makeover of the Square, completed just in time to commemorate that 20th anniversary.

Here’s a quick breakdown of all that you can do in Gallagher Square, which by the way, is often open, at least partially, even when Petco Park itself is closed. Gallagher has basically grown to be part of the neighborhood, a special place for nearby residents.

INSIDE GALLAGHER SQUARE

• Expanded Playground
• Fenced, Off-Leash Dog Park
• Play Ball Field – a mini-baseball field for kids
• Temporary Pickleball Courts
• Tony Gwynn Terrace Viewing Deck and Picnic Space
• Sycuan Stage – a premier concert venue that frequently features smaller concerts taking place outside the ballpark itself.

Learn more at the two links below:
https://www.mlb.com/padres/tickets/concerts
https://www.mlb.com/padres/tickets/events

#2 – The View

Ask about the view at Petco Park, and the two words you’ll hear most frequently are “purely spectacular.” Offering San Diego skyline views from pretty much every single seat in the stadium, Petco Park simultaneously combines some of the best sight lines in baseball with breathtaking city views.

Not only will you enjoy the game and the natural beauty of San Diego, you can also sit in the shade during any day games, pretty much all year round.

Petco Park’s upper deck is another big differentiator between the San Diego park and other ballparks across the country. We already covered the usual points, applying to the whole park essentially, but if you’re sitting upstairs, do yourself a favor and turn around (yes, look away, look away).

If you walk all the way to the top of the upper deck, you’ll get an incredible view of the San Diego-Coronado Bridge behind the staidum. On a pristine clear day, you can even see Mexico and two of its islands far off on the horizon. 

#3 – Food & Drink in the Park

Many Major League Baseball parks offer some good food options, but very few offer the unique combination you’ll find at Petco Park. Both the food and drink selections are incredibly varied, and they’re also relatively reasonably priced too (by American ballpark standards of course).

You’ll find some great local finds, including Hodad’s, Grand Ole BBQ, and San Diego’s Finest Hot Chicken. Hodad’s even includes a vegan option, the Veggie Burger, which can even be made and gluten-free when lettuce-wrapped vs. a bun.

And then there’s arguably the crown jewel of the stadium, a little local gelato joint known as Ans Gelato. There’s a lot to their San Diego story, so feel free to click here to learn more about Ans, but for now just know, it’s a MUST TRY at Petco Park. In another surprise, they even have a vegan option as well, a rarity for a gelato shop.

Oh and speaking of vegan, another local gem is Negihama Sushi, who offer a vegan option as well with their Veggie Roll.

Then of course there’s the beer. San Diego is home to some incredible breweries, including legends like Ballast Point (makers of the cult favorite Piper Down, which they really need to bring back) and Coronado Brewing Company. Other local brews featured in Petco include AleSmith Brewing Company, Karl Strauss Brewing Company, Coronado Brewing Company, Hodad’s Brewing Company, Pizza Port Brewing Company, and WestBrew.

If this is truly your scene, make sure you check out Craft Row, located behind home plate. Craft Row is a complete row of beer stands, featuring unique selections from some of San Diego’s best breweries.

In addition to beer in the park, you’ll also find some great, local, hard kombucha with JuneShine Hard Kombucha and Nova Kombucha.

Last, but certainly not least, I can’t forget to mention the friendly staff at Petco. Apparently there’s something about being in the good weather all the time while working in such a beautiful place… as it simply brings out the happy in everyone.

Click here for the full Petco Park Food Guide (https://www.mlb.com/padres/ballpark/food).

#4 – Amenities

This certainly won’t come as a surprise at this point, but Petco Park also features some state-of-the-art amenities for fans. In addition to the aforementioned perks of Gallagher Square, you’ll also find great hospitality spaces like the Kona Patio, offering unique views and private areas. Then there’s the Skyline Patio and the Picnic Terrace too.

Then there’s the Toyota Terrace, which you’lll find on the second level. Here you can find shade on hot days, and you’ll also be near some of the best amenities at the ballpark.

Perhaps the best choice, however, is the Western Metal Supply Building, dating back to 1909. If you’ve ever been to Petco Park or even caught a Padres game on TV, you’ve definitely noticed this historic red-brick building in left field (which is now officially part of the park’s left-field line). Once an industrial warehouse, the beautiful building now holds seating areas, as well as event spaces and a bar too, including high top tables and chairs.

Then there’s the specific area of Gallagher Square that most certainly deserves its own special mention – the one and only Tony Gwynn Terrace and Tunnel. This area honors the late, great Padres (for his entire 20-year career) and major league legend himself, known universally as one of the greatest hitters to ever play the game.

A 9.5-foot bronze statue commemorates “Mr. Padre” and sits as the epicenter of the Terrace. The area features picnic tables plus the Tony Gwynn Deck Tower, including a video board and food and beverages stops too.

Arguably the best part though is the Tony Gwynn Tunnel, sitting below the terrace, where visitors can dive into all the facts and figures on Tony’s incredible life and career in San Diego, both on and off the field.

For more baseball lore, you can also pay a visit to the San Diego Padres Hall of Fame, situated behind the left-field stands in the ballpark. The Padres Hall of Fame showcases dozens of Padres players and other prominent people in the teams history, including Hall of Famers Dave Winfield and Trevor Hoffman.

Finally, a couple of honorable mentions… Petco Park offers daily tours, taking you behind the scenes at MLBs #1 park for 2024, and lastly, the park does of course also offer Wi-Fi.

#5 – The Park Design & Architecture

Sports stadiums in general span quite the spectrum when it comes to architrecture and design, oftentimes even in the ame city,

For example, in Chicago, you’ll see Soldier Field where the Bears play gets compared to an other-wordly venue now, looking like a spaceship… while Guaranteed Rate Field, where the White Sox play, tends to feel more like a shopping mall.

Then there’s the legendary Wrigley Field, however, home to the Chicago Cubs. Wrigley is steeped in history and much more aesthetically pleasing with its red brick and vines – making it one of the Top 3 baseball stadiums in the major leagues.

So it’s even more impressive that Petco Park now ranks above Wrigley Field in the realm of MLB stadiums. Petco’s magnificent architecture does a phenomenal job of honoring baseball tradition and packing in up to over 42,000 fans, all while somehow retaining an intimate feel. The park celebrates San Diego… with an incredible combination of the city skyline and the natural beauty of California.

A big part of this stems from the well-known mission of the Padres’ ownership to integrate the park into the community, while also trying to give the park some new looks every year.

There’s also the sustainability bonus – Petco Park is powered by the largest solar panel installation in Major League Baseball, sitting atop the stadium. Combined with other efforts, in 2022 Petco became the first National League ballpark powered by 100% percent renewable and carbon-free energy.

The Bottom Line

It’s a pretty simple equation for Petco Park – get your tickets, come out to a Padres game, and have a great, great time. In fact, I’d challenge you to NOT have a great time visiting Petco Park – unless maybe you’re a Dodgers lover, and if so, my condolences.

A Quick Thanks

One last thing before I wrap up here… I just want to give a quick shout-out and thank you to Chocolate Connoisseur Magazine for their recent article on me: Chocolate Connoisseur Profiles: Billy Crafton. If you haven’t read it yet, I hope you’ll give it a look right here. Really appreciate the great write-up!

USA TODAY – Top 10 MLB Stadiums for 2024

1. Petco Park – San Diego Padres
2. Oracle Park – San Francisco Giants
3. Wrigley Field – Chicago Cubs
4. PNC Park – Pittsburgh Pirates
5. Coors Field – Colorado Rockies
6. Fenway Park – Boston Red Sox
7. Target Field – Minnesota Twins
8. T-Mobile Park – Seattle Mariners
9. Citi Field – New York Mets
10. Dodger Stadium – Los Angeles Dodgers