- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
1st Mariner Arena aka Baltimore Arena
Category: Arts & Entertainment Music Venues Nightlife Music Venues Music Venues [Edit]
201 W Baltimore StBaltimore, MD 21201
Neighborhood: City Center
(410) 347-2089
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Live
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Has TV:
- No
25 reviews for 1st Mariner Arena aka Baltimore Arena
25 reviews in English
-
Review from Dan S.
Baltimore, MD
1/29/2012
After reading the other reviews of 1st Mariner, I was expecting a full body cavity search, awful sound quality, and a general lack of comfort. I was pleasantly surprised when none of this occurred. I went to Miranda Lambert here last night and had a wonderful time. I was not searched as I came in (I'm sure that may depend on the show). The seats are a little tight, but they were on par with what I've experienced for floor seating at any other show. The sound quality was not amazing, but it was fine. I did not have any reverb off the walls. This was in section 4 (floor seating, furthest from the stage). I was able to stand in front of the mixer for about 20 minutes before being shooed out. I also tried to get into General Admission with about 3 songs left in the show and they were still checking tickets for it. So crashing GA is not very likely without some ingenuity. I was able to move up to the second row of seats for the remainder of the show though. I'm not sure what other people were expecting from this arena, but it isn't a concert hall...it is an arena. So expect it to sound like an arena. As far as seating, I recommend at least getting something on the floor. The floor has its own concession area in the back and bathrooms (at least for this show they had blocked access from the upstairs off), plus then you can bounce up to better seats a lot easier than if you were in the upper levels.
-
Review from Pascal P.
2/22/2012
I came here to see the Baltimore Blast and while the actual game was fun the arena left quite a bit to be desired. For starters it has an appearance of being run down. I get that 1st Mariner Bank is going through some rough times but is it really that difficult to fix peeling paint?
The seating in the arena left quite a bit to be desired when we were watching the actual game. Our seats were above one of the goals which meant that we could not see the goal itself or any play that took place within a few feet of it. The TV screens on the scoreboard showed a very lousy quality picture so they weren't much use. Fortunately the game was far from sold out so we moved to better seats for the second half.
One thing that was extremely frustrating was the parking situation when we left the arena. We had parked on the top floor of the parking garage and it took us nearly an hour to get out. I'm not sure what was going on, but things were definitely being delayed by the fact that they were collecting people's tickets as they exited. You had to pay for parking when you entered so I can't imagine why cars were being checked as they left. Making people wait that long just to get out of a parking garage is inexcusable. -
Review from Kelly G.
Washington, DC
5/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
Was here for New Edition they were great but the floor seats were horrible! We couldn't see anything. Do not get section 1 row BB unless you just want to hear the concert. I won't be back there are too many better venues.
-
Review from Terinee B.
Washington, DC
5/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
I happened to end up coming to this facility due to the New Edition concert. I was super excited to be going to see a group that I'd been listening to for as long as I can remember..... What can I say about the facility?!..... It is probably equivalent to your (old & outdated) High School stadium AT BEST! They had NO SCREENS... PERIOD! So if you did not have a floor seat in the first few rows, you probably were not going to be able to tell which of the 6 members of the group you were looking at. I was amazed, as I have NEVER in my life been into a concert-style arena where they had NO screens. Overall, the facility wasn't all that great, but I must say that I did enjoy the act and had a great time dancing! There are plenty of things this place could do to make this facility better, but if they were to just put up a couple of screens, I think it would do WONDERS for the enjoyment of the crowd!
-
Review from Connie W.
Reisterstown, MD
5/6/2012
Floor seating should be eliminated or elevated as the stage is to low for people on the floor to view the show. From the bits and pieces of the Cirque de soleil MJ show that I actually saw it seemed like a pretty good show.
-
Review from Ryan M.
Baltimore, MD
10/16/2011 2 Check-ins Here
The arena is showing its age sadly. The scoreboard is old, the sound system is poor at times (during non-concert events where the regular sound system is used), and the building is sort of failing apart. While its' a great location for an arena, the place needs some work.
The food, at any venue, is expensive and since they prohibit outside food and drinks, you're forced into buying what they are providing. That's the big downside. Nonetheless, it's still fun to go to events here. The arena just needs some TLC at times. -
Review from Elsa M.
I know people complain it's too small, but to see acts like John Legend and Sade, it was just right!
R&B and Soul music is meant to be performed in smaller venues so that listeners really get the feel of the artist and the music. Therefore, having a performance in any large venue seems a bit counter-intuitive, yet it's necessary to accommodate the multitude of fans who flock to big-name artists.
Seeing a concert here is actually quite ideal, if you ask me. The stage isn't as far away as the stage at the Verizon Center and it's easy to get to and from. The acoustics could of course be better, but they really aren't as bad as some say. Either that, or sound technicians are working some real magic as of late.
Pros: small "large" arena
Great for concerts
Convenient location
Friendly event staff
Cons: typical expensive yet mediocre food
Very little leg roomListed in: Downtown Baltimore
-
Review from Kristin M.
Washington, DC
6/5/2011 4 photos
Just saw Cee Lo and Rihanna's tour opener here on a couple radio-won tickets. If, as others have said, there are "no bad seats," I have to say ours were doing their darndest (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). I like my venues super DUPER small, but I think even by normal standards this place is a big concert hall. If you need stadium screens showing close-ups for everyone to know for sure that the performer on stage is the billed entertainer and not any random female with big hair, the venue is too large. I like to be able to see facial expressions with my own eyes.
Also, let's just be frank here, this is an ARENA. My husband once saw a WWF show here (free tickets...) and said it seemed to be an ideal location for it. Nuff said. The acoustics were...loud, mostly. Upside being that there's overpriced but still tempting hot dogs and beer and ice cream for sale, just like at any other sports stadium.
All that in mind, there was room enough for a spectacular Vegas-style show. The focus was not on feeling a personal connection with the artist or hearing great music; the focus was on entertainment (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). And if that's what you're looking for, this venue is just fine for that.Listed in: Stages in the D.C. area, Baltimore
-
Review from Sherria L.
Baltimore, MD
7/27/2011
The announcement of the Kanye West Jay-Z -Watch The Throne tour got me thinking about how much I hate the 1st Mariner Area. Here are my top 10 reasons why the 1st Mariner is crappy venue:
1. Its old
2. The seats are to small and the rows are to narrow
3. The sound system needs a major upgrade
4. It smells
5. There is no jumbotron!!!!
6. There aren't any restaurants inside the arena
7. Its dirty
8. The lighting sucks
9. The food at the concession stands suck
10. Its always hot in there
Long story short I think I'll catch the tour at the Verizon Center which, isn't the best venue I've been to but it sure as hell kicks the 1st Mariner's a**. Please feel free to add your lowlights or highlights to the list. -
Review from Kim S.
Temple Hills, MD
6/17/2011
My sister and I saw John Legend Sade last night.
It was a scorcher in the arena - but in the halls it was cool.
We sat in section 221 - so we had our binoculars ready. Sade did the dag on thing! It was fun. The crowd loved her.
Surprisingly, the crowd was nice. The folks that we sat next, behind and across were very friendly.
The restrooms were very SMALL. 5 stalls in a ladies room? c'mon! something should be done about that. I spent 30 minutes in line just to use the restroom. I liked that there was a restroom "attendant" to make sure things were A-OK in the stalls.
This place is a tad bit smaller than the Verizon Center in DC.
Getting out of the event was easy. Not too many backups.
I'd go there again. -
Review from Pat K.
Beltsville, MD
9/21/2011
I went here for a CAPS preseason game and was impressed at how big this smaller arena seemed. I believe that the seating suffered because of this though. The seats/rows were very small and narrow. Unless this venue is the only place I can go to see the show/sporting event I want to see, I'll be trying to avoid it.
Granted they do not do Hockey very often, but the whole arena was hot and I'm guessing this was the reason the ice was extremely wet. The players were cutting out all over the place.
Even though the CAPS didn't win I still had fun for ticket's I only paid 30 bucks for. The arena seems nice but I guess I'm just picky about my comfort! -
Review from Gerri S.
6/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
They just don't get it. It feels like RFK's awkward, unattractive cousin. I get that people have to consider budget and it was probably a very expensive undertaking for Baltimore but come on now...no matter how proud you are of your el cheapo ways there are just some things in life you need to get it together for such as an interview suit, your wedding dress ,a good OB/GYN to name a few.
1) None of the concession stands take card. Ahem excuse you? Even Mr shady-greasy-combo-of-hearty-ethnic- fastfoods-that-could-possibly-contain-roadkill has a debit machine these days.
2)The line for the single ATM was the best networking event i've been to. Everybody in the arena was there, it was highly interactive and if you waited long enough you got a little money out of it. Some bold and brazen behavior was even acceptable.
3) Ushers were MIA. I mean you saw them from a distance but no one came to your aid while you were trying to avoid tumbling down the concrete steps in pitch blackness. Oh wait. I lie. There was one who burst through the doors when his song was on and held up his cell phone so his significant other could hear. And thankfully he was loud enough that I could pick up on these details.
Thank goodness the show was so spectacular that we could have been sitting in Beirut and I wouldnt have noticed. -
Review from Ebonne B.
6/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Sade hits the stage, she saunters to the microphone with her hair flowing and elegant in a white dress and opens her mouth to belt out one of her classic love songs...
then....
"GIT CHER BEER HERE! ALKIHOL! ALIKIHOL HERE!"
I turn around and i'm greeted by one of about 4 or 5 beer/alcohol/food peddlers employed by the arena. That was the FOURTH time during the concert a lovely moment in time was RUINED by them running up and down the aisle yelling at the top of their lungs competing with the artist on stage to sell crap.
Look this isn't a baseball game. This is a CONCERT. It's loud, it's packed and if people want the ALKIHOL they will walk to the concession stand.
Oh and in TWO occasions people ended up in the wrong seats. How did the staff handle this? by pulling out their flashlights and FLASHING THEM IN PEOPLE'S FACES DEMANDING TO SEE THEIR TICKET. It felt like a bad episode of cops (mall cops that is). Exerting authority with a tiny small flashlight with no regard to the people around. I was bumped into by the staff, had a flashlight shone in my face, and other hovering over me yelling about how somebody "best tah raise outta my damn seat".
I'm sorry mariner arena but i work too hard at a job i greatly disdain to earn good money...good money that was apparently WASTED by going to a show at your venue.
Never. Again.
To me, the size of the venue was good. The sound, the stage were all decent. There's a parking garage attached to the venue and a number of them lined up around the venue as well as some street parking....but i wouldn't risk the street parking. -
Review from Jasmin H.
10/20/2011
Went to the Rihanna concert here this summer. We didn't really have to wait in line and we had pretty good seats. Although they were a little close, and you could tell it was a older venue, it was hassle free for the most part. The bathrooms were surprisingly clean and the beer i got for lik 8 bucks was in a pretty big cup compared to your Verizon Center's of the world. Overall no major complaints.
-
Review from Andrew M.
11/20/2010
Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! Coming to the Baltmore Arena! Monster Truck Jam!
The half ass hon bank from the east side with it's name on the door should set low expectations. The west side represents with a very quick walk to your car after the show.
Echoes of childhood trips to the Ringling Brothers circus in the seventies haunt the never refurbished halls. Beers may be $8, but the locker room hasn't changed since Earl the Pearl hung up his Baltimore Bullets NBA short shorts. God bless them if they can sell tickets to the Baltimore Blast. You can smell what the Rock is cooking every time the WWE and motorcross crowds take over the lavatories.
The demolition man cometh, but don't hold your breath for Trowe to pony up the dough for a respectable venue. As the city's finances dangle on precarious strings, live with the crappy acoustics and enduring concrete ambiance. -
Review from Anthony W.
Baltimore, MD
10/27/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Our arena is a little outdated. Ive been to a number of events over the years and to be honest the place gets the job done. I cant complain I've always found my seat with no problem and even though the concourses a small the lines manage to stay moving.
-
Review from Gretchen D.
Gaithersburg, MD
8/17/2010
I have to say I give these three stars with some reservations, and a 2.5 would probably be more accurate, but anyway...
I've visited the Baltimore Arena (BOO TO RENAMING VENUES FOR THE SAKE OF A BUCK!!) several times, most recently for the Black Eyed Peas. While I enjoy the smallness of the venue - hardly a bad seat in the house! - I thought the sound was really bad in our section - directly across from the stage, upper level. The sound seemed to bounce around and reverb so much, the music was completely off-pace with the singing (and no, this wasn't a lip-syncing issue). Not sure if it's all that hard concrete bouncing the sound around, as I've been front row for other shows, and the sound was perfectly fine. But regardless, I was a bit disappointed.
Combined with the lack of snack options on the second floor and the man-made stampede at the front door caused by ticket-takers who were doing an awful job at directing traffic, and I can honestly say this venue has slowly slipped to one of my least favorite to visit. -
Review from Amy C.
6/18/2011
I remember watching the Ice-capades at this venue when I was a kid and now I'm enjoying concerts here. Yes, the place is old and might not have a large selection of food vendors or state-of-the-art jumbotrons, but the small stadium size makes the events more intimate and there is no bad view in the house.
-
Review from Glenn J.
Glen Burnie, MD
1/1/2012
Went here for a couple shows the arena itself is nice the seating is a little uncomfortable thou
-
Review from Melissa M.
Sterling, VA
7/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Horrible venue. Old, dingy and hot without an ounce of airflow. There was a haze in the air before anyone even performed that made it hard to see. It was elbows to elbows which made it even more uncomfortable. Parking was hideous and so was the Baltimore downtown traffic that prevented us from getting anywhere. Next time I will choose a different venue.
-
Review from Regina S.
11/21/2009
I get that this place has seen better days and is quite old, but frankly, we could not have chosen a better place to see the Bruce Springstein and the E Street Band concert.
First, considering the talent, this was a SMALL venue to perform in. It was sold out, probably 12,000 fans, but it felt like 1,000. There really wasn't a bad seat in the house, and unlike our friends who saw the "Boss" in NY via jumbotron cause their seats were so far away, we had a perfect view of the stage and the performers.
Who wouldn't want to see a great musician such as this in a more personal arena? Our hotel was two blocks away. We entered and were thru security and ticket check in less than 30 seconds. Within a minute we had found the spotless, empty restrooms, and in a minute more were clutching a chardonnay and a Heineken.
I have been to many sporting events, performances, concerts, plays etc, and have never had a more seamless, stress free experience.
Even when the concert started, there was never a wait for tinkling or refilling. The staff we spoke to were friendly and even chatty. We weren't just another faceless concert goer in their eyes. The great bar staff started my order before I even placed it. Nice touch.
All in all, the place rocked. Good acoustics and with 30 songs and 3 hours and 22 minutes of non-stop action, the whole experience was unforgettable. Hopefully, the Boss won't wait another 36 years to play in Baltimore. -
Review from Jake S.
Arlington, VA
10/25/2009
Went here last week to catch the Brad Paisley concert... while the concert was fantastic, I must say that the arena was not. If my high school gym was blown up to 10x its size, this would be the result. Despite looking nice and modern on the outside, the inside is really not aesthetically pleasing at all (concrete floor concourses, bare walls, etc). And the concession stands SUCK. Beer choices were Bud heavy, Bud Light, and Miller Lite... in a damn can... for 8 bucks. Really? No decent beer choices at all, and none on tap? Let's just say that I'm glad I started drinking BEFORE the concert.
I might be spoiled by the Verizon Center in DC, but regardless, this place is in dire need of an overhaul. The only saving grace was the clean bathrooms... thumbs up on that. Otherwise, this is one craptastic arena.
Would I go back? Well... it's an arena. If someone I want to see comes here, I'll probably go back, because that's the nature of how entertainment venues work. It's more about the show itself than the place where the show is taking place. So, yes, I'll probably go back, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it. -
Review from Lee M.
Bethesda, MD
3/15/2009
I've been to quite a few shows and events here and, while its a nice facility, it is staffed by people that are quite angry about life in general. I've seen some downright idiotic acts committed by the employees of this arena (security especially) and it will always be this way.
-
Review from Gary H.
12/11/2009
Bottom line: A-OK and a half.
I saw the Trans-Siberian Orchestra here last night (they were incredible by the way) and had a great time. The outside of the building looks really nice, there is a parking garage right across the street, clean bathrooms, just about all of the seats there from what I could tell were at least 68% decent. Even the worst ones. However, my biggest overall complaint has to be the close quarters. I'm a tall guy. 6'4" or so. My knees were literally against the seat in front of me the entire time. In fact, every time the occupant of that chair would turn to take pictures, guess who got to play arm rest? Yours truly. Luckily for me, I had an aisle seat so I could stretch out a bit. Either way, it was quite literally the smallest amount of space I've ever seen at a venue. Also, it is pretty much just plain concrete inside. I wasn't expecting too much, but it kind of feels like a warehouse. As far as concessions go, by the time I decided to get food (about 3/5 through the show) they were out of just about everything. I wound up with the last hot dog in the place which naturally made me fear for my life. I wasn't exactly keen on getting between hundreds of drunk people and the only sustenance within grasp left. Although, not to discredit Jake's review, they DID have beer on tap at least at this particular concert. All I saw was Miller Lite, but I also wasn't looking for beer at the time. The last problem I had may not have been the venue's fault at all, but either way it was a $20 parking fee. Yes, the show was incredible and they have the right to do that seeing as they have a monopoly on parking and everything, but really? Would you like an arm and a leg as well? I don't really use them all that much anyway. Meh. Anyway, as I said: great night, not a BAD venue by any means, but there is definitely room for improvement. -
Review from m. m.
Philadelphia, PA
3/15/2009
I went to this place (which is currently called 1st Mariner Arena, I submitted the name change to Yelp) for the first time last night to see Motley Crue and Hinder play. It was a comfortable enough venue and the bathrooms were the cleanest and most well maintained I've ever seen at an arena rock show. Sightlines were good, at least from the balconies where I was sitting. I don't think the floor seats could see so good and not sure how the standing room on the floor was going except there was a ship ton of security there and everywhere else. The staff were also really good about shooing drunk people out of the aisles where they were basically having big drunk hug fests and blocking everybody's view.
The one big minus about this place is that I got the impression the staff weren't really used to dealing with rock show audiences or at least not the type who goes to see Crue. I got practically strip searched by some little African-American lady at the door who wanted to look under my hoodie and in my hood and all this other stuff. I am 45 years old and from the 'burbs and I look it. It's the first time someone has ever insisted on looking in my hoodie hood for contraband and basically felt up my entire body (I was wearing a tight stretch top) looking for who knows what. I have been to several hundred rock shows at all types of venues and usually they just check pockets and purse and maybe make you take your jacket off so this was way weird.
Also, I know the venue doesn't want anyone to slip and fall, but is it really necessary to send out a little old lady with a mop every time someone spills an ounce of beer on the floor during a 4 hour rock show? That's a lot of mopping and the mop was doused in some kind of bleach which was making a really bad odor. I was sitting by an aisle and almost got sick off the bleach because 2 minutes of bleach smell is one thing, a full hour of it because of ALL the mopping is something else again. I could see using the mop when someone spilled like a pint and a half and really flooded the section, but they were sending out the mop for little tiny slop puddles that just knocked out of someone's cup. A supervisor would order this little mop lady to go mop that spot. I felt bad for the mop lady, she must have been tired. The supervisors in general were acting like they expected some incident that wasn't going to happen with a 30-50 year old show crowd. At one point a girl tripped going up the stairs, she didn't fall all the way down but she paused for a minute, and the supervisor went running up to her seat like a hall monitor and then some police were sent up, wtf? This place is either terrified of liability or just doesn't understand how to work a rock show.
At the end of the night the cops wouldn't let anybody drive down Baltimore Street where there were a couple hundred people waiting for rides to pick them up. That was really brilliant, guys, especially since cars were exiting the garage on that street and driving down the street, so we didn't realize other cars weren't being allowed to drive down. Absolutely no reason to block off that street other than just being a pain in the ass. If you're looking to catch a ride from there you'll need to walk down the block past the garage to the corner. If the cops really wanted to be helpful, they could shoo the panhandlers and street people off the block during the window of the show because there was also a little too much of that.
