Opening day

[rbreisacher24]

Where is the best place to be before and after a game at Fenway?

This summer I will be making my way around the country visiting all 30MLB ballparks. I'm looking to experience and document the best possible gameday enviroment in each park. I will be at Fenway for Opening Day. Where should I be for the best experience. Is there any special private parties I should try to get into?

As I said before I will be documenting every aspect of my trip. Please feel free to take a look at my blog and join me for my adventure. http://baseballdreamin.blogspot.com You can also find me on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BaseballDreamin or twitter: https://twitter.com/BaseballDreamin

[Mike D.]

My favorite spot for pre- or post- game drinks is Boston Beerworks, which is right across the street from Fenway. They make their own beer, which is very good, the food is very respectable "pub grub", and the waitstaff and atmosphere are always friendly. It can get pretty crowded close to game time, so get there early!

Sounds like a very cool tour. For the past decade or so, I've been working my way through all the ballparks...have done about 20, although some have been replaced or closed since I've hit them.

[Therwil Flyer]

When I was in Boston, the two places I usually went to before games were the Boston Beerworks and the Cask N' Flagon. Both are just across the street form Fenway more or less next to each other and both will be really crowded on opening day.
If I had to chose one over the other, I'd probably go with the Beerworks. There are other places around Fenway too, including NESN announcer Jerry Remy's sports bar, but I've never been there, so I can't say much about them.

Enjoy Fenway!

[9&10]

Pretty much any place you go will be crowded on Opening Day, but I would recommend the Bleacher Bar on Landsdowne St. You can actually see inside the park when you're inside the bar.

www.bleacherbarboston.com

[Dude Paskert]

Beerworks is more of an upscale place with some interesting craft brews.
Cask N Flagon is more gritty, and one could probably argue that it's a better place to meet diehard Sawx fans.
Haven't had a chance to find it in the last few years so I can't say if it has changed, but you used to be able to get a good Cuban at Luis Tiant's stand just outside the park and possibly meet the man himself. He was always friendly and willing to sign.
Keep your eyes open, a friend and I spotted Bill Lee in SRO behind the grandstand once and he chatted with us for a while. I loved his outfit, he looked kind of like a mix between a philosophy professor and a rock star. Bill clearly liked mixing with the people and was a lot of fun...quite a contrast with Eck, who treated us with tremendous disdain just for crossing paths with him. We didn't even try to stop him or talk to him and he acted like we just keyed his Porsche.

I have two trains and then a long drive after games, so I usually don't stick around. Have stopped by the club in the park a few times after games, the place was jumping. Newbury Street is quite close to the park and is chock full of expensive restaurants and clubs, but it's exactly the kind of area I avoid.