Fenway's EMC Club: How the Other Half Lives

During the off-season, Fenway Park underwent some drastic changes, including the removal of the glass from the .406 Club and the creation of the EMC Club, as well as the Home Plate Pavilion just above it. Last night, Bostonist had the good fortune to sit in the new EMC Club, for the first home game against the Yankees, no less, and we thought we'd gloat share.

We arrived early enough to take in what might be the best view in the Park, but certainly not the true Fenway experience. (What we said about of the .406 Club last year holds true for the EMC Club - it’s just not the same as the rowdy bleachers and the vendors yelling “Get your hot dogs heah.”) Upon arrival, we were quickly mesmerized by the beautiful indoor club with two full bars, a full-service restaurant, and a lounge area with flat panel TVs showing the game on NESN.

We immediately wondered why people were eating inside, when they had to have tickets for the seats outside in order to be here. We realized that many of these people didn’t care to be at the game as much as we did.

We were escorted to our seats, and the view was amazing. A few changes that we noticed: there is no longer a dress code - jeans and flip flops are perfectly appropriate - and you can now actually feel like you're at a real ballgame in true RSN fashion, even if most of the people sitting in the EMC Club are high rollers and VIPs: With the glass wall gone, we actually felt like we were inside the ballpark with the rest of the fans.

Perched directly above home plate, Bostonist could enjoy the fullest view of the field we've ever had. The 47-degree, damp night actually made the experience better - not only are the seats padded in the EMC Club, but there are heaters overhead to keep the fans toasty on cold nights. Had it been a warm evening, Bostonist would not have been able to enjoy this luxury - and when we sit in seats like this, we want to be able to enjoy every possible amenity. As soon as we sat down, our waiter introduced himself and gave us menus, which included the traditional Fenway fare, as well as a few extras - lobster rolls, burgers, and, most importantly, alcohol. Yes, beer and wine are brought to your seat - all you have to do is ask (and pay - Budweiser went for $7 and Heineken for $7.50, which were the only beers on tap the waiter would bring. Bostonist wasn’t complaining, however - any beer brought to our seat at Fenway is good enough for us). The full bar didn’t have too many more options for beer, but they would make you any drink you asked for. The Sam Adams inside went for $8.50 - quite pricey, if we do say so ourselves. But, again, getting hooked up with free seats in the EMC Club miraculously allows us to rationalize spending lots of money while sitting there. Quick tip: if you want to order food, best to do it before the game starts. Bostonist ordered at around 7pm, and by 7:05 the food was in front of us. Our friends ordered after the first pitch and didn’t receive their food until very late in the game. It seemed everyone around us was receiving their ordered food, so perhaps it was just a snafu - either way, we suggest ordering early.

There was a plethora of flat-panel TVs throughout the seating area as well as inside, which allowed Bostonist to catch some of the more notable replays from last night’s game. In the bathrooms (which were refreshingly clean, new, and beautiful, and lacked any line whatsoever), there were also TVs, this time with sound so as to ensure we wouldn’t miss a play.

In all, Bostonist can't imagine a more appropriate place to experience an exciting win against the Yankees (thanks, in part, to Big Papi’s homerun into the Sox bullpen, with Papelbon in the perfect position to make the catch), the booing of Johnny Damon, Doug Mirabelli’s return, and a fantastic (?) celebrity sighting - Mitt Romney, a few rows down and one section over, enjoyed about half the game until we noticed his quick disappearance, along with his entourage of . . . secret service guys? Anyway, it was awesome, and we strongly advise our dear readers to find themselves a generous and well-connected friend, so that they, too, can experience Fenway in style.