US Tennis Open/NYC

This year an estimated 700,000 spectators attended the 2017 US Open, and we were lucky to count ourselves among that illustrious group of tennis fans. Despite my high expectations, the event was even better than I anticipated. I can't imagine a better trip to share my love of the game with my family. I've been playing tennis since I was about 10, and played competitively during junior high and high school. While I haven't played as much these last few years, the tournament reignited my desire to pick up a racquet and practice more. In fact, I've already lined up some tennis with some neighbors tomorrow morning. It's a wonderful sport that I look forward to playing with my family for a lifetime.

I have a bucket list of things I hope to do with my family, and attending each of the four tennis grand slam events features prominently on that list. It made sense to go to the US Open first. We've been able to visit NYC several times over the last few years, so we've become quite familiar with the city, and I had heard many times what a well organized event it is. We scrupulously saved hotel and airline points in order to make it happen. In the end, we were able to do it at an incredible bargain with very convenient arrangements. Convenience is everything when traveling long days as a young family.

The timing of our tennis-themed vacation couldn't have been better--the US Open begins in late August, so it normally conflicts with the beginning of the new school year, but our kids aren't yet in school. As for me, I have a break before beginning my career in the Air Force, so we all had plenty of free time to spare. And purely out of luck, the weather conditions were unbelievably pleasant. During our 10-day trip, the high temperatures mostly ranged from the low to mid-70s, which certainly helped maintain our kids' interest during the long matches.

Of course, with young kids you know going in that extra preparation and flexibility is essential. Tennis is a game of focus and resilience, and we needed both to maximize our experience as a spectator family. From the outset, I noticed that there were very, very few spectators as young as our children. In fact, I can't remember seeing any as young as our 3-year-old Stan, but we were always treated kindly and the boys did incredibly well at adopting the exacting mannerisms of this more "polite" spectator sport. There were moments when I would hold my breath hoping that my kids wouldn't squeal during a rally and, surprisingly, there were no incidents. Interestingly, the closer we sat to the court the better they behaved as there was more immediate action to hold their attention. Fortunately, the solid majority of the matches we watched at the front and center. Some of the world's top players were close enough that they would hit a backhand within a couple feet of where we were sitting. It was an intimate and engaging experience.

So how did I enjoy the experience overall? It was the best sporting event I've ever attended. Hands down. In many ways, it offered the things I most love about March Madness--lots of underdogs fighting for respect, dozens of close matches going on simultaneously, and an electric atmosphere that pervades the entire event. But it was better than March Madness in that all of the events are happening in such a small area, allowing the fans to freely flow from match to match as we did. In our three days of attending the US Open, we probably watched portions of about 15 matches. Each one was memorable in its own way. Most of the matches featured players I recognized, but even those that didn't were great because of the courtside access that made these top athletes more relatable, yet awe-inspiring.

On top of that, the US Open functioned like a well-oiled machine. The ushers were firm, but accommodating, and the grounds were impeccably clean. The vendors were excellent, and I couldn't believe how many interactive events there were for kids both at the tournament and at the Arthur Ashe Kids Day the Saturday prior. 

Here are some general tips I would give in case you are considering going to the US Open event as a family:

-Find a hotel in Queens. If you are staying in Manhattan, you will likely have to take two separate trains to get to Flushing Meadows. Not the end of the world, but you'll save a lot of time and energy if you stay in Queens. Day matches begin at 11:00, but the gates open at 9:30. You'll want to get in line by 9:45 for the best chance to beat the crowd. The line can get very, very long.

-You MUST go to Arthur Ashe Kids' Day, which takes place the Saturday before the tournament. It's easy to watch some of the top players courtside (we watched Roger Federer warmup from the 3rd row, and Andy Murray from the 1st). Frankly, most of the kids activities aren't the highlight because they are crowded, but it's an easy way to watch the top players play, and there's less stress because you're not as worried about your kids causing a distraction. And it's absolutely FREE. 

-Buy the jumbo Wilson tennis ball. Yes, it's overpriced, but it was definitely the must-have item for kids. Collecting autographs worked wonders for keeping Mason enthusiastic about the whole thing. He beamed with pride whenever he got one, and it was cute watching him strain over the barrier to give his marker and ball to a player. 

-To get an autograph, whether you're watching a practice session at Kids' Day or a real match, locate the portals where the players exit in advance, and take your kid down 5 minutes before the completion of the match. Unless it's a marquee player, that should be sufficient to help your kid get a good chance at an autograph.

-In June, American Express offers stellar discounts on tickets for all Amex cardholders. Our day pass on the first day was discounted, and our evening tickets for Tuesday and Wednesday were half off! I still can't believe it, but we were able to watch Roger Federer at Arthur Ashe in the evening for $15/person! Keep in mind that ticket prices tend to jump greatly from the 2nd to 3rd round.

-While ticket prices jump up significantly after the first part of the week, I think the beginning of the week is the best time to go. Not only are tickets much cheaper, but there is always a match going on at 10 different courts at a time, so you'll never be out of options.

-There is an element of luck in getting to watch your favorite player play, but the most economical way to maximize your chances is by getting evening tickets to consecutive nights. Fortunately, it is fairly easy to predict that the top players will play almost exclusively at Arthur Ashe, and those matches will happen regardless of weather conditions. My two goals were to watch as many matches as possible via the day pass, and to watch my favorite athlete ever, Roger Federer. So, I ordered a day pass for all of us on the first day, which I highly recommend, then two evening passes for Tuesday and Wednesday night. I figured it was likely they would put Federer at Arthur Ashe in the evening sometime early in the tournament. I was lucky that it was on Tuesday. Had it been Monday, we likely would have missed out. The day pass cost us roughly 3-4 times as much as the evening passes, but it was well worth it. If you absolutely have to see a certain star player play in a match, your best bet would probably be to get evening tickets Monday-Thursday as they try to rotate the star players so they play every other day, switching from night to day.

-This wasn't as essential as we thought it would be because of the mild weather, but we were glad we made reservations at the Chase lounge. That is also a free perk available to all Chase cardholders. It guarantees access for you and three other guests at the Chase lounge which provides snacks and drinks and a place to cool off and watch tennis while you and your kids take a break. The link to make reservations opens up a couple weeks before the US Open begins, so keep an eye out.

-Last thing, just be aware going in that kids will still need to take breaks, and sometimes that will happen at inconvenient times. The drawback of come-and-go-as-you-wish seating is that once you leave your seat, you might not get it back for a given match. You might lose a great seat when your kid needs to take a bathroom/drink/food break out of the blue, but just go with the flow and your kids will have a much more enjoyable experience. While I was reluctant to leave a Tsonga match right before it started due to Mason's bathroom emergency, it was best to just give up the seat and find another great match nearby.

Here are some highlights of our US Open trip, along with a bunch of other places we visited:

 Talking through the fundamentals of the game with Mason. I'll admit, the scoring

system in tennis is not easy to comprehend, but Mason closely observed the whole spectacle.

Can't wait to give him some advice on the court when he plays.

Coric pulled off quite the upset against no. 4 seed Alexander Zverev. 

The top seeds were challenged much more this year than most.

Gotta get some health food at the legendary...and cheap...Gray's Papaya.
Hot dogs and fries are healthy in their own way, right?

The USTA organized a fun pre-US Open event in downtown NYC. Lots of fun activities
for the kids and 100% free of charge.

This boy has never been afraid to get his hands dirty.

I don't know why Joanna included this photo other than our boys are pretty cute, aren't they?

Mason sizing up the next game. Is he ready?

Stan definitely is! Way to go Stan!

Mason insisted on doing this game by himself and he hit several balls in the baskets...ALL BY HIMSELF!

Look at that determination!

No mercy on this game. Yeah, I won the top prize--a shirt I'll wear with pride until I'm 90!

All of us with our tennis booty!

Those are the actual US Open championship trophies. I think we earned them for this trip!

The ferry to Governors Island. The main draw was the musical mini golf (below)

We only had a half hour at the mini golf, but the boys made the most of it.

This trip featured tennis, baseball, and golf. True multi-sport athletes!

Total tourist trap, but figured we should do it once. The boys loved it!

It's always a thrill to see Lady Liberty across the Hudson. The boys recognize her every time we go.

We never get sick of that view, either.

Took some time after a day of fun to develop a greater appreciation for the history
of the Jewish people. NYC's museums are always a thrill, and we try to visit several every
time we visit.

No, I can't read Hebrew.

We have essentially made a solemn promise with Mason and Stan
that we will visit Dylan's Candy Bar every time we go to NYC.
Joanna and I are true to our word.

What is a visit to NYC without trying the latest food fads. I'd
heard about Milk Bar a few times so I figured we should give it a try.
The birthday cake shake and the crack pie were a big hit!

Yummy BLT from Wichcraft.

The boys enjoyed the tranquility of the Conservancy Gardens. It's fun to be in such a quiet, beautiful place
that feels so different from the rush and bustle a mere block away.

Visiting El Museo del Barrio in NYC

Mason and Stan climbing on the Museo del Barrio in NYC.

The Museum of the City of New York had this super fun interactive exhibit for the boys
where they were able to design their own city and "step into" it.

Doing what they do every night...try to take over the world!

A fun doll house at the Museum of the City of New York.

I was determined to have Joanna and the boys visit the Guggenheim Museum. It is
one of my favorites in NYC.

Sometimes Stan just likes to take a break and smell the...ducks. But sometimes he calls them chicks.
And other times he calls them pigeons. It's all quite confusing.

Yummy Russian food at Teremok! I love it when the kids try new
international cuisines. Sometimes they're an even bigger hit than
the traditional American foods.

The Rubin Museum. Glad we were able to finally visit it!

We decided to extend our stay for a couple days and were able to spend a day at the beach in Southampton.
Keeping an eye out for Jay Gatsby.

Thankful and grateful indeed. Wonderful memories.

This almost makes up for the countless punches, pinches, and insults they direct at each other.

Okay, it does make up for it.

Mason likes to collect things, especially seashells.

Just chillin' and soakin' up the sun.

My favorite part of NYC--Central Park!

Stan slid down this rock face at Central Park...then again...and again.

One of my favorite views of NYC.

I actually have no idea which building this is, but I think it's close to Columbus Circle.

It's SOOOOO nice that Mason is becoming more and more helpful during our travels.
It makes a huge difference.

One of the best things I've eaten in NYC, and that's saying something.
Introducing the Chocolate Babka from Breads Bakery!

We decided to stroll around the upper west side on our last day and enjoy dinner at the Parm. We ordered the chicken parm and the meatball sandwich. Delicious!