The NFL probably isn’t worried about selling out its first cold weather Super Bowl at New Jersey’s
But that doesn’t mean a lot of people won’t be going without some trepidation. And not just about the weather, should it turn out to be bad – plenty of NFL postseason games have been played in cold or snow, so why not the Super Bowl? But Manhattan bars, hotels, and restaurants may not get quite the haul of customers they’re gearing up for, if a recent survey commissioned by the
According to Chubb, about one in four potential Super Bowl travelers profess concerns about the weather (probably those from San Francisco, Arizona and New Orleans more so than those cold clime contenders like New England, Cincinnati and Kansas City). But just as many- one in four – say they’re concerned about potential terrorism in New York. And even more, about 33%, say that potential muggings and other crimes would concern them should they spend Super Bowl week in New York. It may be an outdated view of the city, but perceptions die slowly in some quarters.
And so the kicker: when asked where they would prefer to stay if they had Super Bowl tickets: 40% would choose New Jersey, a state that’s famous enough in its own right thanks to Bruce Springsteen and Tony Soprano. Another 20% would choose to head 100 miles east of Times Square to the Hamptons, a tony beach area where off-season rentals would figure to be available. Only 17% say they’d prefer to stay in Manhattan.
Staying in New Jersey or another area outside the city doesn’t preclude a person from doing a day trip or two to Manhattan during his stay. But it sounds like most Super Bowl travelers would just as soon concentrate on keeping things simple and seeing the game, without playing New York City tourist. If some of the city’s bar and restaurant owners are wondering where everyone is, they’re on the other side of the river.
