Houston Texans fans can find more than football in MA

FOXBOROUGH, MA

Twenty miles south of Boston is Foxborough, the home of the New England Patriots, where we took a one-on-one tour of the home of the enemy.

Gillette Stadium, built in 2000, seats more than 68,000 people. The AstroTurf field is viewed from Patriot Blue seats and two big screens light up each end of the field. The open air stadium makes for some cold games late in the season.

To New England fans, it's more than a place to cheer on the Patriots, it's an open air shopping and entertainment district.

"There's lots to do. There's something for children," said Patriots fan Martha Rose. "We are here to stroll around, have lunch together, shop for the Patriots fans in our lives."

Patriots Place, the shopping strip, was built in 2007, seven years after Gillette Stadium. More than a dozen shops outline the parking lot of Gillette, and when you're hungry, there are restaurants and pubs. Big box stores also share adjacent parking lots.

"We go to the CBS Sports Bar quite a bit," said Patriots fan Mark Allen. "They've got a Bass Pro Shop here. There's anything for everyone around here."

A Renaissance hotel allows fans and visitors to stay the night after a late game. A medical branch even overlooks the stadium, attracting patients from miles away.

"One of my friends was just here for one of her sons to have an operation," Rose said.

Patriots Place is now a destination spot that attracts fans from several states.

"You get a little bit of both worlds -- food, players and entertainment, so you can't go wrong," one fan said.
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