KING AND THE NEW CASTLE

Class is in session.

After two Bruce Springsteen concerts earlier this week, Staples Center presents its first King game tonight, welcoming fans who are more likely to be regular customers.

How will they weather the arena’s initial bugs and glitches? How long till they discover the hidden gems of this $400-million building?

“People will figure it out,” said Larry Isrow, director of parking. “They will start to find their own ways and their own little tricks.”

Judging from the first two nights, there are lessons to learn.

Traffic

The driving test comes first.

Traffic was sluggish at times Sunday and Monday but nowhere near the horror residents and even arena officials had feared. Cars moved slowly but steadily on the 10 and 110 freeways in all directions. There was no sign of gridlock on surface streets.

Tonight could be worse. Concert-goers tend to arrive four or so to a car. Sports fans more often drive alone or in pairs.

Olympic Boulevard, congested before and after the Springsteen concerts, could be a problem. Try Washington or Venice instead.

Fans coming from the Westside found slow going as they changed from the 10 Freeway to the 110 north. Watching from a 27th-floor office, Isrow repeated the message he has preached for months: Get off the freeway early and use surface streets:

* Westsiders can leave the 10 Freeway at Hoover Street, for instance, and travel north before continuing east on 9th.

* From Pasadena or the San Fernando Valley, exit the 110 Freeway at 6th Street, head east and turn south on Flower.

* From the San Gabriel Valley, exit the 10 Freeway at Los Angeles Street, drive north and cut west on 11th.

* From Long Beach or the South Bay, exit the 110 Freeway at Adams Boulevard and head north on Figueroa Street.

Closer to the arena--in the area known as “Ground Zero”--stick to streets on the periphery such as 9th and Flower.

Parking

There were occasional parking snafus this week, most notably for drivers who waited in line for an Olympic Boulevard lot only to be turned away because they lacked the required passes.

Tonight should be smoother because many King fans--and Laker and Clipper fans--have assigned spaces and directions to their lots. Other fans can buy parking in advance from the box office (the arena is negotiating with Ticketmaster to sell parking too).

Those without assigned spaces should consider the lots along Hope and 9th streets. A few blocks from the arena, they require more walking but could be twice as quick when it comes to reaching the freeway after the game.

For fans who live to the east, try the $10 lots on Grand Avenue between 11th and 12th.

“They’ve been empty,” Isrow said. “And it’s a straight shot down Grand to the 10 Freeway.”

Fans who work downtown can take a cab from the office. The fare is less than $7 from the Civic Center. A suggestion: After the game, stand outside the arena on Figueroa, where taxis are most likely to stop in the designated pickup and drop-off lane.

At the Arena

The first two nights brought a host of problems, some minor, some not so minor.

Long lines formed outside the ticket windows. A pipe reportedly burst in one of the restrooms. The plastic lids didn’t fit on the small-drink cups at the refreshment stands.

Even Springsteen complained about water pressure in the showers backstage, saying, “For all the money they paid, it’s not so good.”

By Monday night, however, the singer announced the problem solved. Arena staff has opened more ticket windows outside and scrambled to smooth other glitches.

At both concerts, the most crowded spot in the building was the 11th Street entry. The other entries--at Star Plaza and Figueroa--had more elbow room.

The City View Terrace on the upper concourse drew crowds, especially before Springsteen hit the stage. However, as one of two spots where smoking is allowed--the other is at the south end of the main concourse--it grew a little hazy later in the evening.

Fans returning downstairs to the main concourse should take the building’s only two-way escalator, at the 11th Street entry, because there can be a long wait for elevators.

Food

So far, the food stand with the longest lines is the 11th Street Deli on the main concourse, which serves Whistle Stop roast beef sandwiches, a longtime favorite transplanted from the Great Western Forum.

But what fans might have discovered is that several of the standard “Franks and Bev’s” refreshment stands serve Whistle Stop sandwiches too. A few also serve Camacho’s burritos. If the lines are long at a specialty stand, walk the concourse to see if the same food can be found elsewhere.

Another tip: Try the $7.75 Ahi tuna sandwich with spicy red sauce and garlic fries at the City View Grill, on the terrace.

Desserts are limited, with only Carvel ice cream and huge boxes of Cracker Jack on sale. Soon, carts with coffee and baked goods will be stationed throughout the arena.

A Final Word

As Mrs. Riley used to say in the third grade, “You’ve got a brain . . . use it.”

Before leaving home, check the arena’s Web site, https://www.staplescenter.com, for information. In the car, listen to 1630 AM for up-to-date traffic and parking reports.

Best of all, come early. Tonight, the Kings will have a pregame ceremony featuring the arena’s new special effects, laser lights and expensive sound system.

If you need more incentive, listen to Jeff Moore, who drove from Pomona with his wife, Debbie, Sunday.

“We got here early because we didn’t want to do what everyone else is doing at 7 o’clock,” Moore said. “They’re driving around, asking ‘Where’s my parking lot?’ ”

TONIGHT

BOSTON at KINGS

7:30, ESPN2,

Fox Sports West

RANDY HARVEY, PAGE 2

OLD LAKER ARENAS, PAGE 6

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

The Road to Staples Center

* From the San Fernando Valley or Pasadena, take the 9th Street exit off the Harbor Freeway (I-110) and take Francisco Street to Olympic Boulevard.

* From the Westside, avoid freeways altogether. Take such streets as Wilshire, Pico, Olympic or Adams boulevards.

* From the San Gabriel Valley, take the Los Angeles Street exit off the Santa Monica Freeway (I-10). Go straight on 17th Street, right on Olive Street and left on 11th Street.

* From Long Beach or the South Bay, take the Adams Boulevard exit off the Harbor Freeway, drive one block west and turn north on Figueroa Street.

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Alternative routes will be broadcast on an advisory radio station at HAR-AM (1630) and flashed across electronic message boards on freeways and surface streets. Traffic-control officers near the arena will direct people away from Staples Center, where there is little parking, toward other lots.

Staples Center has scattered parking in a four-block radius. Those areas, with more than 40 entrances to 22 lots, are supposed to prevent long lines of cars. Parking rates range from $8 to $15, depending on proximity, with most spaces closer than a five-minute walk and none farther than eight minutes, planners say.

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Alternative Modes

Bicycles: Racks for 55 bikes will be available on the northwest side of the arena.

Mass Transit: Numerous MTA buses serve the major streets near Staples Center, which is just a block from the Metro Blue Line/Pico station and four blocks from the Metro Red Line. The trains run every 10-20 minutes. The last train from the Pico station to 7th Street/Metro Center leaves at 10:54 p.m. and the last train from the Pico station to Long Beach leaves at 11:27 p.m. For information on MTA bus routes call (800) COMMUTE or check the MTA’s Internet site at https://www.mta.net

MetroLink: Trains from outlying areas of Ventura, Riverside and Orange counties run weekdays during peak commuting hours, but they also can be used for weekend trips. Groups can charter a train and buy special tickets that include a shuttle from Union Station to the arena. For more information, call MetroLink (800) 371-LINK.

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With the opening of Staples Center comes more traffic to downtown. A few navigating tips: