New York's new ballparks: Top of the heap
There are few areas in the country better suited for baseball road-tripping than Buffalo.
Think about some of your main choices from here: 90 miles to Toronto, three hours to Cleveland, a little under four hours to Pittsburgh, five to Detroit, 6-7-1/2 to Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, Washington or Cincinnati.
And then there's New York, New York.
Trips to Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium have always been circled on any on-the-road-again fan's calendar. They took on added importance in 2008 because it was the final year for the longtime homes of the Yankees and Mets.
And, as the song says, the city that never sleeps is at the top of the list again this year.
The new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field, the replacement for grimy Shea, are aesthetic hits. And that's probably to be expected given a combined price tag of nearly $2 billion.
Both have been roundly criticized, however, for creating a haves and have-not structure as well as requiring thick wallets even for the average fan.
Whether you're making the drive down the Thruway, hopping a quick USAirways flight to LaGuardia Airport or, my personal favorite, the quick Jet Blue jaunt to JFK Airport -- complete with 36 channels of DirecTV and the amazing new Terminal 5 -- there's plenty of attractions in both parks for the hard-core and casual fan.
The News recently visited the new homes of the Mets and Yankees. How can you get there? What's the seating and ticket prices like? What's there to see? What's there to eat?
We've got it all in our guides to the new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field.
HOW TO GET THERE | |
| View New Stadiums in a larger map |
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Yankee Stadium | Citi Field |
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| Driving First advice: Don't. But if you must, it's about a 6-1/2-hour trek in good traffic, especially if you go the shorter way. Take the Thruway to I-81 South into Pennsylvania, follow I-380 South to I-80 East into New Jersey. Then take I-95 North and go over the George Washington Bridge. Follow I-87 South (Major Deegan Expressway) to Exit 5 or 6 for the stadium. Visit baseball-parking.com to get prepaid parking in an assigned lot or ramp adjacent to the stadium for $23, including service fees. But get there early. | Driving Repeating Yankees advice: Don't. It's going to take you about 7-1/2 hours from Buffalo. From the George Washington Bridge, take the Major Deegan (I-87 South) right past Yankee Stadium and head for I-278W toward the Triboro Bridge to Queens. Follow signs to Grand Central Parkway/LaGuardia Airport and follow signs to the Northern Boulevard/Citi Field exit. Parking is $18 and credit cards are accepted. Much of the parking directly adjacent to the ballpark is preassigned. Follow signs to general lots. |
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Public Transit
From Midtown Manhattan or the East Side, take an uptown No. 4 train direct to the 161st Street stop. Best $2 you'll ever spend. From the West Side, transfer to the B or D train at 59th Street/Columbus Circle to 161st. The No. 4 gives you the famous above-ground view as you approach the stadium; the B and D are underground. From JFK Airport, take the Airtrain to Jamaica station and then take the Long Island Rail Road to Penn Station ($12.25). About a 35-minute trip that will save you 90 minutes or more in traffic and about $40 in cab fare. Then transfer to subway A, C or E, take to 59th/Columbus Circle and follow above for the B or D train. From LaGuardia Airport, the only real public transit is the bus. Catch a cab into Manhattan and hop the subway. |
Public Transit In Manhattan: From Times Square and Grand Central Station, take the No. 7 train east to Mets/Willets Point. $2. Piece of cake. From other areas of Manhattan, the E, F, G, R and V trains can be taken eastbound into Queens and transfers to the 7 must then be made at 74th/Broadway. A quicker but more expensive route from Penn Station is to take the Long Island Rail Road ($6 or $4.25 depending on time of day). Makes just one stop and gets there in 18 minutes. Be sure to pay for a peak fare during rush hours or the conductor on board will charge you an add-on fare, usually in the $2 range. At other times and on weekends/holidays, off-peak fares apply. From JFK Airport: Take the Airtrain in the terminal to Jamaica Station and transfer to LIRR. Ride to Woodside and then transfer to Mets-Willets Point. The whole thing takes about 20 minutes and the entire $12.25 can be paid before entering the Airtrain. From LaGuardia Airport: The stadium is just a few minutes down the Grand Central Parkway. Catch a cab. Probably in the $10 range. |
SEATING/TICKETSWhile some games are sold out at both venues, tickets are available for many games in many price ranges. Order and print at home at Yankees.com and Mets.com. | |
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Yankee Stadium Here's the rundown: Field level seats go for $95-$375. Main level tickets range from $60-$150. In the upper deck, the terrace level seats range from $50-$85 while the grandstand is $23 and $30. Bleachers are $14. Tickets are also available in the Audi Club ($150), Jim Beam Suite ($120-$150) and the Mohegan Sun Sports Bar in center field ($95). No matter where you sit, walk around. Especially on the main level, the field is in full view from the concourse and you are allowed to stand and watch if you stay behind the handicapped seating and out of the aisles. Watch for obstructed view seats in the bleachers, where the Mohegan Sun bar blocks right field from the left-field bleachers and blocks left field from the right-field seats. No shortage of promotions and giveaways on most dates. Check the team's Web site for details.
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Citi Field Tickets are far less pricey but far more complicated. The Mets have 38 price ranges of tickets (yes, 38) and use variable pricing just like the Sabres (platinum, gold, silver, bronze, value). Most games in the summer are classified as gold and silver and prices range from $19-$150. All prices below are gold/silver ranges. Understand your levels here: The "Plaza" level includes the Jackie Robinson Rotunda and is actually the street level. The main level is designated as "Field". The "Excelsior" level includes the left field landing, Pepsi Porch in right field, press box and Caesar Club. The upper deck is designated as the "Promenade" level. One great feature is enclosed club seating available in the upper deck (Promenade Club) for $60 and $72. A bad feature is that seats right over the left-field fence -- those are bleachers, Mets domos! -- are sold as reserved seats for $50 and $60, so no cheap way to catch a home run. The upper deck is $19-$42 but still a great view. Just as in Yankee Stadium, walk around. There are excellent standing room views all over the park. Some of the best are on the bridge in right-center field that leads to the food court/Taste of the City area. Great hangout spot. As at Yankee Stadium, there are promotions galore, especially on weekends. Check the team's Web site. |
WHAT'S TO EAT? | |
 Food quality is excellent at both parks but, as you would expect, things are pricey. There is more variety and more upscale food available for the casual fan at Citi Field. There is more public restaurant space at Yankee Stadium because of the Hard Rock Cafe and NYY Steak. | |
Yankee Stadium Some selections and prices pizza slice $5 hot dogs $3, $5.50, $6.75 chicken sliders $6.75 beef sliders with fries $10 crinkle cut fries $6.75 Italian sausage $8 pretzel $4.50 Cracker Jack $4 popcorn bucket $12 beer $6-$10 pop $3-$6 water $5 coffee $4 Carl's Steaks/La Esquina Latina Philly cheesesteaks $10.75 (beef or chicken) burrito $9 nachos supreme $9 Cuban sandwich supreme $9.75 garlic fries $8.50 Johnny Rockets/Lobels LF/CF single $9 double $12 fries $5 and $8 shakes $7 onion rings $6 steak sandwich $15 On the third base food court, you can get $15 sushi rolls and sandwiches at various prices from Mike's Arthur Avenue Italian Deli, a fixture in the Bronx. NYY Steak is adjacent to the Great Hall and open via reservations on both game days and non-game days. Visit NYYsteak.com. The Hard Rock Cafe does not take reservations and is open by Gate 6. It does not have a view of the field. |
Citi Field Some selections and prices hot dog $5.75 hamburger $8.75 pop $3.50-$5.25 peanuts/Cracker Jack $4.75 Italian sausage $7.25, chicken tender $7.50 kosher pastrami sandwich $6.50 beer $6.25, water $3.75 ice cream $3.75, helmet sundae $6.50 Center field: Taste of the City lobster roll $17 Also check out daily desserts/cheesecakes/Italian sandwiches. Right field: Catch of the Day flounder sandwich $8.75 lobster roll $17 shrimp Po' Boy $12.75 fried calamari $9.50 Center field food court Momma's brick oven pizza $5.75/$6/$6.25 meatball sub $9.50 Blue Smoke Bar-B-Que spare ribs $10 pulled pork sandwich $9 chipotle chicken wings $8 Click on "Food", click on "Menu" to see Citi Field menu. single burger $5.75 double burger $8.75 fries $5.25 Shack dog $5.75 shakes $6.50 Big Apple brews $7.50 |
WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO? | |
| Yankee Stadium The architects blundered colossally by hiding Monument Park behind the center field fence, where it's no longer visible from most locations in the stadium during the game. But it's a great place to visit, just as it was at the old stadium. That's if you can get in. It opens with the gates three hours before the first pitch and closes 45 minutes before the first pitch. Lines get long so our recommendation is to head to center field and line up as soon as you get inside. Once done with Monument Park, there's plenty more. The Great Hall is filled with huge banners of ex-Yankee greats as well as a giant HD screen to monitor the game. This is a prime picture-taking spot. The Yankees Museum can be accessed up the ramps from the Great Hall. It includes signed balls from many famous past and present Yankees, interactive displays, Thurman Munson's empty locker moved from the old stadium where it had sat untouched since his death in 1979, and the team's recent World Series trophies. No flash photography allowed. The main Team Store behind Section 119 is massive. There's a Yankees Steiner Sports store featuring game-used items in Section 114 (a plaque with dirt from the old stadium costs $80). Check out the Lobels butcher shop in left field. Go to the bleachers and listen in as the fans do the "Roll call" of Yankees starters in the top of the first. They don't stop chanting until each player on the field acknowledges their hello. The Yankees run ballpark tours during the day when there's a night game or on non-game days. Tickets are $20 and available at yankees.com | Citi Field
The main entrance directly behind home plate is through the soaring Jackie Robinson Rotunda, a 70-foot high tribute to the man who broke baseball's color barrier. Be sure to read all the inscriptions on the terrazzo floor as they're the nine words Robinson exemplified. A great photo op is the 8-foot blue No. 42 in the middle of the rotunda. The Mets' main gift shop is also accessible through the rotunda. In center field, you can see the old apple that used to rise at Shea Stadium when a home run was hit (a new one has been installed at Citi). Behind the main scoreboard in center field is a huge gathering area. The Shake Shack is there and be sure to check out the New York City skyline marquee that used to be on top of the Shea scoreboard. Featuring the red/white/blue bunting over the World Trade Center towers, the marquee is atop the Shake Shack. There's also a kids Wiffle ball park, complete with Citi Field dimensions and its own mini Jumbotron. If you're standing in line for food or watching the ids playing Wiffle ball, there's an HD monitor on the back of the scoreboard so you can still watch the game. |
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