Walking to Yankee Stadium

So since this is probably going to be my last year living in New York, I thought that it would be a good idea to see one more Yankees game before the end of the regular season. I thought that Yankees were going to go to the World Series against the Mets, but they ended up getting beat in the first round by Detroit. They are going to knock down Yankees Stadium and Shea Stadium (where the Mets play) in the next couple of years, as the city is always trying to find ways to create mass development projects. Yankees Stadium, which was built in 1923 or something, is often referred to as "The House That Ruth Built" because the stadium was constructed when Ruth joined the team. But after many many renovations, the exterior of the stadium has been covered in concrete, as well as much of the interior, so it's very hard to see that the stadium is indeed the third oldest baseball stadium in the country. The city has made it very clear that the stadiums are meant to be replaced, blocking any attempt to give them any sort of National Historic designation. And I have mixed feelings about this. Yankee Stadium is a bit of a dump, and it probably should be replaced, but even with all the renovations, Yankee Stadium has a real buzz when you enter, with the crowds and all the history that has gone through it. Will it be missed? Sure, in the same way the old Madison Square Garden is missed, but a lot of Yankees fans are ready for the stadium to go.

I walked to the stadium from my house for the first time. Walking isn't even given as an option when you look at the Yankee's website, and I was a little apprehensive about walking through the South Bronx after dark. But it was a total piece of cake. I just walked down to 155th, crossed over the Macombs Bridge, which I'm shocked to discover was built in 1895. The bridge puts you right at Yankee Stadium, and it took me less than 20 minutes to get there. So for anybody that lives in Washington Heights, walking to the game is really the way to go.

So the beer and the food is way overpriced, but I don't mind it too much, because the Yankees have such an all star line up. One of the fun things that they do at the stadium is when the guys go out on the dirt to clean it up, the loud speaker plays "YMCA", and they stop a couple times and dance. There are also a couple bars right next to the stadium. Stan's is where the real crazies go, and I almost got into a fight when I tried to take a picture inside of there the first time I went. We ended up going to a more expensive and less crowded place next door. I think the Yankees lost that game, but I didn't mind. I was just glad to go to one last game before the season ended.