New York- Yankee Stadium Review

Yankee Stadium

Year Built: 2009

Capacity: 52,325

Surface: Kentucky Blue Grass

Cost to Build:

$1.5 billion

Overall Grade: A

Return Someday: Yes

In 2009, professional sports most winning franchise got a new home, and they christened it by winning their 27th World Series Championship. The new Yankee Stadium, "the House that Jeter Built", is a very beautiful ballpark. It should be, after all, it is the most expensive stadium ($1.5 billion to build) the majors to build. The seating prices definitely are reflective of the stadium's cost to build...way too pricey! Even with all of the modern amenities and upgrades, I still prefer the old Yankee Stadium.The new stadium is really really nice, but it's just not Yankee Stadium to me. I felt like I was watching the Yankees on the road in a super nice ballpark. I miss the old 1923 stadium a lot. I also liked Citi Field better than the new Yankee Stadium, which is really hard for me to admit to. I'm sure the House that Jeter Built will eventually grow on me, but it will take some time. The new stadium comes complete with the Great Hall, where players of the past are honored. The stadium also has a Hard Rock Cafe, the NYY Steak House, a Lobel's Butcher Shop, Monument Park, a Steiner Sports memorabilia shop, the Yankees Museum, the largest video screen in sports, and Babe Ruth Plaza...just to name a few.

My favorite thing about the new stadium is the Yankees Museum. They display jerseys, autographed baseballs, WS Trophies, bats, etc... from former and current Yankees players. I really enjoyed the Babe Ruth display case. You can see the museum before the game or on the guided stadium tour. Save your money and avoid the Stadium tours. The Stadium tours aren't that great. You got to see a lot more in the old stadium. The only good things are seeing a less crowded Monument Park and the new Yankees Museum. Going into the Yankees dugout was cool too. No stops were made to the visitor's clubhouse or press boxes. It's really not worth the 20 bucks per person.The customer service at the New Stadium is far superior than that of the old Stadium. In addition, the food options are an enormous, much needed improvement from the latter. There are a lot of NYPD staffing the stadium as security, and they are actually really friendly for getting directions. Getting to the stadium is very easy via train. The Stadium is family friendly, and even visiting fan friendly. Just expect to pay an arm and a leg for some decent seats.

New York- Citi Field Review

Citi Field

Year Built: 2009

Capacity: 41,800

Surface: Grass

Cost to Build:

$900 million

Overall Grade: A

Return Someday: Yes

"Meet the Mets, greet the Mets..." The other New York team, the Metropolitans (aka the Mets) opened up a fabulous new stadium in 2009. It is designed as a tribute to Ebbetts Field, former home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Mets pay homage to old time NY baseball with their ballpark, not just by the exterior design, but also with the Jaclie Robinson Rotunda. This area is completely dedicated to MLB's first black player, with quote from Jackie on the walls, to pictures and stats of him, and a huge 42 on the floor. The rotunda is definitely a must see. My only issue, is they pay tribute a little too much to the Dodgers and not nearly enough to the Mets, honestly, hardly any at all.

This is by far one of the nicest ballparks in the majors, and Citi Field is definitely a huge improvement over Shea Stadium. Believe it or not, I actually liked Citi Field better than the New Yankee Stadium. The ticket prices are by far more fan friendly than those in the Bronx. The fans were very friendly, as well as the staff of Citi. The ballpark food options are really good. The toppings/ condiment stations are the best that I have ever seen. The have onions, sauerkraut, jalapenos, ketchup, brown mustard, etc... Very cool setup. Another one of Junior's secrets, is to go to the main level up from the escalator and sign up as a designated driver. They will put a wrist band on you to get a free soda. They actually give you a big soda, not a dixie cup full of soda like some other parks do. See my pic below as proof !!!

The old Big Apple from Shea is on display in the stadium's public areas, and there is a new Big Apple beyond centerfield. Citi offers a lot of retail shopping options. Check out the Nike store before you buy anything in the main shops, they seemed to have nicer shirts and hats. Even though the Mets are always considered NY's "other team," kinda like the Clippers and Lakers relationship, the Mets definitely have a nicer place to call home. If you are in NYC, do yourself a favor, head over to Queens and hit a Mets game, you'll totally love the new ballpark and the fan atmosphere.