The best way to experience Yankee Stadium

[Waller Creek]

Hate the Yankees but respect and admire the tradition. Huge baseball fan and for my birthday/father's day the wife got me and my 8 year old tickets to Yankee Stadium before they rip down that piece of history.

Going to a weekend day game in a couple weeks. I know that we gotta get there early (three hours before game?) and see the museum out beyond center field and see the whole stadium.

For you NY veterans, what advice do you have for taking it all in?
For example...

get there by subway the best (staying way down in financial district hotel)?
how long before game is best?
offer tours on weekends/game days?
after game?
Obviously Bronx is rough area; I assume no worries if just go to and from game?
Must see items (adult and/or kid)?

thanks in advance...

Go Rangers.

 

[bigup2dahorns]

even if you hate the yankees, you will love the experience of going to yankee stadium. i've been to a zillion games there growing up. i believe the museum in the outfield closes about 45-60 min before the game starts so arrive at the stadium 3 hours early to get in the museum line.

subway is usually the best way to get to the stadium. if you are staying downtown, that will be a long ride, but your 8 yr old should love it. if possible, maybe see if you can get a hotel around midtown, grand central station area, to cut down travel time.

safety: there are lots of police around the stadium and lots of baseball fans, so you will be fine. take normal NYC precautions of paying attention around you. i've never had a problem there. after the game i would leave with the crowd and not linger around too late, that way you are riding the subway with the baseball crowd. tip: buy your return subway tokens when you purchase your tokens for the trip to the game that way you won't be standing in a long line at the stadium on the return.

there are bars/restaurants across the street from right field, but they are nothing special IMO. the main event is the museum and the game. have a great time, it'll be an experience you will never forget.

 

[zosostein]

cool gift. i've been there to see the Rangers get spanked and then rained out, but it was a good time nevertheless. actually, i think it was on your birthday 2 years ago.

subway in is a-ok, and you will have no problem w/ the kiddo at the stadium. the area around is all baseball fans and not bad at all. just don't get off at the wrong subway stop

three hours is a long time to be there before a game, especially because I don't recall seeing a lot of stuff outside of the stadium to do. Also, "seeing the whole stadium" is not going to be much - it's a baseball stadium and if the yankees had been the white sox nobody would care about the stadium. and the outside is ugly as hell from what i could tell.

i would check the stadium website to see when the museum opens and closes on game days to plan accordingly. i have no advice on food except to have a hot dog in the most famous baseball stadium in the universe. or, if it's like the last baseball game i attended, they will have dried squid, kimchee cocktails, and shrimp flavored chips at the concession stands.

have a blast, bro

 

[next2naus]

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[Spankytoes]

I don't have time to read the entire thread, so forgive me if I am repeating anything...

-Take the subway. Fast, cheap and conveinent. Not a lot of parking around the stadium because of the new field. Plus, getting in an out takes forever. (Not to mention $30 to park)

-You won't be in any "bad parts" when you go to the game. Stick by the stadium and the shops out front and you will be fine. River Avenue runs right under the subway line. Grab a quick beer at Stan's Sports Bar to say that you've been there.

-Food is relatively expensive. (As far as ballparks go) Grab a slice of Famous Famiglia while you are there. Thank me later.

-Show up about 2 hours early to tour the museum and monuments. There is always a line.

-There are tours at 10:00 every day that the Yankees are on the road. But, you won't get to touch the field. (Been a few months since I took one, so they may have changed this)

-There really is a wide variety of places to stay in NYC. True NYers will bash me for it, but stay as close to Times Sqaure as you can afford. It is really centralized for tourists and a less than 30 minute train ride to anywhere you may want to go. (Battery Park, Carnegie Hall, Rockafeller Center, Central Park, etc.) I recommend the Park Central hotel for price, location and quality.

Have fun!

 

[Nuclear Bear]

don't make the mistake i made when i was in your shoes two years ago.

i had a great time at the Yankees game but made the mistake of buying ticekts in the non alcohic sections. if you are with an 8 year old that might appeal to you and that may be one of the sections you want to buy seats in.

For me and my friend it sorta sucked to not be able to drink in our seats, but the whole experience is great. Nothing cooler than being able to take a Subway to the game and get dropped off directly beind the outfield bleachers.

if you are only used to dealing with mainly Rangers and Astros fans the passion and intensity of baseball fans from the Northeast will pump you up, especially if you are a baseball fan.

My favorite chant from yankee stadium was "F_ THE RED SOX [CLAP CLAP CLAPCLAPCLAP]"

 

[next2naus]

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[Spankytoes]

Well, it's the official pizza...so I guess you could sneak a real slice in? Otherwise, you are stuck with it.

It's airport, but it certainly ain't Milwaukee:

Famous Famiglia

Not saying that it's the best slice in NY, but it is definately edible.

This was opening weekend this year. (Note the Burnt orange under the "paper bag") We started at the 2nd tier and made our way to 20 rows back behind home plate after the 7th inning stretch. The ushers don't really care. In the 9th, A-Rod hit a grand slam to win the game over the O's.

As a Sox fan, I'm surprised that I didn't burst into flames

 

[Napoleon]

The best way to experience Yankee Stadium?

As the starting pitcher of the 7th game of the World Series. It would probably be safer to be the Yankees starting pitcher. And if you threw a perfect game, I can't imaging how it could be much better than that.

 

[evil horn]

....some of the stores across the street like Stan's are actually fun to poke your head in for all the memorabilia, the baseball cards, the ancient guys behind the counter, and the vibe.

for the oh crap factor of seeing the stadium you can enter around by the giant bat outside the home plate gate, so that your first view of the field is a postcard.

and if your eight year-old is a fan of construction, go up on the leftfield rampways and get a birdseye of view of the new stadium. it's pretty impressive.

if you come in via the 4 train, as the train enters the station, you can briefly see into the stadium, and that's a cool shot for a photograph.

 

[Macanudo]

I can't add anything that hasn't been said but I can tell you that a game at Yankee Stadium is memorable. I was a little misty when I walked into the Stadium.

 

[ColdHornFan]

Thanks for the information people. I'm planning on going to Yankee Stadium for the first time in a few weeks.

I didn't realize you could see the monuments and museum on gameday. I was just looking into a stadium tour and that was sold out. I don't want to see Yankee Stadium without seeing those monuments.

 

[TexonLongIsland]

one thing you're 8yr might have fun watching is the reponse of each Yankee to the chants from the right field bleachers in the top of the 1st.

Wiki explains all.....

"Roll Call
In the top of the first inning, when the Yankees are on the field and their starting pitcher is getting ready to throw the first pitch, they all stand and begin clapping. Then, after the pitch is thrown, a group of guys wave their hands down to hush the crowd, and a man nicknamed "Bald Vinny" shouts out the name of the center fielder (ie: "Yo, Johnny!"). The whole group then procedes to chant his name (ie: "JOH-nee DA-mon, clap, clap, clap clap clap"). The rest of the players are called in a similar fashion (CF-LF-RF-1B-2B-SS-3B, in that order) except for the pitcher and catcher (although there have been exceptions). Each player's chant continues until the player has responded in some way, usually with a wave or point. After the creatures go through the lineup, the group turns to the left, and chants "box seats suck!" at the right field box seats until the chanting finally dissipates. When a player is replaced in a defensive position (not counting the pitcher) the replacement is also given the same chant."

 

[Waller Creek]

Thanks all. That's great stuff! Long Island, I had no idea those chants happened. That's really going to be fun.

I can't wait.

 

[blingbling]

We hit the 2nd game of a double header with the Devil Rays of all teams and their was more 'atmosphere' (and boozing) than there probably would be before a world series game anywhere in Texas.

I've never been passionate about Baseball but it was a great experience to see those fans that love the Yanks as much as we do the horns.

The best was when a guy had the balls to walk into Stan's with a Red Sox hat on - the entire bar let him have it - good times.

I wanted to go see the musuem in the outfield but that bar ended up just being too much fun to leave.

 

[TexonLongIsland]

The guys in the bleachers are now know as the Bleacher Creatures, but most have been out there for years.
Bleacher Creatures

I wouldn't recommend getting bleacher seats on your first trip to the stadium. It would be a bit of a culture shock and more of an adult atmosphere. If you can get seats down the 1st base line that would be good. You can still hear and see them without touching them (they do bite)

Hopefully Clemens is pitching and the Yanks are still in the hunt for a wildcard and you should have a great time.

 

[Nuclear Bear]

this might seem silly, but I am also headed to new york in a few weeks and want to do a lot of non tourist things.

anybody ever been to a Mets game?

is there anything cool to do around shea stadium?

 

[bigup2dahorns]

my mom and sister are going to the mets game tomorrow evening. my mom is a huge mets fan, watches every game on tv. they are staying at some hotel within walking distance of the stadium, but i don't think there is anything to do right there except attend a mets game or the US Open tennis (which starts pretty soon). you could drive over to jones beach if you like the beach and had a car, about an hour drive.