PLEASE NOTE, THIS POST MAY INCLUDE AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING THAT IF YOU CLICK ON A LINK AND MAKE A PURCHASE, I'LL RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISION. THIS WILL COME AT NO COST TO YOU.

As I sit in New York’s, Yankee Stadium, I wonder what fans from the 1920s would think, if they saw the
stadium today. Instead of men dressed in suits, they wear t-shirts and cargo shorts. People walk around,
carrying plastic hats, filled with food. A giant screen flashes images of fans, staring down at tiny
screens in their hands. I’m fascinated by the idea that, though it has evolved over the years, people 100
years ago, enjoyed watching the team, I am watching today.

Getting There/Parking/Leaving
Instead of staying in New York City, we stay on the other side of the George Washington Bridge, in Englewood, New Jersey. Not wanting to drive in chaotic, New York City traffic, we summon a Lyft. We give ourselves plenty of time, since we know the traffic on the George Washington Bridge is crazy, no matter the time of day.

Taking Lyfts (we don’t use Uber because one of our credit cards gives extra points for using Lyft) has become our favorite way to get to games.

The Stamp
The MLB stamp at Yankee stadium, is located at the main merchandise store. The staff who assists us is
friendly and helpful.

Goal achieved

A quick note about being a stamper-ALWAYS carry your stamp book in a waterproof bag. We keep ours in a Ziploc bag. If you don’t, and it rains, or you accidently drop your drink on the book, the ink will bleed, ruining the stamps.

The Stadium
The current Yankee Stadium has many architectural elements, identical to the original 1923 stadium.
The limestone, granite, and concrete walls, soar into the sky. It feels like entering a baseball castle.

The Grand Hall is beautiful. Nostalgia for the old days of baseball, immediately fills your heart.

It’s an afternoon game, so it is appropriately busy, but not crowded. I appreciate the wideness of the corridors. You don’t feel packed in like a sardine, like other stadiums.

The majority of attendees, appear to be tourists, like us, wishing to see a legendary baseball team.
Our first-base-side seats, offer fantastic views of the stadium and game.

One of our favorite parts of a Yankees home game, that we haven’t seen at other ballparks, is the
Oblivious Cam. The camera hones in on someone, not paying attention to their surroundings. At our,
game, it was a man, in an upper level seat, focused on his phone. A time clock appears on the screen, so
the crowd can track how long it takes the fan to realize he’s on the big screen. Our fan was on his way to
beating the time record.

I’m certain that at some point, friends are texting him, clueing him in on
what’s going on. You could see him reading his phone, and working hard to suppress smiles
and laughs. An obnoxious fan finally ruined things, by jumping in front of Oblivious Guy, so he could get his 5 seconds of fame. The Oblivious Cam is good fun.
Coming from the city with the best mascot in baseball, it feels odd to visit a team that has no mascot.
Aside from the Yankee Stadium Oblivious Cam and a break for the crowd to do the YMCA, there aren’t
a lot of in-between-inning antics. No character races, t-shirt cannon, or crowd games. It’s obvious that the
Yankees take their baseball skills seriously, and feel like the players are all the entertainment you need. As a person who enjoys the extra silly, I miss the antics.

Food
The thing to eat, at Yankee Stadium, is Lobel’s Steak Sandwich.

The sandwich consist of freshly sliced, medium rare, strip steak. The steak is piled on a brioche
bun, then drenched in au jus. We add fries, to get the full, Lobel’s, experience.

It’s a messy sandwich, but the most delicious ballpark bite we’ve had thus far (sorry Minnesota Twins, sausage sandwich). The meat is lean and tender, the au jus is flavorful. The sandwich grows more and more tasty, as the au jus soaks into the bun and fries.

If you visit Yankee Stadium, skip the standard hot dog, and get the Lobel’s steak sandwich, just be sure to grab a handful of napkins.

Ice Cream in a Hat
The ballpark has my go to ice cream in a hat choice. I order the vanilla soft serve, with sprinkles.

I appreciate the sprinkles being Yankee colors. Nice touch Yankee Stadium.

Celebration
Home Run
When a home run is hit, non-colored, lights blink on and off for a few seconds on the frieze (a specific architectural feature of Yankee Stadium)

Yankees win!
I don’t know what I was expecting the Yankees to do when they win a game, but I thought it would be
spectacular. It’s the Yankees after all. They are baseball royalty.

At the end of the game, lights blink on and off for a few seconds on the frieze, then Frank Sinatra singing, New York, New York, plays. The crowd seems mildly amused by the win, like an old-timey guy clapping and saying,
“Good show.”
Maybe the Yankees are expected to win, so there’s no need to make a big fuss.

I still can’t believe that in our Parks, Parks, and Parks, adventure, we were able to achieve seeing a game at Yankee Stadium so early in our endeavor. It’s a well designed, iconic, ballpark, with fantastic food, and plenty of serious, baseball nostalgia.

Related posts:

Minnesota Twins Ballpark-Target Field Free (or almost free) Activities in New York City We Eat A Lot of New York City Ice Cream New York City-CityPass Fun