Our staff was fortunate enough to visit new Yankee Stadium for the first time on June 11^th, 2017 for a home game vs. the Baltimore Orioles. Let me reiterate how disappointed we will always be that we were never able to visit old Yankee Stadium before it’s doors were closed in 2008. In fact, we’re now convinced that old Yankee Stadium should have been preserved just like Wrigley Field and Fenway Park. Old Yankee Stadium had been home to the team since 1923; a completely different era of baseball.

Our seats for the game were in section 133, row 8, which are outfield seats near the left field foul pole. The view was solid and close to the field. Leg room is standard as was the comfort of the seats. Section 133 provides a good view of the scoreboards in center field as well as quick access to the restrooms and concessions. You will get no shade in the outfield sections, so I recommend only sitting out there for evening games. Your best chances at catching a home run ball will be the right field bleachers; right field is very short at Yankee Stadium and benefits left-handed hitters the most.

According to many of the New York Yankees fans we spoke to, the atmosphere at new Yankee Stadium does not match that of old Yankee Stadium. Many of the New York Yankees fans that frequented home games at the old stadium have been priced out of the new stadium. The seats behind home plate are never full and are owned by corporations and businesses whose ticket holders may or may not show up to games. It became very apparent that the crowd behind home plate and dugouts (Legends and Champions Club Seats) was more occupied by their smart phones and other conversations than the actual game. The bulk of those seats will cost more than $300 per ticket for a single game.

New to Yankee Stadium this season is the Pinstripe Pass, a $15 standing room only ticket that includes one free beer, water or soda. The overall goal of the Pinstripe Pass is to give Millennial baseball fans the opportunity to purchase an affordable ticket and see the game from an area that they can all congregate in. Since the ballpark opened in 2009, the New York Yankees have lost more than $166 million at the box office. They've also seen declines in overall attendance for home games as well. Many of the formerly obstructed view seats in the outfield were removed during the off-season to create more room for the standing room only gathering areas.

When entering the main entrance to Yankee Stadium (Gate 4), you’ll immediately notice the gorgeous main hall with banners of former Yankee greats like Joe Dimaggio and Lou Gehrig. In the main hall is the main team store where you’ll find a huge selection of New York Yankees jerseys, hats and t-shirts. There are a few storefronts on River Avenue that sell New York Yankees memorabilia and they offer the same merchandise found on the inside of the stadium but for much cheaper.

There isn’t much of a neighborhood outside of Yankee Stadium. Stan’s Sports Bar on River Avenue is the go to sports bar before Yankees home games. For baseball fans on a budget, there is also a McDonald’s outside of the ballpark if you want something cheap to eat instead of paying for the overpriced ballpark food. The food selection at Yankee Stadium is superb. Offerings aside from the traditional ballpark fare include sushi, Kosher, Hebrew National hot dogs, a chicken and waffles cart and Italian sausages. Beers will cost anywhere from $9-$14. The beers on tap this season include Bud Light, Budweiser and Shock Top. The main restaurant on the lower level is called “NYY Steakhouse” and is extremely pricey for the average baseball fan. There is also a Hard Rock Cafe near Gate 6.

Many ballparks have built statues of their hall of fame players on their home stadium's grounds. There are no statues of former New York Yankees greats at Yankee Stadium. In all likelihood, it's because there are too many Hall of Famers that are deserving of statues. Or it could be that the New York Yankees organization feels as if Monument Park is enough tribute. We all know that if there were only one statue outside of the stadium (Babe Ruth), no one would complain.

Getting to Yankee Stadium is very simple if you're coming from Manhattan. You’ll want to take the 6 train to the 161^st Street/River Avenue stop in the Bronx. You’ll see the ballpark upon exiting your train; just follow the game day crowd. Metro cards for New York City’s subway system costs $32 for an unlimited 7 day pass. By no means would we recommend driving your vehicle to Yankee Stadium where parking easily runs $40. 

Yankee Stadium is by far one of the most asthetic ballparks in Major League Baseball with it’s perfect symmetry and dimensions. The concourses were extremely wide and easy to navigate without experiencing feelings of claustrophobia. If you get to the ballpark two hours before the game, you’ll be able to visit Monument Park in center field, which is a small museum of plaques and retired numbers of former Yankees greats. Monument Park is a very popular attraction at Yankee Stadium and they will close down admission to it if you don't get to the stadium in time.

Final words; new Yankee Stadium was built to impress and not so much to be a comfortable place to watch baseball. It's no coincidence that new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, both opened during the 2009 Major League Baseball season. Both organizations were competing to see who could build a bigger and better stadium. Many New York area baseball fans will gladly admit that Citi Field is a better place to watch a baseball game and we would have to agree (read our review of Citi Field). When the New York Yankees organization decides it's ready to amend their ticket prices and become more welcoming to the team's blue collar fans, you will see the stadium's atmosphere return to it's former rowdy self. 

  

JUMP TO

• New York Yankees - Yankee Stadium Seating Reviews
• New York Yankees have lost $166 Million in Ticket Revenue since Opening at Yankee Stadium in 2009
• A Collage of old Yankee Stadium: Former Home of the New York Yankees
• Breakdown of the Yankee Stadium Seating Chart
• Why are there so many Fans of the New York Yankees in South Florida?
• Sports Bars near Yankee Stadium
• Hotels Near Yankee Stadium