Outside: The new Yankee Stadium has similar architecture to the old Yankee Stadium. The lines to get in are long but move quickly.
First impressions of inside: You immediately enter a very large partially open lobby that has pictures banners displaying moments in Yankee history and Yankee players. Flat screen TV’s are everywhere. Most fans then take an escalator to the second deck of the stadium which has the biggest concourse.
Fan experience: One of the best improvements of the new stadium is the large open concourses where you can easily walk around the entire stadium. You can view the game from most concession lines and there are flat screen TV’s everywhere so you won’t miss a pitch.
In the past the bleacher section was cut off from the rest of the stadium but that is no longer the case. If you do sit in the right field bleachers, make sure you get a seat below row 15 or your view of left field will be obstructed. Some of the standing room areas offer amazing views of the game.
Since most fans are on the second level the standing area behind home plate on the lower level is not crowded and has to be the closest standing room area to the plate in all of baseball. I am sure when fans get used to the new stadium this area will fill up but right now it is one of the best places in the stadium to watch the game.
The entire stadium has been pigeon proofed.
Food Choices: There is a big variety of food available but the prices are high. The lines were not too long with the large number of options available.
They even have a fruit stand but it did not seem to be very busy.
Beer: $9.00 for a regular beer and $11.00 for a Heineken. There is only one place in the entire park to get a microbrew. Being a beer snob from Northern California I find this to be troublesome.
Parking: Lots next to the stadium are mostly prepaid; the others fill up fast and are very pricey. If you are going to Yankee Stadium from the west over the GWB to the Deegan you can use the same lots from the old stadium. They charge $19 to park and allow tailgating. You have to take the pedestrian walkway to get to the stadium but it has been much improved and has a large police presence. A Metro North train station is being built by the walkway and should open in May.
The only holdover from the walkway to the old Yankee Stadium walkway is the street musician who plays the flute. He has been there for at least 15 years during Yankee games and still plays a good version of the Sanford & Son theme song.
Highlights: The large concourses, standing room areas, flat screens and concessions are huge improvements over the old Yankee Stadium.
Problems: The high price of lower level seats leaves many of the seats empty (this is inexcusable in a brand new ballpark). There is an obstructed view for many in the bleachers. Beer selection is limited and expensive.
This picture is from the second game at Yankee Stadium in the second inning. Look at all of the empty seats on the lower level.
Overall the stadium is very nice and comfortable for fans, Yankee fans all thought it was the best thing they ever saw. I was impressed with the stadium but did notice some problems; especially since they spent $1.5 billion to make it.
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