when i mention yankee stadium, I am often asked, “Have you been?” And what did you think?” Of course, I have to make sure we’re talking about the same place I’ve been to both the original Yankee Stadium and the “newer” or “newer” or “current” Yankee Stadium… or whatever people call it.(They don’t have that problem in Boston.) Still, while I appreciate the historical importance of the original stadium, and have visited it many more times than the newer version, I’m pleased to say that the Newest Yankee Stadium it’s fine in my book. It’s solid, it’s beautiful, it’s clean, spacious and modern. It had to be built – the old place was struggling. But even though the structure is magnificent, the experience of attending a game is different from what it was in the old Yankee Stadium and some aspects make me long for the old days.

The new Yankee Stadium opened in April of 2009. I had my first experience there in June of that same year when my wife, Evelyn, took me there (and the rest of New York City) for a significantly numbered birthday (which will remain a mystery) celebrating. She arranged everything: tickets, parking passes, hotel, etc. It was an amazing gesture on her part since she’s not the biggest baseball fan (or big city lover) on the planet. As the day progressed, I began to feel guilty and shocked when I learned what this experience at Yankee Stadium cost Evelyn, both in dollars and sanity.

We arrived at 10:45 for a Thursday afternoon game at 1:00. Evelyn paid in advance a week before for parking at a garage on River Avenue. I got to see Yankee Stadium! Excellent! All we had to do was go around the block to the other side and we’d be good to go. Not so fast. When we tried to turn the necessary block to get to the parking lot, there were barricades blocking the street…and every other cross street in the Bronx, it seemed. A three minute drive turned into a 45 minute nightmare as we basically had to leave New York State to get back to our parking spot which was right across the street from the stadium!

I started to remember how parking at the old Yankee Stadium was $8 for a long time and then $10 not too long ago and now it’s $24 at the new place. I told my wife that tickets for seats in the first rows of the upper deck between third base and first were never more than $19. Now they were $40 at the new Yankee Stadium.

So we finally parked and walked into the “New” Yankee Stadium. The Great Hall was impressive; a ton of space and a very high ceiling made me feel small. Our seats were on the upper deck behind the visitors’ bench and the view was magnificent. The weather was sunny and warm (but not hot) and everything was perfect. Then Evelyn was thirsty. Being a gentleman, I walked down the 999 steps and down the hall to the concession stand. I won’t complain about the price of a large drink and a bucket of popcorn, even if it costs more than a decent steak dinner at home. Why? Because the drink came in a Yankees Styrofoam cup and the popcorn in a souvenir cooler with the Yankees emblem. That day I had to bring home a small part of the new Yankee Stadium. I still have both memories in my kitchen. It doesn’t take much to make me happy.

Yes, getting out of the stadium was difficult: foot and vehicle traffic made Evelyn very anxious and her sense of direction is not good. But overall, our visit had a lot more positives than negatives. If you plan to go to Yankee Stadium, my advice is the following:

1. Don’t drive if possible. Traffic jams and parking fee will bother you. Take the subway if you live where one is available. If you’re coming from out of town, get to the stadium at least 5 hours before game time…maybe 7. Or camp overnight in the parking lot. (Do they allow that?) Hey, at least you’ll see the players arrive. (I’ve done that, not the camping part, the getting there early part.)
2. Find your tickets on a trusted internet site or get them from a friend. High retail prices are one reason attendance has dropped. I think $19 for an upper deck seat is a good price, don’t you?
3. eat and drink prior to You go…unless, of course, you want a Yankee Stadium souvenir ice bucket filled with popcorn. Or an $8 bottle of beer.
4. If you go on a warm sunny day, apply sunscreen. Evelyn is of Irish descent and would have burned out without him.

I hope you have a great time at Yankee Stadium. I always have… in both versions. But old Yankee Stadium gets my sentimental vote.