Some first impressions: The New Yankee Stadium

By John Monaco

New Stadium is a spectacular addition to the neighborhood. The newly constructed Metro North Station is due to open 3rd week of May. A new Shopping Mall is also under construction. First real investments in this area in quite some time. Surprised you scan your own ticket. Plenty of entrances. I was the 3rd person-in through the gate I entered.

You enter into the Great Hall. Yankee Team Store and Hard Rock on one end and the Martini Bar is on the other end up 1 level. 16 Elevators in the Stadium. All have an Operator. One you enter the Great Hall you are on the street level. The playing field is actually below street level. If you make a left in front of the Team Store you can begin to see the playing field.

Concourses are huge.

Every type of food available. Prices are similar or slightly below last years pricing for similar items. Also have some value menus.Made one restroom visit. Had about 40 Urinals and a dozen stalls. You can only enter via a single door and must leave via the exit door. Plenty of water fountains with ice-cold NYC tap water.For the first day everything seemed to be operational. I expected more obvious signs of unfinished work but the Stadium looks 99+% complete in my eyes.

I've been to about 30 big league parks. The sitelines I observed in my walkabouts represent the best I've seen todate. I checked out Section 134 LF Field Level $85/seats. Those were the first seats Yanks offered me that I rejected. Those seats are better than I ever imagined. They spent a lot of dollars on Monument Park. That blue-tint stone must cost a fortune. MP is more cramped than across the street. 200 or so people at one time is about all its suited for. You have to walk down two short flights of stairs to enter Monument Park.I should have mentioned this earlier, every Yankee employee was friendly and greated you will a hello. I didn't recognize any of the concession stands workers. All appear to be new. I also couldn't find a tip jar.

The food - well they have everything you can want. Yankee combo Staff/Usher in every Section across all Stadium Levels.I sit up in the highest level (Grandstand) Section 424 which is inside 3rd base. Nice view.

As Knux pointed out we no longer sit on a steep angle that gives you the feel you are right on top of the action but overall the Yankees did a great job with the sightlines.

I took the escalator up to the Main Level then the ramps to the Grandstand. Those ramps were challenging for an overweight guy like me. 6 ramps in total with a slight incline. I was winded when I made it to the top. If I made that walk one hour a day for a month I think I could lose 30 pounds.

The Terrance Suite Seats which were Knux old seats are "sweet" They are worth the $100. Wow, what a view.

See for yourself at John's photo album and here too!