Yankee Stadium III
Bronx, New York
Year Opened
2009

Current Team
New York Yankees

Affiliate
N/A

League
American League

Capacity
51,800

Location Map

My Grades
Stadium B+
Atmosphere A-
Concessions A

Photos taken in 2009
How one looks at the new Yankee Stadium is largely dependent on whether you are comparing it to the "old" Yankee Stadium or to other new parks that have been built since 1990. Most seem to believe that it is a big improvement over the previous incarnation, and I would tend to agree with regard to most aspects. But for how much money was spent on the new park (in excess of $1.5 billion), I think I expected more. I'm sure for the players, media, suite owners, and prime ticket holders the new ballpark is fantastic. But for the average fans (of which I am one), they have to be wondering where all that money went. The obvious big improvement is the concourses. They are much wider and now in view of the field (though strangely some suites were added later which blocked the views from behind home plate). Besides one small section in the outfield (behind Monument Park), there is no more walking through cramped and dark hallways. The seating bowl is similar, but not identical to the old ballpark. While there are less seats in the upper deck, the incline is not as steep meaning sightlines are not as good. The team will tell you that the upper deck is lower to the field than at the old park (which may be true), but what they don't tell you is that the deck is pushed further back from the field. At the old park, it felt like you were right on top of the field. At the new park, not so much. One positive about the seating is that there is more legroom and the seats are wider. The Yankees also decided to carry the bleachers over from the old park. While I don't mind this, I wish they had either put backs on them or painted them blue. Right now when you look out, it almost looks like the fans are sitting on concrete, which gives the park an unfinished feel. Also, there are too many bleachers, a problem that was partially corrected in 2017 with the removal of two sections in favor of new “social” areas. One thing they've definitely done right here is make it feel like the home of the Yankees. From the Great Hall which features banners of Yankee greats to the Yankee Museum in right field to the re-creation of Monument Park in center field, this places oozes Yankee history. There is no mistaking what team calls this ballpark home. Concessions are another aspect that have been greatly improved. Almost anything imaginable is available - pizza, burgers, italian sausages, philly cheese steaks, sushi, noodle bowls, BBQ, deli sandwiches, and mexican just to name some of them. And of course Nathans is here serving hot dogs. Tasty garlic fries, an item not usually found on the east coast, are also available. The quality is so much better than the old park and the prices are actually reasonable (at least by NY standards). As for the atmosphere, it is just about identical. Many of the same sound effects and scoreboard antics were brought over from the old park, which probably makes many Yankee fans happy. The giant video board in centerfield is crystal clear and actually does not dominate the view as much as I expected. My biggest complaint with the new Yankee Stadium is the amount of unpainted concrete around the park. Throwing up more banners or painting more of the concrete would liven the place up a bit. As it is right now, it has a rather sterile feel to it. I'd also like to see more tables scattered about the concourse for fans to sit at while enjoying the concessions. I'm guessing that most Yankee fans are thrilled with the new park. Since they are hardcore and care more about baseball than anything else, this place is probably just about perfect for them. Though the Yankees have started to cater to the casual fans in 2017 with more bar areas and even a kids play area (located in the upper deck). The new Yankee Stadium is nice, but it lacks much character for me to rank it high on my list. It's definitely a vast improvement over the old park, but among newer parks it ranks in the middle of the pack.
Site Map
Interact
Contact Info
Home
Facebook
Email Me
Major League Parks
Twitter
All photos Copyright BallparkReviews.com
Minor League Parks
Spring Training Parks
What's New
Places
Submitted Reviews