Yankee Stadium vs. Citifield: Baseball Park Awards

After careful observation, taste testing, subway riding, cheering, and doing the wave, I'm happy to announce the Baseball Park Awards amongst 2 strong contenders, Yankee Stadium and Citifield.

Best Historical Presence

The winner is: Yankee Stadium.

And there’s really no contest here. While Mets fans are grumbling about its lack of previous Mets presence in favor of the homage to the Dodgers and Giants, Yankee fans will be very pleased to know that the new Yankee Stadium is essentially a museum of Yankee legacy. From the Great Hall to Monument Park, no triumph is left unturned.  

Best Way of Getting There

The winner is: Yankee Stadium

I don’t know about you, but I dread the ride out to Citifield with a passion. It’s crowded and just takes way too long, even if you do manage to catch the express line, which really is the only acceptable way to go in my opinion. Yankee Stadium, on the other hand, is a quick shoot on the B or D line. Catch the express and it takes 15-20 minutes tops from midtown. 

Best Prices

The winner is: Citifield

If you recall this article, I even made the Mets at Citifield a Date of the Week, primarily because of its very reasonable prices by ballpark standards. Unfortunately Yankee Stadium was a huge disappointment in this category. Not only can the ticket prices be astronomical at Yankee Stadium, but the same Nathan’s hot dog at Citifield for $4.75 will set you back $6.00 at Yankee Stadium. Same with the beer. A large beer at Citifield could go for $7.00, while the Yanks charge a whopping $10.00. Sure, this includes a souvenir cup, but still. Is it me, or are we being taken advantage of?

Best Audience Participation

The winner is: Citifield 

The most fun part of going to a ball game (aside from the food of course) is cheering for your team. I felt Yankee Stadium not only lacked in its jumbotron encouragement for making noise, figuring out which hat the ball was under, trivia questions and seat upgrades, but the game goers just weren’t into it either. Could be because Mets fans are used to being the underdog and therefore are willing to put in more effort. Either way, the crowd seemed way more into the game (and cheering for it) at Citifield.

Best Restrooms

The winner is: Yankee Stadium 

I have fairly low expectations for ballpark bathrooms, but Yankee Stadium surprised me in that the bathrooms were not only clean, but classy with nice lighting and fixtures. I actually enjoyed using the ladies room and didn’t grumble about the long lines. Best Food Item 

The winner is Yankee Stadium’s Garlic French Fries. 

Holy Garlic, these were delicious. Although I’m a ketchup fiend, I found it completely unnecessary on these fries already covered in garlicky goodness. Be sure to share these, as you do not want to be the only member of your party with unbearable garlic stench emanating from your pores. But it’s totally worth it.

Best Concessions

The winner is: Citifield

Better pricing and more fun options, from Nathan's to Blue Smoke to Shake Shack (and we all know how I feel about Shake Shack). While lines can be long for these concessions, the option are fun and delicious.

Best Experience Watching the Game 

The winner is: Yankee Stadium

Perhaps it’s the years of championships that proceed them. Perhaps it’s those pin stripes. Perhaps it’s my own biased opinion…but there’s just something exciting about watching the New York Yankees. Best Overall Ballpark Experience 

The winner is: Citifield 

I hate to do this, and I know I’m going to get angry calls from my parents accusing me of becoming a Mets fan under my husband’s influence, but the honest truth is that as an overall baseball park experience, I’d rather hit up Citifield for an after work game. Ok, so the Mets are just not the Yankees. But for a nice, budget-friendly after work outing where almost every seat is a good seat, I reluctantly vote Citi. Not only were the ticket and concession prices way more reasonable, but the stadium itself is just more welcoming and feels like home. Stepping off the 7 train and bounding down the stairs, Citifield is a huge red brick beauty, while Yankee Stadium is hidden amongst the subway overpasses and just felt like a cold, gray, concrete slab. Angry comments and e-mails are welcome and expected.

Freebies on Friday: CHOCOLATE!

MARS is giving away free full-sized chocolate bars! It's all part of their Real Chocolate campaign, promoting their use of real cocoa butter, not vegetable oil or fake chocolate flavoring. Personally, chocolate has never been my favorite indulgence, but who can turn down FREE items? Not this Manhattan chick.

Every Friday, from now through September, MARS will issues 250,000 coupons for a FREE, full-sized chocolate bar. In case you didn't know, MARS is the mastermind behind 3 Musketeers, M&M's, Milky Way, Dove, Twix, and Snickers. For me, always a toss up between Twix and Snickers...how do I turn down nougat? Yet Twix is the only candy bar with the cookie crunch...Anyhow, you can learn all about the promotion on realchocolate.com, including the upside of putting Real Chocolate into your body, as opposed to evil vegetable oil and other, long worded items.
Gripes:
1) Every time I tried to navigate through the site, I had to enter my birthday. Why? I'm not sure, but got a bit fed up while trying to learn more about their offer.
2) The coupon is mailed to you via snail mail. I'm not trying to be snooty and go on about how did people survive before cell phones, Internet, toilets, or whatever, but really this is 2009...wouldn't a printable coupon be more effective? Of course, I was not aware of this or the 6 week (eeek!) delivery time until after I submitted my name. But I suppose it will be a nice surprise after I've forgotten about this promotion 6 weeks from now.

$6 Lunch

Although I’ve given up ordering in lunch almost entirely, there are some days when the only residing items in my fridge are condiments and a can of Fresca. Unfortunately this also coincides with the days when I have little more than a few dollars in my wallet. In my quest to find reasonably priced lunch on the Upper West Side, I came across a super $6 lunch special.

Soutine Bakery . 104 West 70th Street . 212-496-1450

Tucked away on West 70^th Street is a little bakery called Soutine. Primarily a maker of wedding cakes, this adorable, blink-and-you-miss-it bakery also features an unbeatable lunch special that’s not only delicious, but won’t break your bank. Though not publicized in any way (no signage, no menu, no online mention) all you have to do is go in and ask! It is one of the best values you’re likely to find. 

For a mere $6, you have your choice of a pre-made (but very fresh) sandwich, drink (primarily water and juice selections), and dessert. I generally choose the delicious ham and cheese on a fresh baguette. Other types include egg salad, tomato and mozzarella, turkey, and whatever happens to be available on a given day. You can choose from whatever’s on hand, so go early for a larger selection. The bread is crispy, and though many of the sandwiches are mayo and mustard free, you won’t miss them.

For the dessert, choose anything from giant cookies to brownies to blondies. You may have to pay extra for the cupcake, but since I’m an addict, I couldn’t resist. The frosting was similar to a lightly sweetened, very smooth whipped cream and the cake was light and crumbly. Beware when eating the old fashioned way, as it could be a bit messy, but totally worth it. 

Tasty sandwich, delectable dessert, and bottled water for $6? This is lunch my way.

You can also become a Facebook Fan by searching for SOUTINE Bakery