Stadium Discussion

There's a large contingent that takes the Metro North to the game, and probably for 95% of riders, that ride is free to Yankee Stadium, with their monthly commuter passes -- regardless of what line you ride. With tolls and parking, you're looking at at least 20-25 bucks extra every game equalling $450 a year. More than some folk's season tickets cost. I'd avoid Queens as a site almost entirely. Bronx is just too central for everyone, unless there's a Manhattan option.

I didn't think of that.

I guess I have to say.....

 
Other than paying a toll, there's hardly any difference in the ride from most of Westchester/Connecticut (excluding Yonkers) to Citi Field vs Yankee Stadium. And that's without even factoring in typical GW traffic on 87.

I'm in New Rochelle and it's pretty much a wash -- 15 driving miles to either.

Have you ever tried driving to Citi Field from Westchester for a Friday game? In my experience, unless you can leave by early- to mid-afternoon, you can risk missing a game. Assuming we'll probably have on average 2 Friday night home games a year (this year we have 4 Fri games, with one at home -- I just assume it will average out to 2/year over the long-haul), that could suck.
 
I would like to point out that geographically speaking, northwest Queens is the most "central" location in the 5 boros.
I haven't taken the train to YS yet because I've only gone with friends who are drivers thus far - but when I used to go to the south bronx to visit friends I remember that ride on the 6 train felt eternal.

My opinion is incredibly biased here, but I don't really think that the team who is labelling themselves the real "city" team should be going out of their way to accommodate the fans who are coming in from outside the five boros, including LI/Westchester/whatever else is up there above the Bronx.

I took a minute and looked at the Sunnyside train yards when I passed by - there's no way a stadium is gonna fit there. But if it did, I would do backflips. Then when the construction and drunken arseholes annoyed me I'd turn NIMBY.
 
Have you ever tried driving to Citi Field from Westchester for a Friday game? In my experience, unless you can leave by early- to mid-afternoon, you can risk missing a game. Assuming we'll probably have on average 2 Friday night home games a year (this year we have 4 Fri games, with one at home -- I just assume it will average out to 2/year over the long-haul), that could suck.

I've never driven it specifically for a game, but I thought most of the traffic was going in the other direction at that time.
 
Grand Central to the 7 line?
As Adam pointed out, there IS a train for those in Westchester to Citi. It's a long ride, but it's equivalent to what we have now with LIRR to Yankee Stadium.

Those MetroNorth monthly riders can still use their passes, they just need to pay the subway fare from GCP to Willets Point. Not a lot of grounds for bellyaching, since LIRR riders are in the same circumstance now.

Of course, from the club/FO perspective, there's a pretty huge difference between making the stadium more accessible to LIRR riders:

Nassau/Suffolk population 2.9 M
Westchester/Rockland 1.3 M
 
Traffic over the Whitestone and around the airport make a drive to Flushing a bit tougher and less reliable, but it's not awful. Yankee Stadium is definitely an easier trip. Driving to Flushing is much much quicker than the train. It's also quicker to Yankee Stadium if they aren't running direct trains (which they don't for soccer).
 
As Adam pointed out, there IS a train for those in Westchester to Citi. It's a long ride, but it's equivalent to what we have now with LIRR to Yankee Stadium.

Those MetroNorth monthly riders can still use their passes, they just need to pay the subway fare from GCP to Willets Point. Not a lot of grounds for bellyaching, since LIRR riders are in the same circumstance now.

Of course, from the club/FO perspective, there's a pretty huge difference between making the stadium more accessible to LIRR riders:

Nassau/Suffolk population 2.9 M
Westchester/Rockland 1.3 M
Moving the stadium out of the area it is currently in is a risk not worth taking. The current location is a proven success, although queens may also be a success there is some uncertainty and risk there. We know the Bronx works based on attendance numbers so far, no need to mess with that. I would expect FO does everything possible to build in the same vicinity.
 
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