Two Weeks In a Selfie Nutshell

Sometime in the summer, I got this sudden urgency to finish my list of visiting every baseball stadium in the league and that lead me to not only seeing 7 different ballparks in 2014 alone, I did 4 within a couple weeks.  This was feasible by visiting all the ballparks that were close to eachother so it allowed me to knock off stadiums without adding much extra travelling.  Here's a mini collage of what transpired near the end of the summer to cap off my 2014 baseball sightseeing season.

One Eventful Week in New York

This is a different post since I won't be mentioning food or sports but the point of my blog is to encourage traveling so I have to show what you can do in such a big city in New York (and with a short trip to Philadelphia).  I did this week on a tighter budget than usual so finding things to do over a week was a bit of a challenge but it made me figure things out more creatively.

I'm going to end this post with a final thought: 

Go out and travel.  Life's too short to stay in one place all the time.

MLB Ballpark #15/30 : Queens, New York

This marks my third stadium in four days, and fourth in two weeks.  It's probably an understatement to say that I was exhausted but all this travelling was definitely worth it.  Hell, it even took me about an hour and a half from where I was staying just to get to Citi Field.  It did feel like a slight accomplishment that the second I stepped foot inside the stadium, that I've officially visited half the ballparks in Major League Baseball.   It didn't seem like much at first, but then I realized I traveled all over the U.S.A. to see them and it took me years to do.  I can't wait to get started on the second half of the league.

Citi Field - New York, New York

Visited - September 2014

Impressions: I didn't have much expectations before I got here but this field surprised me in a good way.  It was by far the cleanest stadium I've been to.  It's a pretty modern field which is expected since it opened in 2009 but everything did feel up to date inside and it even had free WiFi for the fans.  In the outfield, it was neat to see that giant apple behind the fence.  The views were great from the seats and it was short walk from the subway which is very convenient.  

 

Food Stop #27 : New York #2

I was recommended this small burger spot in the East Village called Paul's Da Burger Joint and I went there as soon as I got off the bus from Philly.  It's a small little place but their burger packs a huge punch.  I added fries and an ice cold orange cream soda which was clutch in the humidity but the spotlight is on the terrifically juicy burger.  It was full of flavour and not pricey at all.  If I'm ever back in Manhattan, I'm going back here.

Food Stop #26 : Philadelphia #4

I went out to get yet another cheesesteak but this one was much much different.  Luckily the restaurant Chickie & Pete's was in between Citizens Bank Park and my hotel, and what I had there was one of the best meals I've had in my life.  Let's start with one of their specialties called Crab Fries which are fries sprinkled with a secret seasoning and served with a cheese sauce.  Now I'm going to introduce the cheesesteak.  This cheesesteak combines two of my favorite things to eat: lobsters and cheesesteaks.  Yes, I had a Lobster Cheesesteak.  I even added a pint of Heineken on the side just for fun.  I savoured that meal for as long as I could.  It really does speak for itself.

MLB Ballpark #14/30 : Philadelphia

After walking for a couple hours downtown, it was nice to be able to sit and enjoy a baseball game.  It was cool to see all the sports venues right beside each other.  It's too bad that I couldn't watch the Phillies when they had Roy Halladay though.

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Visited - September 2014

Impressions: Not going to lie, it did feel like an average field.  The only thing really unique about the stadium was seeing the giant neon bell behind right-centerfield gap.  There wasn't too much to do inside so all the entertainment seemed to be quite reliant on their on-field product.

Food Spot #25 : Philadelphia #3

The morning after the Yankees game, I took a bus over to Philadelphia.  It was my second time in the city but this was the first time I actually got to roam around and see the area.  Of course, the walking got me hungry and I had to once again get a cheesesteak.  This time around, I went to Jim's Steak South St. which was a little east of Broad St.  The sandwich was extremely satisfying and what made it better was the energetic cook that helped add to the experience.

Food Stop #24 : New Jersey #1

My cousin took me to this pizza joint called Razza over in Jersey City.  This wasn't your typical pizza spot as they serve wood-fired pizza along with cocktails, beer, and wine so it was bit pricier than usual.  I ordered a Maple Bacon pizza and it was great.  It was cheesy but the maple added a sweetness to it.  Visit here if you can.

MLB Ballpark #13/30 : The Bronx, New York

As much as I hate the Yankees, I respect Derek Jeter and I did take pleasure in seeing him play live one last time in his home park.

Yankee Stadium - New York, New York

Visited - September 2014

Impressions: Being Yankee Stadium, it's pretty obvious history bleeds inside the park.  Everywhere you walk is a constant reminder of their vast history from their legends and numerous World Series.  Most of its character lies inside the hallways though as the field itself didn't have much to make it special.  Then again, when you have that much greatness in the past, take advantage of it.  

Food Stop #23 : New York #1

A week after my Pittsburgh trip I took a flight to New York.  This is my first time in New York so I decided to spend a week there just because there's just so much to do.  The first place I went to in Manhattan was Shake Shack.  From what I heard, it was normally busy but I got lucky and there wasn't a crowd.  This was a pretty heavy and greasy burger but that's rarely a bad thing.