It’s opening weekend for Major League Baseball, but don’t just root for the home team. Instead, get out there and check out what’s new and at Major League ballparks across the country.
Every park has its own flavor, but Peter broke it down by location, atmosphere, architecture, and food. With those criteria set, he selected AT&T Park in San Francisco, PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Citi Field in New York, Fenway Park in Boston, Wrigley Field in Chicago and Marlin Park in Miami.
If ballpark food is your priority, opt for AT&T Park, PNC Park or Marlins Park. At AT&T, you’ll get a taste of the best of California with garlic fries from Gilroy (aka the Garlic Capital of America), a Farmers Market Cart and a California Wine Cart with 35 varieties of local wines. In Pittsburgh, PNC Park has The Pittsburgh Slugger, a steak sandwich piled high with coleslaw, french-fries and provolone cheese. Marlins Park has The Taste of Miami, a stand that brings together three Cuban-American restaurant with the most authentic offerings.
Photo credit: Michael Ivins/Boston Red Sox
When it comes down to atmosphere and location, if you want history and some seriously intense fans, head to Fenway Park. There’s a reason it’s known as America’s Most Beloved Park: It’s the oldest ballpark in America, celebrating its 100th anniversary last year. Tickets are a hot commodity in Boston—the Red Soxs claim to have the longest streak of consecutive sold-out games, more than 700 since 2003. For scenery, AT&T Park is one of the most beautiful ballpark settings in the country with sweeping city views, the San Francisco Bay, plus the park is reachable by lots of public transport, including Muni Metro streetcars and trolleys, BART (via an in-station link to Muni Metro), CalTrain, buses and ferries.
Architecture is more important than you might expect when it comes to a ballpark. In Miami, there isn’t a bad seat in the house. In San Francisco the ballpark was rotated by quarter turn which significantly cuts down on the wind factor. PNC Park is designed to be intimate—even the highest seat is only 88 feet from the field.
Watch Peter’s latest CBS This Morning segment to learn more about how the fan experience has improved at the top ballpark for the 2013 baseball season.
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