NY II

Early wakeup call since my car is parked on the street. This crappy hotel has a great breakfast. They have a make your own waffle maker, a bunch of toasts and jellies and such with OJ and milks, for such a shit hole, I’m impressed. Especially since I am finding out city to city that the worse the hotel the more you get for free and the better the hotel the more you have to pay for. This place had a kitchen in my room. Fridge, stove, micro all the things you may need. At ***’s hotels they have nothing extra. Most the time you have to pay extra for parking, and sometimes for internet and they don’t give you micros or small fridges. They do have great beds and killer bathrooms and views but you can’t bring back food of any sort or a 12 pack of beer back, which I’m assuming is why they do that. Anyway it’s on my way back to NY. I’m staying at the same place as I was last time. This time I will have a lot more fun. I plan on partying in Manhattan this time. I get into NY this time a lot easier than last time. No driving through Manhattan or over 6 bridges and under 4 tunnels.
After getting up really early in Baltimore and went to the hotel and pasted out for a while. Then I went into city. Walked around a bit just trying to take some pics and find a place to eat and drink. I got into Manhattan, and found the empire state building. Its looks closer than it actually is. It looks likes it’s right there but 5 NY blocks later there it is. I’ve been there before so no way am I waiting in the 2 hour line to see it again. But I wanted to go to the bars I was at 2 years ago that let me drink with them till 7am. I drop by and I figured it wasn’t going to be anything like it was 2 years ago, but went in had a drink and left to try find a good place to eat and drink. There are a ton of places out there and so hard to pick one. I tried going to Bond 45 which I went to 2 years ago but was just way out of the price range for what they had, but I was definitely coming back for dessert. They have a killer cheesecake. I went around dropping in and having a drink here and there. I find a steakhouse with a great deal. Salad and a steak with 2 sides for like $35. Can’t beat theat. Ohhh my what a steak. Tender and delicious. Kinda reminds me of like a Morton’s. Kinda small, old and tucked away a little. Even on Times Square. I eat a great meal and have a couple bourbons. I head over to Bond 45 to get their cheesecake. It was so much better last time. You have one thought in your head and it doesn’t go the way you think it will. It was good but not as good as I remember. Just different. Met a couple girls from down under, and it was one of their birthdays. Bought them a couple drinks at the bar across the street, then jumped on the metro and headed to the hotel.


SO I get up and take my time, but I am stoked to get to New Yankee stadium. I was at the old Yankee stadium and loved it. The history of the place was great and I’m afraid that the new one losses it all. No one except the teams that have been in there since last year. I get there a little early to get a ticket. The cheapest I can get is $50 at the gate. But scalpers can be good at any stadium. I grab a $75 tickets from $47. This seat is lower reserved, behind right field, right next to the bleachers…that doesn’t let you buy or bring in alcohol into them. That’s obscene!!! I step foot into the stadium and it’s the same feel. You are in Yankee Stadium. Whether it is new or old, it doesn’t matter. The team is history. They spend $200 million a year on salary. You walk out and it’s the same feeling I had when walking into Pac Bell when it first opened with my Dad. Just in awe. It’s a Roman Coliseum. I have been very angry about the fans in many stadiums. I have been angry at Giants fans for sitting on their hands from time to time. But after being at a lot of these stadiums, I know now that we have top 5 fans in the league. We are not as crazy as Philly but after being in NY we aren’t there either. They are great. There is no sign on the video screen telling them to cheer and clap and make some noise. They are up and yelling all the time. Swisher comes out and starts screaming at the fans. Getting him and the stands PUMPED UP!!! I’m not a Yankee fan but I was rooting for them after that display. And it keeps growing. They do “Roll Call”. Which is them chanting each player’s name on the field except the pitcher and catcher for good reason. Each player after their name being chanted tips a cap or waves to acknowledge the fans and their names. This I find is awesome. The fans are up and cheering all game. The Twins were up a lot of the game but 6th inning comes along and the Yankees break it open. They walk Tex, to get to A-Roid??? Bases loaded with A-Roid up. Grand Slam!!! This place went nuts. This goes up with the Manny homerun at the beginning of this trip. This is a baseball game. This is a baseball stadium. No sugar coating, no kid friendly crap. No F-ing seal as a mascot. One of the few reasons I hate ATT Park.
The crowd and I filed out of the park. Onto the subway down to Manhattan for hopefully a good night of drinking. Nothing to exciting cause you have to find the shitty dive bars off the beaten path and it’s really hard when you’re downtown in Times Square. But after much walking around and I found one. It was owned by a former boxing trainer. I keep thinking I’m going to have a drink at a lot of these places and just head home. But you run into someone from SF area and then another and then you get a long conversation going and you end up drinking till 4am and passing out. But you only live once and I’m doing as much as I can on this trip, not letting anything pass me by. I grab the train and pass out quick at the hotel.