Hidden Sports Gems
Description:
In addition to the usual suspects (Yankee Stadium, ESPN Sports Zone), this city holds all sorts of hidden gems for the sports fan.
Photo: Built by U.S. Steel for the 1964-65 World's Fair as a symbol of world peace, the iconic Unisphere now sits in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, next door to the National Tennis Center. (photo by adamisserlis)
Photo: Built by U.S. Steel for the 1964-65 World's Fair as a symbol of world peace, the iconic Unisphere now sits in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, next door to the National Tennis Center. (photo by adamisserlis)
Author: Sarah
Day 1 - New York City, Staten Island
Avoid the Midtown crowds by choosing a hotel in Lower Manhattan--a good home base is the Best Western Seaport Inn, located in the historic South Street Seaport. For a good start to your sports tour of New York, pay a visit to the brand-new Sports Museum of America, a comprehensive showcase for sports memorabilia and state-of-the-art interactive exhibitions. In the summer months, hop on the free Staten Island Ferry and head across to the Richmond County Bank Ballpark, home of the minor-league baseball team the Staten Island Yankees. It’s a relaxed, family-friendly ballpark experience, but you can still take in some first-rate games and maybe catch a glimpse of a rising star (current Yankee ace Chien-Ming Wang is a former Baby Bomber). Back in the city, have dinner at the Bridge Café.
1
Best Western Seaport Inn
Location:
view in google maps33 PECK SLIP AT FRONT ST
New York City, NY 10038
Phone:
+1 212 766 66002
South Street Seaport
Location:
view in google maps12 Fulton St
Fulton & South Streets
New York City, NY 10038
Phone:
+1 212 732 76783
Sports Museum of America
Location:
view in google maps26 Broadway
Beaver Street
New York City, NY 10004
Phone:
(212) 747-09004
Staten Island Ferry
Location:
view in google maps1 Bay Street
Departs from the Whitehall Ferry Terminal at the southern tip of Manhattan
New York City, NY 10301
Phone:
+1 718 390 52535
Richmond County Bank Ballpark - Staten Island Yankees
Location:
view in google maps75 Richmond Terrace
Staten Island, NY 10301
Phone:
(718) 720-92656
Bridge Cafe
Location:
view in google maps279 Water Street (at Dover St)
New York City, NY 10038
Phone:
1 212 227 3344Day 2 - New York City, Brooklyn
On your second day, head across the Brooklyn Bridge to Dumbo and the historic Gleason’s Gym, where great boxers throughout the ages have trained and where pros and amateurs alike can compete. Afterwards, take a walk in Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park while enjoying stunning views of both the Brooklyn and the Manhattan Bridge. Finally, take the F train to Red Hook (during the summer) and catch some local baseball or soccer games at the Red Hook Ball Fields. The fields are famous for their food vendors, which offer some of the city’s very best and most authentic street food from Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.
1
Brooklyn Bridge
Location:
view in google mapsOff South Street Viaduct
Park Row, near Municipal Building
New York City, NY 11201
Phone:
212 484 1200 (Tourist information)2
Gleason's Gym
Location:
view in google maps77 Front Street
between Main Street and Washington Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone:
(718) 797-28723
Empire - Fulton Ferry State Park
Location:
view in google maps26 New Dock Street
New York City, NY 11201
Phone:
+1 718 858 47084
Red Hook Ball Fields
Location:
view in google mapsClinton Street and Bay Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231
Day 3 - New York City
On day three, head uptown to Central Park and dine at Mickey Mantle’s, a sports bar and restaurant named for the Yankee great. Afterwards, hop on the subway going further uptown to the historic neighborhood of Harlem. The B/D train to 155th Street takes you to the Polo Grounds Community Center, past site of the legendary Polo Grounds stadium and current home to the Rucker Park basketball courts, where top NBA-bound talents frequently show off their stuff. For dinner, head back southwest for soul food at the great Sylvia’s or barbecue at Dinosaur BBQ.
1
Central Park
Location:
view in google mapsCentral Park Driveway
The Central Park Conservancy
New York City, NY 10022
Phone:
+1 212 310 66002
Mickey Mantle's
Location:
view in google maps42 Central Park South
59th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue
New York City, NY 10019
Phone:
1 212 688 77773
Harlem
Location:
view in google maps96th-155th Street
New York City, NY 10027
Phone:
+1 212 427 7200 (Tourist Information)4
Polo Grounds Community Center
Location:
view in google maps2965 Eighth Avenue
at Frederick Douglass Boulevard
New York City, NY 10039
Phone:
(212) 491-61275
Sylvia's
Location:
view in google maps328 Lenox Avenue
(between 126th and 127th streets)
New York City, NY 10027
Phone:
1 212 996 06606
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
Location:
view in google maps700 west 125th st
At Twelfth Ave
New York City, NY 10027
Phone:
1 212 694 1777Day 4 - Queens
Even if you’re not Maria Sharapova, you can still head to Queens and grunt your heart out on the courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home of the U.S. Open Championships. For ten months out of the year, the center’s many courts are open to the public. After a good workout (or after a day session at the tournament, held in early September), take advantage of some of the great dining and nightlife options that Queens has to offer, including outstanding (and cheap) Thai food at Sripraphai or beers under the stars at Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden.
1
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
Location:
view in google maps49th Avenue
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Queens, NY 11368
Phone:
718 760-62002
Sripraphai
Location:
view in google maps64-13 39th Avenue
Woodside
Queens, NY 11377
Phone:
1 718 899 9599