Stadium Central

The final destination on our trip to Cleveland and Pittsburgh turned out to be one of the more memorable stadiums to which I have been. To this point, I had considered AT&T Park in San Francisco to be the finest baseball stadium in the land. The visit to PNC Park may have changed that ranking.

We checked in to a hotel in downtown Pittsburgh and started the trek over the Roberto Clemente bridge for this afternoon game between the Pirates and the Houston Astros. To start, the view of the stadium from across the river is beautiful. The view of the open bowl of seats, the large letters advertising PNC park, the glistening water, and Heinz Field off to the side. Walking across the bridge that is closed off to cars on gamedays is a beautiful approach to the field. Situated right on the river and separated from the water by a riverwalk, the ability to pull a boat up to the game is a great feature. All in all, the setting is fabulous. More on the setting a bit later.

The outside of the stadium is clad in a tan stone, an interesting departure from the brick facades that became prevalent in "retro" parks. Statues of Pittsburgh greats welcome visitors. Despite being situated amid parking lots and away from dense development, a stroll around the stadium does give a slight feel of an urban ballpark a la Wrigley Field or Fenway Park (obviously, I am exaggerating a bit, but the point is made that the stadium does have a neighborhood feel to it).

Upon entering the stadium, one notices the small dimensions. This stadium is one of the smaller in the Majors, and it makes for a cozy atmosphere. The stadium consists of only two decks, making just about any seat in the place a good one. We walked around the promenade. As with most modern stadiums, many distractions abound. One of the nicer parts of this stadium was the food selections. I ended up having one of the famous Primanti Sandwiches. The fries on the sandwich didn't particularly appeal to me, but it was a Pittsburgh tradition that needed to be tested. Many other tasty options were available.

After walking around, we circled up the ramp behind home plate to the upper deck. The steel work was appropriate for the Steel City. We made our way to our seats in the upper deck, and the fine setting once again made its presence known with the stunning view of the Pittsburgh skyline and the numerous bridges across the Allegheny river. The architecture of the stadium blends seamlessly into the architecture of the bridges. Considering the marginal baseball product on the field, the view kept me entranced for most of the game.

PNC Park had tops on my list in terms of baseball stadiums that I was hoping to visit. My trip certainly did not disappoint. It is a beautiful park with a beautiful setting with tasty food options with great sight lines and with convenient access. While it is difficult to rate ballparks, I am putting PNC Park slightly ahead of AT&T park because of its integration into the city and its accessibility to the downtown area.