PNC Park Review

As an avid baseball fan I have traveled to quite a few major league ballparks. Whether it was for Phillies road games or just to watch a game, I’ve done my best to make it to a solid number of major league stadiums. So far I’ve been to:

-Wrigley Field in Chicago
-Old Yankee Stadium, New Yankee Stadium, and Shea Stadium in New York
-Nationals Park in Washington D.C.
-The Vet and Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia
-PNC Park in Pittsburgh

Previously, Wrigley was undoubtedly my favorite ballpark. There is something almost magical about the close proximity of the fans to the field, the Ivy covered walls, and the location of the stadium right in the middle of a North Side Chicago neighborhood. But after attending the Phils Pirates game this past weekend, PNC Park has surpassed Wrigley and is now in first place on my list.

PNC Park is snuggled up against the Allegheny river and is just a short walk from downtown Pittsburgh. If you walk over the Roberto Clemente Bridge from downtown you find yourself immersed in a party scene outside the streets of the stadium. There are street performers, shops, restaurants and just about everything to keep everyone entertained. The scene outside the stadium has a similar feel to the neighborhood atmosphere of Wrigley.

Inside the stadium there are more restaurants and entertainment opportunities. You can walk full circle around the stadium and when you are up on the main concourse the game is visible similar to CBP. When you finally take your seat the view is breathtaking. The beautiful Pittsburgh skyline and Roberto Clemente Bridge is visible in the back drop. When you look out on the field there is a “cozy” feeling as the field looks extremely small. The fans are right on top of the players and it definitely has a similar proximity feel to that of Wrigley.

After the game fans flood the streets and head back over the Roberto Clemente Bridge to downtown. There is also a river walk where you can walk along the Allegheny river and parallel the downtown skyline.

It’s extremely different from CBP because there are actually things to do outside of the stadium. There is a neighborhood feel to PNC that is missing from the Bank which is located smack in the middle of nowhere. Overall if you have never been to PNC Park I strongly recommend that you go. It combines features from many stadiums and adds its’ own flare to create one hell of a baseball experience.

One of my favorite features about PNC is the Roberto Clemente

Bridge. The bridge connects downtown Pittsburgh directly to the ball park and it is extremely unique. The bridge is set aside for pedestrians and is strictly for walking during Steelers and Pirates gamedays. I also loved the close proximity of the fans to the field. At some stadiums you feel extremely far from the game but at PNC you feel like you are practically on top of the players. Lastly I loved the location of PNC. It blows CBP out of the water and there is so much more todo than just go to the game. The location of PNC gives it an edge over a lot of other MLB stadiums.

The only real complaint I have about the park is that the Phillies lost both games I attended. But other than that PNC Park is a beautiful place to watch a ball game and a must see stadium for all baseball fans everywhere.