Fenway Park

Official Review by Jonah Berman, Stadium Journey Co-Founder

It's hard to know where to begin when talking about Fenway. Oldest park in Major League Baseball? Check. Home to some of the most significant moments in baseball history? Check. Famous landmarks, quirks and hall of famers? Check. Rabid fan base? Check. The list goes on and on. If you've read our previous reviews, you've got an idea of what you're getting with Fenway. If you're a first-time visitor to this page, then suffice it to say that this is a can't-miss ballpark. Despite some imperfections, Fenway remains a classic baseball - no, scratch that - a classic sporting experience. In this review, I'll highlight some of the improvements both in the park and the surrounding neighborhood that only add to the fan experience in 2011.

Food & Beverage    4

The food and drink options at Fenway become more diverse every year. Of course, you have your standard ballpark fare "" Fenway Franks, peanuts, popcorn, chicken tenders, sausages and the like. At Fenway you'll also find some local tastes, including Lobster Rolls, New England Clam Chowder, Papa Gino's pizza, and Dunkin' Donuts coffee. The Red Sox website actually has a comprehensive list, and if you follow the link, you'll notice that no prices are listed, and that's because nothing at Fenway is cheap. Dogs will run you close to $5, and it only goes up from there. If you arrive to the park early, try the "El Tiante," a pulled-pork Cuban Sandwich named after Sox great Luis Tiant, which you'll find outside the park on Yawkey Way.

If you're looking for adult beverages, Fenway offers a wide range of beers, at $8 a pop. Bud, Bud Light, Miller Lite, Heineken, Stella Artois, Smithwicks, Harpoon, Guinness, and more. But if you want the local flavor, go for a Sam Adams. This year, the park was granted permission to sell mixed drinks, so in certain areas, you can have yourself a margarita, but it will cost you - $12. And you won't find hard alcohol anywhere near the bleachers, as the team determined that section to be rowdy enough as it is.

Atmosphere    5

In this humble writer's opinion, it doesn't really get better than the atmosphere at Fenway. The park is designed so that you walk up a ramp from the concourse, and as the ramp crests, Fenway's sparkling green grass comes into view at the edge of your line of sight. Call me a homer, but it gives me goose bumps every time.

There's something special about those April and May games where there's a nip in the air, and your mid-July 95-degree steaming-hot Sunday afternoon games have their own unique ambiance as well (as in, a lot of sweat). But no matter when you go to Fenway, you'll get to take part in some long-standing traditions: the singing of Sweet Caroline in the mid-8th inning, the Standelles' "Dirty Water" and the Dropkick Murphy's "Tessie" after every Sox win, learning that the right field foul pole is not just any foul pole, but Pesky's Pole, and hearing that sweet Boston accent as the guy to your right heckles the opposing team's right fielder. It goes without saying that the Green Monster is a specimen to behold. The manual scoreboard in left field is a relic that you don't find in many parks. And some new additions "" a sparkling new jumbo-tron in center field and the Budweiser right field roof deck ""only add to the experience.

Neighborhood    5

The area around Fenway is home to a multitude of bars and restaurants that provide endless entertainment both before and after the game. Whether you're looking for a simple beer before entering the gates, a full fledged meal, or music and dancing into the wee hours, you can find it within walking distance from the park. This section could go on forever, but for the sake of brevity, I'll mention a few of the highlights and encourage you to explore the rest of the options on your own.

Perhaps the most renowned locale in proximity to Fenway is the Cask n' Flagon, located at the corner of Brookline Avenue and Lansdowne Street. The Cask boasts proudly above the entrance that it was voted the #2 baseball bar in America by ESPN. Boston Beer Works, located at 61 Brookline Avenue, across from Yawkey Way, is a haven for the beer drinker looking to escape the typical ballpark swill and try something local.

The Bleacher Bar, built underneath center field, is another venue worth visiting where you can actually watch the game through a one-way, garage-door sized window in center field. Yawkey Way is a great spot to visit prior to the game; the street is closed to traffic and many fans gather there to hang out and talk baseball.

In 2011, I'd encourage fans to check out the side of the neighborhood that is less-often visited but has some great new dining and drinking options "" the stretch of Boylston Street that runs between Ipswich and Park Drive. Along this stretch, you'll find Jerry Remy's and the Baseball Tavern if you're looking for the more typical sports bar vibe. If you're looking to get creative, try Citizen Public House and Oyster Bar, Cambridge 1 (thin-crust pizza), Basho Japanese Brasserie, Tasty Burger, or the Upper Crust Pizzeria. Usually these spots are less crowded than ones on Lansdowne St. and Brookline Avenue, and offer more diverse food options.

Fans    5

Red Sox fans are as committed as any fans in baseball (some would use the word crazy, but that's just semantics, right? Right?) You'll find that many fans in the park come from families who have been devotees of the team for generations. You might hear talk of how life-changing 2004 was for these people and their families, perhaps how happy they are that grandpa got to see a world series championship in his lifetime, or how other loved ones missed the chance but were smiling down from heaven when it happened. I'm serious folks. Rabid as they come, these Sox fans are.

With the team's success there certainly has been a bandwagon effect, and you might hear some complaints about the "pink-hat" crowd "" fans (often women, which is an unfair stereotype because there are male "pink-hats" too) who don't really know the game but just come for a fun night out to be seen and sip chardonnay. But the knowledgeable baseball fans always outnumber this crowd, so the large majority of fans know the team, its players, and follow the general stadium rules about when to cheer, sit, stand and heckle.

Access    4

I have one suggestion about driving to Fenway: don't do it, unless you like sitting in traffic and paying exorbitant prices for parking. Fortunately, there are a multitude of public transportation options to get you to the park. The subway (affectionately known as the "T" in Boston), bus and commuter rail will all get you to Fenway's doorstep for a cheap fare. On the Green Line, the Kenmore and Fenway stops are equidistant from the park. Visit mbta for schedules. If it's a nice day and you want a Boston experience, take a Pedi-Cab from downtown. Tip: if you're traveling on the MBTA and using a "Charlie Card" (your fare card), add your return fare before the game. If you forget, you'll be stuck in line and battling crowds to recharge your card.

Bathrooms at Fenway are passable. They're generally easy to find no matter where your seats are, and the facilities, while not sparkling, are what they are: they let you do your business and get on with it. As is the standard at most parks, the ladies rooms will always have a line between innings. If you don't mind missing a little bit of the action, your best bet is to go while the Sox are at bat.

Return on Investment    5

They say you have to pay for quality. That certainly applies to Fenway. Your outing here will not be cheap, but it will be worth it. Assuming you have $50 seats, you can expect to spend another $50 "" quite easily "" on food and beverage, if you have a few beers and 2 or 3 snacks. But you get what you pay for. Sitting in a park that was built in 1912, seeing a high-quality product on the field year in and year out, taking in the sights and sounds of Fenway and enjoying the surrounding neighborhood and passionate fans "" a sound investment indeed.

Extras    5

Fenway scores big in this category for some of the reasons I mentioned above, but largely for the intangibles. It's easy to look around the park and add up the items that you won't see anywhere else: seats above the Green Monster, the retired numbers hanging above right field, the Citgo sign. But more than anything, Fenway is pure ambiance, history, culture, and baseball.

Final Thoughts

Fenway has its imperfections - there are some obstructed view seats, some funny angles, and the park can show its age in places. But perfection is rarely achieved in baseball, right? As a whole package, Fenway is about as good as it gets. I've even heard Yankee fans say they want to see Fenway, just once. What better proof could there be?