How to get to/from Yankee Stadium
No matter how you slice it, New York City is one of the best walking and mass transit cities in the world. Due to its density and robust public transportation system, you’ll want to skip dealing with cars and take the train, not just for games, but to get around pretty much anywhere.
Whether you’re riding the subway for the first time or it’s been a while, we can help navigate the nuance, so you don’t get lost and end up in Coney Island eating a hot dog with Joey Chestnut (instead of watching Aaron Judge smash a home run).
While Google or Apple Maps are commonly used GPS tools on your phone to search for directions, we recommend doing a little bit of pre-work before your trip in order to set your subway trip(s) up for success.
Step 1: Download the Citymapper App
The simplest way to guide you on your train journey is to download the free Citymapper app (this is not sponsored, we just think it’s the best app). The app is one of the most useful tools at your disposal while trying to navigate the city, since it was built specifically for big city/metropolis navigation. Not only will it give you directions from wherever you’re going, a la Google and Apple maps, but it will also tell you which subway car is the best to ride on, which exit is the fastest to Yankee Stadium once you get off at your stop, and in addition to showing travel time, you can also see how many stops you have until you arrive at your final destination.
We recommend entering your hotel for the start location and Yankee Stadium for the end destination and pre-map out your journey. Doing so will provide the foundation needed to understand where you’re going once it’s your turn to step up on the platform.
Here are the estimated travel times from each of our ten preferred hotel zones to Yankee Stadium:
Neighborhood / Lodging Zone Time to/from Yankee Stadium
Upper East Side 15-25 minutes (direct)
Upper West Side 20-30 minutes (30-40 including transfer on weekends)
Midtown / Grand Central 20-25 mins (subway), 16-20 mins (train)
Times Square / Rockefeller Center 25-35 minutes (direct)
Herald Square / Penn Station 25-35 minutes (direct)
The Village 30-40 minutes (direct)
Long Island City 30-40 minutes (including transfer)
Soho 35-45 minutes (direct)
Financial District 35-45 minutes (direct)
Lower East Side / Chinatown 40-50 minutes (direct)
Is the New York City subway system safe?
Yankee Stadium Subway Stop at 161st St.
On average, over two million people ride the subway daily. That’s over 360 million passengers during the Yankees regular season. And despite what you may have heard or assumed, the New York City subway system is remarkably safe—there are just too many people on it to have roving criminals wandering the system. I’ve been taking the subway here for ten years, and have never felt in danger. This is how two million people move around each day, and, honestly, the entire thing is quite brilliant, regardless of the quirks and novelties of what you might see while you’re on it.
Having said that, the one issue you might encounter may be related to homelessness, which is a problem here like it is in so many places. The majority of homeless people want to be left alone and New Yorkers have a PHD in minding their own business. We suggest that if you do the same, you shouldn’t have any problems. If you’re on a train and someone is having an “episode,” just follow other people’s leads: walk to the far side of the train, wait for the next stop and quickly change cars. Just make rational decisions and you’ll be fine.
So what does riding the subway actually look like? We’ll give you our own version of Day in the Life and take you step-by-step on your journey up to the Bronx for a game.
Entering the subway station
Unless you decide to stay at the hotel in the Bronx (which we do not recommend), you will enter an underground subway station in one of our ten recommended zones. Pay attention to the signage. To get to Yankee Stadium from any of these starting points, you’ll want to follow the signs for “Uptown” or “Bronx.” Trains heading to “Downtown” or “Manhattan” are going away from Yankee Stadium—you’ll want those when heading back to your hotel after the game.
You’ve entered the station—now what?
Most subway stations have a Metro Transit Authority employee who will help answer any questions you may have. That said, you’ve done your homework so you can skip right into purchasing your fare. In 2024, almost all subway stations allow you to pay at the turnstile by scanning Apple/Google Pay on your phone or tapping your credit/debit cards for entry. If you’re feeling nostalgic and want an MTA card as a souvenir, you can buy one at a ticket machine. A single ride will cost you $2.90.
If you’re staying for a week or longer and feel like you will be riding the subway consistently, we recommend purchasing a 7-day unlimited pass to save some money. It’ll run you $34 and you get unlimited swipes. But you have to buy the pass from a machine to get this discount: tapping your credit card at the turnstile will always result in a full single-ride fare being charged.
Getting off the subway at Yankee Stadium
Once you arrive at 161st Street, it’s incredibly easy to get to the stadium.
First of all, you’re going to see a hundred people that were on your subway start walking in the same direction, and the easiest strategy is for you to follow them.
Second of all, assuming you exit the station in the right direction, Yankee Stadium will literally be diagonally across the street from where you emerge from underground (and even if you don’t, you’re just one block farther away than you should be, and you’re still completely fine).
Third, even though we have given you commentary about the safety issues of the Bronx, let us assure you: those safety issues do not apply to the immediate area around Yankee Stadium. Aside from the fact that you’re surrounded by 35,000 other fans attending the game, you’ll also see a significant police presence that is guaranteed to be there before, during, and after every game.
Yankee Stadium is a major tourist attraction, so you’re not entering some random neighborhood where it’s every person for themselves. You are walking into an area that is arguably one of the best guarded places in New York City on any gameday. Seriously – you’re more likely to be hit by a meteor than to have something bad happen to you on the streets immediately around the ballpark. And no matter what you might think of New Yorkers, they wouldn’t be standing idly by while someone was getting attacked on the street. Not in this city. (Exception to this rule: if you’re wearing Red Sox gear, all bets are off).
So trust us: once you’ve gotten to 161st Street, the most challenging part of your trip (navigating the subway system) is behind you and your biggest concern should be whether you’ve arrived in time to buy that $20 Aaron Judge hamburger.
Metro North
Metro-North Railroad is a suburban commuter rail service run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), running between New York City and its northern suburbs in New York and Connecticut. It also provides local rail service within the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. If you are close to Grand Central or can easily get there, you can take Metro North instead of the subway. Why would you do that? Well…
Pros
- Comfort: the commuter trains are nicer than the subway, you’ll likely get a seat, and it’s more comfortable than the subway. There is always air conditioning (not always the case on the subway), and far fewer issues with homelessness on the commuter train.
- It’s faster than the subway: only 14-19 minutes with just two stops
Cons
- It’s more expensive than the subway ($10-12 round trip on the train vs $5.80 subway round trip on the subway).
- The commuter trains run on a schedule, so if you miss a train, you’ll have to wait for the next one, which could be 20-40 minutes.
- Instead of dropping you right across the street from the stadium at 161st Street (where the subway does), it stops at 153rd Street, which is a 10 minute (safe) walk to the stadium.
Our opinion? Yes, it’s nicer. But here’s the reality: any time savings from taking the faster Metro North train is erased by the further walk from the 153rd Street station. The more defined train schedule will put pressure on you to be at Grand Central at a specific time, and while it’s only a few more dollars per person, if you’ve got a family of four, you’re talking about spending an extra $20 for a somewhat limited benefit. The only real reason for taking Metro North, in our opinion, is if you are specifically trying to avoid taking the subway.
If you do want to take Metro North, download the Train Time app to your phone. It will show you available train times and let you purchase your ticket in advance.
Rideshare / Taxi / Car Service
Taxis in Midtown
If you’re nowhere near a subway station and want to get directly to the stadium, you can hail a taxi or use a rideshare platform. Prices will vary depending on where you’re coming from, but expect to pay anywhere from $45-$70 from Times Square depending on traffic.
Leaving the game, there will not be taxis outside of the stadium, and getting a rideshare from Yankee Stadium will be difficult. So if you’re really looking to avoid riding the subway after the game, your best bet might be ordering a ride from a car service. Although we’re not endorsing any of them, here is a list of some of the better known services in NYC:
Precision NY Chauffeur & Airport Transportation Service
Prices vary based on date and time, and there’s no set rate schedule (like a taxi would have based on distance). But we’ve spot checked rates and found anything from $95-$150 for a standard sedan from the stadium to Times Square. So while it’s not completely crazy, it’s not necessarily cheap. But if you’re dead-set against taking the subway, it’s probably going to be your next best option for getting from the stadium to your hotel.
Bus
The M1 bus on Fifth Avenue
Several New York City bus lines provide service to the stadium. The Bx6 and Bx13 buses stop at East 161st Street and River Avenue; the Bx1 and Bx2 buses stop at East 161st Street and the Grand Concourse, a short walk from the stadium; and the BxM4 stops at the Grand Concourse and East 161st Street (northbound) and East 158th Street (southbound). For more information, visit www.mta.info or call the MTA at 511. But taking the bus from Times Square to Yankee Stadium would probably get you a plaque in Monument Park because so few people do it.
Seriously—if you’re coming from Manhattan, taking a bus will take you forever. It is just not a viable means of transportation to/from Yankee Stadium. There’s a reason why we have a train that runs at high speeds underground: to be able to cover long distances in a relatively brief amount of time. I’ve never taken the bus to Yankee Stadium, I’ve never known anyone who has taken the bus to Yankee Stadium, and you shouldn’t be taking the bus to Yankee Stadium.
Parking
Unlike other ballparks across the country in more driver friendly cities, the Yankees neither control nor operate the parking lots and garages surrounding the stadium. A company called “City Parking” is responsible for managing the parking lots around the stadium.
Check here for the latest information and for the easiest parking reservations.
Bottom Line
Seriously: if you’re thinking of coming to New York for a Yankees game, but are thinking you’re going to do so without taking the subway or public transit, you may be best served by not coming at all. The subway is how most New Yorkers get to and from this ballpark, and it is unquestionably how we think you should as well. Whatever nervousness you might have about tackling this admittedly overwhelming and intimidating train system, the payoff is well worth it, as is the experience. Come on… you’re in New York! Trust us—we know what we’re talking about. Take the subway, and live to tell all of the colorful stories about it.
