Citi Field - MLB New York Mets

I paid a visit to Citi Field in the Queens borough of New York City. Citi Field replaced the aging Shea Field as the home of the New York Mets just a few feet away. The exterior of the stadium is reminiscent of Ebbets Field with an entrance named the Jackie Robinson Rotunda after the Brooklyn Dodgers legend. The rotunda honors Robinson's life and accomplishments. Unlike many stadiums, Citi Field features orange foul poles rather than the standard yellow, which make this field unique.

Getting to Citi Field takes a little bit of time from midtown Manhattan by the New York Subway 7 train at Mets-Willets Point. The stadium is located within an area of Flushing that is home to USTA Billie Jean National Tennis Center where the annual US Open tennis grand slam tournament is held and the Unisphere, the iconic 12-story high stainless steel globe that served as the centerpiece for the 1964 New York World's Fair.

This day in particular was unique as it was my first visit to Citi Field, but it was the 11th anniversary of the September 11th attacks in the city. The Mets played host to rival NL East Washington Nationals. Prior to the game, a moment of silence as a tribute to the anniversary occurred along with a moving tribute to the events that had occurred earlier in the day in Benghazi. Being in the city on this day was surreal and I took in every minute that I could. Anytime I go to a new stadium, I make it a priority of exploring every part of it not knowing when I will make my return. Little did I know that while walking through the upper deck in left field I would lay my eyes on a piece of American History that I would never forget. Each year on this day, the city of New York as a tribute displays two massive light towers that shine into the sky on the site where the twin towers once stood. These lights were visible to the eye as far as Citi Field and were something that I had to see up closer later that night. The photo below I took on this night last night atop Rockefeller Center.

Citi Field in its own right is a beautiful stadium to visit, whether for the first or last time. The 2012 season marked the 50th Anniversary of the Mets organization that was in the process of its promotional marketing campaign for this years MLB All Star Game.