Dodger Stadium
Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Address: 1000 Vin Scully Avenue
Location: Los Angeles, California
Opened: April 10, 1962
Capacity: 56,000
Visited: May 1, 2017
Rating: 7.5/10
Dodger Stadium is located a few miles outside of downtown Los Angeles. You can see the skyline from the top deck seats and if you're lucky, you might catch a beautiful sunset. Home to the Los Angeles Dodgers, it's famous for its Dodger Dogs, view of the mountains, and the late arrival of fans (due to traffic). Dodger Stadium was one of the last baseball stadiums to be built before the age of the multi-purpose stadium. It also has the largest seating capacity of all MLB teams.
The location of the ballpark is outside the busy city and gives fans the opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle. Many people take the Dodger Stadium Express to the game, which leaves from Union Station. For all ticket holders, the ride is free. As there are only three entrances into the ballpark and not enough lanes, parking can be a hassle. Add in the infamous Los Angeles traffic and it's not surprising that fans consistently arrive throughout the first three innings.
Dodger Stadium has all the typical baseball stadium snacks. The Dodger Dog is the most popular, however you're going to have to ask someone else about that. As a vegetarian, my go-to snack at a Giants vs. Dodgers game in LA is either sunflower seeds, a pretzel, or french fries. I usually try to bring my own food as it's cheaper and healthier. There's also the giant nacho dish that is sold in a Dodger baseball hat bowl that a lot of fans seem to enjoy.
The atmosphere at Dodger Stadium is great - if you're a Dodgers fan. I've been to seven games and each time, I've found myself being yelled at throughout the ballpark and walking up to the stadium. The fans are passionate. However, I believe that some of them let that passion turn into anger towards anyone rooting for a different team.
If you don't have a car and don't want to take the Dodger Stadium Express, there is a zone that is solely dedicated to Uber and Lyft pickups. It's extremely convenient and I've had my fair share of waiting for a ride there. I have yet to walk through the parking lot so I'm not quite sure how that environment is. Since the Bryan Stow incident, I'm sure they have improved security and safety.
Overall, Dodger Stadium has a great view of the city, the fans who show up are passionate, the atmosphere is lively if the Dodgers are winning and the team is... well, they're the Dodgers. I can't not be biased, I'm sorry. They also love that guy in the GIF above. So if you're ever in Los Angeles, check out a game. It's definitely an experience that everyone should immerse themselves in at least once - if not for the Dodgers, for the love of the game and picturesque Los Angeles skyline.
Disclaimer: I plan to take majority of the photos for each blog post. However, I was unable to take pictures for my review of Dodger Stadium. I had planned on attending two games in May and was going to capture images the second day. Unfortunately, something came up and I was unable to take my own photos. As a result, I have sourced these images from external sources.