I’m a small guy, so perhaps it’s worse if you’re built to US standards. But I’ve been to close to a hundred games there, and there’s no other place in the world that makes me as happy, I think.

For my money, the best seats at Fenway are the infield roof boxes on the 1B side, the closer to the plate the better. You get a god’s eye view of everything, nobody is in your way, and you have a better than decent chance of catching a foul (possibly in the face, so pay attention).

But yes, the seats are small, sweet Caroline is obnoxious and some of the fans are beyond drunk/crazy/stupid but I wouldn’t say that stands for the masses. As a marlins fan and seeing the “feesh” twice at Fenway and being in my marlins gear, I’d say most fans were pretty cool with me and recognized the unique relationship between the red sox and marlins.

Parking is a breeze if you get there early and are ready to drop 35 to 40 dollars but I suggest parking outside the city and taking the train in. All in all, Fenway to me, is just another baseball experience…I’ve been to old tiger stadium, joe Robbie, and PNC (where my cousin Jeff Locke made his MLB debut) and I’d have to say Pnc is the best pure baseball experience you can have while remaining comfortable and not dropping an arm and leg and wallet. All that said, I can’t wait to attend Marlins park, if only to see the lovely ladies at the Clevelander

How much more do you want?

It doesn’t get old. You do learn which seats and sections to avoid. You do appreciate the improvements. Fenway is unique and imperfect and beautiful. I’d be happy to stand on line with you and your better half for spur of the moment tickets anytime you find yourself in Boston with some time on your hands and the home team in town.

Also, I think it helps that my wife and I are both averagely skinny people. I imagine Fenway must be a little less inviting if you or the person you’re with are overweight.

Stadiums I’ve been to (best to worse): Camden Yards (Orioles), Phillies, Texas Rangers, Nationals, Old cardinals stadium, KC Royals, Toronto, Old yankee stadium, Fenway Park.

Pre-game atmosphere and neighborhood (I favor city center ballparks): Fenway, Old cardinals stadium,Camden Yards,phillies, rangers, Nationals (only because it’s in DC), Toronto, old yankee stadium, KC Royals.

So yeah… Fenway has it’s pluses. Most of them involve the history of the stadium and the events/food/people outside the stadium.

I would love to see Boston build a new stadium on the water front. Will never happen (no land)…

A lot of the “Fenway is a dump” stuff comes from the same sort of self-loathing concern-troll journalism that gives us annual stories from baseball writers on how the All-Star game is broken, why they won’t vote for anyone for the HoF, and why anyone still listens to Murray Chass.

For me, ballparks supplement the experience. Take in a 3 game series. If the park still uplifts the experience, its a great park. Forget about the park, solid stadium. Is a pain, interferes with the game.

The Fenway experience for a regulars must be ‘normal.’ For first time time visitors, awesome. A multiple time visitor between, kind of a pain. But it’s still baseball. And an MLB day game with a cold beer and a brat, any seat in any park is AWESOME!

^^^^^^just like that, actually

That being said, as I have gotten older and visited Fenway as it has undergone such tremendous changes, I feel that the changes have been quite positive. The updates have managed to capture that “old timey” feel while still adapting to a fan that wants to “get what they pay for”. With the prices at Fenway where they are, many of the fans want to both view a game and experience a carnival atmosphere, yet also visit a time when the game was not a distraction from the bar/playground/pool/t-shirt shop/etc. And Fenway still manages to handle both. Sure the seats are uncomfortable and the prices steep, but as a fan of the game and its history, it seems as if there are few other places in the majors that let you enjoy both.

That being said…I managed to make it to my second game in Pittsburgh last summer. If I was a major league fan, that is exactly what I would want my park to look like.

KJRam does it every season, but it never gets old…

The newer stuff, Loge seating above 3rd base line, box seats, etc are really nice and more comfortable for the bigger US citizen. Haven’t sat on the monster though.

Honestly, I think the criticism is a bit overblown. I’m not trying to perform open heart surgery in the tunnel, or hold a full 5v5 basketball game in the locker room. I’ve resigned myself to paying for overpriced food and drinks like you do in every park.

Just a Yankee fan in hiding, trying to catch a game without getting shanked.

I’ve sat in other seats and been less “in love”, but the park certainly plays the role of the Grand Damme very well.

And I’ve never been bold enough to wear Yankee gear there. I go to enjoy a game, not get hassled or in a fight.

Maybe I’m just acclimated from ~10 games there a year, but I love the place. It’s all baseball and no pretense.

Only thing I noticed that would have affected me was the closure of Yawkey Way during game time. I needed to get to Kenmore for both work and school so that would have complicated my commute quite a bit. They must have paid an arm and a leg for the rights to do that and I’m shocked people didn’t throw fits because of it.

The bleachers at Wrigley are MUCH better, because there was beer stand under the big scoreboard and a quick walk down the ramp to the bathroom. High up in the bleachers at Fenway it takes forever to get to the concourse.

Both Fenway and Wrigley both have obstructed views of popups/flys sitting deep under the upper deck. It stinks.