How to Get to Yankee Stadium From the Upper East Side: The 4 Train From 59 St-Lexington Av

The short version

Walk to 59 St-Lexington Av and get on a Bronx-bound 4. It stops at 161 St-Yankee Stadium, at River Avenue and East 161st Street, and you come up more or less at the ballpark. From our door on East 62nd Street the walk to that station is about nine minutes, west to Lexington and down three blocks. The B and D also stop at 161 St-Yankee Stadium, but from the East Side the 4 is the one you want, because it's already on your avenue.

Timing it on a game night

Give yourself an hour door to seat for a 7:05 start. That's nine minutes walking, a few minutes waiting, 20 to 25 minutes riding, and then the crowd at the turnstiles. Trains fill up as they come down Lexington, so the smart move on a weeknight is to leave before 6, not at 6:30. Going home is easier than it looks: the platform at 161st is long, downtown 4 trains come back-to-back after the last out, and you're back on Lexington in half an hour.

The Metro-North option

If you'd rather not stand, Metro-North's Hudson Line stops at Yankees-E 153rd St on game days, and the MTA puts that ride at about 15 minutes from Grand Central. It costs more than a subway swipe and you have to get to 42nd Street first (the 4, 5, or 6 from 59 St-Lexington Av is two stops on the express), but the trains are quiet and the walk to the gates is short. Worth it for a big afternoon game or if you have kids with you.

One thing to know

Don't plan on driving. Parking around the stadium is expensive and the Major Deegan backs up in both directions before and after the game. The 4 costs one fare and beats it every time.