Last Days! Everything Must Go!!

Following the "de-construction" of Shea Stadium has turned into a serial drama (working 10 minutes away in Astoria doesn't hurt). Now the remnant of the grandstand is down to just one section -- and the view from the highways and surrounding roads is dominated by Citi Field. Every week, there's less and less of Shea to catch your eye.
The circular structure is reduced to its girders and stripped of flooring, of seats, of anything of value except to a steel recycler (did you see the 60 MINUTES segment tonight on Nucor, the company that specializes in reusing old metal?)

Peering at the perimeter I walked so many times, my gaze focused on an entrance, the old ticket windows, the ramps leading to the upper decks.
Look closer, beneath the awning...
Zooming in on what I believe may have been the press and Diamond Club gate, I was struck how the entrance I used countless times now opens to -- a view of the future.
The final segment came down on Wednesday, February 18th. NEWSDAY captured it on video. View it here: http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/columnists/jimbaumbach/blog/2009/02/video_final_piece_of_shea_come.html

It's a long way from a story that began here:

Comments

Anonymous said…
Hello, how do you do?
What a pity! I went to New York for sightseeing 10 years ago and watched a game at Shea. I have pleasant memories of the stadium. Thank you for the interesting pictures.
February 17, 2009 at 2:00 PM
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