1. AT&T PARK
Let’s face it, playing in a dirt lot at Fisherman’s Wharf would have been an improvement over Candlestick Park. The old windswept icebox on Candlestick Point as great for the San Francisco 49ers, not so much the San Francisco Giants.
When given the option to build a new park on San Francisco Bay, the original design was to have the outfield face downtown. Although probably not a horrible view, the decision to face the Bay made the park an instant classic from Opening Day.
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With a neon glove catching a Coca-Cola bottle in left to McCovey Cove in right, what opened as Pac Bell Park was an instant hit. Whether you sit in the stands or bring a kayak to the cove in right to catch a homer, this gem features everything.
From signature foods—garlic fries, anyone—to three World Championships in six years, AT&T Park mixes nostalgia, breathtaking views and current memories in the same package. At Candlestick, San Francisco liked and tolerated them. At AT&T, there is now a full-blown love affair. Not since the team moved west from New York has the city embraced the Giants the way they do now. Winning helps, but so does not freezing in July at night games.
Next: AL Central's Greatest Seasons
As with the Pirates and PNC, AT&T gave the Giants a true home, one they share with us 81 times a year. Retro in design, contemporary in look, if you were to design a ballpark, you would start here.