If you’ve recently mourned the loss of your favorite coffee-shop-turned-Starbucks or, you know, the Rogan clothing store that invaded the Bouwerie Lane Theatre, you’re not alone in your emotions. In fact, in two far away parts of the city, thousands of sports fans – and millions more around the world – have just lost two landmarks. That’s right, Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium.

Now, you may have already heard about this, but the Mets’ recent loss to the Brewers kept them out of the playoffs and marked the final game to be played at Shea. It’s official, it’s really happening, and it sucks.

This right here is perhaps the most disheartening symptom of a serious problem – New York’s inability to keep the old. I’m not talking about stuff like the Chrysler Building or the Public Library, but other, more local landmarks that have a lot of meaning for nearby residents yet are being built over and changed anyway.

I understand that an old business or restaurant that has been closed for a few years, no matter how much of a landmark, ends up being something of a waste of space. But in the past few years, it’s been happening over and over again, and many of those who fought for preservation are passing away as well.

Now all this may sound meaningless coming from me, the NYU student, or me, the Jamba Juice fan, or me, someone who only came to New York a couple of years ago. What do I know about preservation and historicization?

I know enough to remember meeting Mookie Wilson in a press box at Shea; I also remember Todd Pratt hitting the home run in Game 4 of the 1999 NLDS, beating the Diamondbacks and causing a near-riot – cops had to ride horses onto the field to maintain order. I remember going to Yankee Stadium many times as a kid, clutching a pretzel as big as my head, my dad and uncle explaining to me when it was a good time to bunt or why a pitcher might intentionally walk somebody.

Most of all, with Shea and Yankee Stadiums, I remember being a part of something larger, part of something that had been around for decades, that had entertained, thrilled, and – ask any Diamondbacks zealot – sometimes even disappointed fans from all over. I remember walking into these stadiums and being in awe of the spectacle. And I’m sad that future generations of kids won’t have the same privilege.

Yogi, I guess it’s really over.

Photo: Flickr courtesy of llahbocaj