There is something about baseball in Brooklyn. Most of the people reading this article will not remember when the Brooklyn Dodgers played at Ebbets Field in Flatbush—or for that matter, when the New York Giants played in the Polo Grounds in Upper Manhattan. While the Mets and Yankees fill the needs of most baseball fans in New York, there has always been a lingering pain in Brooklyn harkening back to 1957 when the Dodgers deserted their home and abruptly moved to LA. Baseball has not been the same ever since because you just couldn’t “root root root for the home team” that was located in another borough . . . until now.
For the past nine years, the Brooklyn Cyclones have been bringing joy to the hearts of a growing number of Brooklyn baseball fans by playing aggressive and winning ball. With nearly 40 home games every season at the new KeySpan Park in Coney Island, there is plenty of action on the field while those otherwise quiet minutes between innings are filled with giveaways, special promotions (even fireworks on Friday nights), and comedy. A special appeal for fans is that the famous Cyclone roller coaster looms behind the left field fence, the immense 190-foot Parachute Jump stands down the right field line, and the Atlantic Ocean is only a couple of hundred yards from home plate.
Currently in first place in the New York-Penn League, this NY Mets minor league franchise club serves as a proving ground for top prospects hoping to move into the Big Leagues. The player rosters are filled with recent draft picks including some super stars from the college ranks. If you are a baseball fan, you will appreciate the quality of play with serious pitching, strong hitting, and aggressive base running. These guys are trying every minute to get noticed and make their mark so they can move up to the majors. As a result, there is a level of hustle that is sometimes missing among the multi-million dollar stars who have already made “the bigs.” This is simply great baseball.
The local options for entertainment include the rides and arcades of Coney Island, beautiful sandy beaches, Little Odessa, and more ethnic restaurants than you could name in five minutes. Hop a subway and spend a great summer afternoon and evening discovering more of the joys of Brooklyn.
For those of you who would prefer to ride a boat to a ballpark, the Staten Island Yankees play in the same league as the Cyclones. Their home field, the Richmond County Bank Ballpark, is a short walk from where the ferry docks. How ’bout that for a great escape on a warm summer evening?
How to get to the Brooklyn Cyclones at KeySpan Park: By subway: Take the D train, F train, N train, or Q train to the last stop, Coney Island/Stillwell Avenue. At the corner of Stillwell and Surf Avenues (where Nathan’s is located), turn right. Walk two blocks west along Surf Avenue to KeySpan Park. By bus: Take the B36, B64 or B74 bus, or the Coney Island-bound B82 bus, to Stillwell Avenue and Surf Avenue. Then, walk two blocks west along Surf Avenue to KeySpan Park.
How to get to the Staten Island Yankees at the Richmond County Bank Ballpark: Take the 4 or 5 to Bowling Green, the R or W to Whitehall Station, or the 1 or 9 to South Ferry, then a 25 minute ride on the FREE Staten Island Ferry. Exit the Ferry from the upper deck and then follow the signs to the ballpark. For the Staten Island Ferry Schedule, visit siferry.com.
Photo: Courtesy of the author’s cell phone
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram