Stephen Nessen

Yankee's pitcher David Cone and catcher Jorge Posado joined Mayor Bloomberg for today's unveiling of the new 153rd Street Station Metro North station at Yankee Stadium. The station is a 10 minute ride from Grand Central and provides express service to and from Poughkeepsie and New Haven. The mayor says the Yankees have that over the Mets.

This year the Yankees kicked off their new seasons in a shiny new $1.3 billion ballpark. While fans have marveled at the culinary treats and the massive LED screen in the outfield, not everyone is so enthused. The All Hallows High School baseball team in the South Bronx is forced to play their home games on the road and often practice in the school’s cafeteria. That’s because in 2006 theirfield was demolished to make way for the new Yankee stadium. Without a regular field to practice on, the team improvises, but it has already been three years.

It’s a beautiful Sunday morning, the sun is high, it’s over 80 degrees outside, a perfect day for baseball. But three hours before their fourth game of the season members of the All Hallows Gaels, are pitching and taking swings indoors.

"Basketball gym, slash church, slash theater, slash everything."

That’s Misaell Cabral, a 16-year-old, junior. He’s the right fielder for the Gaels and is standing about mid-court while his teammate lobs a large soft dimpled ball at him. Cabral takes half-swings, not wanting to make full-contact.

"We can’t practice with actual baseballs, cause we can’t break all the windows," says Cabral. "The team practices pitching on the basketball court and batting in the cafeteria. For pop-ups they toss balls outside in a narrow courtyard next to apartment buildings. It’s concrete, it’s not really baseball material. It’s frustrating at times."

The Gaels used to play at nearby Macombs Dam and John Mullally Park, until construction of the new Yankee stadium began three years ago. State and federal law mandates that park land be replaced an acre for an acre, but due to cost delays and the discovery of barrels of oil along the waterfront, building of new parks has been delayed.

New York, NY —

This year the Yankees kicked off their new season in a shiny new ballpark. While fans have marveled at the culinary treats and the massive LED screen in the outfield, not everyone is so thrilled. Nearby, the All Hallows High School baseball team is forced ...

The American Red Cross in New York says it's cutting 23 percent of its paid workforce to compensate for a drop in donations. Terry Bischoff, the CEO of the New York chapter, says the layoffs will mean relying more on volunteers. Currently 95 percent of their workforce is volunteers, that ...

Lawmakers, lawyers, and citizens rally at City Hall for more debt buying regulations .

Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop in Greenpoint has been around for decades, and so have some of the shop's regulars. On a recent afternoon, Walter Staszewski tells why he spends every weekend at the cozy eatery. Andrew Kreiling and Jess Gunning explain how, despite not speaking Polish, Jess got ...

Lady Liberty's crown will reopen to visitors this July 4th. Closed since the terrorist attacks in 2001, because of security concerns, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar says, initially, 30 visitors an hour will be allowed into the crown, with 10 people at a time permitted to ascend the single, spiral staircase leading up to it.

Brooklyn Congressman Anthony Weiner campaigned hard for the statue and remembers making the climb as a child, and says there's nothing like it.

'It's one thing to be able to tap her toes, it's something entirely different to be able to go up into that cramped stairwell.'

Protesters and tenants rights groups followed Bronx Senator Pedro Espada Jr. to a speaking engagement today at the plush Water Club Restaurant on the Hudson. They are calling on Espada to support legislation which passed in the Senate last month and would extend the Mitchell-Lama and Section 8 ...

Natalie Shea, 7, trying a bike at South Street Seaport.

Hannah Borgeson is a spokesperson for Bike New York and advises riders to wear a helmet, reflector, and remember that although you may never forget how to ride a bicycle it can still be stressful out there.

It's like Christmas in April. The Rockettes kicked off auditions today for the 2009 Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Over 400 aspiring Rockettes from across the country came to test their mettle for a coveted spot in the legendary dance troupe known for their chorus line leg kicks in perfect unison. Besides proficiency in jazz and tap dancing, Rockettes must be between 5'6 and 5'10, and over 18 years old. Joy Girard attended Rockette summer camp, just turned 18, bought a new leotard for today, and flew in from California for the audition.

I wanted to be a Rockette since I was four years old and I saw them on TV in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, so I finally turned 18 and it's my chance to audition.

A new report released by the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies says New York state has seen a drop in the welfare rolls, but an increase in applicants for cash assistance.

The report compares the number of people receiving public assistance in 1997, and in 2007. Bich Ha Pham is a co-author of the report and says there was a 59 percent decrease in the number of recipients between those years. "It's because welfare applicants face too many restrictions and barriers," she says, adding that the welfare program is not responding to that need. She says that's a big difference from other public benefits programs, like food stamps, where there's been a stronger outreach to those affected by the economic downturn.

Members of Transport Worker's Union 100 blame MTA Chief Financial Officer Gary Dellaverson for not coming up with money to save the MTA. Their shouts echoed down four blocks on Madison Avenue in front of the MTA headquarters this afternoon.

Barry Markman, a state employee for 29 years, says no layoffs please.

Unions are demanding that Governor Paterson reconsider his proposed 9,000 state job cuts to balance the state's ...

Bikers from across the city cycled to The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine at 112th Street to get their bikes blessed by Father Thomas Miller today, in the sixth annual blessing of the bikes.

Illegal injections are on the rise.

The Yankees had the first official home game of the season today and fans came out to see the team and the new stadium.

Marsha Nicol is a retired school teacher from Connecticut, and is hopeful she will get a ticket.

Devoted Yankee fan and Bronx resident Kareem Simmons, a 41 year old New York Transit worker, painted his head blue and white, although he didn't have a ticket, he was only stopping by on his way to work. He plans on seeing at least five games this season.

This is like the mother of all opening days, we have a new chapter in our lives here.

Another Bronx resident, James Chiominento, came to see the new stadium and try to score a ticket. He is wheelchair bound and the old stadium didn't have enough space for him, so he hasn't seen the Yankees play in years... but the new stadium has 506 wheelchair spaces, so he plans to change that.

Schools Chancellor Joel Klein

This morning at 8 a.m., a 30-foot humpback whale was spotted in a shipping lane near the Verrazano Bridge. While the Coast Guard cleared the shipping lanes, the humpback took a detour to Coney ...

The owner of a Brownsville fast food joint may have rode the wave of Obamamania a bit too far after he recently renamed his restaurant Obama Fried Chicken.

Despite protests last week, the manager, Mohammad Jabbar from Bangladesh, ...

The Mets had an auspicious win last night at the first exhibition game in their new stadium, beating the Red Sox 4-3.

Mets fans reveled in Citi Field's open space and surprisingly good ball park food on the promenade deck and various eateries.

Lifelong Mets fan Steve ...