8. Ebbets Field

Ebbets Field, opening day, 1913. Image via UCinternational on Wikimedia Commons.

In 1913, the Brooklyn Dodgers moved from their ballpark in Washington Park to the new Ebbets Field in Flatbush, where they played from 1913 to 1957. It was during the 26-year run of the Dodgers in this stadium where barriers were broken and Brooklyn reveled after winning its sole championship. In 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first African American to star in the lineup of a major league baseball game; in 1955 they won their only World Series title.

Ultimately, it was the Dodger’s own success that undermined their position in Brooklyn. With less than 35,000 seats, Ebbets Field was the smallest park in the National League; moreover, there was virtually no room for automobile parking for the fans. Owner Walter O’Malley attempted to secure land at Atlantic Yards for a privately owned domed stadium (the current site of Barclays Center), however he was met with the obstinate opposition of New York City Building Commissioner Robert Moses, who wanted the Dodgers to move to Flushing-Meadows—which O’Malley would not agree to. The Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1957 and the stadium was demolished and apartment complexes were built in its place.