The Loop
The MLB’s new flagship store in NYC looks like baseball Valhalla
Last summer, we brought you news that a sparkling Krispy Kreme flagship location was set to open in Times Square, replete with a doughnut theater and roaring glaze waterfall. After over a year of uncertainty, impatience, and growling stomachs, the cruler castle finally opened in August, but unfortunately it’s reign as New York City’s most important landmark was short-lived. Now, less than eight weeks after its triumphant debut, Starship Krispy has been eclipsed by the new MLB Flagship Store, which, if these photos are any indication, looks like heaven on earth for baseball fans of all ages, shapes, sizes, and minor-league affiliations. Take your cornfield and shove it, Costner.
Located at 1271 Avenue of the Americas in Midtown, Manhattan, the MLB Flagship Store is the most staggering collection of random baseball goodies south of Cooperstown. Like caps? There’s 10,000 of them. Like playing make believe? You can slap your name on everything from jerseys to socks. Like memorabilia? You’ll find game-used bats from Game 7 of the 2016 World Series and exclusive Derek Jeter-autographed items from the 2020 Hall of Fame collection on the ground floor. If you’re not entirely sure that this will be enough overkill for you, just take another look at that Topps card display. You’ll be shaking and scratching all the way to the Big Apple.
In addition to a dedicated section for everybody’s favorite Mitchell & Ness throwbacks and an MLB photo booth, the 10,000-square-foot temple will even host the Commissioner's Trophy from October 5th-8th, allowing fans to take their picture with the so-called “piece of metal” that George Costanza once tied to the bumper of his car. Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week, the MLB Flagship Store will operate at reduced capacity and enforce mask and social distancing policies, in accordance with state law. If that’s a problem for you, stay the hell out of New York. We’ll be perfectly happy to have this thing all to ourselves.