In the days before free agency, sky-high salaries, and lucrative endorsements, New York players lived closer to their fans, as part of the city. Many of the players lived near the ballparks and could be seen in the neighborhood – riding the bus or subway, shopping in the stores, taking their kids to the park. This was particularly true of Brooklyn, where Ebbets Field was embedded in a working-class neighborhood easily accessible by public transportation. Some Dodgers, including Leo Durocher, Johnny Podres, and Carl Furillo, lived in hotels in Brooklyn Heights; others lived in East Flatbush or Bay Ridge, including Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider, Carl Erskine, and Russ Meyer. Many Giants lived in Manhattan, including at the Somerset Hotel on the Upper West Side, or at the Braddock in Harlem; a group of Yankees lived in the Bronx near Concourse Plaza and 161st Street. In 1956, when Mickey Mantle was residing intemperately at the St. Moritz Hotel, he often used to walk to Yankee Stadium through Central Park. Some players owned businesses in the neighborhoods – working in the off-season to supplement their baseball salaries.

The Glory Days: New York Baseball, 1947-1957 was on view at the Museum of the City of New York from June 27 to December 31, 2007.