It's a great time in the Big Apple.
The city's streets turn orange and blue as New Yorkers from all walks of life come together to cheer on the Mets as they make the playoffs.
“I think there's a lot more pride in people now. They're happy that the team is performing well and everyone is excited,” said Joe Lorenzo, 38, of New Jersey. told the Post before boarding the 7 train to Citi Field for Game 4 of the National League.
That pride was on display across the city Wednesday.
Baristas were seen wearing Mets baseball caps, doormen wore ties with Mets details, and bars and restaurants held watch parties in all five boroughs.
Even decals of Grimas, the team's lucky mascot, were plastered all over the 7 train in honor of the Mets.
Steven Yang
“Even Yankees fans are like, 'Let's go to the Mets!'” said Zach Layton, 33, regarding this week's power situation in the city. “We are a wonder team, a team that we never expected to win this year.”
“I have a lot of respect for him,” added his partner Yoela Koplow, 28.
“I don't necessarily know about fair-weather fans, but I think people are obsessed with the ridiculousness of this season, the grimaces, the pumpkins, the dogs, the ridiculousness of it all. I feel like we're just responding to the Mets' rampage.”
While the fan base has exploded in recent weeks, longtime Mets fans happily welcomed the newcomers.
Lorenzo, who “always wears” Francisco Lindor's No. 12 jersey, noticed a surge in fair-weather fans wearing Mets regalia last week, but the team is one of the most welcoming franchises. He said it was one of the.
“I think there's always room for trends, and now is a good time to jump on it,” Lorenzo said.
The Mets' boom began with the team's heart-stopping, roller-coaster performance last week against the Braves, clinching a spot in the wild-card round of the MLB playoffs.
katie donlevy
Since then, the Mets narrowly defeated the Brewers in the wild-card playoffs and carried that momentum to a 2-1 lead over the Phillies in the division series.
The team is one win away from advancing to the National League Champions Series, giving them a chance to return to the World Series for the first time since 2015, when they lost to Kansas City in five games.
Kara Corsi, 48, of the Upper West Side, theorized that the excitement wasn't creating new fans, but that the Mets' rare performance was reawakening long-dormant fans.
“All the energy is positive energy. If they want to be a fan and cheer, we're open to that. There's not a lot to really get excited about in general, so Mets fans on a sunny day don't get that many.” I don’t think so,” Corsi said while riding the 7 train.
Corsi, who attended the game live while wearing a Gary Carter jersey, hoped that both the Yankees and Mets would advance to the World Series and experience the true New York festive atmosphere.
“I think the 'Subway' series will be great,” she said. “We'll also kick their butts.
Brooklyn's Marc Cerulli has noticed a proliferation of Mets regalia around Windsor Park, noting that the rise of bandwagon fans has become a hot topic among long-suffering Mets fans.
“I think it's great! I'm glad they're here to support us, and everywhere I go people are yelling, 'Let's go to the Mets!' I feel really good,” Cerulli said.
Hari Patel, 30, entered the store before Wednesday's game wearing a Mets cap but left behind $400 worth of team merchandise, including a postseason T-shirt, a Francisco Lindor jersey and a Mets jacket. and left.
“I go to games. I have to buy a few things. I can't go without gear. It's a big game,” said Patel, who has been to a Mets game at Shea Stadium since he was 10 years old. , said he has been “obsessed” with it for a long time.
“I believe in them, and you have to believe in them now, too,” she said. “We won a lot of close games. It's been nine years since we came back here. We have to believe we can go all the way.”
