Yankees Editorial: My Week Finding Lou Gehrig

I grew up in Riverdale, New York, a suburb of the Bronx. It is a small area covering just over 2.7 square miles. Riverdale is where Lou Gehrig lived as well. I always knew this and somehow never went to find his house. It probably didn’t help that I started driving 6 months before I left for college. Nonetheless, I was finally going to see Gehrig’s house.

The internet is a hell of a tool. Within fifteen seconds I had his address and I was on my way: 5204 Delafield Avenue. I was visiting my old high school and when I typed in the address I was only 0.4 miles away. As I pulled up to the home on my left, I wasn’t sure it was the right address. This house looked to be the right age, but it had bright purple shutters on all the windows. Surely the new owners wouldn’t desecrate the Iron Horse’s home like this. Alas, when I got out of my car and walked up to the property there was a large sign stating this was 5204 Delafield Avenue. The new owners may have tarnished the outside of the home a little bit, but this was it. I was at Gehrig’s home.

I had to be careful. This is not a home turned into a museum. This is someone’s actual place of residence. I’m sure I looked a little weird, but I took a ton of pictures as I walked around the house. I wasn’t sure exactly where the property line started, but the look on my girlfriend’s face let me know that I was probably past it.

I was respectful, but I couldn’t believe that there was nothing commemorating Gehrig at the residence. With my girlfriend telling me to get back in the car and other people walking up and down the block, I was about ready to leave. Suddenly out of the corner of my eye I saw a small plaque on the corner of the house. I walked up to it and sure enough, it was in honor of Gehrig.

I snapped my pictures and got out of there. As I drove home I thought about Gehrig driving to and from Yankee stadium to this house just a little bit off the beaten path. It was an awesome moment and I’m glad that I finally went to see his house.