After 15 years in the desert, the Yankees hope 2024 is the year they return to the promised land of the World Series.

That's also the earnest hope of Yousef Abbadi, 25, the third-generation manager of the Ballpark Sports Shop on River Avenue, a Soto's throw from the stadium. He'll sell you a Yankees pint glass ($20), a silky pink Yankees jacket ($130), or a toddler-sized “Snack, Nap Baseball” T-shirt ($15). The top sellers are the Aaron Judge jerseys ($145-$160) — “Everyone loves them,” Abbadi said — closely followed by the Sotos.

Last year was not a good year for the Yankees, nor, because of the transitive nature of sports marketing, for the businesses along River Avenue and East 161st Street, said Abbadi, of Morris Park in the Bronx. “Oh my God,” he said, shuddering at the memory. “The whole of September was no business – they were out before the season was over. It was like a ghost town here. You hardly saw anyone. Many shops are closed.”

But on Monday, hours before the Yankees opened their American League Championship Series at home against the Cleveland Guardians, there was a different feeling. The fans were already browsing through the shops and bars. They came from as far away as England, Switzerland and Australia, Abbadi said.

“When they win, everyone is in a good mood,” he said. “When the Yankees are here, it’s crazy.”

On 161st Street across from the stadium, three employees of JRC Garifuna Co., a Bronx-based fashion label, had set up a booth. The Garifuna are descendants of an Afro-indigenous population from the Caribbean island of St. Vincent. Some settled in Central America; Many now live in the Bronx, home to the largest Garifuna population in the United States, according to the Bronx Borough President's Office. Much of JRC's product line is Garifuna-oriented, so the baseball shirts ($20), sweaters ($35) and hats ($25) represented a departure for the company.

“We thought, 'Why not?'” said Ivan Moreira, 49, of the South Bronx. His personal favorite was a T-shirt with the silhouette of Yankee Stadium surrounded by a floral crest. Listed below are seven subway lines that serve the district and the 718 area code. Above, in stylized print: The Boogie Down Bronx.

In his native Honduras, Moreira said, “everyone knows the Yankees. Everyone calls themselves a Yankee fan.” He also calls himself a Yankees fan. “We feel pretty good,” Moreira said. “I think it’s going to be the year.”

For some fans on game day, the Hard Rock Café at Gate 6 is the meeting point. Yes, there are cheeseburger sliders (three mini burgers with cheddar cheese, pork belly, pickles and Dijonnaise, $22.99 and only 1,515 calories), but it's also “the best place to get into the stadium,” um Watching batting practice, said Andrew Hudes, 55, of Kensington, Brooklyn, a preschool teacher.

Hudes estimated he played in 70 games this year. He buys season tickets in the right-field stands (about $4,000) from Griffin Brown, 30, a database employee from the Upper West Side.

They were waiting with their friend James McGrady, 35, a janitor and professional wrestling referee from Valley Stream.

Two tips from the expert: 1: Batting practice is important. “You get a good feeling for the team,” McGrady said. “The way they see the ball, the camaraderie of the team.” 2: Season tickets can be worth it, even for the price of a used car. For home games during the regular season, “I could pay $6 on StubHub, minus Red Sox, minus Mets,” Brown said. “They get you in the playoffs. Your team makes the postseason, you spend $250 a game on tickets.”

Back on River Avenue, not far from Abbadi's store, Brian and Bryce Zicaro, father and son from Syracuse, said they drove four hours and about 250 miles for the game. They had paid about $175 each for their 300-level tickets. “You better win,” Brian Zicaro said.

The Yankees fan base was non-negotiable in the Zacaro household. Bryce Zicaro, 19, remembers going to his first games with his father when he was 6 years old, and is now a pitcher and first baseman at Herkimer College in upstate New York. He wore his playing glove, hoping to snag a ball at batting practice.

The Zacaros had a few hours to kill before BP. They weren't sure how to spend the time, but that didn't matter, Brian said.

“Whatever we do, it’s about the memories we create,” he said. “This experience is priceless. One day he will do it with his son or daughter and we will carry on the legacy.”