#23: Nationals Park

Nationals Park

1500 South Capitol Street SE

Washington, DC 20003

Capacity:  41,418

Indoors/outdoors:  Outdoors

Selected Game Attended:  Orioles at Nationals; July 7, 2014

A confession.  I kinda liked going to games at RFK Stadium.  Don’t misunderstand me.  I love modern ballparks and their amenities and I love the historic parks that are over 100 years old and are nestled in the middle of an urban neighborhood.  RFK Stadium, the former home of the Washington Nationals (and Senators and Senators) was neither and, in another era, I probably would have avoided it at all costs.  Still, in an age when the “Cookie Cutters” are no longer existent, RFK was a nice reminder of what those sort of places were like.  I’m a sucker for history (even “black eye” history) and RFK was the sole remaining relic from that era of Major League Baseball parks (the stadium still hosts DC United).  Alas, the Nats have moved on and, in conjunction with their agreement to move to Washington from Montreal (and break the heart of one notable baseball writer) a brand spanking, completely mediocre stadium was erected in South East DC.  It’s stadium #23 on the list, Nationals Park.

As a resident of the greater Washington/Baltimore area for 28 or so years, let me offer a piece of advice.  If the game you’re planning to attend at Nats Park starts between the hours of 8 am and 11 pm you’re going to sit in traffic.  No matter what route you take or what time you leave, if you’re of the mind to take your car, be prepared to hit some sort of traffic jam – this is the life that us beltway dwellers experience every day.  To that end, I recommend taking the Metro.  If you’re in or around the DC area this is a no-brainer but if you do have to drive a car, the Branch Avenue station offers parking and is a short train ride to the stadium.  Because the Nats are good, the stadium itself tends to be pretty packed most nights and waiting for a train after the game can be a claustrophobics nightmare (although the new station is an upgrade from RFK).  Fortunately, Branch Avenue generally goes against the flow of most of the traffic (especially everyone that is heading to the Red Line) so that would be my recommendation.  Also, despite the scenic views the park COULD offer being blocked out by parking garages (seriously, blech) parking down there is expensive, hard to find or both.  Leave your car at home or in a Metro lot – trust me.  And if you didn't catch what I was throwing out here, transportation to this place is a headache.  C'est la vie.

Aside from the temper-inducing traffic offered by the Beltway, there are two more notable bad issues with Nationals Park.  The first being the aforementioned view.  You may not know this, but there are some pretty cool sights to see in Washington and, because of a law that prohibits any building from being taller than the Washington Monument, these sights are pretty easy to see from various places in the city.  You would think, sitting high above home plate (my favorite place to perch in any ballpark) you’d be able to catch a glimpse of the Capitol Building.  And while that portion of the park DOES face towards The Hill, it is very hard to see due to various parking garages and office buildings built in the area.  This is what we call the “cost of doing business” as these buildings are all serving to rebuild what was once a pretty bad area in the District.  The other issue I have, which sort of goes along with the whole “rebuilding” thing is the lack of atmosphere around the park.  While there are various projects in place to spruce the area up there still isn’t a TON to do in terms of pre-gaming.  There is a Gordon Biersch (sp?) brewery nearby that is positively packed on game days and, if the weather cooperates, a few outdoorsy areas to grab a brew. 

There are some positives about the home of the former Montreal Expos.  The stadium itself, inside, is pretty nice.  The press box sits above even the upper deck, which is a pretty unique feature compared to most other parks (although the Nats are not alone in this type of set up).  This allows for a  much more intimate feel, as if you’re attending a minor league game.  I also particularly enjoy the gray brick that surrounds the backstop and baseline walls.  Aside from that, Nats park is packed with all the amenities and features you’d expect from a park built within the last 10 years.  Spacious bathrooms with short lines, plenty of concessions (Ben’s Chili Bowl, I believe, is somewhat overrated but if you’re going for just one time, you should try it) and an open air concourse that allows patrons to see the game even when they are not in the seating bowl.  Combine that with a pretty cool “Red Porch” bar in Centerfield (a solid place to hang out before the game, although you need a ticket to get in) and the actual game experience itself is pretty fun.  

Finally, the zombie statues.  I don’t know whose idea these things were but they are healthy mix of terrifying, hilarious and repulsive.  I think the idea was to honor past Washington baseball legends by showing them in “live action” but instead, oh God, Walter Johnson is undead!  These things are hideous but do yourself a favor and get a picture with one of them before they eat your brain.

So there’s Nationals Park.  If you’re in town on a summer weekend and you’ve had enough of dealing with tourists along the Mall and you aren’t interested in hanging out with spoiled brats in Georgetown, head down to South East and catch a game.