Nationals Park!

My first game at the new stadium was on April 10th against the Marlins, a disappointing loss to a team that is playing better than I would have expected. I am sure you have heard all there is and all you want to hear about the new park. I followed a lot of the news during opening weekend and on a personal level felt a lot of the coverage was predictable - long lines, and confusion.

I passed on attending opening weekend because I expected there would be problems. Now before you start questioning my fan-hood for passing up on that opportunity, let me ask you one question. In your profession, when you debut something new and big, how often does it go totally smoothly? I have launched enough web sites in my day to know that you can never cover all the bases. I did not expect the opening weekend to be any different. Besides, the focus on opening weekend was primarily the park, I preferred to go later when it would be more about the team.


So, how was it you ask? It was awesome! I share season tickets with a group of fans, and our seats at the new stadium are fantastic! We sit further from the field than at RFK, but have a full view of the field and do not lose sight of the ball as it arches over the tier above, like at our seats at RFK.

The jumbo screen is huge, and while not the largest it ranks very high against other parks. The seats are much more comfortable thanks to new butt padding on the seats. The cup holders are also a nice addition - one less thing to deal with when people climb over you to get in or out of the aisle.

The food and drink options are also great. For the first game I sampled the five guys along the first base line. We arrived at the stadium at about 6:40 and the line for five guys was about 15 people deep and moved quickly. My wife and I were bathing in grease after about 5 minutes of waiting for our food. The only downside is they were pre-filling beers and letting them sit on the counter as you collected your food. They did top off my beer, but later in the season during those hot summer games pre-filled warm beer will not work. The downside is everything is a bit more expensive than it was at RFK - beers are around $7-$8. I have not sampled enough food, but I have to assume its more expensive. I already considered one price saver - if you want to eat at five guys, bring an extra bun. The burgers are all doubles, no junior option like the other five guys, so with an extra bun you get two smaller burgers! Laugh all you want - I mentioned this idea to my wife and she is seriously considering it.

As far as transportation goes I have always been big on the metro since I live in the district. Why drive to work, pay $20 to park, and then more to park at the game? I also live on the green line, so getting home is could not be any easier. I do work on the redline, but the ride from dupont to gallery place still does not justify driving. I tend to leave for games by 6:00, thanks in large part to my boss who is a big baseball fan and has no issue if I say, "Can this wait until tomorrow, I got a game tonight?" The answer is always yes. As many metro-ers know leaving for the game (or any event for that matter) and timing arrival to the start time is going to mean more crowded trains. I honestly did not notice any big changes commuting to Nationals Park vs RFK, except that getting out and into the station was easier thanks to the designated smart trip lanes. The lanes are on the right as you come out of the platform, and move much faster for obvious reasons. So if you need another excuse to get a smart trip - there you go!

So get out to the new stadium and check it out!