Nationals Park Review

As promised today I write armed with pictures of the new Nationals Park. Since the actual game was nothing to write home about (Bergman gave up more runs than I can count in the 5th) here is my run down of what's good and what needs some improvement with the new diggs.

Ease of accessibility - 7 out of 10

It's a pretty easy ride on the metro. I left my office in the downtown DC area around 6:15 and even with three major sporting events going on in the district at the same time I was able to arrive before the first pitch. The closest metro is Navy Yard on the Green Line which assuming you get out on the right side of the station is only a block away from the stadium. The station itself seemed to work just fine on the way in, but it was bursting at the seams after the game. Metro is going to need to improve that station if it ever expects to deal with a sell out crowd and also update its system maps so that first timers can easily figure out how to get to the stadium. I found taxi cabs cabs were difficult to come by after the game, so if you are making your way to a game anytime soon unfortunately expect to be a sardine in a can on your way home.

The Neighborhood - 5 out of 10 (but definitely shows potential)

This being my first time in the Navy Yard area I expected it to still be pretty bad and under developed. While this is still the case if you walk a few blocks in the wrong direction from the park, I was amazed at the development that has gone on down there. Some left over brick factories even give it a baseball neighborhood feel similar to the factory that overlooks Camden Yards. As far as security I felt perfectly safe walking to and from the Stadium, a feeling I never really had going to RFK. The neighborhood still lacks any sports bars, restaurants, and souvenir shops but I expect those will be forth coming. One notable absence was the lack of any ticket scalpers. I don't think I have ever been to any professional sporting event where I didn't see hordes of guys spewing the classic "I've got great seats."

First Impressions of the Park - 10 out of 10

It is a pretty spectacular site seeing the park close up for the first time. It is certainly a modern park but it doesn't have the institutional feel of Skydome (now Rogers whatever) in Toronto, nor the cookie cutter feel of the post Camden parks I've been to. In fact it's an excellent blend of modern and old school. Fans are treated to an open air concourse with plenty of concessions and views of the field as they make their way to their seats.

Concessions and Facilities - 8 out of 10

I probably shouldn't group these two categories together, but with concessions comes beer and with beer comes the inevitable trip to the facilities. I actually struggle to not give the park higher ratings here because they have truly done an incredible job with the placement of concession stands and with options of food and drink. Thanks to the generosity of one of my bosses I had the fortune to sit in a luxury seat behind home plate for this game. It is literally night and day compared with the ragtag gutters that used to service hungry fans at RFK. The club section featured carpets, LCD TV's galore to view the game when not in your seat, and a very nice bar that you might expect to find in a nice hotel.

The concessioniers themselves were obnoxiously slow with their service despite relatively short lines, no change from RFK, but hopefully that will change once some of the kinks are worked out. In terms of cost, expect to pay the usual ballpark prices. I paid $11.50 for a Miller Light and a bag of peanuts, not inconsistent with other parks that I have been to although certainly not as expensive as Fenway or Yankee Stadium. My only complaint with the food was when I found this in my bag of peanuts (although this is in no way the fault of the Nationals Organization, I blame Peanut Company)

Which brings us to the facilities. I am doubly cursed as I love beer, yet I also have a very small bladder (TMI?) which means I map out the quickest route to the John every place I go. While the restrooms were certainly numerous, clean, and modern (no pee troths guys) I found them to also be on the small side and to only have one door for entering and exiting. That created a bit of a log jam (ha ha, couldn't resist) at the doors between innings but they are numerous enough that if it isn't a do or die emergency the next bathroom is only a short walk away.

The Field, Game Watching Experience, Etc - 10 out of 10

Watching a game at the new Nationals park is really quite an experience. The sight lines were perfect from my seat and from what I can tell are great even from the cheap seats.

What really stands out though is the score board. It is nothing short of amazing, a true accomplishment of high definition glory. My only complaint was that whoever was operating it seemed to be having some trouble in the early innings with the pitch speed indicator. It wasn't until the 4th that we were able to check out the speed of the pitches, but that is really a small complaint over all.

I have heard some grumblings about ticket prices. I didn't pay for my ticket, but the listed price was $55.00. That much money earned me seats a few rows behind the Nats dugout at RFK, so ticket prices have certainly inflated. Expect to pay on average about $35 bucks for a decent seat at the new park. Those $10 beauties go fast, so if you are looking for cheap buy online first. Just don't expect to move up, security has been pretty strict about keeping you right were you belong in your designated ticket class. For the cream of the crop seats expect to blow about $125, that is if you can even come across one of those gems.

In terms of the crowd the seats were certainly not filled last night. I can't seem to find out what the actual number was but I would guess it to have been somewhere in the neighborhood of 23,000. Still, even with roughly half the seats filled the park didn't feel as cavernous and empty as RFK did when attendance was thin.

Overall expect even the fair weather baseball fan to be impressed with the New Nationals Park. They have done an incredible job, it is nothing short of a shining example of what the next generation of ball parks should look like. Now the Nat's just need to start winning!