I am an avid baseball fan and eventually want to tour America to visit all the MLB parks (guess I’ll have to get my visa to go to Canada too). RazorGator is helping me reach that goal as they sent me to the beautiful new Nationals Park in Washington DC over the Memorial Day weekend to watch the Nationals take on the Baltimore Orioles in the Battle of the Beltways.
Nationals Park in Washington, DC Information
Nationals Park
1500 South Capitol St., SE
Washington, DC 20003
Walking directly into the leftfield concourse from street level is neat. Once inside you’re greeted by a house band playing rock hits from the 70’s to present day. On the parking garage next to the stadium, where customer service is located, you will find the Nationals starters at each position for the game as shown by large baseball cards.
The stadium itself is awesome. I was seated in the “club section” which is referred to as “Nats Town”. Nationals Park is the place to be, with comfy cushioned seats for viewing the game and an air conditioned bar, leather chair lounge, and eating area.
I was in Section 219 above the 1st base dugout, which was only a handful of rows deep sitting off the balcony of the private club boxes. All the seats in the stadium are angled towards the playing field for ultimate viewing pleasure and ease. There’s also a larger than life Jumbo-Tron situated right above the right field seats.
Kids have plenty to do at the park too. They have a Playstation Pavilion setup up for free gaming (MLB 09 The Show, Sing Star, and other Playstation 3 hits) and you can also go pose with the Presidents and the Geico gecko there too. There is also a section of pay-per-play games like batting and throwing, but the little tots can trounce around for free in the humungous play yard with sliding board, monkey bars, and tunnels.
Nationals Park Food & Drinks
Concessions were a bit pricey, but when given free tickets I’m much more likely to purchase such things. I had my first Stella Artois in Nats Town while watching the end of the FOX Saturday afternoon game on one of their large flat screen HD televisions in the cool bar. There’s also many brew stops (Baseline Brews) throughout the ballpark that have beers ranging in price from $7.50-8.50. Crab cakes are the specialty food item here, but I had to go for the loaded sausage-chili nachos…damn they were good!
Five Guys is in the right field boardwalk section, so if you’re a hamburger/fry guy then that’s right up your alley. Delicious gelato for dessert is located at La Piccola Gelateria around the concourse. The Red Loft Restaurant & Bar is located in centerfield and remained busy from 2 hours prior to the 7:05 start time until well after the last pitch was thrown.
Other fine foods include the typical ballpark faire of hot dogs, popcorn, ice cream, pizza, and pretzels. I did take notice to some food stands with veggie burgers, salads, and fruit for those that want to eat light. Or if you’re looking to eat heavy, enjoy a made-to-order burrito. There’s a picnic section in the outfield boardwalk for families to sit and dine without being jam packed into their seats or eat standing up.
Nationals Park Transportation & Parking
Parking right aside the stadium is a ridiculous $40. Therefore I suggest walking 3 blocks and parking for only $10, as I did. You can also take the Metro into the city for $3 one way and not have to worry about finding parking or getting lost in the city. If driving, taking I-295 is the way to get to the park, and signs are all around to help direct you to the stadium.
Things to Do While In Washington, D.C
There are plenty of other things to do while in Washington DC besides baseball like getting in touch with history.
Memorials: Lincoln, Jefferson, Korean War Veterans, and World War II. Museums: US Memorial Holocaust, Women in the Arts, Black Fashion, International Spy, and the Art Museum of the Americas.
Restaurants & Bars: ESPN Zone, Chop House, Hotel George, Hawk N Dove, Cintronelle, The Source by Wolfgang Puck, Capitol City Brewing Company, and Old Dominion Brew Pub.
Battle of the Beltways: Play Ball
Battle of the Beltways is the annual Interleague series between the NL’s Nationals and AL’s Orioles. The two teams are only separated by 40 miles of interstate and are beginning to develop quite the rivalry; the stadium was packed with equal parts National’s fans and Oriole’s fans.
Being a Phillies fan, I was simply rooting for a good game and a great game is what I got. In the first inning I was treated to a Web Gem courtesy of Nationals centerfielder Justin Maxwell robbing a homerun from the O’s Adam Jones.
The rest of the game featured fine plays from Baltimore’s shortstop Cesar Izturis and a solo shot from Washington’s shortstop Christian Guzman. The Presidents Race in the 4th inning was fun, with Teddy almost winning for the first time until the Baltimore Oriole jumped out of the stands and tackled him.
Seeing some of Major League Baseball’s budding stars like Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, and Ryan Zimmerman was special. 2-1 was the final score closer George Sherrill striking out the side in the bottom of the 9th to seal the deal.
Overall, this has to be one of the most family-friendly parks to visit in the majors; almost has a playful minor league theme feel to it. Thanks to RazorGator for my free Washington Nationals tickets. The tickets came with a Nationals hat giveaway and a program to all fans!
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