Stadium Photo Guide and FAQ Exterior Before and Afters Inside the Ballpark Stadium News Items
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Nationals Park in Photos, 2006 - 2008
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JDLand's Nationals Ballpark FAQ
Updated 3/28/2008
These are general questions about the ballpark and its surroundings, answered to the best of my ability based on news media reports and my own research, keeping in mind that I do not work for the Nationals, or the city, or any other involved organization. (Who the heck am I, then? Read this.)
The Nationals now have posted a Ballpark A to Z Guide with answers to just about every question having to do with the operations of the ballpark that you could possibly think of.
Nationals Park is in the Southeast section of Washington DC, approximately one mile south of the U.S. Capitol; the site is bordered by South Capitol Street, First Street, N Street and Potomac Avenue. (Go to Google Maps for driving directions.) Note that the stadium site is in Southeast DC, but is not in "Anacostia." The Anacostia neighborhood is on the east side of the Anacostia River--the stadium is on the west side of the Anacostia River.
The ballpark's western side faces South Capitol Street, with the
U.S. Capitol one mile to the north. ( see more exterior photos)
Nationals Park, with a capacity of approximately 41,000, has been designed to fit in with the limestone-and-glass look that has been used on many of the iconic buildings of Washington DC. (Though the ballpark's "limestone" is actually pre-cast concrete.) The ballpark's 21-acre footprint was home to warehouses, parking lots, asphalt plants, auto repair garages, five residences, and a strip of gay nightclubs, all of which were seized via eminent domain in 2005. You can browse my many photos of the ballpark's exterior and interior to see how it currently looks, and also see pictures of what the area looked like before construction began:
  Nationals Park is a publicly funded stadium; Washington DC agreed to fully fund a stadium as part of the deal that brought the former Montreal Expos to Washington. The city council capped "hard expenditures" for the ballpark (including construction and land acquisition costs) at $611 million and so far the ballpark continues to be billed as "on budget", though lawsuits from the seizure of land for the ballpark via eminent domain have not all been settled. The city owns the ballpark, and it is operated by the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission. The ballpark has been paid for by the sale of $535 million in municipal bonds, which will be repaid by stadium-generated revenues and by a tax on businesses within the city. No money was taken from the city's general fund to pay for the stadium. Certain upgrades at the park that would break the cost cap are being paid for by the team's owners. For more on the deal between the city and the team, see the Feb. 2006 Project Lease Agreement.
While the stadium is not right on the banks of the Anacostia River, it is only a short distance away. There will eventually be a public plaza across the street from the ballpark's southeastern entrance that ties the stadium to the riverfront. And the property immediately to the ballpark's south, which is now a somewhat unsightly concrete plant, is destined to become RiverFront on the Anacostia, a 5.8-acre mixed-use development with offices, residences, and retail. And the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail will eventually run along the riverfront for miles in each direction.
( Top) A view of Nationals Park from across the Anacostia River, at Poplar Point; ( Middle) Looking to the east along the Anacostia River from the ballpark's southeastern viewing platform. The green area at center will eventually become Diamond Teague Park, a public plaza that will provide access to the riverfront. At lower right is part of the concrete plant that will become RiverFront on the Anacostia.
 
The U.S. Capitol dome as seen from inside the upper concourse along the third base line (left) and from the press box (right).
There are currently views of the Capitol dome from positions around the ballpark, though more along the first base line in the outfield and close to the press box. One completed building north of the ballpark-- 20 M Street, owned by the Lerners--blocks view the view of the Capitol for many seats near first base in the upper decks. The west parking garage and 20 M block the view of the dome for most seats in the lower bowl.
Even seats that have a view of the dome on Opening Day 2008 may lose it as development of the blocks north of the stadium continues. Monument Realty's Half Street project, which will bring the much-desired retail and restaurant offerings to the block just north of the ballpark, will eventually block views of the dome for most of the right-field seats.
Dome views from the third base line and from the northwest viewing platform will probably last a few years longer, as developments that would destroy that sight line are not imminent.
Early views of the dome from the right-field bleachers (seen here in March 2007) will be obscured by Opening Day by the Monument Half Street project (the hole in the ground at center right) and other developments north of the ballpark, as well as the outfield restaurant and eastern parking garage. 20 M Street is the silver building at center.
 The Navy Yard Metro station, on the Green line, is the closest to Nationals Park. The station's west entrance, at Half and M streets, SE, is one block north of the stadium. A second station entrance at New Jersey Avenue and M Street, SE, is approximately two blocks from the ballpark's northeast corner.
The Waterfront/SEU station, also on the Green line, is approximately 7/10th of a mile away from the ballpark, which is a 10- to 12-minute walk.
The Capitol South station, on the Orange and Blue lines, is approximately 8/10th of a mile away from the ballpark, which is about a 12- to 15-minute walk. (See more information on walking to the ballpark from Capitol South.)
The closest Red line station is Union Station, approximately 1.8 miles away. In February 2008, WMATA's board approved a plan to expand the service of its N22 bus that shuttles between the Union Station, Eastern Market, and Navy Yard subway stations, running the bus every 10 minutes on nights and weekends in addition to regular daytime service.
The closest Yellow line station is L'Enfant Plaza, where riders can connect to the Green Line for the trip to the Navy Yard station or to the Orange/Blue lines to go to Capitol South.
The Anacostia station, on the Green line, is approximately 9/10th of a mile away (though walking from there to the ballpark would require a trip by foot across the Douglass Bridge). It is one stop from the Navy Yard station and is the closest station with a parking garage. (See Metro's Daily Parking page for details on all its parking lots.)
In mid-January, Metro launched a Take Metro to Nationals Park page, with additional information on riding the subway to the ballpark, as well as bus lines and parking.
 A $20 million renovation project, completed in late March 2008, expanded the Navy Yard station west entrance's capacity, upgrading it from 5,000 customers an hour to 15,000 passengers an hour, the same number that the Stadium/Armory station next to RFK handles. Upgrades include increasing the number of fare gates and vending machines, adding two elevators, and relocating the station kiosk, fare gates and fare vendors from the mezzanine to the street entrance.
The station's renovation is being handled at the same time that a new office building (55 M Street) is being built on top of the station.
WMATA has also said it will be running additional trains on the Green line for games, as it used to do for games at RFK. Read this Metro press release for more details.
A rendering of what Navy Yard's west entrance will look like when 55 M Street is completed.
The station's west entrance re-opened for customer use on March 28, 2008.
The city has been reportedly working on plans for a new route for its special red Circulator buses, which would run between Union Station (which has a Metro Red Line station), the new visitors' center at the U.S. Capitol, the Capitol South Metro station on the Blue/Orange lines, and the ballpark. No start date has been officially announced, though it's been said that the route could be running by the end of 2008.
In February 2008, WMATA's board began considering a plan to expand the service of its N22 bus that shuttles between the Union Station, Eastern Market, and Navy Yard subway stations, running the bus every 10 minutes on nights and weekends in addition to regular daytime service.
Other Metrobuses that run close to Nationals Park include the 70, P1/P2, and V7/V8/V9.
In mid-January, Metro launched a Take Metro to Nationals Park page, with additional information on riding the subway to the ballpark, as well as bus lines and parking.
Red bike racks have been placed in many locations around the exterior ballpark. There is also a "bike valet" service, where riders can drop off their bikes at the eastern parking garage at First and N streets for storage during the game.
The city is working on plans and permits to build a ferry pier on the Anacostia at Diamond Teague Park on the southeast corner of the ballpark. Various companies have expressed an interest in creating a service that could shuttle between locations like Alexandria, the new National Harbor, National Airport, the ballpark, the Southwest Waterfront, Georgetown. The city has indicated that the water taxi pier at Diamond Teague Park will be built in late 2008. There are also plans for a water taxi pier at The Yards, two blocks to the east of the ballpark, but the waterfront park where the pier would be located is not expected to be completed before 2010.
There are 1,325 spaces being built in three garages on the site of the ballpark, and the team cobbled together an additional 4,000-plus spaces in garages and temporary surface lots near the ballpark. See the Nationals WaytoGo page for more information on parking options. Team officials have said that they expect none of the season-ticket-holder lots to be in Southwest in 2008, and that includes the area known as Buzzards Point.
The neighborhood around the ballpark is very much in transition from an underused light-industrial area to a booming center of development. In time, nearly every block to the north and east of the ballpark will be home to a series of shiny tall buildings, each with hundreds of underground parking spaces. (There are five of these buildings already completed, with eight or more additional developments scheduled to be completed by the end of 2009. See my Development Map and Directory for details.) In the meantime, there are some temporary surface lots under construction that will help bridge the gap until these new buildings are completed. See the Nationals WaytoGo page for more information on parking options.
The Nationals and the city are going to be actively discouraging stadium-goers from trying to park on close-by streets. In January 2008 DC council member Tommy Wells introduced a bill to try a "performance parking" pilot plan around the ballpark area that would raise the cost of on-street parking signficantly during gametimes and would also prevent parking for longer than two hours. The city released a map of the streets affected by these new restrictions in late February, and the bill to set rates and fines in a two-year pilot program passed on March 4. Parking in metered spaces covered by these restrictions will cost $40 for four hours, to encourage drivers to use the lots rather than on-street parking.
A deal has been or is about to be struck between the Nationals and the city to allow free parking in the huge surface lots at RFK stadium, with free shuttle buses running back and forth. See the Nationals WaytoGo page for more information on the Nats Express.
The city and the Nationals have reportedly been trying very hard to get access to the 800 spaces beneath the new US Department of Transportation headquarters one block from the ballpark. However, post-Sept. 11 concerns have made the Feds stand firm in their refusal to allow stadium parking at DOT HQ, even with ideas such as background checks or other stringent requirements. (Read a March 2008 Post column on the issue, and the DOT Office of Inspector General report.)
In March 2008, the Pentagram newspaper that serves the DC-area military community announced that "Washington Nationals fans who wish to attend evening and weekend home games may park their vehicles at the Washington Navy Yard or Fort McNair. A Department of Defense common access card, Retiree or Dependent ID card, and DoD vehicle decal are required for entry onto the installations for game parking." (Read the article for additional details and requirements.)
Traffic is certainly already a problem, particularly at the South Capitol Street ramp from the Southeast Freeway. This is why the team and the city are going to be emphasizing Metro and other alternate forms of transportation, in hopes of preventing total gridlock. But the first few games will no doubt bring a traffic meltdown, as fans arrive who are unfamiliar with the neighborhood and the routes to the parking lots. Streets south of M such as Half Street, N Street, First Street, and Potomac Avenue will be closed to traffic during games.
A March 2008 Nationals press release says:
"Prior to every Nationals game at Nationals Park, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) will allow passengers to be dropped off along 1st Street, SE or along South Capitol Street; both locations are adjacent to Nationals Park, as near as possible to the two HOK designed accessible elevator entrances. After games, passengers may be picked up at the South Capitol Street location only. There are curb-free areas along South Capitol Street between O and P Streets." Season ticket holders with parking passes and state-issued disabled parking placards/license plates will be able to park in Lot E at First and N on a first-come first-served basis, or may purchase single-game access to those spaces for $35 per game. See nationals.com/waytogo for more information.
As of this writing (March 2008), entertainment and nightlife offerings are limited around the ballpark, but plenty of construction is underway that will vastly change the streets near the stadium by 2009 and 2010.
The city envisions a "ballpark district" full of restaurants, shopping, and nightlife, and work is already underway on the first phase of development just north of the stadium. Monument Realty's Half Street development, stretching from atop the west entrance of the Navy Yard Metro station at Half and M down the east side of the street to the ballpark's main entrance south of N street, is now under construction, and is expected to be completed in 2009. Approximately 50,000 square feet of ground-floor retail will be offered as part of the 750,000-square-foot office/hotel/residential project.
One block to the east of the ballpark, in The Yards, a 40,000-square-foot historic building will be renovated into a retail space, and two other historic buildings will be given ground-floor retail as part of their renovations into residential buildings, all of which are expected to be completed by the end of 2009. A five-acre waterfront public park will be built at The Yards as well.
The 5.8-acre site between the ballpark and the Anacostia River is slated to be redeveloped as RiverFront on the Anacostia, eventually offering more than 80,000 square feet of retail once the entire project is completed. The project's first phase, an office building with ground-floor retail just across from the grand staircase of the ballpark, could be completed by 2010.
And many other office and residential buildings are already underway or under development. See the map on my home page for all the details on projects underway and planned for the area near the ballpark. Expect to start hearing announcements of retail tenants in under-construction and completed buildings as Opening Day approaches.
But, if you're desperate to know what's there now, here's where you can get a bite to eat in Near Southeast as of December 2007:
Starbucks, New Jersey Avenue and M Street
Five Guys burgers, Second Street between L and M
Subway, Second Street between L and M
Sizzlin' Express, Fourth and M streets
Restaurant and Bar at the Courtyard by Marriott, New Jersey and L
Market Deli, First and L streets
Wendy's, 23 I Street
McDonald's, South Capitol and I streets
Quizno's, Eighth and M streets
Chicken Tortilla, Eighth and L streets
Al's Deli, Eighth and L streets
Port Cafe, Eighth and L streets
There are also a lot of restaurants outside Near Southeast but within a 20-minute or so walk to the ballpark:
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Capitol South Metro: (400 block of First Street)
Bullfeathers
Tortilla Coast
Subway
Salay Thai
Eighth Street/Barracks Row:
(one block east of Eastern Market Metro)
Starbucks, 400 Eighth St., SE
Baskin Robbins/Dunkin Donuts, 801 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Old Siam, 400 block Eighth St., SE
Popeye's, 400 block Eighth St., SE
Pizzaboli's, 400 block Eighth St., SE
Capitol Hill Tandoor and Grill, 419 Eighth St., SE
Cafe 8, 424-A Eighth St., SE
Subway, 400 block Eighth St., SE
Banana Cafe, 500 Eighth St., SE
Trattoria Alberto, 506 Eighth St., SE
Belga Cafe, 514 Eighth St., SE
Fusion Grill, 515 Eighth St., SE
Las Placitas, 517 Eighth St., SE
Marty's, 527 Eighth St., SE
Jordan's 8, 500 block Eighth St., SE
Matchbox (opening summer 2008), 500 block
Starfish, 539 Eighth St., SE
Tapatini's, 703 Eighth St., SE
FinMacCool's, 713 Eighth St., SE
Ugly Mug, 700 block Eighth St., SE
Today's Pizza, 700 block Eighth St., SE
Capitol Hill Subs, 751 Eighth St., SE
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Pennsylvania Ave., SE:
Burrito Brothers, 205 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Hunan Dynasty, 215 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Sonoma, 223 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Capitol Lounge, 229 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Starbucks, 237 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Cosi, 301 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Taverna the Greek Islands, 305 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
La Lomita Dos, 308 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Thai Roma, 313 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Pennsylvania Ave. Pourhouse, 319 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Tune Inn, 331 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Hawk N Dove, 329 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Eastern Market Metro:
Mr. Henry's, 601 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Sizzlin' Express, 600 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Aatish on the Hill, 609 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Locanda, 633 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
18th Amendment, 613 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Hunan King, 600 block of Pennsylvania
Quizno's, 660 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Bread and Chocolate, 660 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Prego. 210 7th Street, SE.
Tunnicliff's Tavern. 222 7th Street, SE.
Tortilla Cafe. 225 7th Street, SE.
Montmartre. 327 7th St., SE.
Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. 327 7th Street, SE
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Centerplate is in charge of concessions at the new ballpark. In January it was announced that Gifford's Ice Cream, a local DC ice cream shop, will be serving "scooped ice cream and novelties" at the ballpark. In late February, deals with 10 additional local food outlets were announced: Ben's Chili Bowl, Boardwalk Fries, Southwest's own Cantina Marina, Kosher Sports, Krazee Ice, Hard Times Cafe, La Piccola Gelateria, Mayorga Coffee, Noah's Pretzels, and Red Hot & Blue. In early March 2008, the Washington Post printed a map showing where the various vendors will be located in the ballpark.
A total of 28,000 square feet of concession stands will provide refreshments to fans during events. There will be 183 concession "points of sale" and nearly 65,000 square feet of restaurant space. And 41,222 cupholders. In addition to the local vendors listed above, the usual fare will be available: hot dogs, sausages, hamburgers, pizza, nachos, popcorn, pretzels, Cracker Jacks, candy, peanuts, and sunflower seeds. There will also be specialty items available, including vegetarian burgers, hot dogs and chili, caesar salads, crab cake sandwiches, crab pretzels, Buffalo chicken sandwiches, burritos and tacos, corned beef, pastrami, turkey, and roast beef sandwiches, fish and chips, Old Bay fries, and soft serve sundaes.
There will also be additional specialty items from "around the National League." Some will be available at every game, such as Philly cheesesteaks (Phillies), Sheboygan brats (Brewers), BBQ pulled pork sandwiches (Braves), and garlic fries (Giants). Others will be available when certain teams come to town: SW Loaded Nachos for the Diamondbacks, Chicago Style Dog for the Cubs, chili cheese dogs for the Reds, Buffalo burgers for the Rockies, Cuban sandwiches for the Marlins, Texas brisket for the Astros, California sushi rolls for the Dodgers, Knishes for the Mets, pierogies for the Pirates, fried ravioli for the Cardinals, and fish tacos for the Padres.
From the Policies and Information statement that comes with ticket packages: "The following items are prohibited in Nationals Park: metal, plastic or glass containers of any kind except for factory-sealed, plastic water bottles, no larger than one liter, and juice boxes; only one (1) bottle of water will be permitted per person; all food items must be contained in single-serving bags within a soft-sided container or cooler that does not exceed 16"x16"x8"."
A 15,000-square-foot family area called the Strike Zone is available in the ground floor of the eastern parking garage, accessed from inside the Center Field Gate of the ballpark. It will include a Sony Playstation Pavilion, a Build-a-Bear workshop (where childen can build bears (left), Screech toys, and Dugout Dog), a karaoke station, batting and pitching cages, and a jungle gym. There will be a concession stand with kids meals, a build-your-own peanut butter and jelly sandwich bar, and other food for kids (fruit salads, sliced apples, bottled water, juice boxes, and more). It will open three hours before each game and close at each game's conclusion.
The first baseball game at Nationals Park was between George Washington University and Saint Joseph's University on March 22, a game open only to GW students and not the general public.
The first Nationals game at Nationals Park will be at 6:00 pm on Saturday, March 29, 2008. It will be an exhibition game between the Nationals and the Baltimore Orioles. It will not be open to the general public; the team is considering it a test-run for the ballpark, and is planning to offer tickets only to season ticket holders, workers who have helped build the ballpark, and other invited guests. (Read the press release for additional information.)
The first "real" game will be the team's season opener against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, March 30, 2008, at 8:05 pm, with the gates opening at 3:30 pm. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. (Read the press release for additional information.)
For the rest of the season's home schedule, see my Upcoming Events calendar. For specifics about the ballpark, tickets, seat locations, etc., go to the the official MLB.com Nationals Park page. Tickets for individual games went on sale on March 4 at 9 am, with Opening Day tickets selling out in minutes. Yup. Plans are for Pope Benedict XVI to say mass at Nationals Park at 10 am on April 17, 2008. Ticket distribution is being handled by the local dioceses. A Washington Post story on Jan. 8 gave some details: "Plans for distributing tickers have not been completed. But, in the past, tickets to major Catholic events have been distributed through parishes and Catholic organizations. [...] The archdiocese has been asked whether non-Catholics can attend (yes) and whether the Mass is part of the Nationals baseball ticket package (no). The archdiocese is trying to keep the free tickets from popping up on e-Bay and falling into the hands of scalpers."
The city is allowed to have up to eight non-Nationals events a year at the ballpark. In addition to the Pope, the citywide high school baseball title games will be played at Nationals Park on May 31. The Nationals and the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission held two job fairs on Feb. 9 and Feb. 21 to fill the estimated 400 part-time jobs the ballpark will have.
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The stadium, by the numbers:
Regular Seating: Nationals Park has 41,888 seats. That number includes 22,000 in the lower bowl, 2,500 club seats and 12,100 upper level seats.
Premium Seating: Two club lounges offers 1,800 seats to fans in two indoor locations. The 500-seat Founders Club and the 1300-seat Diamond Club provide both bar and dining services.
Suites: A total of 78 suites offer 1,112 additional seats. The suites will include eight 16-seat Founders Suites on the main level, two 24-seat Owners Suites, 58 12-seat standard suites on two mid levels and ten 24-seat Party Suites on the mid level.
Other Accommodations: The "Red Porch Restaurant," a separate restaurant and bar overlooking the outfield, will include 10,000 square feet of space. A 6,000-square-foot conference center and a 10,000 square foot picnic area will be available for group sales patrons. There will be a 10,000-square-foot youth training area and a 2,000-square-foot arcade.
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Concessions and Retail: A total of 28,000 square feet of concession stands will provide refreshments to fans during events. Retail and novelty outlets will offer merchandise from 7,700 square feet of space. There will be 183 concession "points of sale" and nearly 65,000-square-feet of restaurant space. And 41,222 cupholders.
Family Entertainment: A 15,000-square-foot family area called the Strike Zone will be available in the ground floor of the eastern parking garage. It will include a Sony Playstation Pavilion, a Build-a-Bear workshop, a karaoke station, batting and pitching cages, and more.
Comfort and Convenience Facilities: There will be a total of 1,100 restroom fixtures. ATM's and first aid stations. There will be between 33" and 42" of legroom between rows, compared to 26" inches at RFK. There are eight escalators and seven elevators (compared to 7 and 1 at RFK), and the main level concourse is 40 feet wide, compared to 19 feet at RFK.
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Left field line: 336 feet (RFK: 335)
Left field power alley: 377 feet (RFK: 380)
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Center: 402 feet (RFK: 410)
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Right field power alley: 370 feet (RFK: 380)
Right field line: 335 feet (RFK: 335)
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Southwestern facade of Nationals Park, at the intersection of Potomac Avenue and South Capitol Street.
