Hey all -- made my first trip to Nationals Ballpark yesterday and I thought I'd share a few things. First off, it is lightyears better than RFK. Everything about the park, from the vantage points to the amenities, beats sitting in that cold, concrete, Soviet cosmodrome.

Anyway, we got cheap seats, which are still a good deal for $10 and since they still can't get anyone to go to the games, you pretty much have free roam over the whole field. The actual makeup of the ballpark is interesting... my favorite aspect of it is the large amount on "common area" inside the park, reminiscent of Eutaw street at Camden. there's just lots of space and, ostensibly, there will be lots of stuff to do there in the future.

The food is good, if a bit pricey. A chicken finger basket (with three chicken fingers), a side order of fries and a souvenir-sized pop cost me an even Jackson. But the selection is pretty impressive, as is the quality of the food. Ben's Chili Bowl's famous chili half-smokes can be had at nearly every hot dog stand. There are of course ballpark standards like dogs, pizza, sausage (at a stand called Senators Sausages... tee hee!), pretzels, etc. There's even a stand that sells exclusively gluten-free products, which excited my girlfriend to no end because she was able to eat the first soft pretzel she's had since discovering her wheat allergy. there is an assortment of beer and liquor/mixed drinks to be had, but alcohol will bankrupt you ($7.50 for a standard beer!).

Overall, it was a fun experience. Would have been better if it was so terribly cold last night. The ballpark is very conveniently located off the Navy Yard Metro stop (for those of you familiar with DC) and much more welcoming in that sense than RFK. The city is planning on really developing the area on the bank of the Anacostia, and Nationals Park should be a good keystone. There are some cool architectural features, though the place is a bit generic. Great big scoreboard... nice stat displays on the marquees. The only thing I question in the luxury restaurant section in center field, dubbed "The Red Porch" and decorated with padded red chairs in contrast to the other 30-some thousand blue chairs. It's a striking contrast, plus "Red Porch?" This is the nation's capital, people, not Communist Russia!

I'll try to add some pictures later if I get a chance.