Jaunted

On one side of the park, you'll see the Capitol building by looking inland on South Capitol St. That's the view Mayor Adrian Fenty wants you to fall in love with. On the other side of the park, you'll see an active concrete processing plant--with no intentions of giving up its prime waterfront location. It's the perfect dichotomy for this new stadium: A slick new HOK-designed park plopped into the grittiest neighborhood in the District.

This season, the main reason to go to the stadium will be baseball--or whatever excuse for baseball the Nationals will put on the field. (Some say the team could lose 100 games this year.) Beyond the game, the stadium will soon be part of a grand entertainment complex where you'll be able to move from happy hour outside the gates to waitress-service box seats with a perfect view of the Capitol dome, all while maintaining your buzz.

Of course the complex isn't exactly finished. Half Street, as its known, won't open until at least next year. So you'll have to subsist on hot dogs, ice cream and typical ballpark food for now.

It's not any better outside of the park, where the main options are McDonald's, about a mile away, a takeout Chinese food place and a 7-11. Also, don't miss the chance to grab a few mini-bottles of whiskey at Cap Liquors, about a bloop single away from the Left Field stadium gate. Once you're inside the stadium, you'll have a chance to experience famous DC fare like half-smoke hot dogs from the venerable Ben's Chili Bowl and ice cream from Gifford's.

So if it's an all-consuming entertainment experience you want--a baseball Disneyland of sorts--wait till next year. If you're okay with no-frills baseball in a great stadium--think Fenway Park in 1993, where the Cask 'N Flagon was your happy hour haunt--head to a Nationals game this season and you'll love it. Even if you do lose your hubcaps in the process.

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