Nationals Park Questions? (2011-2014)

[GburgNatsFan]

The cement plant lot off South Cap. Use Google Maps to see South Capitol St SE & R St SW Washington, DC 20003 ‎

If I were to go, where do you recommend to park? 20 dollar range ideally

[PowerBoater69]

If I were to go, where do you recommend to park? 20 dollar range ideally

I've been parking in the hotel garage on South Capitol Street, four blocks from the ballpark, for $15.

[GburgNatsFan]

I've heard they have a drink deal, too.

I've been parking in the hotel garage on South Capitol Street, four blocks from the ballpark, for $15.

[PowerBoater69]

I've heard they have a drink deal, too.

$5 beers and free wings.  We took advantage of both while waiting through the rain delay before the Os game last week.

[imref]

I've been parking in the hotel garage on South Capitol Street, four blocks from the ballpark, for $15.

Near the McDonald's?

[PowerBoater69]

Near the McDonald's?

Right across the street.

[tomterp]

How far are you willing to walk? No where close to the park offers that.

You have much to learn young padawan.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I've been parking in the hotel garage on South Capitol Street, four blocks from the ballpark, for $15.

Isn't that where Julian Tavarez lived?  Have you checked out the bar late at night?

[PowerBoater69]

Isn't that where Julian Tavarez lived?  Have you checked out the bar late at night?

Not sure about Tavarez. 

The bar was closed after the Os game and full of Phillies fans after their game.  The pool area isn't that big, but has a grill/bar, two tiki bars, and leads into the indoor bar, so I'm guessing that the place has seen more than it's fair share of wild times over the past 50-60 years.

[madj55]

You have much to learn young padawan.

Guess so haha I usually just park in The Yards lot since it's the cheapest for how close it is to the park. Wish the price was still $20 like it was in 2009-2011. The price has gone up $5 the last two years.

[GburgNatsFan]

How bad are the wings?

$5 beers and free wings.  We took advantage of both while waiting through the rain delay before the Os game last week.

[PowerBoater69]

How bad are the wings?

Edible, I'm not a fan of wings in general, but I ate a couple small plates worth over the hour and a half rain delay.

[Slateman]

Friend and I had tickets to the Twins game that was rained out. Was told that we could redeem them tonight of tomorrow. Do we just take the Twins game tickets to the box office or are they exchanged online?

[RobDibblesGhost]

Friend and I had tickets to the Twins game that was rained out. Was told that we could redeem them tonight of tomorrow. Do we just take the Twins game tickets to the box office or are they exchanged online?

I'm pretty sure you can just take them to the box office.  I think they do all those exchanges in person.

[PowerBoater69]

Some guy wrote a letter to the Post whining about getting busted for scalping tickets outside of Nats Park.  He was from out of town and full of self pity, with comments about how the police must have nothing better to do.  While I have no sympathy for some idiot on vacation committing what he should have assumed was an illegal activity, particularly when the cops have loudspeakers announcing that it is a no scalping zone, it does raise an interesting topic of the enforcement of scalping laws around the ballpark.

Of course the professional scalpers know all the tricks, always asking to buy when they are both buying and selling.  Which leads to assumption #1, that the seller is breaking the law while the buyer is not.  The pros also operate in the main strip between the Metro stop and the ballpark where there is the most enforcement, assumption #2 is that they are making payoffs in order to work the area (either that or they are just willing to take the risk and look at an occasional ride down to the station as a cost of doing business).  Assumption #3 is that I believe that I've heard that scalping is only illegal within a block of the ballpark, which covers the ballpark grounds, the area directly across the street, and up Half Street; when I've had extras to sell I always make sure to do the transactions on private property over in the Yards Lot.

Sure would be nice if the team would set up a no scalping zone, but no chance old man Lerner will ever knowingly allow a cash transaction to occur at the ballpark without taking a significant piece of the action.  Since it is legal to sell tickets from a couple blocks away I'd like to see one of the new bars promote a ticket exchange area as a means to draw in customers.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/welcome-baseball-fan-go-directly-to-jail/2013/06/21/a34b67ee-d911-11e2-a9f2-42ee3912ae0e_story.html

[rwalker]

How can the Triple Play Grill run out of bratwurst before the 5th inning?  Concessions continue to be horrible.

[1995hoo]

DC ticket scalping law is even stricter than you speculate. Basically, it says no resale of tickets is legal on any public property at any price. Period.

[PowerBoater69]

DC ticket scalping law is even stricter than you speculate. Basically, it says no resale of tickets is legal on any public property at any price. Period.

So as long I'm standing in a private lot I'm fine?

[Copecwby20]

They should make that displayed prominently though, and if it is... I've just never seen it. At Turner they have signs up basically saying "Scalping within 1,000 feet of the stadium is illegal" and "Scalping beyond this point is illegal" Sure, people don't follow it, but at least they can't claim ignorance. Enforcement is lax from what I've seen as well.

[WCD9973]

Some guy wrote a letter to the Post whining about getting busted for scalping tickets outside of Nats Park.  He was from out of town and full of self pity, with comments about how the police must have nothing better to do.  While I have no sympathy for some idiot on vacation committing what he should have assumed was an illegal activity, particularly when the cops have loudspeakers announcing that it is a no scalping zone, it does raise an interesting topic of the enforcement of scalping laws around the ballpark.

Of course the professional scalpers know all the tricks, always asking to buy when they are both buying and selling.  Which leads to assumption #1, that the seller is breaking the law while the buyer is not.  The pros also operate in the main strip between the Metro stop and the ballpark where there is the most enforcement, assumption #2 is that they are making payoffs in order to work the area (either that or they are just willing to take the risk and look at an occasional ride down to the station as a cost of doing business).  Assumption #3 is that I believe that I've heard that scalping is only illegal within a block of the ballpark, which covers the ballpark grounds, the area directly across the street, and up Half Street; when I've had extras to sell I always make sure to do the transactions on private property over in the Yards Lot.

Sure would be nice if the team would set up a no scalping zone, but no chance old man Lerner will ever knowingly allow a cash transaction to occur at the ballpark without taking a significant piece of the action.  Since it is legal to sell tickets from a couple blocks away I'd like to see one of the new bars promote a ticket exchange area as a means to draw in customers.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/welcome-baseball-fan-go-directly-to-jail/2013/06/21/a34b67ee-d911-11e2-a9f2-42ee3912ae0e_story.html

It has nothing to do with the ballpark. DC (STUPID) law is that reselling of tickets on a PUBLIC street is illegal and they take you to jail. 
This happened to me -Sold 2 tickets for $20 TOTAL last year to game 4 of the playoffs. I was with my 12 year old, 9 year old, and my GF and her 12 year old. Had 2 extra tickets -Got rid of them and didnt think twice.

Cop arrested me and put me in the car. LUCKILY - After being told he was taking me to jail (and me saying over and over again "Are you KIDDING?" a supervisor came and agreed to give me a $100 "must appear" citation.  (When I went to the station the following week -the cop at the station goes "This is such a BS crime. And it goes on your arrest record.  I'm voiding it off"). 

But this is where i learned that if I had walked into the fairgrounds, or a office building, or even 5 guys then its not a crime. but because I was on the sidewalk on a public street..that WAS a crime....

Stupid stupid stupid.....

[Baseball is Life]

That's why if  I have extra tickets its off to Craigslist or I exchange them. If I wanted to sell them I would go to the scalpers on Half Street and do it quickly. It's kind of easy to avoid the cops.

[Mathguy]

But why should fans be harassed by the tickets scalpers ?  I think the DC law is needed.  I'm sure it's meant for the professional scalpers, not the individual with extra tickets.  Another way the Nats address scalping is they limit the number of $5 tickets to the number of people present when the tickets are purchased

It has nothing to do with the ballpark. DC (STUPID) law is that reselling of tickets on a PUBLIC street is illegal and they take you to jail. 
This happened to me -Sold 2 tickets for $20 TOTAL last year to game 4 of the playoffs. I was with my 12 year old, 9 year old, and my GF and her 12 year old. Had 2 extra tickets -Got rid of them and didnt think twice.

Cop arrested me and put me in the car. LUCKILY - After being told he was taking me to jail (and me saying over and over again "Are you KIDDING?" a supervisor came and agreed to give me a $100 "must appear" citation.  (When I went to the station the following week -the cop at the station goes "This is such a BS crime. And it goes on your arrest record.  I'm voiding it off"). 

But this is where i learned that if I had walked into the fairgrounds, or a office building, or even 5 guys then its not a crime. but because I was on the sidewalk on a public street..that WAS a crime....

Stupid stupid stupid.....

[OldChelsea]

But why should fans be harassed by the tickets scalpers ?[...]

...and 'harassed' is the word - especially when the touts form a phalanx across the street and almost dare you to go through. It was even worse back in the RFK days, and still occurs at Wizards matchnights (one would have hoped that tne new digital-card season tickets would have reduced this somewhat, but apparently not).

[PowerBoater69]

But why should fans be harassed by the tickets scalpers ?  I think the DC law is needed.  I'm sure it's meant for the professional scalpers, not the individual with extra tickets.  Another way the Nats address scalping is they limit the number of $5 tickets to the number of people present when the tickets are purchased

The professional scalpers are the least affected by the enforcement, it's the regular guys with an extra ticket who keep getting popped.  And it's certainly the team pushing the crack down, during the rain delay on Thursday I walked from the Yards lot over to Rocklands, and back around to the gate by the kids zone with an open beer and none of the cops said a thing. If I had held up a couple tix it would have been a different story.

For now the best thing to do is stand in the corner of the Yards Lot, although I really thing that one of the new bars opening up should promote a pre-game swap meet.

[tomterp]

But why should fans be harassed by the tickets scalpers ?  I think the DC law is needed.  I'm sure it's meant for the professional scalpers, not the individual with extra tickets.  Another way the Nats address scalping is they limit the number of $5 tickets to the number of people present when the tickets are purchased

Why should a government have any role in trying to block a willing seller and willing buyer from making a mutually beneficial transaction?  I'm not sure I see the harm in allowing a secondary market.