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Frequently Asked Questions: A Federalbaseball.com Community Project.

Probably a good time to bring it back up again.

I always stay at the Red Roof Inn in Chinatown. It’s two blocks from the Metro, right near the Verizon Center, there’s food in every direction and it’s a short walk to the National Mall. Highly recommend it. (they do have ads on SBN sites, but this is not a paid endorsement.)

PLEASE note the comments about scalpers in the FAQ post…Please.

don’t pay someone else for tickets.

The walk to Nationals Park from the Capitol isn’t really great — you have to walk under a freeway interchange, up over another interchange, under a railroad trestle or two and past nothing particularly interesting. I’d spend a few bucks and take a cab or Metro — probably about the same cost if you have two people.

I’m no foodie, but I enjoy the Clyde’s and its affiliated restaurants like Old Ebbitt Grill. One place that’s kind of off the radar, but a blast from the past is the Market Inn at 4 & D SW or so, south of Federal Center SW Metro by a few blocks. It is a place that seems to be stuck in 1950s/1960s official Washington. Some nights they have a piano player. They ring the bell for roll call votes.

Ben’s Chili Bowl on U Street is well-known for its half-smokes, the District’s indigenous food, but also has stands in Nationals Park. Get a half-smoke all the way (chili, mustard, onions). You may need a knife and fork.

I don’t get out for drinks much anymore, but if I feel like making it an event, I’ll go somewhere like the Round Robin Bar in the Willard Hotel. Henry Clay introduced Washington to the mint julep there. I used to go to the Monocle on the Senate side of the Hill for cocktails from time to time.

Tickets should be plentiful at Nationals Park unless Strasburg is making his debut or something.

Make sure you stay at a place near the Metro. No need to rent a car.

Is there a water taxi from Alexandria?

No reason not to take metro anywhere, if you’re from out of town, despite it’s recent issues, it’s the safest subway system personally I have been on. Also, if you take metro around, you can stay pretty much anywhere in the DC area – VA and MD included – that are near Metro stops.

My only issue with buying from Scalpers is the team is already having enough issues selling tickets – I’d rather buy from the source if the game isn’t sold out.

The ball park isn’t quite close to the National Mall, but again, Metro is your friend in DC.

Some people think that the mid-priced hotels in that neighborhood (Holiday Inn) are convenient for going to the National Mall. That area is also pretty close to Nationals Park. However, it is pretty bleak once the sun goes down. All the federal workers go home and the area becomes a ghost town except for the immediate area around the hotels. You will not feel comfortable walking around there after dark. There are many better places to stay in central D.C.