I live in Alexandria, so I go north past the stadium out to M St, make a left, and then over to the 14th St. bridge. Only has taken about 10 minutes or so from the lot to M St., and after that it is clear. Not much worse than the old line to 295 S getting out of RFK. What is going to be interesting is that every season we presumably are going to have to make new parking decisions. I don't get the sense that you can just renew what you have, although maybe I will be pleasantly surprised on that front. And I also am not sure that the next door lot is going to last. Seems like it might get developed.
Another club seat perspective. Yes, that experience is pretty good, overall. Those seats also have the roof-coverage issue that affects so many other sections. The club area needs more indoor or covered outdoor seating for games with rain or other imperfect weather. Several people were eating sitting on stairs at the NYRB game and many more couldn't find seats during the last game. That's not a "premium" experience.
I have been to the stadium twice now and have enjoyed it both times. Sat in 116 row 16 and 29. Great views. Comfortable seats. Neither my wife nor I have had to wait in line for the bathroom. Concessions lones were reasonably fast. Didn't love the papusa. Parking has been fine. I've driven straight my secret little lot. At $25 it is reasonable. All in all a very favorable experience both times. I'd have gone more often but I live 2 hours away.
Good point and I should have added that. It seems like the easy, cost-effective solution is a retractable awning on the outside club eating area. And putting in the missing panels on the roof for the actual seats, but who knows what the real issue is there. Weirdly, but luckily for me, I sit in the last row of the club section and it is just under the closed roof, although you can still get wet if the wind is blowing even slightly in the wrong direction!
It took more than 10 minutes to get out of that lot south of the stadium the first time we parked there. Are you leaving early? Even traffic going north out of that lot was backed up pretty badly both times.
Not leaving early, but maybe a bit of a power walk from my seats to the lot. What I was trying to suggest is that turning left on P St. or Delaware and going up to M St. was pretty quick. If you need to get to S. Capitol, however, it could be completely different.
I keep toying with the idea of rigging-up a belt harness that would tether to the seat back behind me. It would keep me from falling forward. Heck, a DCU-logoed contraption like that would have been a thoughtful SG STH-renewal prize for the FO to have included in the Mystery Boxes we just received. Of course, the per-unit cost of 6-7 feet of 1-inch webbing, Fastex buckles, and logo imprint might have cost the FO more than the per-person cost of just having safe-standing in the first place . . .
My first visit will be Sunday vs NE. We will see what I think of this. Since my expectations are not all that high the bar is set very, very, very low. I'm going to try the Metro in from Greenbelt. Too many parking lot horror stories for me right now.
All Purpose (pizza) and The Salt Line (seafood) on Potomac Ave are both really good and pretty close. People have said good things about Mission which just opened on N St. There's a whole bunch of fast causal options on First St and M St if you're looking for something quicker/cheaper. A bit further east there's a lot of options around Yards Park.
The step stairs claimed a victim tonight. A beer vendor tripped and fell head first down the stairs in section 112, right by our seats. A massive gash in his forehead, blood all over the place. Cleaning crew was mopping up blood trails off the stairs as the game was letting out. I hope the poor gentleman is ok. It looked nasty.
Too bad for the vendor, hope he will be OK. This is a function of squeezing a stadium in a small space. Joe Louis Arena in Detroit had/has the same problem -- the steps from street level are incredibly steep, and a real hazard in icy weather. They had to build on a defined parcel between a highway and the Detroit River, and were stuck with an inadequate space. The corridors around the stadium are much too narrow, especially after the end of the match. I might have expected more for $400 million, but again, they had to work with what they got, as opposed to the vast plains on the opposite bank of the Anacostia.
I walked all around the stadium tonight, including way up on row 37 of the south end. There's a scene developing here. Barra Vrava raising hell at half-time out in the open air, the Heinekin bar busy but not overly crowded, everywhere folks just having a good time. I think I'm starting to get the open stadium concept - it's a different feel than a symmentrical, enclosed stadium. A friendly, inviting feel. especially when your team is kicking someone's ass.
I wish TicketBastard would not sell seats to opposing team fans, outside of the opposing team's area. And wtf was up with the Timbers fans during the National Anthem? I thought the shit they were doing with their scarves was very disrespectful during the NA.
Section 121 today. First time in the new digs. Concourse feels rather unfinished in a number of ways. Temporary signage still up for where to go up for your section. But once you're in the bowl, it's really a good atmosphere. I got a "cheap seat in the corner" and expected to have trouble. But dang, the sight line was a dream. I could see clearly across to action on the other end without having to resort to the big screen. And what a thrill of an angle to see plays develop, corners set up, etc. The area on the concourse opposite the supporters side where the goal sits RIGHT THERE is a neat thing. And already it seems a tradition to pile up to take pictures and cheer the guys as they leave the field there. It's intimate and connected feeling. The place got pretty full by the time everyone was in today and we were doing end to end exchange chants and such, even when it was just 1-1. As the night rolled on, the party was on. Portland was pretty contained up in 112. There were maybe a couple here or there who were not with them. And at least half of them were with someone in DC United gear (strange bedfellows and all that.) The scarf thing they did had me rolling my eyes not out of 'they're disrespecting' but more of a 'how pretentious can they get?' thing.
It was a vendor? Dang. I saw someone go down out of the corner of my eye then all the reaction. I imagine the platform things obstruct their view. The amount of blood is likely because it's a cut on the scalp skin more than the severity of the cut. Scalp skin is super thin to the bone but bleeds dramatically.
The walk from the Metro is amicable. It was a breezy summer night though not the heat of the day. Getting to that particular stop though is the wildcard.
If you cc @RealDonaldTrump on this maybe the whole “kneeling during the anthem” controversy goes away... Thx, Jay!
I'd love to explore more sections, are the stewards actually checking phones/e-tics? I'm sure they are for the club section but I was thinking about the Soth end and corners etc. Another succesfull drive/bike combo. Same parking over by The Brig on 8th SE. This was my third match at Audi and I am liking it more and more. Still some unfished oddities arong throughh, like the large cutout section in the wood paneling insiode the cube...looks like a big video screen should go in there. There is also a huge piece of steel that has a couple pieces of wood jammed underneath for support or to fill the gap. I seek: A can coozie big enough for the cans they sell. Don't see those in the team store.
My first experience at the new stadium too. I didn't have time to wander around as we arrived close to start time and did not get out to buy anything from the concessions. We stood in the supporters section. What is different from RFK is the sightlines. Any row and you see everything. There are no heads blocking your view. The closeness to the field is amazing. Nice thing with all the supporters groups standing together. There were people from all three groups around us, plus a bunch that don't look like they are affiliated with any of the groups. It looked like some folks are buying the cheap tickets either because they are cheap, or because they want to experience the supporter group atmosphere. Most people were chanting the whole time. It's a little bit weird that there is no specific place for photojournalists. They just stand behind the ad boards between the supporters groups and the special seats. Another good thing was seeing that the white wall on the east side was painted gray. Still needs some graphics, but it doesn't look out of place anymore.
Last night was my second match at AF, and the only things I really wish for are: 1-Add panels to those gaps in the roof over our seats 2-Put up signage/adspace/whatever in the gaps between the west wall and the roof, to prevent sun reflections off the east side suites 3-Ballkids in the suites seems useful 4-totally sexist and unnecessary, but it WAS my wife's observation and idea...She misses the people-watching we used to get from our RFK seats, particularly the more appropriately scantily clad fans. No, not Pauly, though we never really expect otherwise there.
Oh, also, parking at McNair is great for those who can do so...at least, when they open the ceremonial gate outbound. Took us 1.5 hours from lot to home, which is on par with departures from lot 8 at RFK to our home by the PA border.
Oh the humanity! What became of the Beer? Termite trap frequently used in downtown construction. When the bastards have eaten enough of the wood the weight of the unsupported steel crushes them and their families. You don't spend 400 mil on a 200 mil edifice without checking lots of optional equipment boxes