Walk Me Down To The Ballgame

Recently, the DC City Council finally unveiled their new plans for the Nationals baseball stadium, due to be completed in 2008. I've been closely following the developments of the stadium, hoping that the city and MLB would eventually arrive at a deal. Why? Because the new site is just a few blocks away from where I work, near the Navy Yard. Before recently, I knew it was close to work, but until now I didn't know just how close.

This is very exciting, for multiple reasons. First, any evening baseball game is going to be just a 15 minute walk away. Second, all of the new business that will be generated by the new stadium is going to revitalize that whole neighborhood. And that, my friends, will inevitably lead to shops, restaurants, and other neat things - goodness knows it wouldn't hurt to have a few more options for a long Friday lunch. There's a sizable hitch that I can foresee, though, and that's the added traffic when you factor in the new Dept. of Transportation buildings down M Street. If they do the Metro renovations correctly and don't totally screw up the modifciations to South Capitol Street, however, it seems to me (in my limited experience) that the area will survive a little more spring-and-summer congestion.

Pardon the expression, but sooner rather than later, being in Southeast is gonna be a whole new ballgame.