So very few people bother drive to the new Nationals Park. While researching my story on all those empty lots, I noticed one tradition that has been left behind: the tailgate party.

If Nats fans did park their cars in the lots, they didn’t stick around. One patron simply sat in his air conditioned SUV until first pitch. One family stood by their car drinking. Two other dudes quickly slurped big cans of cheap beer before walking to the stadium. One ended up pouring most of his beer out in a trash can at the lot’s entrance.

I saw no mini grills. No hot dogs and burgers. No cases of Bud. And no lawn chairs. I suspect this is due to the fact that the lots are really lonely places and aren’t sprawl-y enough for any pre-game festivities. The one lot where you could get away with a tailgate is lot HH—but that’s located underneath a freeway. There are probably rules against firing up a grill underneath the on-ramp to 395.

Has anyone tried to tailgate at the new ballpark?