A Future Walk to the DCU Stadium at Buzzard Point

By David Rusk and Doug Barnes

Blinking in the July afternoon sunlight, we emerge from the Navy Yard-Ballpark-Buzzard Point Metro station. Smiling DC police officers usher us across M Street to join the DC United supporters groups and other fans assembling at the top of Half Street, SE. An hour before the 3 pm match time (a rare afternoon match to accommodate national TV) the black-and-red crowd swells to several thousand, filling closed-to-traffic Half Street from sidewalk to sidewalk. With a signal from head capo Donald Wine, we begin the March to the Match down Half Street, stepping in unison with the thumping drumbeat of Salvatore. Our numbers swell as DC United fans spill out of the sports bars and plaza of Akridge’s new mixed-use development on the west side of Half Street.

Right at the entrance to Nationals Park, we pivot to the right onto the closed-off N Street, SE. We are joined by DC United fans pouring out of the Nationals parking garages along the same street. On this and many game days, there are no overlaps between the two sports. The Nationals parking garages are no farther from Buzzard Point than Lot 8 from RFK. But who would want to pass up the opportunity for a good-natured ribbing of the erstwhile "National Pastime"? The marchers begin practicing one of our new "serenades," today just to baseball tourists visiting an empty Nationals Park, urging supporters of America's game to come over to the world's most international sport.

We march down South Capitol Street from N Street, SE to Q Street, SE. The extra-wide sidewalk designed for large crowds of baseball fans next to Nationals Park are now used by soccer supporters. Across the wide traffic corridor middle-class residents come out of their townhouses to wave at us. We add color to the community and are far enough away to not create a nuisance. As we reach Q Street we look upon the newly refurbished Frederick Douglass Bridge with its pedestrian friendly traffic loop located at the junction of South Capitol Street and the ramp up to the bridge over the Anacostia River. Marchers are split into big segments as DC police stop traffic to waive us across South Capitol (similar to the drill we previously used to go from Stadium-Armory Metro Station and Lot 3 to RFK). A much better solution would be a pedestrian/bicycle bridge to take fans over the busy street to the brand new stadium just visible in the distance. On this day we re-form on the far side of the new traffic loop and march down a short half block of Potomac Avenue SW. Redevelopment of the area is sure to come, but we are still walking between tall piles of sand stockpiled by the DC Highway Department on our left and a low-slung industrial building on our right.

We arrive at The Promised Land, the sparkling new DC United Stadium at Buzzard Point, located at the junction of Potomac Avenue, R Street, and 1st Street SW. DCU wisely re-created the Lot 8 experience (without the parked cars) in a grass and brick path park-like area in front of a future hotel to serve both the soccer and baseball stadiums, part of the overall site’s "ancillary development." The Screaming Eagles are just closing down their tailgate line. We look towards the river and the area is dotted by low rise commercial property with plenty of open space to mimic a town square. Right along the river is the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail connecting the Nationals Park and beyond and with the renewed Maine Avenue area. The city is finally embracing the Anacostia River as a local treasure.

Another half block along R Street, SW and we arrive at the entrance to the already legendary DC United Stadium at Buzzard Point. We have traveled a total distance from the Metro stop to the DCU stadium entrance: seven blocks, 13 minutes, 0.7 miles, which is just a bit further than the 0.3+ miles distance from the Stadium-Armory Metro Station to RFK’s main entrance. DC United is still using the area’s historic and unforgettable name Buzzard Point in the stadium name, but the team may not be able to resist the money for naming rights much longer with the anticipated signings of new designated players.

The match is loud and boisterous. The home team wins 3-0, dominating NYCFC, who with its big-spending and big-city airs is no match to for a unified DC community. The evidence is a convergence of fans from Virginia and Maryland into a sparkling new stadium, joining those living in the vibrant international community that is Washington DC.

To avoid some of the post-match congestion, with fans heading to local bars and restaurants in the redeveloped areas, we decide to head straight home via the Waterfront Metro Station at 4th and M, SW. Walking out the Buzzard Point main gate, we turn left on R Street for a half block, cross a quiet 2nd Street, SW to the sidewalk on the far side. Then we walk two blocks to P Street alongside the National Defense University and Ft. Leslie McNair on our left. Along the right hand side of 2nd street is a block of industrial properties, a row of townhouses and the well-maintained Syphax Gardens public housing complex.

Turning left on P Street, we walk two blocks to 4th Street under a perfect canopy of old elms with Fort McNair on our left and increasingly up-scale townhouses and apartment towers of redeveloped Southwest on our right. We make a right hand turn on 4th Street and walk the three tree-shaded blocks to the Waterfront Metro Station. Along the way we glimpse the sight of the Arena Stage. The total distance to the Metro stop is eight blocks or about 0.8 miles and took 15 ½ minutes. This is at the slow pace of over two above sixty somethings.

Is this a fantasy? The new DC United soccer stadium at Buzzard Point hasn’t been built yet and the Akridge mixed-use complex on Half Street, SE is yet to be started. But this description is of an actual walk by two DC United supporters. As we plodded past the vacant lots and nondescript industries located on the future site of the DC United Stadium at Buzzard Point, we could hear the future shouts of DC United supporters echoing in our ears.