Your 5-Step Guide to a Superior Night at the Ballpark

Not so long ago, your correspondent quite literally stumbled through vials to get under the overpass in South Beach.

(Ask me anytime about living on Bryant Street in the early ’00s.)

Things have changed, and now the Giants’ home ‘hood offers some of the best drinking, dining and general fun-having experiences in town.

So with Opening Day on the brain (April 3, if you’re counting), we’ve put together a superlative guide to a much-improved district.

Play ball.

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ON THE WATERFRONT

McCovey Cove is a 10-minute paddle from the South Beach Harbor launch at City Kayak. They’ll even rent you a water-resistant radio so you can listen to the game, while waiting for the Splash Hit to come your way.

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SOAKING IT UP

Diners are spoiled for choice, whether you’re stopping somewhere in SoMa en route (Marlowe!) or looking for something closer to the ballpark. Our pick, especially if you’re in the neighborhood to enjoy the atmosphere, rather than actually attend the game, is ATwater Tavern, which is slightly out of the scrum on Pier 50. Grab a seat on the deck unless the weather is terrible.

FOR SOMETHING A LITTLE FANCY

AT&T Park has some excellent concessions, but for a superior dining option, make a res at Lord George for a post-afternoon game dining slot. The weekend oyster party is worth a detour, but the real draw is Mavericks, the rotating showcase of craft cocktail practitioners. Now up, as of mid-March: Brian Means, ex-Michael Mina bar director.

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STAYCATION

Make a trip of it, especially if you’d otherwise have to contend with post-game traffic across the bridge back to the East Bay. Hotel VIA’s rooms overlook the ballpark, and they incredibly still have rooms left for home games Opening Week. Plus, it’s the easiest way to get a spot at the rooftop bar, which rivals Charmaines, at Proper Hotel on Market, for best-in-class accolades. Otherwise, grab a seat, pre-game, at the hotel’s buzzy sports bar on King Street.