Nightlife & the Arts in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. Nightlife

From buttoned-down political appointees who've just arrived to laid-back folks who've lived here their whole lives, Washingtonians are always looking for a place to relax. And they have plenty of options when they head out for a night on the town. Most places are clustered in several key neighborhoods, making a night of barhopping relatively easy.

Georgetown's dozens of bars, nightclubs, and restaurants radiate from the intersection of Wisconsin and M streets. The crowds include older adults and college students. Many restaurants here turn into bars after the dinner crowd leaves. Georgetown is one of the safest neighborhoods in D.C., with a large police presence on weekends.

Those seeking a more diverse and less inhibited nightlife may prefer the 18th Street strip in Adams Morgan between Columbia Road and Kalorama Avenue, which offers a wide variety of places that feature hip-hop DJs, Latin music, and everything in between. If you're looking for offbeat spots that don't take themselves too seriously, you're in the right place. The best part of Adams Morgan is that there are so many bars and clubs around 18th Street that if you don't like one, there's another next door.

The U Street Corridor (U Street NW between 12th and 16th streets), once D.C.'s hippest neighborhood and a regular stop for jazz greats, is now undergoing a revival, with bars that appeal to all types.

For serious dance action, head to Northeast D.C. Huge crowds and loud music ranging from hip-hop and Latin to techno and trance await you at the ever-popular warehouse-turned-mega clubs like Love and Ibiza. This is a rougher part of town, so be cautious.

Other hotspots include Capitol Hill and Downtown. The stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue between 2nd and 4th streets has a half-dozen Capitol Hill bars. And thanks to massive recent development, Penn Quarter is burgeoning with squeaky-clean new bars.