By
Jason Walther The first thing you should do when planning
your nighttime activities is to pick up a copy of The Washington City Paper
, a free tabloid weekly that provides a comprehensive guide to what's happening
after hours in D.C. that week. If you are in the area on a Friday, The Washington
Post includes a tabloid with its daily paper that highlights the best of
the weekend. If you don't see D.C.'s monuments at night,
you are only getting half of the picture. The Jefferson Memorial is beautifully
lit and casts a romantic reflection off the Tidal Basin . The shimmering patterns
of light that the FDR Memorial's fountains make are mesmerizing. And the Washington
Monument , surrounded by a circle of spotlights and U.S. flags, accentuates some
of the Monument's features that are washed out in the harsh daylight. Moviegoers
will enjoy the Uptown Theater, the largest movie theater in the D.C. area (Woodley
Park Metro stop). The theater only shows one movie at a time but offers balcony
seating and the largest screen in the area. We recommend buying tickets online
or ahead of time at the box office for popular movies. Lovers
of independent movies will be thrilled with the E Street Cinema, Visions Theater,
and Cineplex Odeon, both in Dupont Circle (red line). On weekends, Visions shows
cult movies such as "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" at midnight and
sometimes even provides a keg of beer in the theater. Dupont Circle is a popular
place for visitors to stay because of its many shops and restaurants. Hotels in
the area include the Brickskeller Inn, The Churchill Hotel, Jurys Washington Hotel,
and Radisson Barcelo Hotel. For comedy, there are two good
bets. One is the Improv comedy club ( 1140 Connecticut Avenue ; Farragut West
and Farragut North Metro stops). The popular club features nationally-recognized
comedians for a very reasonable price. Dinner and drinks are served before the
show. The club takes reservations, which are essential for many of its shows.
The other good bet for comedy is the DC Arts Center, a
small theater tucked away in Adams Morgan ( 2438 18th Street NW ; Adams Morgan/Woodley
Park Metro stop). The improvisational comedy troupe W.I.T. performs there off
and on during the year. If they are performing during your visit, they are worth
taking a night to check them out. But there is more to
the nightlife than movies or comedy. Georgetown , Adams Morgan, and Dupont Circle
are three trendy neighborhoods that are popular for their taverns, restaurants,
shopping and clubs. If you plan to spend a lot of time
shopping or partying the night away, then you may want to get a hotel in Georgetown
. and upscale neighborhood located in Northwest D.C. Along with its excellent
shops and restaurants, Georgetown has some classy places to relax at night. Mr.
Smith's of Georgetown has a nightly piano bar and great bands Friday and Saturday
night. Close by is Blues Alley, the nation's oldest continuing
jazz supper club. Blues Alley offers Creole-style cuisine and a show after dinner.
Three hotels that will put you in the heart of the neighborhood are t he Georgetown
Inn, the Savoy Suites, and the Monticello . Parking is
difficult to find at night in Adams Morgan, so we recommend taking the Metro.
Adams Morgan is a 15-minute walk from the Metro. The neighborhood's diverse mix
of bars and restaurants makes it an extremely popular nighttime location. There
are only a few hotels in the area, such as Marriott Wardman Park and Windsor Park
Hotel. More-->> | 
