THE WASHINGTON POST • FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2010
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ROOFTOP
relaxation ROOFTOP
relaxation
Area clubs and hotels offer music, food and beautiful views at summer happy hours by Fritz Hahn
I
n the midst of summer’s sweltering heat, there are two kinds of bar-goers. Those who seek the darkest, coldest dive bars they can
find and camp out with an ice-cold beer (hopefully in a chilled mug) until September rolls around.
Then there are those, with memories of winter snowstorms, who want to be outside and in the sunshine as much as possible. Count me in the latter camp. There are great bar and restaurant
patios to enjoy a beer after work with friends, but give me a rooftop anytime. There’s something relaxing about hanging out stories above everyone else. No distractions from sidewalk traffic, honking cabs or idling buses. Instead, there’s just the sun, the views and plenty of people-watching. Perhaps that’s why so many bars and restaurants have rooftop spaces in the works, including music venues (DC9 and the Rock and Roll Hotel), beer halls (ChurchKey) and dive bars (the Red Derby). And while any excuse to be outdoors is nice, sunny afternoons on roof decks are always better when there’s something to do, whether that’s taking a dip in a pool, dancing to a DJ or engaging in a water- gun fight. Here are five of my favorite rooftop destinations, all of which have something new to offer this summer.
Doubletree Hotel Bethesda 8120 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda
The rooftop of this hotel, located at the
northern end of downtown Bethesda, has a lot going for it: a pool surrounded by a huge deck and 16th-story views of the city, the neighboring NIH campus and a carpet of green stretching from Virginia to Silver Spring. There was just nothing being done with it. That changed in June, when the Tree Top
Tropical Thursdays made the hotel a hap- py-hour destination, with waits of 20 min- utes or more to get in. Besides the views, the draws include free food, DJs spinning radio hits and club tunes, and plenty of fur- niture for groups to hang out on and catch up.
Those people in the pool? They’re not hotel guests. The young Bethesdians at the party make use of the hotel’s changing
You don’t need to be a hotel guest to enjoy the party atop the Doubletree Hotel in Bethesda, left. Mohammed Ndoye, right, says that what he likes most about the Doubletree gatherings is the view.
rooms, trading work clothes for swimsuits. “It’s a great view and a lot of fun,” says
Tevis Hannington, 21, an American Univer- sity student. “If you’re looking for the cheapest drink in Bethesda, this isn’t the place, but there’s no cover and everybody’s in a good mood. I think the view’s worth it.” The bar serves bottled beer and frozen cocktails, and by the end of the night, an impromptu dance party is underway. “It’s awesome,” adds Mohammed Ndoye, 40, who owns a construction business. “You can relax, and the people are very nice — it’s not bourgie. Everyone’s from differ- ent backgrounds.” His favorite part is the view. “You can watch the sun go down. It’s beautiful; it reminds me of back home in Senegal.”
Tree Top Tropical Thursdays: from 6 to 9 p.m.
www.facebook.com/ DoubleTreeBethesda. Free.
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