8
NightLife
Have a drink, but keep the cash T
by Fritz Hahn
he lure of happy hour: Meeting friends after a hard day at the office? Absolutely. Blowing off steam? Sure. But for many it really comes down to one thing: cheap drinks. And the only thing better than cheap drinks is free drinks. Why pay $3 for a beer at some downtown bar when other places will hand you a drink for nothing? Two of the more popular free-drink deals take
Bar 7 Seventh St. NW. 202-347-4343.
www.bar7dc.com
What’s the deal?
What’s the vibe?
Free rail drinks from 5 to 7 p.m. on Fridays, plus $5 specialty cocktails.
Jumping. If you didn’t know better, you’d swear it was closer to midnight, even though it’s barely 6 p.m. When we went, both levels of the upscale lounge were packed with well- dressed women and men grooving to the music. Most of the action took place on the narrow main floor, where the crowd gathered around the low tables and the banquettes that line the walls and pressed three deep at the long bar.
“It’s a great place for professionals to meet and mix, and in a time of recession it’s very economical,” said Kelia Cum- mins, 31, who works for the State Department. When she recently returned from an overseas posting, her friends told her that Bar 7’s happy hour was a good way to “be social and save money at the same time.”
What’s the dress code?
How crowded is it?
There’s no official code. Just-out-of-the-office professionals mixed with peo- ple who’d glammed up to go to dinner or a club later.
Very. It can be like Friday night at Love — moving through the crowd takes time, and you may have to stop and let someone pass. In addition to the street-level lounge, Bar 7 has a smaller basement with its own bar and tiny seating area. It’s faster to get served there.
Awnya Bowman, 31, who was recently sharing a table with friends, said she “got here right at 5 when the doors opened. That’s why we have seats.” Still, despite the crush, getting a drink was “quick, not even five minutes.”
What’s the DJ
spinning?
How are the drinks?
What
happens after happy hour ends?
How do you get in?
Would
customers recommend it?
Pretty strong. Rum and cokes are popular.
The crowd thins a bit by 8:30 or 9 p.m. but starts picking up again close to 11. After all, it’s Friday.
Strong and fruity.
Surprisingly, happy hour is a prelude to the main event, which features WKYS DJ Quicksilva. Though many happy hour patrons are gone by 9, there’s a line of people trying to get inside as it gets closer to midnight.
Just show up.
“I’d definitely recommend it to my friends,” said Tyesha Daniels, a 33-year-old from Whea- ton who is in the Army. “There’s free drinks!”
Sign up for e-mails from
Eviplist.com, or e-mail
district@lifestyleent.com for free admission before 11 p.m.
“Yes,” said Howard University student Candace Harden, 21, who was recently hanging out with her friend Taylor Weeks. “We come here ev- ery week. I like the laid-back environment.”
Photos, clockwise from top left: At Bar 7, Erica Fells and Carley Lester; Bre Davis, Jenna Ryan, Andrew Adams and Farrin Stanton gather at District; Kelia Cummins at Bar 7. A mix of vintage soul, ’80s hip-hop and R&B, plus some current radio hits. Hip-hop that’s straight off the WKYS playlist. District 2473 18th St. NW. 202-518-9820.
www.districtadamsmorgan.com
Free rail drinks from 6 to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays, plus $5 Jameson and Ciroc cocktails.
Laid-back, with people hanging out in large booths with friends. District is a spacious nightspot with two large bars, plenty of seats and a cavernous main area open to two levels.
“I love the young professional vibe — the community, the networking,” said Farrin Stanton, a 24-year-old from Germantown who works for the GSA. She said she’s missed the party only a few times in recent months. “The best part is the open bar.”
“ . . . and the worst part is that it only lasts an hour,” interjected her friend An- drew Adams, 24, of Arlington.
“It’s a good place to go after work,” said Breanna Davis, 23, a nanny from Odenton. “The environment allows you to see your friends and catch up after a long day.”
The stated policy is no sneakers, T-shirts, boots or baggy jeans, but we spotted a few T-shirts and Nike Air Force Ones last week.
The large club was half-empty when we went, making it easy to grab a seat and, more important, to get to the bartenders multiple times before 7 p.m.
place Fridays at Bar 7, a lounge across from the Con- vention Center, and Wednesdays at District, the Ad- ams Morgan club formerly known as Chloe. Both of- fer free drinks — though you should still tip your bar- tender a buck or two each time he or she serves you — along with DJs and other specials. Taking advantage of these events can take planning — you need to get on an e-mail list or print a flier from District to take full advantage of the free drinks — but it’s worth the effort. We thought we would put them head to head.
fritz.hahn@washingtonpost.com
PHOTOS BY ROBERT A. REEDER FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
Lou Smith picks up a drink at District in Adams Morgan.
THE WASHINGTON POST • FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2010
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