The Daily Jolt - Best Places to Party

Best Places to Party

Best Places to Party

You are fresh out of high school, and you probably still have a little bit of the SATs on your mind, so we’ll use a little analogy to get this started.

HIGH SCHOOL : STUDYING :: COLLEGE : PARTYING

Okay, so there is some studying and meeting people mixed in there too, but college students are known for their devil-may-care attitude and authoritative knowledge on how to get down, get down, jump up, jump up, and finally, get down. If you’re taking the Metro to get to a place, make sure you check the time that the last train leaves at the station (it should be posted, or just ask the station manager in the booth), because a taxi cab ride back to campus can be a very expensive ride. Here are the best places to party in specific and in general.

Passport: Passport is a favorite AU party spot because it is close to campus (Van Ness – UDC Metro) and notoriously uncaring about underage drinking. The owner, Dave, is usually smashed off his feet, but occasionally you’ll run into a mean bouncer who won’t let you in. In that event, go around the back and knock on the door until someone lets you in. Once inside you will find a few small cramped rooms with low ceilings, and a busy front bar area. Essentially, Passport is cramped, sweaty and loud – just what a college party spot needs. Occasionally under-21 partiers are kicked out at a random time, in which case, head to Guapo’s to continue the party...

Guapo’s: Guapo’s has awesome Mexican food, but late night on the weekends, it also features a loud upstairs area that features parties with an similar flippant attitude towards underage drinking. Guapo’s bouncers usually use markers to identify those who are 21 and older, so bring a few markers (black, red, blue, green) in your pocket, and after seeing what the mark of the night is (usually a big “G”), add your own to the back of your hand. The parties here are usually free. And if you don’t know, Guapo’s is right up at Tenleytown, which is stumbling distance from campus.

18-and-over Nights at Clubs: There are over 430 establishments in the DC area registered as bars and/or nightclubs. Yet only a few are willing to take the risk of running an 18-and-over night, so you might as well take advantage of it. Check out The Washington Post’s listing of the recurring 18+ nights, but also keep an eye out for events that pop up. Once you’re over 21, then there are a lot more options, so rejoice in allowing the law to make up your mind for you. Make sure you bring your AU ID to get the bonuses/freebies.

Houses: Ah yes, the classic “house party”. These are usually thrown by teams or fraternities, or the occasional adventurous house that just wants to throw a party. Make sure that you go with at least someone who knows someone who lives in the house, or you’re likely to get some strange stares (unless you’re particularly attractive, in which case, no one will care). It also helps to know at least one person who knows how to get to the house so that you won’t get lost on the way there. Expect a small fee at the door to help the house cover their beer costs (and finance any damages). The best house parties have a backyard where people can spill out to escape the heat inside. Just be ready for the cops to show up after an angry neighbor files a noise complaint by scoping out a few exit points.

Apartments: These parties are usually more intimate because, well, they're thrown in apartments. Parties in apartments are much more difficult to slip into because the person who rents the apartment will probably be handling the door. If you’re invited to an apartment party, definitely take it up, as the relaxed atmosphere will be a great change from the hustle-and-bustle of house parties or clubs. Park Bethesda and the Berks are common locations for these parties due to the large number of AU students who live in them, and their lack of alcohol policies.

The Dorms: Okay, so maybe partying in the dorms isn’t really a party, but it’s pretty common. If you’re smart, you’ll keep the numbers down to 6 or less, because more than that creates a lot of noise, and that will probably attract the attention of an RA. As for music, one particularly bright group of partiers in Hughes Hall had a “Headphone Party” where each partier brought a pair of headphones and jacked them into a headphone adapter that ran into the stereo. Loud music, no noise complaint.