Night Life for the over 40 Crowd? (townhouse, neighborhoods, living in)
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I moved into the city from the 'burbs a few months ago and I'm still looking for cool places to hang out where I don't feel like a chaperone. DC seems to be very young. I know a few places like J Pauls and Clydes have an older crowd, but does anyone have any other suggestions? I'm in the West End area but willing to travel. I'm not looking for a meat market - just a place with cool, laid vibe... Music ( blues ) would be an added bonus ( Zoo Bar sucks in my opinion - Madams Organ very good ).
I moved into the city from the 'burbs a few months ago and I'm still looking for cool places to hang out where I don't feel like a chaperone. DC seems to be very young. I know a few places like J Pauls and Clydes have an older crowd, but does anyone have any other suggestions? I'm in the West End area but willing to travel. I'm not looking for a meat market - just a place with cool, laid vibe... Music ( blues ) would be an added bonus ( Zoo Bar sucks in my opinion - Madams Organ very good ).
I am 45 and I have gone once to a place called Bus Boys and Poets. It is really neat and laid back. There are poetry readings and music. There is a casual restaurant area and also a bar. There is one in DC somewhere, you can google it, and the one I am near is in Shirlington. It is artsy and very cool without being phony.
I am 45 and I have gone once to a place called Bus Boys and Poets. It is really neat and laid back. There are poetry readings and music. There is a casual restaurant area and also a bar. There is one in DC somewhere...
The DC locations are at 5th & K Street NW (newest) and then the original is near 14th & U Street NW. They have a website listing the talks or lectures that they have as well, which can be cool.
"Busboys and Poets is a restaurant, bookstore, fair trade market and gathering place where people can discuss issues of social justice and peace. Each Busboys and Poets location should enhance the community -- allowing us to bring together a diverse clientele reflective of the surrounding neighborhoods. Busboys and Poets creates an environment where shared conversations over food and drink allow the progressive, artistic and literary communities to dialogue, educate and interact."
I doesn't sound like my libertarian views would be very well received there. They seem to only want 'birds of a feather'...
But, thanks for the suggestion anyway - I do appreciate it.
I moved into the city from the 'burbs a few months ago and I'm still looking for cool places to hang out where I don't feel like a chaperone. DC seems to be very young. I know a few places like J Pauls and Clydes have an older crowd, but does anyone have any other suggestions? I'm in the West End area but willing to travel. I'm not looking for a meat market - just a place with cool, laid vibe... Music ( blues ) would be an added bonus ( Zoo Bar sucks in my opinion - Madams Organ very good ).
The Townhouse on 17th street has an over 40 crowd. However, if you dislike the Zoo Bar then you may not dig the Townhouse. Being a married bore in the burbs, I rarely get down that way anymore. But I like it because it has a jukebox with lots of punk/new wave from back in the day with an emphasis on the DC scene of yesteryear.
Have not been there since Reagan was Prez, but maybe the Grog & Tankard? They do have Blues. Its laid back. No idea who gos there these days.
Used to be a place in Bethesda called the Yacht Club that catered to divorcees and over 40s on the prowl. Maybe it will reopen...
Other than that, my only suggestion would be to move to New York as being an aging single is much more common there.
is now called the Gin & Tonic and is completely appropriate for 40 year olds
thing I've found in mid-30s is that it's not where you go, but when, a lot of the 20-something meat markets after 11 are 25-50 happy hour spots before 9
"Busboys and Poets is a restaurant, bookstore, fair trade market and gathering place where people can discuss issues of social justice and peace. Each Busboys and Poets location should enhance the community -- allowing us to bring together a diverse clientele reflective of the surrounding neighborhoods. Busboys and Poets creates an environment where shared conversations over food and drink allow the progressive, artistic and literary communities to dialogue, educate and interact."
I doesn't sound like my libertarian views would be very well received there. They seem to only want 'birds of a feather'...
But, thanks for the suggestion anyway - I do appreciate it.
Haha, I actually went with a group that all tended towards the Libertarian side and we spent most of the time joking about how we were the "enemy". The talk was interesting, if not what we expected, and the food is good. This was at the U Street one, by the way. The other two seem to really pull from the neighborhood more than the entire area, which helps. I love going to dinner at the one in Shirlington, and will probably try out 5th & K while I'm cat-sitting for friends living in CityVista this week.
I second the posters who recommended Old Town Alexandria. Old Town is great for the 30+ crowd.
Regarding Busboys and Poets--I love the place. My political views tend to be conservative and I know that Busboys leans more left, but I still love the food, art and the friendly people.
This may not be your cup of tea at all, and it is the burbs, but as an example -- the dances at Glen Echo Park, near Bethesda, are fun and get a lot of singles and couples of all ages, including 40+. They have contra dancing Fri. and Sun. nights, swing dancing to a live band Sat. nights, and usually another dance or two each weekend--Cajun, waltz, West Coast swing/blues, etc. A lesson usually comes with admission.
Part of GE's historic roots (and part of the whole experience) is that the facilities are not climate controlled. The Spanish Ballroom has been lovingly restored and has a great dance floor. People dress in layers. Of course, at this time of year weather is ideal for it.
More broadly, the metro DC area has a very lively dance scene--one resource is the dcdancenet Web site.
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