So you’re new to the beltway. For the past month you've been exploring housing options, coordinating travel plans and figuring out the easiest routes to and from work. You've read every how-to/must-see list posted on the internet and you now are so confident in your skills that you are going into your first day ready to land yourself a seat in Congress. While the workplace tips are important (see: how to work a copier, how to brew the best batch of coffee, the 5 best phone greetings, etc.), the most overlooked skill that is essential for a successful summer on the hill is how to navigate the bar scene.
Lets be honest, we all want to gain relevant experience, get some awesome recommendations/endorsements on LinkedIn and perhaps even land a job. But for all those weekends you aren't stuck indoors figuring out the solution to the national debt crisis, here are the top 3 bars for interns to frequent:
1)Â Â Â Â Madams Organ (Location: Adams Morgan, http://goo.gl/qfp2y)
Check the name. If that didn't make you chuckle then you may want to read the top 5 ways to chill the hell out before the start of your internship. This bar has got it all: live music (1st floor), a DJ hosted dance floor (2nd floor) and a tiki torch-lit rooftop bar. If you are looking for a meaningful conversation about the economic impact of illegal immigration, don’t go here. In fact, if that is the kind of bar you are looking for then I would just stop reading this blog post website.
2)Â Â Â Â Â McFaddens (Location: Foggy Bottom, http://goo.gl/75TFw)
If you are looking for the ultimate, most cliche college bar scene in DC then look no further, McFaddens has it all. Again, McFaddens is not the place to go if you are looking to sip on a few cocktails and have a nice night enjoying the waterfront. No, this bar is for those looking to forget about all the mistakes they made last week, or to perhaps make a few more mistakes to finish off the week. Don’t listen to the naysayers, if you don’t hit McFaddens at least one time to dance your heart out all night then you have failed.
3)Â Â Â Â Â The Rhino (Location: Georgetown, http://goo.gl/Mo1fQ)
Rounding out the bars you must hit in your summer on the hill is one that isn't the easiest to get to, but is certainly worth your while. Like the others on the list, this bar guarantees a packed house every Friday/Saturday with some awesome drink specials. Let’s face it, we’re all either in or just 1 year removed from college. Trust your instincts, go with what you know, and get your crew ready to rage with hundreds of other 20-something aged semi-pros who are all looking for a one night stand ”to talk about politics.”
Mr Smiths: Awesome piano bar, Georgetown. Enough said.
Hawk n Dove: If you are under 21 and looking for a place to go “hang out”, head for this spot in Capitol Hill
Union Pub: If your office doesn't take you here once during the summer for a happy hour, then you don’t want to work for that office.
