The Oil Spill Will Never End, But Summer Will
Our fallen heroes were honored yesterday, and summer was officially born. This means that in just 12 short weeks it will be Labor Day, the slightly less morbid three-day cluster of BBQs and booze that will mark the end of summer. Now, if 12 weeks is enough time to clean up an inconvenient oil spill, it's also plenty of time to take advantage of summer in DC, which, don't let anyone convince you is not great, because it is.
Just 12 weeks, people. That's it. This summer, do not miss:
Outdoor movies: You can stop crying in the corner now,Screen on the Green is back. This summer you and yours can sit on the Mall and enjoy Goldfinger , The Goodbye Girl , 12 Angry Men and Bonnie and Clyde.Other worthwhile outdoor movie watching opportunities include the "I Love the 90s"Film Festival in Rosslyn and the"Future is Now" Film Festival at NoMa (L St. NE between 2nd and 3rd NE), featuring films that "grapple with the future or the element of time" as well as BBQ and Fatback DJ.
Museums: Admission to theCorcoran Gallery of Art is FREE on Saturdays in the summer, all the more reason to go and enjoy some art. The Phillips Collection hosts their Phillips After 5 events, which include booze, jazz and art, on Thursdays all summer long; the Hirshhorn Museum will host their famous Hirshhorn After Hours party, complete with DJ's and a hula hoop competition on Friday, July 23; and look out for a new photo exhibit as part ofIdea: Exchange in Dupont Circle.
Drinking outside: Drinking is fun. Drinking is more fun when done outside- this is fact.Beacon Bar and Grill , Perry's , BLT Steak , 701 , Eventide and The Reef all have patios and/or rooftops that are ideal for outdoor imbibing.
Outdoor pools: BYT and Chef Spike are both hosting pool parties this summer at the Capitol Skyline Hotel. BYT's parties are on random Saturdays and are of the interesting and dynamic persuasion, while Chef Spike's involve really good hamburgers. Both are $15. Or, if you want to tan without any pretensions (or perhaps, less pretensions), there are also about a dozen or so perfectly fine community pools in DC that are free so long as you show proof of DC residence.
Nats games: The Nats are a terrible, terrible team, although they were doing well for while, now they just suck all over again. Instead of dwelling on this, we will highlight the beer, hot dogs and sunbathing opportunities that the games provide.
Free summer concerts: Jazz in the Garden, though great and something that there is no excuse to miss, isn't the only free outdoor summer concert in DC. Carter Barron Amphitheater offers some free concerts; the annual free Fort Dupont Summer Concert series begins July 10; and the Zoo is even getting in on the free outdoor concerts, offering them Fridays from 6: 30-8PM as part of their Sunset Serenades events.
Live it up: Check out the new super swankyBuddha Bar, grab beers at the Biergarden Haus should it ever open, go to Brew at the Zoo, enjoy the new cocktail lounge area at Zaytinya, eat Gelato at the newly remodeled Social Safeway, laugh at interns, just enjoy the next 12 weeks in DC.