Adams Morgan and Georgetown are interesting, but the southwest waterfront area takes a night out to a new level. Students looking for a change in their evening routine can ride over to the Waterfront/SEU Metro stop on the green line and have a seafood dinner on the water, a walk along the channel or take a romantic cruise.
The Waterfront/SEU station is a 30-minute Metro ride from AU and the waterfront area is a five-minute walk, several blocks to the right of the station exit. During the day there is a floating seafood market at the Water Street on Maine Avenue where locals haggle over crabs, fish, shrimp and much more. Visitors who aren't prepared for the smell and the tough bargaining might find the market a little intimidating, since it isn't geared to tourists. The not-faint-of-heart should get there before 7 p.m. if they want to try their luck.
Take a walk along the peaceful tree-lined channel and watch the fishermen throwing their lines, joggers plodding along the trail and ducks and boats leaving the marina. The marina itself is fun to see; tall sails of boats from around the country tower over real two-story houseboats at dock and sleek motorboats with clever names bob alongside.
There is an easy-to-follow Anacostia riverwalk trail, as well as the Southwest history trail with informational signs about the area. Cultural Tourism D.C. will offer a free boat tour on Sept. 30 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the history of the rivers and how the Potomac and Anacostia riverfronts have changed since George Washington's time.
Another asset to the area is Arena Stage, just a block from the Metro stop. The 50-year-old non-profit theater offers plays and musicals for $50 to $60 per individual ticket. The current show is "Cabaret," playing most nights until Oct. 29. For more information on Arena Stage's student ticket discount programs, visit www.arenastage.org.
For the hungry visitor there are a number of restaurants and lounges along the channel, such as Phillips', a Maryland seafood restaurant. The enormous restaurant offers all-you-can-eat seafood buffets ranging from $15 to $25, as well as regular entrees, all served at tables overlooking the channel. The seafood is good in general but the luncheon buffet is the most worthwhile purchase.
For fans of Jimmy Buffet-style d?cor and a slightly cheaper meal, try Cantina Marina. The restaurant projects into the channel on a rectangular covered dock and serves sandwiches, salads and seafood with Mexican and Cajun influences. There is live entertainment Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays and multiple happy hours, including Monday night happy hour for dogs, with an all-they-can-eat treat buffet.
Other restaurants, such as Zanzibar On the Waterfront, double as a lounge and nightclub. Zanzibar has an upper-level terrace decorated with tropical plants and offers contemporary R&B and hip hop music at night on its "Americana" level and international music and mingling on its "Diaspora" level. The club is for ages 21 and up and clientele must dress to impress. On Wednesday nights the cover includes a salsa or cha-cha dance class before 8 p.m., when the DJs start and the dance floor opens in earnest.
H20 restaurant and lounge offers pricey dinners and also has indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the water. At night the club has Latin dancing for the 21 and older crowd who are looking for an upscale night on the town. These two restaurants are right next to each other along Water Street and the channel itself.
For a truly extravagant outing, weekend day trip cruises leave from the Spirit Cruises on 6th and Water streets until the end of October. The tours leave early in the morning and ride down the Potomac to Mount Vernon, where passengers have several hours to tour George Washington's former home and grounds before returning in the afternoon. An adult ticket costs around $40 and includes a meal.
Even more high-class (and therefore pricey) are the cruises on the U.S.S. Odyssey. Weekday lunch cruises are about $40 per person for the meal, live music and dancing, while weekend brunch cruises run around $55 and dinner cruises range from $80 to $100. The boat is glass-windowed and futuristic, giving the opportunity for great views of the Potomac and a romantic night out, completely different from the normal college date night.
