Meg Weaver, Senior Researcher

For live Latin music, packed dance floors, and divine mojitos (caña and all), check out Habana Village in Adams Morgan. The ground floor is a subdued café, while the second and third floors heave with salsa, merengue, cumbia, and bachata. If you're not the best dancer, no worries, the vibe is welcoming and the club offers dance lessons four nights a week. 1834 Columbia Rd. NW; +1 202 462 6310

Leave the frenzied materialism of Georgetown's main drag, M Street, behind and head north up the hill to Montrose Park for tennis courts, swings, and a tiny boxwood maze. The Lovers' Lane on the west edge of the park leads to Dumbarton Oaks, the famed private estate where the foundations of the United Nations were negotiated in 1944. Now a research institute of Harvard University, the house is open for tours of its impressive Byzantine and pre-Columbian collections as well as its formal gardens. 1703 32nd St. NW; +1 202 339 6401.

Looking to flee the bump and grind crowd that clogs Adams Morgan's 18th Street each weekend? Dive into Pharmacy Bar. The simple, dim bar has Hoergaarden on tap, serves tasty snacks, and boasts a Ms. Pacman arcade table and a jukebox full of indie tunes. Their bay window overlooks the hustle of AdMo. 2337 18th St. NW; +1 202 483 1200.

Paul Martin, Senior Editor

The Kennedy Center? Sure, it's a world-class showcase of musical and theatrical talent, but be prepared to pay dearly and possibly end up a football field away from the action onstage. A cozier alternative is the Folger Theatre, an intimate, Elizabethan-style performance space located in the venerable Folger Shakespeare Library, on Capitol Hill. Last winter we had season tickets with third-row seats—literally within spitting distance of the stage (if you've ever sat close to the stage in live theater you'll know that "spitting distance" is a fact, not a metaphor). Before the show or during intermission, you can browse the Library's public display of rare books and shop in the bookstore. The theater specializes in Renaissance plays, which sometimes feature live period music. And ticket prices are a fraction of what you pay at the Kennedy Center. 201 East Capitol St. SE; +1 202 544 4600.