The Rules...

...for surviving the night in Adams Morgan.
1. Be prepared to drive around for 45 minutes, carefully navigating the spiderwebs of back streets searching for a parking spot. Pay attention to street names and directions you walk and you weave your way back to the main street. YOU WILL GET LOST when you leave in an altered state (and don’t trust your friends because they aren’t paying attention).

2. Be ready to stand in lines to get into overflowing bars and clubs. These are apparently elite establishments that cater to the “it” crowds…since they’re always at capacity. And if you have group, you’ll wait forever to get everyone in.

3. After a night of being packed in like sardines, top it off with a slice of heaven. Pizza by the slice (and by slice I mean plateful) is sold every 10 feet. It is the almost perfect end to an evening of insanity.

4. Remember, it is commonplace to walk down the middle of the street when exiting the bars and searching for your midnight snack. Literally. Feel free to join the herds and hoards of people walking like sheep down the middle of the street. Don't worry. The cars won't hit you. You outnumber the cars 5000:1. Besides, real-life Frogger is fun...but only if you've had some pizza.

Note to self: Try these. Stand in the middle of an intersection to hail the one cab that has already passed you. OR knock on the window on the second floor of a building in hopes of attracting the attention of someone below on the sidewalk. Sure, people will hear you.