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Because of the lingering recession, Wall Street meltdown and home foreclosures, many of us will be glad to see 2009 receding in our rear view mirrors. On December 31, some will welcome the new year at home with family and friends; others will head for a favorite neighborhood restaurant, hotel or pub. Following is a brief (by no means complete), rundown of New Year’s Eve options–many of them musical–in or near the vibrant neighborhoods of U St./Shaw, Logan Circle, and the U street corridor. Plus one family-oriented fete across the Potomac river.
Washington DC’s two Busboys and Poets (2021 14th St. NW, 202-387-7638) and at Mount Vernon Square (1025 Fifth St. NW, 202-789-2227), plan a gala, progressive New Year’s Eve: “One Nation under a Groove.” Time: 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tickets are $65 in advance, $75 at the door. Admission includes open bar, substantial appetizers, a top notch band, DJs, champagne toast and a free “party bus” to shuttle guests between the two participating restaurants. For more information and to purchase tickets go to www.busboysandpoets.com.
Across the street from the original Busboys and Poets is Eatonville, 2121 14th St. NW.
The latest spinoff of Busboys and Poets, Eatonville is named after a Florida town best known as the hometown of Harlem renaissance playwright Zora Neale Hurston. This bright new hotspot is doing New Year’s up right, with two dinner seatings, along with a lively jazz band. Details were not available at press time, so call 202-332-9672 or go to www.eatonvillerestaurant.com for details. I’ve had lunch here recently, and chef Rusty Holman’s upscale, Southern-style cooking is dynamite.
Veddy British Commonwealth Gastro Pub, the British-themed restaurant at 1400 Irving St. NW, is ringing in the new year in true British fashion with a Vicars & Tarts party. Chef de Cuisine Abigail Fellows’ three-course menu, will be served from 5 to 8 p.m. Price: $45. At 9 p.m., the pub will transform to a fancy dress party with prizes for the best costumes, a complimentary champagne toast and dancing to top British hit tunes. Along with cocktails, beer and other beverages, Commonwealth’s regular pub menu will be offered until midnight. Commonwealth will reopen at high noon on New Year’s Day, with its popular mimosa brunch. Call 202-265-1400 or visit www.cwgastropub.com.
Nightlife
In the heart of the vibrant U Street area, the hot spot Black Cat nightclub is throwing its annual New Year’s Eve Ball. Starting at 8 p.m., Peaches O’Dell and Her Orchestra will play “swing era” tunes on the club’s main stage, while DJs spin CDs on the smaller, back stage. Admission is $25. The Black Cat is located at 1811 14th St. NW; call 202-667-4490 or visit www.blackcatdc.com
In nearby Shaw, the 9:30 Club will present retro-soul stars Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings and the “retro garage soul of Fitz and the Tantrums. Action gets underway at 9 p.m., and tickets are $55 each. The 9:30 club is at 815 V St. NW; call 202-265-0930 or www.930.com.
Family fun
Here’s something fun for the whole family: Alexandria is hosting a booze-free New Year's Eve. Forty Old Town indoor venues will host live music, with children’s activities starting at 5 p.m. followed by other entertainment at 6 or 7 p.m. Free DASH shuttles and the King Street Trolley will transport participants along King Street. At midnight, a spectacular fireworks show will welcomes 2010 at the George Washington Masonic Memorial, 101 Callahan Drive. First Night tickets are $12 per person if person purchased online before Dec. 26; slightly higher if bought later. Children under age 12 are free. Free parking is available at various locations. For more information call 703-746-3299 or visit www.firstnightalexandria.org.
New Year’s Day
And... something culturally enriching to start the new year: The H St. Playhouse/Theater Alliance, 1364 H St. NE, presents “Black Nativity,” an Afro-centric view of Christmas, written by Langston Hughes in 1961. At director Stephawn Stephens DC debut, the audience is encouraged to participate in the play’s joyful gospel music. Although there is no Dec. 31 performance, you can catch the Jan. 1 show at 8 p.m. For tickets call 202-399-7993.
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