Entertainment venues — that’s the topic today for What I like about Washington, DC.   There are now so many different options in the greater Washington, DC area for people that want to go see concerts, musicals, plays, operas, comedians, poets, etc.

When one thinks of going to see a play a musical, play, ballet, etc the one venue that comes immediately to mind is the Kennedy Center, a world-class venue.  They have a robust schedule offering a variety of options throughout the year.  But, there’s much more in DC, including the beautifully renovated Arena Stage, the classic Warner Theatre, the wonderful new Harman Theatre – which is home to the Shakespeare Theatre, the historic Ford’s Theatre, the Source Theatre, DAR Constitution Hall  and the old stand-by, the Lincoln Theatre.

In terms of concerts, the largest indoor venue is the Verizon Center.   There’s also the Patriot Center at GMU, the Lisner Auditorium at GWU and one of the favorite venues for locals — the 930 Club.

For fans of outdoor venues, the three big ones in the DC are Merriweather Post Pavilion, Wolf Trap and Jiffy Lube Live (known in the past at Nissan Pavilion).   Merriweather brings back memories since I used to drive there regularly when I as intern for Q-107 Radio — where my job was to drive the “Party Van” there to dispense free t-shirts and RC Cola!

In terms of jazz venues, one of my favorite clubs in entire country is the famous Blues Alley in Georgetown.  That is a must-see place to attend a cool, jazz gig.  Nothing is better or more intimate.  Other jazz spots are Bohemian Caverns and the new Bayou DC (different than the legendary Bayou which used to be located on K St in Georgetown – what memories)!

The DC Improv is the one comedy venue that comes to mind.

So, for anyone looking to have some fun in DC this summer, as you can see, there are many, many options in the Washington, DC area.