We heard from an Uber customer who got a bill for more than $500 after using the luxury car service on New Year's. more ›

The luxury cab service Uber raised its rates significantly on New Year's, much to the frustration of some customers who did not expect the company's "surge pricing." more ›

Your guide to New Year's Eve and a few other events going on around the region this weekend. more ›

A selection of New Year's Eve events to ring in 2012, including Drive-by Truckers at the 9:30 Club, a '80s themed event at the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse, a classy bash at the Newseum, and more. more ›

Deciding where to ring in the New Year is an annual dilemma. Finding something fun and fabulous that sets the right tone for the impending twelve months can be stressful. But don't despair! Whether your priorities are good food, entertainment, music, dancing or just spending time with the one you want to kiss, we've rounded up a number of picks to guide you. We've separated out a few especially intriguing options, and neatly categorized the rest. Our best advice, regardless of where you decide to party down: buy tickets soon -- these events tend to sell out. more ›

Just to add some more fuel my "most giant, expensive New Year's Eve parties tend to really blow" fire, another reader shares a message sent to attendees of the "20s & 30s Going Out Group" NYE party that took place at the Harman Center for the Arts. About 600 people paid between $70-$99 to attend this open-bar, black tie optional event, which got shut down early after a couple 911 calls, a little destruction of property, and half a dozen fist fights caused the venue to kick the group out. The party's hosts expressed a lot of regret about how the whole thing went down ... but aren't offering any refunds just yet. Letter below the jump; reader reviews of the party can be found here. more ›

We've been entertaining ourselves this morning by reading through the surprising number of emails we received over the past several days letting us know about the epic failure that apparently was the New Year's Eve party hosted by LateNightShots dudes Fritz Brogan and Reed Landry. It's not at all surprising, mind you, that this particular party, formally dubbed "New Year's Eve at the National Building Museum," was a huge flop. Rather, we're surprised by the number of folks who wrote in to DCist about it, as though this is something we'd be shocked by. Don't get us wrong, the fact that anyone paid $100 (or more!) for tickets to a giant, impersonal New Year's Eve party that ended up being no fun makes us kind of sad, but surely these boneheads had to know what they were getting into. more ›

For the procrastinators and cheapskates in the audience, we recommend the following inexpensive New Year's Eve options: more ›

A New Year's Eve concert to be hosted in D.C. by 30 Rock and SNL veteran comedian Tracy Morgan has been canceled, Live Nation spokesperson Robert Muller confirmed today. Tickets went on sale in October for the event, billed as the "New Year's Eve Countdown with Tracy Morgan," which was to have been held at the Warner Theatre. Live Nation promised more details on the cancellation later today, so we'll be sure to update with any details on how ticket holders may get refunds, etc., when we know more. more ›

For those of you staying in the city all through the holidays, here's how it's going to work on Metro, via today's press release from WMATA: more ›

We're frankly mostly of the mind that New Year's Eve is best spent at a house party with good friends -- going out to a club is almost always overpriced and often a big letdown. But in the event you don't have a party to attend, are new in town, or for any other reason are facing tonight without a firm plan, here's a few of our suggestions on how to have a fun and not too expensive evening at the last minute. more ›

Good morning, Washington. With a new year less than 24 hours away and an improbable playoff berth for the Redskins suddenly a reality, we frankly expect you to have been skipping in to your offices today, in a total and joyous rapture. Even if you've had to work straight through the holidays this year, we will tolerate no whining on this, or really any other matter, on this particular New Year's Eve. There will be only good cheer and winning humor today. Got that, D.C.? That is all. more ›

FRIDAY more ›

Believe it or not, it’s that time of year…. again. A time to sit back and reflect, but also to look to the future. But speaking in wine terms, it’s the time of year to pick out that bottle (or bottles) of bubbly to ring in the New Year. As much as we love our champagne, vintage champagne no less, it’s not always the practical choice. Unless you plan on not drinking what so ever before midnight, so that you can fully appreciate an expensive bottle of fizz, we suggest looking to sparkling alternatives. In this final 2007 edition of Buyin' Oeno, we’ll look into why champagne can be so expensive, but also splash into what other more reasonable options are out there. more ›

Good morning, Washington. The week surrounding the holidays is almost always a certifiably slow news period, so you can bet good money every local media outlet in the country is shamefacedly relieved to be able to find their own angle on the terrifying fatal San Francisco Zoo tiger attack. Sister site SFist has the roundup of Bay Area coverage, and the Examiner steps up to the plate with the D.C. version of the story -- the National Zoo is "prepared to finetune safety protocols." Phew! More scintillating post-Christmas reporting below. more ›

>> Beginning tonight, piano legend Ahmad Jamal (pictured with bassist James Cammack) continues his annual tradition of closing each year with a week-long residence at Blues Alley. Daily 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. sets begin tonight and run through Sunday. Tickets are $30 + $12.50 surcharge/drink minimum. On New Year's Eve, the Keter Betts memorial band, which includes celebrated guitarist Paul Bollenback and local drumming ace Lenny Robinson, will join Jamal to ring in 2008 with 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. sets. Information on the New Year's packages is available here. more ›

Be sure to make a note of Metro's holiday schedule, which is available on WMATA's web site. more ›

Just one night after the Season Opening Night Gala hosted by Washington National Opera, another set of patrons (and the critics of the Baltimore Sun and Washington Post) came together to fill the Kennedy Center Concert Hall to open the National Symphony Orchestra's season on Sunday night. In terms of funds raised, it was the most successful opening ball in the NSO's history, according to Stephen Schwarzman, Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Blackstone... more ›

If you're lucky enough to have your mom or grandma somewhere easily accessible, then you have the distinct pleasure of celebrating Mother's Day with the real McCoy. As for me, I'll have to settle for a teleconference with my mom while eating pancakes shaped like Mickey Mouse that I'll pretend she made for me. Sniff. I love you, Mom! more ›

First of all, this is another suburban restaurant review, so let’s just get that out of the way. Second, yes, we went to the steakhouse and got the chicken. Third, this is a time of upheaval for Ray's the Classics, so we can’t make any promises. Executive chef Michael Hartzer left after New Year's Eve to do his own thing (though we presume that, of course, had absolutely nothing to do with much beloved owner Michael Landrum). We also read about an unfortunate staff walkout the day after we dined there. Hmm. more ›

The holidays are over. We're as sad to report it as you are to hear it, because next week, for the first time in over a month, we have to work a full five days. Some of you who had less lenient schedules may be primed to tell us to quit our whining. Those of us who spent the past month stringing together vacation days and holidays to make a patchwork of leisure time punctuated... more ›

Sunday. Usually, a quiet, contemplative day in the Blogosphere. But not here in the Ist-a-Verse. Nonono! Just look below and see all of the wild and crazy stuff our staffs are up to. In Austin, bands are beginning to confirm for SXSW and the rumor mill is up and running. Good thing, too, because we all know how much Austinites love live performances. Austin also found itself in the national spotlight, with Longhorn Legend... more ›

As we enter the final stretch-of-the-pants holiday eating season, perhaps we all feel a little tight in the trousers, but apparently not as much as the chatters last week over on TomChat offering their inane advice on what a poor patron who has undergone gastric bypass surgery should tell a waiter who wonders why so much of a meal has been left on the plate. The discussion dominated last week's last-of-the-year chat, thus crowding out any serious discourse on holiday cocktails or the pros and cons of dining out on New Year's Eve. more ›

In all honesty, it's tough to wholeheartedly recommend going out on New Year's Eve at all. We love the spirit of the holiday, but paying around $100 a person for a regular night of dancing dressed up with champagne is enough to make anyone feel like a schmuck. It's a safe bet most of us at DCist will be hitting various house parties to ring in the new year with friends at a more reasonable... more ›

We know you're itching to get your perfect New Year's Eve plans in place, and we'll have a few suggestions for those of you still unsure what to do for the big night later in the day. But first a few of friendly reminders: Just like on Christmas Eve, D.C. liquor stores will in fact be open on Dec. 31 thanks to an amendment put in place by the D.C. Council to make exceptions when Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve fall on Sundays. Plus! Metro will run until 2 a.m. on Sunday night, and get this, last call isn't until 4 a.m. for one night only. For real. So don't fret: You will be able to purchase and consume insane amounts of alcohol with little interference from the pesky D.C. Government on New Year's Eve. Unless of course you choose to get behind the wheel -- and no DCist reader would do that, would they? Because you all already know about SoberRide. As a reminder, just call 800-200-8294 (TAXI) from a D.C., Maryland or Virigina phone number, and you can arrange for a free taxi of a fare up to $50 (though of course, it might take a while on New Year's Eve). more ›

This year has proved to be quite a ride for D.C.'s commuters, travelers, and residents. There were highs: record ridership, the Yellow Line extension (scheduled for Saturday!), the rollout of NextBus, Tangherlini's arrival. There were lows: MetroAccess troubles, worker fatalities, Virginia politicians, Tangherlini's departure. And of course, there was more traffic. more ›

Jazz a la Count Basie seems an unlikely choice for the Black Cat. Yet, for more than a decade, Peaches O’Dell and her Orchestra have been swinging D.C. revelers into the next year. The bandleader is the subject of a special holiday edition of Three Stars. Even the most talented dance band can take a mental backseat to counting steps or following spins. The magnetic O’Dell is an exception to this rule — and several... more ›

Good morning, Washington. As you may have heard, former President Gerald Ford passed away yesterday. The Post has all of the currently available details, as well as the detailed obituary you would expect. Moussaoui Barriers To Remain In Alexandria: The Post reports on a story near of particular interest to us. Alexandria resident Jim Savage has been trying to get rid of the allegedly-temporary security barriers that were placed around the town's courthouse for the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui. Now that the trial has concluded, the barriers should presumably be removed. Perhaps unsurprisingly, officials disagree, and they now say that the barriers will be replaced with permanent versions. We suppose it's best to let the experts make the call, but we still can't help despairing at the idea of D.C. and its suburbs being permanently disfigured by the last half-decade's (admittedly understandable) invasion of jersey barriers, bollards and poorly-placed planters. Introducing The Singing Cabbie: NBC4 warns us to keep an eye out for Diamond Cab number 555. Manned by Ricky Celdran, passengers in the taxi are treated to performances of songs from the driver's repertoire of about thirty tunes. We can't tell if this would be fantastic or horrifying. Has anybody run into Mr. Celdran? Fatal End To Standoff With Reservist: The standoff between Maryland police and an army reservist has ended tragically, according to the Post. James Emerick Dean had barricaded himself in his father's house after receiving news that he would be headed to Iraq. The authorities were called, the situation escalated, and Dean was ultimately shot by a sheriff's deputy. Briefly Noted: Fundraising going well for Fenty's inaugural party... Virginia DNA review project not going so well... Man rescued in Rock Creek Park... Seriously, don't thaw pipes with a blowtorch... New condos planned for top floor of building housing soup kitchen... No blue laws on New Year's Eve, either... This Day In DCist: One year ago we reviewed Wicked and celebrating some Washington sports victories.. Two years ago we brought news of Wegmans and covered an MMORPG with a local connection. Image posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user christaki more ›

By DCist contributor Amy Monroe As any D.C. dweller knows, it’s not so easy to buy a sixer, a 750, or a fifth on Sunday within city limits. The District’s Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Association restricts holders of Class A Licenses -- a.k.a. any store that sells wine, beer, and liquor for off-premises consumption -- to sales between the hours of 9 a.m. and 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday. So what of those years, such as... more ›

At this point in December, people looking to hear a concert are probably only looking for a performance of Handel's Messiah or Holiday Concerts, and we have already dealt with both of those. Since there is not much else to mention, this will be your Classical Music Agenda until the New Year. There are a few things to hear, so hang in there. We will be back on January 7. >> The year's final free... more ›