FRIDAY >> The legendary Patti Smith is at the 9:30 Club tonight, and tickets are incredibly still available for $25. Doors at 9, show at 10 p.m. >> The idea of attending a lighting display, particularly after Christmas, might sound a bit cheesy. But the Garden of Lights in Wheaton might just change your mind. The designer tours the county gardens each year for inspiration for his display; this year, it invokes the four seasons….

Transformer isn’t the only gallery putting on its little black dress and collecting alms for art these days. Those of you with a little cash in hand, looking to fill your civic duty by supporting the arts and partying the night away have two more bashes to choose from. Tonight, put on your dancing shoes and swing over to the Corcoran for ArtCentric 2006. The annual event features live music, performance art, and an auction…

In a summer of high-profile restaurant openings, the handlers of Urbana — the new restaurant inside the new Hotel Palomar just west of Dupont Circle on P Street — don’t want their charge to get lost in the crowd. And so, last night, they hosted a flashy preview of their eatery to get the word out about the restaurant that replaces the old Gabriel restaurant in the former Radisson-Barceló. Hotel Palomar is a link in…

Despite our lack of a W, D.C. sure has its share of fancy-shmancy boutique hotels. And that’s predominantly because of the Kimpton Group, who operate six hotels in D.C. — their second largest metropolitan hub after their headquarters in San Francisco. As Metrocurean says, the Kimpton Group has done a great job taking ugly D.C. buildings and transforming them not only into swank hotels, but also spaces with fun bars/lounges and fine dining. And now…