NIGHTLIFE NIGHTLIFE NIGHTLIFE NIGHTLIFE NIGHTLIFE NIGHTLIFE NIGHTLIFE NIGHTLIFE NIGHTLIFE

Baltimore nightlife may seem to lack the glitz and glamour of every other major U.S. city, but there are still some gems that are likely to become your favorite place to go on a Friday night. It's definitely worth shelling out a few dollars for the cab fare to leave the monotony of campus and check out these Charm City bars and clubs.

the brewer's art

Ask anyone about The Brewer's Art and they're guaranteed to sing its praises. Located in Mount Vernon near Penn Station, this place manages to perfect every feature of a quality bar, right down to having specialty beers brewed on site. As you can imagine, Brewer's Art places an emphasis on its ridiculously extensive selection of beer, though it also has a decent wine menu and serves standard mixed drinks and hard liquor.

Brewer's also has a fantastic general atmosphere -- with two levels, lots of tables, corner booths and couches, the only time you'll get uncomfortably close to an unwanted stranger is when you're weaving your way to the bar. There isn't a dance floor (which is a good thing in my book), and the music is better than the typical top 40 hits and misses.

The friendly, laidback crowd at Brewer's tends to be moderately hip, definitely intellectual twenty-somethings. The conversations you'll have will be more meaningful than "Dude, I was so wasted last night." You'll see at least a dozen people wearing thick-rimmed eyeglasses and, if you really luck out, you might even run into a Hopkins TA.

red maple

Chic is the first word that comes to mind when thinking about Red Maple. The lights are really dim, the music is rhythmically exotic and the drinks are fancy (think of the kinds of cocktails the characters on Sex and the City would order). Aside from being a lounge at night, Red Maple also boasts being a tapas restaurant in the early evening, serving dishes like Saigon Lettuce Wraps and Lamb Mini-Burgers.

The crowd at Red Maple tends to be a little older, often with men wearing the same business suits they donned earlier at the office, but you'll never feel intimidated. There's a small dance floor, complete with people playing Conga drums on Saturdays along to the beat of the DJ's music choices. Different nights at Red Maple have themes and the dance music reflects them, such as Thursday "Boogaloo" nights, when salsa and mamba tunes practically force you to shake your moneymaker.

Another unique feature of Red Maple is that it has glass doors which lead to an open porch in the back of the club. It's a very good idea to make use of this porch when things get a little bit too steamy for you on the dance floor, or if you want to have a conversation that doesn't require having to shout over the blaring music.

thirsty dog

Pizza and beer are one of the best combinations in the world, and Thirsty Dog masters them both. As one of Federal Hill's many establishments, you could start the night at Thirsty Dog and go on from there, but why bother leaving? Famous for its two mugs of beer for $3, Thirsty Dog even manages to appeal to people aren't fans of malt beverages, with its interesting flavors of beer (Blueberry, Peach and more).

It can be tough to snag a booth to sit at with your friends on a busy night, so risking looking like a nerd by getting there early is worthwhile, since balancing your two-for-one mugs is rather difficult to accomplish when standing elbow-to-elbow in the crowd. The staff at Thirsty Dog goes above and beyond the usual friendly service, which adds to the fun, casual atmosphere. True to its name, Thirsty Dog is also a "dog-friendly" pub, so bring Fido along for some weekend fun.

sonar

Sonar boasts the most universal appeal for nighttime entertainment. As a concert venue, dance club, lounge and bar, it's generally allows all ages for entry but, of course, you have to be 21 to drink, so it's a perfect option for underclassmen. The bands that play at Sonar range anywhere from DMX (Oct. 14) to Broken Social Scene (Nov. 6), so at least one of the acts coming up in the next few months should suit your tastes.

The dance nights at Sonar are perfect for people whose idea of getting their groove on doesn't include grinding with strangers. On the usual Friday night TaxLo party, quality DJs spin Arctic Monkeys, Devo and 50 Cent, back to back, which makes for some eclectic dancing. On TaxLo nights, the happy hour at Sonar is an incredibly good deal.

The crowd at Sonar falls into hipster-ish and indie territory -- if you think musicians are hot, you'll be happy to learn that most of Sonar's patrons have that look down. But even if your style borders more on the preppy side, you should have no trouble feeling comfortable in Sonar, as it is a place where pretty much anything goes.