Just one month ago our team of 35 assembled in Atlanta, GA to tirelessly and selfessly promote the dreams of a little NGO in a big ol' world. Friends flew all the way from Sweden, Thailand, Japan, Ireland, Scotland, Cambodia, Honduras, England, Venezuela, Jamaica, etc. to make use of the passion we share for people and places of the world. We translate, research, write reports, and occasionally mingle with current and former Presidents (and take Thai Chi classes with their wives (!!)). Monday-Friday we try our hardest to wage peace. fight disease. build hope.

Then the weekend comes and we become seduced by big beats, hit streets southern hospitality. We've developed a rather healthy routine of "sinking beers" and discovering all the wild that happens between the hours of 12-6AM in hotlanta.

Here's the 1st Round Low-down on how to Throw-down in Atlanta *on a budget:

1. Manuel's Tavern: A two minute walk from the Carter Center, this neighborhood bar is a hotspot for bleeding heart liberals. Former President Jimmy Carter announced his run for governor of GA at Manny's making it the haven for minority Georgia Democrats, especially on election nights and during primary debates (go early for a table!!). Manny's serves a delicious array of appetizers and sandwiches including my favorite: foot long steak fries. If you're a beer lover you'll be happy with the extensive list of draft and bottled beers, including locally brewed Terrapin and Sweetwater 420. Casual, cheap, friendly -- can't get better than that.

Manuel's Tavern 602 N. Highland Ave Atlanta, GA

2. Decatur Social Club/Azul: I'm pretty picky about my dance spots, but DSC came close to hitting 6 stars. Decatur is a small neighborhood east of Atlanta with tons of cool shops, restaurants, and bars. With a surplus of entertainment venues, Decatur residents know the only place to really shake booty on Friday night is DSC/azul. Early birds get in free until 12:00 and the party starts shortly after. DSC has a pretty talented bartending staff, but what you'll find most appealing about this tiny bar is its' side dance room, where big DJs always pump it until 4 in the morning. Beware: If you are claustrophobic, this might not be your idea of fun. The dance room is probably 10 feet wide and 50 feet long. A hundred or so dancers pack themselves into that tiny space and sweat it out for hours at a time. No booty grinding here: just plain ol' poppin', lockin', and droppin'. My kind of stuff!

141 Sycamore St. Decatur, GA

3. Masquerade: This place happened by mistake - not the construction of it, but the visitation of it by 15 of us at 2 in the morning. After several hours of house partying, someone got the nifty idea that we should go dancing. The nearest place happened to be Masquerade, i.e. Sketchy. We showed up and felt pretty bummed about the techo room with one 40 year old guy spinning around. Then someone pointed us to the greatest hits section, where we promptly started a massive takeover of the club to the tune of THE CURE. We shook it out 'till 3 in the morning, and even then it was because they shut us down. I imagine Masquerade is not generally fun. I only recommend this place if you're already t-rashed. $3 cover charge.

696 North Ave NW Atlanta, GA

4. Moondogs: DO. NOT. GO. HERE. unless you're a. looking to hook up with underage college peeps or b. staying at hotel nearby without transportation. We happened to be in category B so we stupidly headed to Moondogs on a Friday night. The place was absolutely crammed with wasted frat guys and tanning bed freaks. Trying to dance without a sudden pelvic thrust from a random drunkee is almost impossible at Moondogs. If you go, do the 15 person + thing like we did and you'll have a decent time. It's all about the drinks anyway.

3179 Peachtree Rd Atlanta, GA

5. Sundial Restaurant at the Westin Hotel: I don't know why it took me 5 years to finally visit this place. Take a ride up 73 stories at the 2nd highest hotel in the world to dine and wine at the Sundial Restaurant. The views are surprisingly incredible. If you want to make this affordable, take a FREE ride up the glass elevator and dine off of the lunch menu. Prices are somewhat reasonable for the experience, with sandwiches and main dishes ranging from $12-20.

210 Peachtree St NE Atlanta, GA