In nightlife parlance, we sometimes call it dressing to the nines:  short skirts, low-cut tops, sport jackets, fancy shoes, copious amounts of make-up and cologne. Male or female, there is an art to getting dressed for a night on the town. But more often than not, the "nines" starts out fun and adventurous at 11 p.m. but by the wee hours of the morning you're sporting a $200 beer-stained shirt and limping home in your four-inch heels.

Let me be frank: when it comes to the "nines," I am a no-nonsense kind of girl. Do I enjoy dressing up every now and again? Absolutely. But there are also some of us who, when given the chance, would rather spend an evening dressed to about the "twos": Chucks and a t-shirt, nursing a wallet-friendly PBR, and playing darts in a bar that probably does not meet health codes. I'm talking the cash-only, no-website, gender-imbalanced and male-heavy establishments we've come to know and love as dives. In Boston, there are more than a few - probably enough to outnumber the swanky, high-end martini bars of the world, but not all shabby establishments are created equal. Here are a few of the seediest, strangest, and most noteworthy dives in the Greater Boston area.

The Tam
222 Tremont
St.Chinatown/Theatre District

Bordering the sketchy outskirts of Chinatown on one side and the class of the Theatre District on the other, the dark green and inexplicably named Tam is just a stone's throw from Boston Common. Clad in all manner of Budweiser paraphernalia - calendars, drink specials, neon lights - the bar can get a healthy crowd of college students, working-class guys, and anyone from any walk of life on a Friday night. Multiple televisions are visible from the lengthy bar as well as additional plastic high tops, the kind that attach to the wall and are common in cafeteria-style dining. Though the Tam doesn't serve food, these tables tend to attract groups of patrons looking to chat and enjoy the musical styling of the bar's jukebox  (a dive essential.) Further inspection also reveals a dark corner in the back illuminated only by the screens of Ms. Pac-Man and Big Buck Hunter. Behind the bar is a well-placed paper-and-Sharpie sign that sums up both the booze availability and overall philosophy of the establishment:  "What you get is what you see." A little backwards as far as the saying goes, but truthful nonetheless.

Cantab Lounge
738 Massachusetts Ave.
Central Square
(617) 354-2685
www.cantab-lounge.com

If there is anywhere you can feel comfortable past midnight in Central Square, it's the Cantab. A small, cozy space not far from the Red Line, the Cantab has gained acclaim over the years for its laidback atmosphere and live music. The perfect place for aspiring musicians and music enthusiasts alike, the Cantab offers cheap drinks and a nice view of the makeshift stage, one that has seen both local and national stars - national bluegrass stars, that is. The Bluegrass Jam on Tuesday nights often brings in a sizable crowd and is one of my personal favorites. Do I like bluegrass? Of course not. But the band, a rotating group of banjos and fifty-something musicians, cycles through the stage all night, providing a soundtrack to these casual evenings. And when the musicians aren't playing, they're sitting right beside you, shooting the breeze and having a drink, enjoying the music of their fellow music-makers just as much as you are. The entire night is, in fact, one big, friendly get-together that has the potential to turn you into a fan of strange, twangy music you never thought to appreciate.

TC's Lounge
1 Haviland St.
Back Bay
(617) 247-8109

TC's Lounge reminds me of hanging out in someone's basement. That is, of course, if I knew somebody who kept candy dispensers, a claw machine full of porn, and a collection of rude signage in the nether regions of their house. Low-ceilinged and a little cramped, TC's is just small enough to feel comfortable but still big enough to be a real bar. Located down an alley off Mass. Ave., the cash-only establishment offers a more spacious set of tables near the bar, which is decorated with phrases such as "Don't Be a Dick" and the ever-pleasant "If I Wanted to Hear From an A-hole..." (I'll let you finish that one with your imagination). Further back, TC's proves its ability to utilize every inch of its close quarters by throwing several tables in a tiny nook and decorating every inch of the walls and ceiling with Polaroids from the ‘90s and old beer ads. While it may be a tight squeeze, TC's is a fun-filled time, home to a younger crowd in their 20s and 30s. By the time you've sat down, rubbed elbows, breathe and been breathed on by everyone within a five-foot radius, you'll relax, unwind, and embrace the closeness of the atmosphere. I would kill for a basement like this.

 Drinking Fountain
3520 Washington St.
Jamaica Plain
(617) 522-3424

On a quiet street punctuated by gas stations and car dealerships, the Drinking Fountain is your average working-class suburban dive. With potato chips ($0.75) and gum ($0.35) for sale, and "X-rated martinis" advertised via finger paint, you wouldn't think much of it at first. But Drinking Fountain has its own personal touch, with more Keno cards and half-sized golf pencils than you can shake a stick at, not to mention a pool table that stays busy throughout the night. What's more, everyone is remarkably friendly. I've been to a dive or two in my day where both the staff and the customers make you feel about as welcome as shit on their shoes, but in the strange microcosm that is Jamaica Plain everyone is infectiously pleasant. At one point I  accidentally mistook the woman behind the bar for a bartender (silly me), only to have her reply, "Oh no, I'm just the Keno lady. But don't worry, I'll get that for you, no problem." I can't think of anything more welcoming than the Keno lady serving up a beer. At the end of the day, there's no place I'd rather be than playing pool, swilling PBR, and pondering what exactly is in an X-rated martini.

Silhouette Lounge
200 Brighton Ave.
Allston
(617) 254-9306

As you may already know, you can't swing a dead cat in Allston without hitting a dive bar. They're everywhere in the neighborhood, coming out of the woodwork like garbage, rats, and college kids. But only a precious few of these establishments really make a trip down the Green Line worthwhile, including the Silhouette Lounge. Voted Best Dive Bar in 2009 by Boston Magazine, Silhouette, on the corner of Allston St. and Brighton Ave., is decorated with murals of Greats long past:  James Dean, Muhammad Ali, Snoopy. Inside, the crowd is a mix of young professionals and working-class guys. There is free popcorn available - let it be known that free food is always a plus - and, for the small price of holding your ID, darts can be rented for the back room, where a set of dartboards lines the wall opposite the bar, which has a tiny service window so that you don't have to loop back around to get yourself another $7 pitcher of PBR. The décor is pretty standard and unremarkable:  Christmas lights and neon beer paraphernalia, rock music in the background, and a faint scent of B.O. but for some reason, Silhouette just functions so well that you can't help but think of it as a classic go-to dive.