Yeah, you're not gonna escape that unless you live in a super-nice part of town. And even then, you have to leave that part of town eventually.
As for vodka, I'm not sure what's "ladylike" about drinking it straight, but at least you can have it, right? Also, long island iced teas are pretty good, if you get them mixed properly. If you drink one with too much of one ingredient, they can be pretty bad.