5 ms·

I wonder why the "young adult nightlife experience" feels so stagnant. I like going to the occasional upscale cocktail bar, but in general spending Friday or Sa

I wonder why the "young adult nightlife experience" feels so stagnant. I like going to the occasional upscale cocktail bar, but in general spending Friday or Saturday night in a crowded bar or club is not my idea of a fun thing to do. What is the alternative for more introverted people? Stay home? I went to Copenhagen recently and on a Friday night came across a big coffee/beer+wine place with lots of tables/sofas that was packed with people drinking beer and playing board games. It seems like such an obvious concept/nightlife alternative for people who don't want to stay home but don't want to go to a loud bar. Doesn't seem to exist in the U.S. as far as I know.

swarnie_ 9y ago
18-21 seems alive and well in the UK but we do have a very odd night life drinking culture. I found once people get to their 3rd and 4th years of university they can see "Real life" on the horizon and the awful 3am kebab shop behavior largely stops. Like you've described pub culture is quite popular for the 25-40 bracket. Somewhere you can meet and socialise which is like being at home without pounding music and £8 drinks
- dasil003 9y ago
  As an American who lived in London from age 34-37, I loved the pub culture because it allows one to get outside and have a couple drinks with colleagues at a reasonable hour and still be home for dinner with the family. Also, cask ale much easier on my stomach than super cold and carbonated lagers.
wlesieutre 9y ago
If you're ever in Seattle https://www.moxboardinghouse.com https://www.moxboardinghouse.com
itsmillertime4u 9y ago
We got them all over the DC area, and they are mostly microbreweries. Most don't serve food since they don't have a kitchen or a license for that, but they often times have food trucks outside where you get your snacks.
Guest9812398 9y ago
I think there are lots of options. 1. Board game venues. They're becoming more popular, and yes, they exist in the US. I would be surprised if there wasn't one in any major US city. 2. Escape rooms. I think there are at least 50 in my city. They're literally everywhere if I search on Google Maps. 3. Cafes. If you're looking for something low key, you should be able to find some cafes with some hot wine, snacks, and couches for relaxing with friends. 4. Pubs. You can search for one with pool or darts if you feel like doing an activity while having casual drinks. 5. Meetups/Couchsurfing events. If you want to get together with a few dozen random people, there are usually events on both of these sites. 6. Rooftop or outdoor movie venues. They're a nice change from the usual movie theater if you want something a bit different. 7. VR experiences. These are starting to pop up as well. They have a bunch of rooms with headsets, and TVs showing what the person with the headset is seeing. So, you rent a room with friends, one person is playing, others are watching on the TV. Or, there are VR experiences where everyone puts on a headset, and you run around a VR warehouse playing together. 8. Lots of random activities that have existed for ages, like bowling, ice skating, go-karting, etc. 9. If you want very low key just go to a big book store, get a coffee, and read some books. In short, I don't think the "young adult nightlife experience" is stagnant, and I think it's probably more interesting than ever before, with lots of alternatives to clubs or loud pubs.
- dawhizkid 9y ago
  Outside of a pub (which is a bar?) none of these places would typically be open on a late Fri/Sat. I think there's plenty of opportunity to reinvent the nightlife experience in a way that hasn't been done yet. Hopefully in a few years you can decide between a bar, club, or ____ at 12am on a Friday night. The idea of being sandwiched in the middle of loud drunk sweaty people in a place where I can barely hear what someone else is saying and waiting 20m to get the attention of a bartender to pay $15 for a well drink makes me cringe.
  - Guest9812398 9y ago
    > Outside of a pub (which is a bar?) none of these places would typically be open on a late Fri/Sat. How late are you talking about? I'm looking at the weekend hours now in my city. Board game venues: 2AM. Escape rooms: Midnight - 1AM. VR: Midnight Meetup/Couchsurfing: I've been out to 5AM. Rooftop/outdoor movies obviously don't start until after dark, and then they usually serve alcohol, so people hang out and have drinks after. Bowling: 2AM
dilap 9y ago
i feel this. (in SF.) i think it's extra bad here in SF because most people have really small apts, so not great for getting a group together at a house. end up in kinda-shitty over-priced bars. meh. (there's probably cooler places/things going on and i just haven't discovered them. maybe?)
- GuiA 9y ago
  There are a few niche venues, but overall yeah I agree with your assessment. One compounding factor is that public transportation in SF has terrible coverage, stops early, and just kind of sucks all around. In Tokyo or Paris, spending the night with a friend who lives a few kilometers away is not a problem. In SF, if you live in the mission and your friend is in the sunset, you’re probably not going to hang out together that often. There’s Lyft/Uber, but they’re a bit pricey, and you’re just contributing to a slimy system and not doing anything to help public transit.
  - zghst 9y ago
    It depends on the person not the neighborhood. Uber/Lyft is not a luxury in SF, you can get most places for under $15, not to mention you can split the cost with others when you travel. Transit is horrible but if you live by BART, it’s 1,000,000% better. Train to where you’re going and Uber back home for $10.
    - GuiA 9y ago
      $15 is expensive! I can cover a 40 mile stretch of land in Tokyo using public transit for about $5. And I'll be supporting a transit company that serves the entire community, instead of an SF startup that is abusing contract workers. I live right next to BART in the mission, and that doesn't help me when I want to hang out with my friends in the sunset. Even if I'm just going to go to a nearby neighborhood, say the Castro or Hayes Valley, it's just faster to walk than think about taking public transit. I love walking so I don't really mind all that much, but for a major world city, that's kind of ridiculous.
- Apocryphon 9y ago
kodt 9y ago
There are places in the US that offer that type of experience, as well as several other alternatives to crowded noisy bars. Although it could be location dependent on what your options are.
draw_down 9y ago
I'm introverted too, but it really feels like a cop-out to use that as a reason not to do something. I recognize that my default position of "not doing stuff" is worth pushing against a bit. And whenever I do a lot of social stuff (that is, what I consider a lot), I then spend some more alone time. I think it would be a real shame if I had avoided doing a lot of the things I did when I was younger, because "I'm an introvert".
djhworld 9y ago
> I wonder why the "young adult nightlife experience" feels so stagnant. I'm wondering if financial pressures play into this, student loans, saving for a downpayment in a property market that's accelerating away from you, ballooning rents, health insurance, saving for retirement etc
blhack 9y ago
I think there is a transition from a focus on consumption to a focus on creation. At least in my city (Phoenix), there are plenty of arts-focused, small parties happening in warehouses, art galleries, etc.
- CASHforGOLD 9y ago
  God damn hipsters...
pwaai 9y ago
> What is the alternative for more introverted people? Stay home? Come on now. There's literally FUCKTONS of stuff to do on your own. I had this existential crisis when I realized how shitty Vancouver nightlife is and that it was never going to get better. Here's a list of stuff that I'm working on alone, even in the most boring city in the world. It's a combination of high adrenaline activities with quiet solitude mixed in. - Ride a motorcycle - Ride a seaplane - Ride a regular plane - Ride a boat and do stuff on it - Snowboard & Ski - Play jazz piano at a bar/cafe (bore other people to death!) - Buy a cheap island, attempt PrimitiveTechnology or Proenneke. Bring kindle
- magic_beans 9y ago
  Aren't you cool.
  - sctb 9y ago
    Would you mind posting civilly and substantively or not at all, please? https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- passivepinetree 9y ago
  Can you elaborate more on "buy a cheap island"? Do you mean actually purchase land? Have you done this? Where are the cheap islands I can buy?

swarnie_ 9y ago

18-21 seems alive and well in the UK but we do have a very odd night life drinking culture. I found once people get to their 3rd and 4th years of university they can see "Real life" on the horizon and the awful 3am kebab shop behavior largely stops. Like you've described pub culture is quite popular for the 25-40 bracket. Somewhere you can meet and socialise which is like being at home without pounding music and £8 drinks

dasil003 9y ago
As an American who lived in London from age 34-37, I loved the pub culture because it allows one to get outside and have a couple drinks with colleagues at a reasonable hour and still be home for dinner with the family. Also, cask ale much easier on my stomach than super cold and carbonated lagers.

wlesieutre 9y ago

If you're ever in Seattle https://www.moxboardinghouse.com https://www.moxboardinghouse.com

itsmillertime4u 9y ago

We got them all over the DC area, and they are mostly microbreweries. Most don't serve food since they don't have a kitchen or a license for that, but they often times have food trucks outside where you get your snacks.

Guest9812398 9y ago

I think there are lots of options. 1. Board game venues. They're becoming more popular, and yes, they exist in the US. I would be surprised if there wasn't one in any major US city. 2. Escape rooms. I think there are at least 50 in my city. They're literally everywhere if I search on Google Maps. 3. Cafes. If you're looking for something low key, you should be able to find some cafes with some hot wine, snacks, and couches for relaxing with friends. 4. Pubs. You can search for one with pool or darts if you feel like doing an activity while having casual drinks. 5. Meetups/Couchsurfing events. If you want to get together with a few dozen random people, there are usually events on both of these sites. 6. Rooftop or outdoor movie venues. They're a nice change from the usual movie theater if you want something a bit different. 7. VR experiences. These are starting to pop up as well. They have a bunch of rooms with headsets, and TVs showing what the person with the headset is seeing. So, you rent a room with friends, one person is playing, others are watching on the TV. Or, there are VR experiences where everyone puts on a headset, and you run around a VR warehouse playing together. 8. Lots of random activities that have existed for ages, like bowling, ice skating, go-karting, etc. 9. If you want very low key just go to a big book store, get a coffee, and read some books. In short, I don't think the "young adult nightlife experience" is stagnant, and I think it's probably more interesting than ever before, with lots of alternatives to clubs or loud pubs.

dawhizkid 9y ago
Outside of a pub (which is a bar?) none of these places would typically be open on a late Fri/Sat. I think there's plenty of opportunity to reinvent the nightlife experience in a way that hasn't been done yet. Hopefully in a few years you can decide between a bar, club, or ____ at 12am on a Friday night. The idea of being sandwiched in the middle of loud drunk sweaty people in a place where I can barely hear what someone else is saying and waiting 20m to get the attention of a bartender to pay $15 for a well drink makes me cringe.
- Guest9812398 9y ago
  > Outside of a pub (which is a bar?) none of these places would typically be open on a late Fri/Sat. How late are you talking about? I'm looking at the weekend hours now in my city. Board game venues: 2AM. Escape rooms: Midnight - 1AM. VR: Midnight Meetup/Couchsurfing: I've been out to 5AM. Rooftop/outdoor movies obviously don't start until after dark, and then they usually serve alcohol, so people hang out and have drinks after. Bowling: 2AM

dilap 9y ago

i feel this. (in SF.) i think it's extra bad here in SF because most people have really small apts, so not great for getting a group together at a house. end up in kinda-shitty over-priced bars. meh. (there's probably cooler places/things going on and i just haven't discovered them. maybe?)

GuiA 9y ago
There are a few niche venues, but overall yeah I agree with your assessment. One compounding factor is that public transportation in SF has terrible coverage, stops early, and just kind of sucks all around. In Tokyo or Paris, spending the night with a friend who lives a few kilometers away is not a problem. In SF, if you live in the mission and your friend is in the sunset, you’re probably not going to hang out together that often. There’s Lyft/Uber, but they’re a bit pricey, and you’re just contributing to a slimy system and not doing anything to help public transit.
- zghst 9y ago
  It depends on the person not the neighborhood. Uber/Lyft is not a luxury in SF, you can get most places for under $15, not to mention you can split the cost with others when you travel. Transit is horrible but if you live by BART, it’s 1,000,000% better. Train to where you’re going and Uber back home for $10.
  - GuiA 9y ago
    $15 is expensive! I can cover a 40 mile stretch of land in Tokyo using public transit for about $5. And I'll be supporting a transit company that serves the entire community, instead of an SF startup that is abusing contract workers. I live right next to BART in the mission, and that doesn't help me when I want to hang out with my friends in the sunset. Even if I'm just going to go to a nearby neighborhood, say the Castro or Hayes Valley, it's just faster to walk than think about taking public transit. I love walking so I don't really mind all that much, but for a major world city, that's kind of ridiculous.
Apocryphon 9y ago

kodt 9y ago

There are places in the US that offer that type of experience, as well as several other alternatives to crowded noisy bars. Although it could be location dependent on what your options are.

draw_down 9y ago

I'm introverted too, but it really feels like a cop-out to use that as a reason not to do something. I recognize that my default position of "not doing stuff" is worth pushing against a bit. And whenever I do a lot of social stuff (that is, what I consider a lot), I then spend some more alone time. I think it would be a real shame if I had avoided doing a lot of the things I did when I was younger, because "I'm an introvert".

djhworld 9y ago

> I wonder why the "young adult nightlife experience" feels so stagnant. I'm wondering if financial pressures play into this, student loans, saving for a downpayment in a property market that's accelerating away from you, ballooning rents, health insurance, saving for retirement etc

blhack 9y ago

I think there is a transition from a focus on consumption to a focus on creation. At least in my city (Phoenix), there are plenty of arts-focused, small parties happening in warehouses, art galleries, etc.

CASHforGOLD 9y ago
God damn hipsters...

pwaai 9y ago

> What is the alternative for more introverted people? Stay home? Come on now. There's literally FUCKTONS of stuff to do on your own. I had this existential crisis when I realized how shitty Vancouver nightlife is and that it was never going to get better. Here's a list of stuff that I'm working on alone, even in the most boring city in the world. It's a combination of high adrenaline activities with quiet solitude mixed in. - Ride a motorcycle - Ride a seaplane - Ride a regular plane - Ride a boat and do stuff on it - Snowboard & Ski - Play jazz piano at a bar/cafe (bore other people to death!) - Buy a cheap island, attempt PrimitiveTechnology or Proenneke. Bring kindle

magic_beans 9y ago
Aren't you cool.
- sctb 9y ago
  Would you mind posting civilly and substantively or not at all, please? https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
passivepinetree 9y ago
Can you elaborate more on "buy a cheap island"? Do you mean actually purchase land? Have you done this? Where are the cheap islands I can buy?