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Yes, West Coast nightlife closes early. 2 am is bar time in all major cities (except Portland, where it's 2:30).
However, despite that shortcoming, nightlife on the West Coast is actually pretty awesome. There are thriving bar scenes, great clubs, and excellent nightlife districts throughout. West Coast nightlife has a funky, quirky edge that I absolutely love.
So - with that - I've included several options in this poll. The parameters are two nightlife districts from each of the five major metro areas (North to South): Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Obviously a lot of good ones will have to be left out due to those parameters - vote other and reply as to which one is your favorite if I left your favorite out.
The order of the poll choices is simply listed from North to South. Also, to clarify, I've included neighborhoods that seem to attract a broad crowd and offer more variety, not as niche. Thus, areas primarily catering to a certain community (e.g. Pacific Beach in San Diego geared towards bros, nightlife areas around universities catering primarily to students, gay nightlife neighborhoods catering primarily to gay people, etc.)
I'll leave the criteria as fairly vague, depending on what kind of nightlife you like (bar scene, nightclubs, etc.) but vibrancy, dense clusters of nightlife establishments and variety should be considered as positive traits.
Hollywood and West Hollywood can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. For example, there is the Sunset Strip, which is a sort of past-its-prime music district, the Santa Monica Blvd gay district, Guitar Row along Sunset with several dive bars and more music venues, Hollywood Blvd with its sleazy and decidedly "basic" club scene, Franklin Village's hipster row, Melrose Avenue, and Santa Monica Blvd with its semi-industry club scene and indie theater district.
One nice thing about Los Angeles' "spread out" design is that many neighborhoods have their own nightlife center. The negative is that it is expensive to get from one area to another without a car, but Lyft and Uber have sort of revolutionized that. Now it is inexpensive and quick to get between these nightlife zones.
If you want a true pub-crawl, I think San Francisco would have the best neighborhoods.
Hollywood and West Hollywood can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. For example, there is the Sunset Strip, which is a sort of past-its-prime music district, the Santa Monica Blvd gay district, Guitar Row along Sunset with several dive bars and more music venues, Hollywood Blvd with its sleazy and decidedly "basic" club scene, Franklin Village's hipster row, Melrose Avenue, and Santa Monica Blvd with its semi-industry club scene and indie theater district.
One nice thing about Los Angeles' "spread out" design is that many neighborhoods have their own nightlife center. The negative is that it is expensive to get from one area to another without a car, but Lyft and Uber have sort of revolutionized that. Now it is inexpensive and quick to get between these nightlife zones.
If you want a true pub-crawl, I think San Francisco would have the best neighborhoods.
Agreed about SF being the best, but Seattle and Portland also have some good pub crawl neighborhoods.
Polk St is a good mile of bars
Mission/Valencia are two parallel streets in what is probably the single most vibrant residential neighborhood on the W Coast
North Beach as was mentioned, though while many visitors/tourists have probably been here and been impressed, it's probably not top 3 in SF
Chestnut St in the Marina
The Castro and Market St from Church to Castro
Haight Street
SoMa in SF is huge as well...has several of its own areas and a hugely diverse scene leaning more towards club than neighborhood watering hole
But for late night clubbing (well past 2 into the sunrise, big dance clubs), probably the most "concentrated" area on the W Coast is either Hollywood Blvd in LA or SoMa in SF.
People who don't know better always criticize the W Coast for having an early last call. But these people are either not aware that the fun doesn't stop, or they've just never been out to the W Coast. The nightlife in LA and SF is pretty hard to beat in this country, and only a couple places come to mind that do.
People who don't know better always criticize the W Coast for having an early last call. But these people are either not aware that the fun doesn't stop, or they've just never been out to the W Coast. The nightlife in LA and SF is pretty hard to beat in this country, and only a couple places come to mind that do.
Can you explain more about how the fun doesn't stop? Are you referring to places that illegally continue to serve liquor or legal after hours clubs where they stop serving at 2am?
Can you explain more about how the fun doesn't stop? Are you referring to places that illegally continue to serve liquor or legal after hours clubs where they stop serving at 2am?
There are after hour places that don't serve alcohol and underground parties that do (which are illegal).
Anyways, despite what anon elitist said, the west coast is very weak with nightlife when it compares to the east coast. NYC, Miami, New Orleans are easily some of the more exciting places for nightlife in the USA along with Las Vegas.
Atlanta, Chicago and a handful of others get honorable mentions.
There are after hour places that don't serve alcohol and underground parties that do (which are illegal).
Anyways, despite what anon elitist said, the west coast is very weak with nightlife when it compares to the east coast. NYC, Miami, New Orleans are easily some of the more exciting places for nightlife in the USA along with Las Vegas.
Atlanta, Chicago and a handful of others get honorable mentions.
SF or LA can compete with NYC in terms of partying.
And the combo of SD and Vegas could take on New Orleans and Miami any day.
So I don't think "very weak" is the right term.
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