Where does the South Side rank among drinking districts? (Pittsburgh: per square foot, live in)

[ferraris]

I've always wondered how East Carson and the South Side as a whole compares to other cities in the country (or world even) as a drinking destination.

I have not found anything similar in Manhattan, where you would expect it. Las Vegas has the Strip and Fremont street, but it is a bit of a special case. I haven't been to Bourbon St. in New Orleans, but that is the only street/district that comes to mind when thinking of American drinking districts.

I had never heard of Carson Street before coming to Pittsburgh. Obviously many cities have hot zones for night life, but how many can compare to sheer scale of Pittsburgh's South Side's night life?

(also, I've heard quite a few people say that it is the highest concentration of alcohol serving establishments in the country/world, which sounds absurd to me, but I would love to see any ranked lists of this sort)

[mckeesport_alum]

Nothing better than Beale St in downtown Memphis on a Saturday night. Lived there for 3 years. Now live in SS :-).

[Aqua Teen Carl]

I've heard a bunch of things such as the South Side having the highest amount of bars per square foot in North America. Not sure if that's true or not. Only place I've seen comparable is Temple Bar in Dublin (the district not the bar itself) but even that couldn't compare to the sheer number of bars on Carson.

Personally I don't go down there to drink very often, it's way too expensive. Last weekend I bought 3 drafts at Fatheads and it cost me $18 bucks.... ridiculous.

[ctoocheck]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

Personally I don't go down there to drink very often, it's way too expensive.

That all depends on where and what you drink!

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by mckeesport_alum

Nothing better than Beale St in downtown Memphis on a Saturday night. Lived there for 3 years. Now live in SS :-).

Beale Street music brings you here

It doesn't look quite as extensive as the south side, but that all depends on the quality of the places and what atmosphere/price range you are looking for. It definitely is #1 on my list of things to do in Memphis if I ever go down there now. (I didn't have a list of things to do in Memphis before this, by the way )

[sr1234]

Most cities have a drinking district. Austin is built around one.

[airwave09]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

I've heard a bunch of things such as the South Side having the highest amount of bars per square foot in North America. Not sure if that's true or not. Only place I've seen comparable is Temple Bar in Dublin (the district not the bar itself) but even that couldn't compare to the sheer number of bars on Carson.

Personally I don't go down there to drink very often, it's way too expensive. Last weekend I bought 3 drafts at Fatheads and it cost me $18 bucks.... ridiculous.

Do you not see the irony in stereotyping the place with the highest number of bars per square foot in America due to your experience at just one of those bars?

[rr61]

Originally Posted by ferrarisnowday

I've always wondered how East Carson and the South Side as a whole compares to other cities in the country (or world even) as a drinking destination......
...........
(also, I've heard quite a few people say that it is the highest concentration of alcohol serving establishments in the country/world, which sounds absurd to me, but I would love to see any ranked lists of this sort)

What I read , and believe to be true, is that Carson St has a larger number of consecutive blocks with at least one bar/club than any street in the country.

[BrianTH]

I suspect this is one of those ranking issues where it really depends on your definitions.

But just speaking from personal experience, whereas I've been other places with lots of bars in close proximity, I'm not sure I have been anywhere with such a long stretch of bars. I'm not sure that really means anything (I guess it helps you keep your pub crawl organized, particularly in the latter stages), but it wouldn't surprise me if some sort of claim related to that was true.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by rr61

What I read , and believe to be true, is that Carson St has a larger number of consecutive blocks with at least one bar/club than any street in the country.

That seems quite believable. Do you know where you read it?

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I suspect this is one of those ranking issues where it really depends on your definitions.

But just speaking from personal experience, whereas I've been other places with lots of bars in close proximity, I'm not sure I have been anywhere with such a long stretch of bars. I'm not sure that really means anything (I guess it helps you keep your pub crawl organized, particularly in the latter stages), but it wouldn't surprise me if some sort of claim related to that was true.

It also allows your crawl to be unplanned. You just go to Carson and have at it, sure there are a few bars off carson if you are so inclined, but there is no need for initmate knowledge of the street grid. In a place like Manhattan, there might be a big cluster of bars/clubs, but you have to know where you're going (in my experience).