Vancouver Nightlife
Nightlife in Vancouver has recently undergone a revival when new licensing laws were introduced allowing clubs to stay open for longer.
The best way to start a night out on a visit is to head to one of the city's microbreweries, especially as most clubs do not open until 10pm. Granville Island and Island Lager are both renowned for their German-style lagers and warm atmosphere. Although they can get busy over the weekend, they are the best way to get geared up for a night out.
The strip clubs of Vancouver are also well worth checking out as a first stop on a big night out. In recent years, they have become popular with women as well as men, meaning they don't have such a sleazy image. The Cecil, on Granville Street, is popular with locals and those visiting the city alike, while Brandi's, on Hornby Street, is a little more upmarket.
When it comes to clubbing properly, downtown Vancouver is the first place to stop and especially Granville Street, but the places to find the more original nights out are the city's districts away from the centre.
One of Vancouver's biggest clubs is the Roxy. It manages to draw in big crowds by not being pretentious, playing quality rock music and having a good selection of live bands. The Roxy is also popular with Vancouver's A-list – which mainly includes ice hockey players and a few rock stars.
If the mission for the night out is to dress up and join Vancouver's cool and beautiful people, the club to head to is The Element Sound Lounge. Behind the velvet ropes at the entrance hides the city's best martinis and space to lounge and look hip or dance the night away.
Granville Street's The Stone Temple nightclub gets crowds in by offering a more relaxed atmosphere –with the dress code being wear what you want - and cutting edge music across three rooms and two bars. The sound system demands you dance the night away and shake your booty till you drop.
Sonar, in the north east of downtown Vancouver, started life as a bastion of electronica but over the years it has let a few live bands through its doors. The choice of DJs is one the best in the city and with music being high on most people's priorities the crowd is always up for a good time, and is not bothered by very much else. Strangely, Sonar also has a great selection of food on offer to get the crowd through the night with pizza, sushi and fruit all available depending on the night.
The Commodore Ballroom, also on Granville Street, this year celebrates its 75th anniversary. The 1920s art-deco dance hall, complete with chandeliers, rightly claims to be one of Canada's greatest venues – hosting David Bowie, The Clash, U2, Nirvana, Blondie and The Village People in its long history.
Today the Fabulous Commodore, as it sometimes known, still manages to attract some of the world's biggest names in rock and as a nightclub it has in recent years built up a solid reputation for good music.
|
Nightlife
