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The Clubs of Vancouver
People like to get
l oose on the dance floors of Vancouver's many clubs.
Host
City of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games!
With a mix of Hollywood chic, cool hangouts
and live music,Vancouver's many nightclubs keep downtown lively after
dark.
Most clubs don't open until after 10 and they close at 2. The dress
code is mildly casual to upscale.
Even the beer servers
get crazy at The Roxy.
Clubs
 Vancover's
top bar/club is The Roxy (Granville Ave.). It's not fancy and
even a tad rustic. But it's long been the city's top nightlife spot
because, frankly, it's just a kickass rock and roll club. The Roxy often
features top Canadian bands as well as hot local acts. People pack the
place nearly every night and go there to get crazy. Casual dress is
welcome. It was the favorite spot for the late Greg Moore, an international
car racing star from nearby Maple Ridge. Greg knew how to have a good
time, so trust his taste in clubs.
The Element Sound Lounge (located at the bottom of the
Georgia Hotel) is the only free-pour club in town, meaning it does not
use those automatic dispensing guns that we despise so much. Best of
all, drinks are poured by flashy London bartender Oran Feild, who flips
glasses behind his back in a show that's almost as good as his cocktails.
 The
bar (pictured) itself attracts Vancouver's "beautiful people"–
models, actors/actresses and others in a warm, comfortable setting.
The Sound Lounge has a dance floor with DJ, tables and couches on a
slightly elevated platform for relaxing and mingling. Owner Sam Wainwright
is heavily involved in Vancouver's entertainment scene and makes it
clear that while he caters to the upscale crowd he wants to do so in
a very hospitable style. In other words, don't be afraid of the doormen.
It's a few steps from Au, Vancouver's most discriminating club.
Velvet ropes and largebouncers check the crowd before letting them inside.
This is a true "see and be seen" club.
Local celebrities like Voda (across from the public library
on Georgia Street in the Westin Grand Hotel). It attracts the stock
market crowd and is especially upscale. Tuesday is Salsa night; funk,
house and more music is spun by a DJ other nights. Ginger 62 and
Crush are two super-hot clubs attracting lots of attention.
Subi's is big on weekends with the young, hip crowd. Bin
941 (Davie Street) is a loud, sexy bistro for the late 20's crowd.
It's largely a place to impress a date but singles like it, too. It
has a sister establishment in Kitsilano called Bin 942..
On Thursday nights, Bar None in Yaletown is one of the most
popular place in town. It's a large, open bar with couches and dancing..
Unfortunately, it's hip-hop culture has taken away what was once a vibrant
mingling scene.
A good call for a fun-filled Tuesday or Thursday is to start out with
drinks and dinner at the Yaletown Brewing Company – a lively
spot in its own right – then walk across the street to Bar None.
Then again, disco dancers wildly perfer Tuesdays at The Commodore.
The place is totally packed but Tony, the extra cool bald doorman,
might let you past the line up if you're in proper disco attire. The
est of the time the Commodore gets GREAT bands – Pearl Jam, David
Wilcox, and WideMouthMason just to name a few.
The Shark Club (Georgia and Beatty streets) is appropriately
named, because it's full of land sharks as well as prey. It's especially
busy when hockey games are on TV and on Saturday nights. The Shark Club
has tables for stalking victims and a dance floor to move in for the
kill. Another dance club is The Plaza.
By day, Legend's Grill and Tap Room is just what its name indicates.
By night, however, this large, high-ceilinged pub turns into a club.
It's Latin nights on Thursday and Friday are popular.
For music of a more mellow tune, The Purple Onion in Gastown
features live jazz. It also has a dance club in the back of the bar.
Also in Gastown is Shine, a trendy club that looks like "Clockwork
Orange" – all white and glossy.
Strip Clubs
While PubClub's focus is on pubs and clubs where patrons provide much
of the entertainment, in Vancouver we must give proper attention to
the strip clubs. That's because this city is quite famous for such establishments.
Here, beautiful girls take it all off and there is full bar service.
Plus, strip clubs here attract women as well as men, so it's not just
a hangout for guys.
By far the most popular such spot is The Cecil. Located behind
a run-down hotel at the end of Granville Street, Cecil's is a relaxed,
casual club very popular among locals and savvy travelers. The girls
are said to be among the best looking in town, but others argue in favor
of can only be found at Brandi's (upstairs at 595 Hornby Street,
kind of an interesting street name for a strip club to be located).
Brandi's has hosted the Backstreet Boys among other celebrities. Right,
Ben Afleck!? Brandi's has a more upscale clientele than does Cecil's.
After Hours
There is some after-hours action but its very secretive and pretty
must restricted to a select group of locals. It's not impossible to
receive an invitation to join someone, though. Befriend a local in the
know or a bartender and obtain the address; usually it's a private house
party.
 Next
stop on the Party Bus: Post Party
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