Nightlife for the Masses

New York City: The city that never sleeps. The city that’s home to 10,000 restaurants, bars and clubs. The entertainment capital of the world. How could a city like Detroit compare to that? Well folks, it does and then some.

As it turns out, there is fun to be had in Detroit (and not just 8 Mile Strip Club fun, although there’s plenty of that to go around.) The elements are all here: low-key bars, swanky lounges, cheesy clubs, but it’s the vibe that makes the city standout. There’s no pretense on Saturday night. It’s all about having fun.

In the time I’ve lived in Detroit, I’ve never come across a velvet rope or a snide doorman. With the rare exception of the bar that caters to the underage drunken hook up (Woody’s anyone?), everyone is welcome at all places. Take Boogie Fever, for example. Sure the club, which plays an assortment of 70’s and 80’s music, is a bastion of pure cheese, but through the smoke clogged dance floor you find hipsters grooving side by side with bachelorettes, soccer moms and frat boys. Is it ironic? You bet. But it’s also a ton of fun.

And that’s what’s missing in NY: fun for the sake of fun. The venues are gorgeous and the drinks are delicious, but its certainly not fun standing in line for an hour just to have the high school dropout doorman deride you for wearing last season’s coat. Or, to confidently march past the line, arrive at the door and discover a $30 door charge and a minimum two-bottle limit to secure a table. It would seem that just “getting in” is what makes a Saturday night fun in NY.

Of course, I’ve limited my discussion to only the crème de la crème of NYC bars and clubs. On any block in any neighborhood you can find a hidden gem with nary a doorman in site. The type of bar that boasts a burlesque show in the backroom and a pool table in the front. A bar, that for all intents and purposes, is just about having fun. And that’s when you realize Detroit and NYC don’t seem so different after all.