Oakland Nightlife
Oakland has so many bars, clubs, and lounges that it would be possible to go to a different one every night for an entire year. Luckily there's also a wide variety in the type of establishments, so even on a year-long tour boredom would be a rare feeling. And regardless of venue, prices tend to be relatively cheap for drinks and entertainment in comparison to other cities around the Bay and elsewhere.
The city isn't far from wine country, but beer is the star at many of the bars around Oakland. Quite a few bars have dozens of beers on tap and more in the bottle, and that doesn't just include the stereotypical pub - there are lots of fun fusion-type bars that have a pub feel but retro music, for instance, or a beer garden that has delicious wood-fired pizzas. Or look further to find some bars with a truly unique theme, like Hawaiian luau-style or a renovated old fishing cottage turned into a riff on a nautical theme.
Another common type of nightlife establishment is the small club/bar with cheap drinks and hard-rocking local bands or quick-spinning DJs that have yet to hit it big. And even if the venue is the current "place to be", the best thing about Oakland clubs is that the pretension that can be so common at a hip club is almost always absent.
If bars and clubs aren't your scene, there are also music venues that are less booze, more art. With comfortable couches and creative decor and artwork, these places are the best for a relaxing evening with good tunes - drinking optional. Other options include popping into one of the several funky old independent movie theaters around town, enjoying a concert or performance at the classic, recently renovated Fox Theater, or checking out the art/indie music combinations on display at places like the Lobot Gallery.
The city isn't far from wine country, but beer is the star at many of the bars around Oakland. Quite a few bars have dozens of beers on tap and more in the bottle, and that doesn't just include the stereotypical pub - there are lots of fun fusion-type bars that have a pub feel but retro music, for instance, or a beer garden that has delicious wood-fired pizzas. Or look further to find some bars with a truly unique theme, like Hawaiian luau-style or a renovated old fishing cottage turned into a riff on a nautical theme.
Another common type of nightlife establishment is the small club/bar with cheap drinks and hard-rocking local bands or quick-spinning DJs that have yet to hit it big. And even if the venue is the current "place to be", the best thing about Oakland clubs is that the pretension that can be so common at a hip club is almost always absent.
If bars and clubs aren't your scene, there are also music venues that are less booze, more art. With comfortable couches and creative decor and artwork, these places are the best for a relaxing evening with good tunes - drinking optional. Other options include popping into one of the several funky old independent movie theaters around town, enjoying a concert or performance at the classic, recently renovated Fox Theater, or checking out the art/indie music combinations on display at places like the Lobot Gallery.
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