[Drazen]

In the Valley, I like Firefly on Ventura Blvd. There are some rotating clubs/lounges within a block or two of that place but most aren't as good talentwise. Its a restaurant with a bar/library area where its pretty easy to start up conversation.

There are a few bars more towards Sherman Oaks, bad ratios, more sports vibe but ok talent. Laurel Tavern, but its always packed when I go is gastropub esque. Mad Bull Tavern as well.

[capote]

I need a similar list for Paris...any volunteers?

[speakeasy]

(09-10-2012 03:03 AM)PartyonBro Wrote:  

In the Valley, I like Firefly on Ventura Blvd. There are some rotating clubs/lounges within a block or two of that place but most aren't as good talentwise. Its a restaurant with a bar/library area where its pretty easy to start up conversation.

There are a few bars more towards Sherman Oaks, bad ratios, more sports vibe but ok talent. Laurel Tavern, but its always packed when I go is gastropub esque. Mad Bull Tavern as well.

I live very close to mad bull tavern. Hate the crowd. Very much typical valley clientele. There's another spot called spitting chicken or something like that a few doors down. You been? Unfortunately the valley just lacks the more sophisticated venues like you have over the hill. Valley nightlife just sucks through and through.

[Drazen]

Yeah, I haven't been to the Valley much since they started the construction. Even then, it was pretty sporadic, I just had a buddy that lived there, but he got married so don't really hit the bars there that much anymore. I also hear the Happy Hour at Gyu Kyaku is good though.

[8ball]

Allright, good points all around guys. Where are the places that cater to the weaknight crowd? I mean, if a guy has time on his hands and wants to go out, monday, tuesday night etc...where would he go? And how are the ratios and talent in those places?

In addition, i'd like to point out that there seems to be a logistics issue in this town (or collections of towns) and while you guys might have found a way to circumvent this it would be greatly appreciate it if you would share how. I only speak of a logistics problem in comparison to other cities. It seems numbers and even dates dont mean a whole lot. Are ons/same night bangs achievable through the weeknight venues consistently?

[dandylion]

Is it easier in LA? In the respect people are generally more liberated?

Vegas only seemed easy in the respect of picking up an average chick. It seemed like the "hot chicks" were either with high rollers or escorts.

[Basil Ransom]

(09-10-2012 07:43 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  

(09-10-2012 03:03 AM)PartyonBro Wrote:  

In the Valley, I like Firefly on Ventura Blvd. There are some rotating clubs/lounges within a block or two of that place but most aren't as good talentwise. Its a restaurant with a bar/library area where its pretty easy to start up conversation.

There are a few bars more towards Sherman Oaks, bad ratios, more sports vibe but ok talent. Laurel Tavern, but its always packed when I go is gastropub esque. Mad Bull Tavern as well.

I live very close to mad bull tavern. Hate the crowd. Very much typical valley clientele. There's another spot called spitting chicken or something like that a few doors down. You been? Unfortunately the valley just lacks the more sophisticated venues like you have over the hill. Valley nightlife just sucks through and through.

Speakeasy, I heard about Xen opening in Studio City. http://losangeles.grubstreet.com/2012/09...-city.html

Don't know anything about it.

Also, Tower 42 is opening in Playa Del Rey, September 19.

[Basil Ransom]

Just saw this yesterday:

Quote:

Winston's in West Hollywood to be Reborn as Sixty Six

Winston's, once a West Hollywood hot spot, has fallen off the map for quite some time now. However, original owners Andy Fiscella and Chris Huvane plus new partner Yasha Blackman will "very soon" relaunch the space as Sixty Six, a 1960s-inspired retro bar with a European feel. The exact launch date is still tbd, more to come.

I was in this joint a couple months ago, 'joint' being the operative word here... right when I stepped in, I smelled some freshly toked weed. Never experienced that in a bar before or since. The place was mostly black, with a few Hispanic, Asian and white (wannabe black?) people. Kind of ghetto, but not to the point of being dangerous. I only recall hearing hip-hop there. It's a good example of the 'nightclub lifecycle' theory from that Hollywood promoter blog... and a funny example of how a place can 'fall off the map' despite being packed, because it's not full of SWPLs.

I've also noticed that bars that play lots of old school 90's rap tend to have relatively relaxed open crowds. Thinking of the Whaler and Barcopa in particular, and I'm sure there are others.

[speakeasy]

(09-14-2012 11:38 AM)basilransom Wrote:  

Just saw this yesterday:

I've also noticed that bars that play lots of old school 90's rap tend to have relatively relaxed open crowds. Thinking of the Whaler and Barcopa in particular, and I'm sure there are others.

That's indeed true. Other examples would be Zanzibar, the Firecracker in Chinatown, The Room in Santa Monica. I don't see fights at these type of places and everyone is pretty cool. Playing Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul doesn't attract your trouble maker crowd, tends to be people genuinely looking to dance and have a good time, not posturing.

If they're playing the type of rap you hear on Power 106, then you better have a shank if you want to make it out alive. As a rule of thumb, any club that you see patting people down at the entry is a spot you don't want to be. I went to the Down and Out bar at the Alexandria Hotel downtown. They pat people down. The crowd doesn't seem bad enough to necessitate it, which is weird. It's a pretty diverse mix of people including a lot of hipsters.

[Basil Ransom]

(09-14-2012 02:17 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  

(09-14-2012 11:38 AM)basilransom Wrote:  

Just saw this yesterday:

I've also noticed that bars that play lots of old school 90's rap tend to have relatively relaxed open crowds. Thinking of the Whaler and Barcopa in particular, and I'm sure there are others.

That's indeed true. Other examples would be Zanzibar, the Firecracker in Chinatown, The Room in Santa Monica. I don't see fights at these type of places and everyone is pretty cool. Playing Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul doesn't attract your trouble maker crowd, tends to be people genuinely looking to dance and have a good time, not posturing.

If they're playing the type of rap you hear on Power 106, then you better have a shank if you want to make it out alive. As a rule of thumb, any club that you see patting people down at the entry is a spot you don't want to be. I went to the Down and Out bar at the Alexandria Hotel downtown. They pat people down. The crowd doesn't seem bad enough to necessitate it, which is weird. It's a pretty diverse mix of people including a lot of hipsters.

Nice list. Also The Brig in Venice, though that place can get a little bridge and tunnel-ish as the night goes on. These places tend to be genuinely diverse, with all major races are represented. Though in my time at The Brig, Whaler and Barcopa, I didn't see many black girls hanging out there.

The Mayan downtown is one of those dicey joints. And a joint in Hermosa Beach, Zen Lounge, got shot at by Crips.

[Drazen]

The Dime on fairfax across from Canters, depends on the night I think. one of my friends DJs there and does 90s stuff. there's a party called AFEX that's monthly that's all old school hip hop. http://www.facebook.com/AFEX2.0

[speakeasy]

(09-14-2012 03:13 PM)basilransom Wrote:  

The Mayan downtown is one of those dicey joints. And a joint in Hermosa Beach, Zen Lounge, got shot at by Crips.

I've walked by The Vault (promoted by Power 106)and I bet the Mayan doesn't even come close to the ghetto bullshit there.

The Yelp reviews are comical:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-vault-night-...os-angeles

[kerouac]

(09-14-2012 05:45 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  

I've walked by The Vault (promoted by Power 106)and I bet the Mayan doesn't even come close to the ghetto bullshit there.

The Yelp reviews are comical:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-vault-night-...os-angeles

HAH. The first one that popped up was pretty funny.

Quote:

My motto for any nightclub, "DRINK UP and GET YOUR ASS ON THE DANCE FLOOR!" Unlike Asian places, people here are more willing to dance with other people. You don't get the "I am here with my boyfriend" when they clearly or not and I am asking to dance not marriage or the old "I am a lesbian"...we both like to dance with woman so what's the problem? If you don't want to dance, stay home and sleep. Otherwise, DANCE, NOW!

Aside from that, I have to chime in that LUX in Hollywood is pretty S.h.i.t. The worst places are always the ones that try to bring Vegas to LA. First they brought LA to Vegas, and now Vegas is trying to bring that shit back. It's not going to work. I mean, it will work, business wise, because there are plenty of people of a certain "character" willing to go to these places, but it doesn't have the LA vibe that I and many others yearn for. Then again, almost nothing on Fridays and Saturdays around here does.

[Basil Ransom]

Stopped by the Whaler and James Beach in Venice this weekend.

James Beach - has the vibe of a Manhattan Beach bar, and not in a good way. I left long before it peaked, maybe it got better. But the ratios sucked, the girls seemed a little insular and confined to their friends, especially the younger girls in the back bar. Didn't seem like girls come there to fuck. The crowd was mostly white, the girls seemed vaguely stuck-up.

Whaler - sweaty trashy sausage-fest, unpretentious crowd. Some of the girls radiate a DTF vibe, and the back top patio is cool. Had a chick who wanted to get on my nuts, but she wasn't my type. I would've abandoned her, but it was so crowded and hard to operate that I just talked to her for awhile to perhaps hang and fuck her friends later or something.

[8ball]

Hit up the Edison and Library bar last night. The ratio at the edison was not so bad, but when i was there people were still eating and the women did not look like they were receptive to company. The quality was also not what I expected for LA standards although the guy at the door did his best to allow in a very fashionable crowd. The library bar was a more down to earth crowd. But a huge sausage fest. Also, I found the fact that it was very small hard to operate. Only talked to one girl there and truth be told it would have been very hard to talk to more, since there was just no where else to go apart from the bar or the sofas.

The night before hit up a bunch of places in Hollywood, including the boulevard room club. No guest list, spur of the moment thing, the guy let me in. As I walked into the few rooms of the place i realized why, simply the fuglyiest collection of women i'd ever seen here to date at any place (including Zanzibar in santa monica).

[Veloce]

(09-23-2012 05:09 PM)8ball Wrote:  

Hit up the Edison and Library bar last night. The ratio at the edison was not so bad, but when i was there people were still eating and the women did not look like they were receptive to company. The quality was also not what I expected for LA standards although the guy at the door did his best to allow in a very fashionable crowd. The library bar was a more down to earth crowd. But a huge sausage fest. Also, I found the fact that it was very small hard to operate. Only talked to one girl there and truth be told it would have been very hard to talk to more, since there was just no where else to go apart from the bar or the sofas.

The night before hit up a bunch of places in Hollywood, including the boulevard room club. No guest list, spur of the moment thing, the guy let me in. As I walked into the few rooms of the place i realized why, simply the fuglyiest collection of women i'd ever seen here to date at any place (including Zanzibar in santa monica).

Welcome to Saturday night in Los Angeles

[speakeasy]

(09-23-2012 03:19 PM)basilransom Wrote:  

Stopped by the Whaler and James Beach in Venice this weekend.

James Beach - has the vibe of a Manhattan Beach bar, and not in a good way. I left long before it peaked, maybe it got better. But the ratios sucked, the girls seemed a little insular and confined to their friends, especially the younger girls in the back bar. Didn't seem like girls come there to fuck. The crowd was mostly white, the girls seemed vaguely stuck-up.

Whaler - sweaty trashy sausage-fest, unpretentious crowd. Some of the girls radiate a DTF vibe, and the back top patio is cool. Had a chick who wanted to get on my nuts, but she wasn't my type. I would've abandoned her, but it was so crowded and hard to operate that I just talked to her for awhile to perhaps hang and fuck her friends later or something.

You should've been at The Townhouse last night a few blocks away. It was cracking. I was hanging with a girl there so no macking for me but there were tons of cute girls who were acting flirty too. Ratio wasn't even that bad. I was sitting on a barstool with my back turned to the crowd. It was so packed you could barely walk. I usually leave a little space open next to me so people can squeeze in to order a drink. That's the best position to be to chat up girls. I even had people buying me drinks because I ordered for them when they couldn't squeeze in.

[Basil Ransom]

(04-10-1974 11:40 AM)speakeasy Wrote:  

You should've been at The Townhouse last night a few blocks away. It was cracking. I was hanging with a girl there so no macking for me but there were tons of cute girls who were acting flirty too. Ratio wasn't even that bad. I was sitting on a barstool with my back turned to the crowd. It was so packed you could barely walk. I usually leave a little space open next to me so people can squeeze in to order a drink. That's the best position to be to chat up girls. I even had people buying me drinks because I ordered for them when they couldn't squeeze in.

Hmm, thanks for the tip, I kinda wrote off Townhouse, may have to check it out again. Slick move there posting up at the bar, could even work you in nicely with guys who introduce you to girls.