The basis of college is education; this is a given. Debatably, the second most important puzzle piece of the college experience is students’ social lives and how they spend their time outside of class or work. At the end of the day — literally and figuratively — what is relevant is where students go out.
Home to four major universities, San Diego offers a large variety of nightlife. For students over the age of 21, the city emerges into a wide spread of bars, nightclubs and speakeasies. From Pacific Beach (the San Diego State University student favorite) to North Park, it is safe to say that there is no shortage of late-night crowds and all the fun that buzzes from each unique subsection of the city.
Many underclassmen (students under 21) feel that most of their early college years are spent navigating a social scene that does not always feel welcoming. Nightlife can feel dominated by the exclusive Greek life system. A variety of house parties or backyard house shows can sometimes feel tucked away in spaces that are hard to find, but they open up a whole new social scene once uncovered.
Many SDSU students share that they adore San Diego, yet express that they don’t always feel fully connected to the city until they turn 21 and have full freedom to explore adult nightlife.
Flicks in San Diego (Adrielle Hasara)
Once one turns 21, the “golden gates” to the city’s social world swing open. From Welfare Wednesday at Flicks, to Pacific Beach bars and an endless supply of dive bars that can all easily become a part of one’s weekly routines, the adventures that were once limited by age are now limitless.
With all this freedom comes a large price tag- fifteen-dollar cocktails, expensive ride-share fees and endless cover charges are all factors that often add up faster than most students anticipate.
“The costs of going out kind of turn me away from going out as often as I’d like, even though I always enjoy my time when I do go out,” said Dean Benner, an SDSU senior.
Before turning 21, most SDSU students spend their social lives in a totally different category of the San Diego nightlife system. Without access to bars or clubs within the city, options include house parties, Greek life events, small gatherings within friend groups or house concerts.
This is usually a fun time where people learn how to get creative and expand their social circles. Backyard get-togethers, beach bonfires or local concerts remain the center of relevance. For some, these circumstances often feel more limited, as they usually require most attendees to know each other beforehand.
This scene can often feel unintentionally exclusive. If one is not directly connected to Greek life, a sports team, or a large outwardly visible friend group, they can often feel left out.
“There definitely were times when I felt left out in general,” Shyla Lucus, an SDSU junior, said. There are parties on campus, but it’s mostly for girls in sororities. Some of my friends aren’t really people who generally like to go out, but when I branched out and made other friends, I did not feel left out of that scene anymore.”
Life under 21 is not complete darkness; for many of us, those nights hold our most spontaneous memories, the best (or worst) backyard shows we ever watched and the bonding between our friends when we really all had nothing exciting to do. But for many of us, turning 21 is this city’s long-awaited rite of passage.
A house show in San Diego from the band MojoPin (Adrielle Hasara)
Turning 21 in San Diego is like being handed a key to a whole new version of the city. The moment you reach that birthday, nightlife stops being something you navigate around and turns into something you can actually embrace. Pacific Beach, the heart of San Diego for everyone under 25, receives a lot of the city’s buzz, but many students quickly realize that social life actually does stretch beyond Fire House.
“There are a variety of areas in San Diego, such as Pacific Beach and the Gaslamp section, that feel specifically geared toward the college crowd, which is fun. These areas are walkable, which is nice, so you do not have to stay in one place the whole night,” Lotus said.
San Diego’s nightlife is abundant, offering a diverse range of experiences. In North Park, students flock to cocktail spots, speakeasies and places with a more artsy feel, such as The Seventh House. If you are looking to gather around a pool table for a more low-key night with friends, Ocean Beach is the place for you, as it has that real hometown feel. Hillcrest is a great all-inclusive area to go to if you desire a lively night and endless dancing. When looking at the city, the possibilities are endless, from artsy to country, San Diego truly does have it all.
Many students view this coming-of-age moment as exciting: the freedom to choose where to go, paired with the ability to meet people outside of SDSU, empowers many. The wide variety of atmospheres and the ability to fully immerse oneself leave San Diego’s culture with a positive review.
“I love that I can go out to new places and be with friends and interact with a wide variety of people every time I go out. I find the vicinity to the beach of some of the bars to be very appealing and how accessible many of them are from each other,” said Ella Hochman, an SDSU junior.
All in all, San Diego nightlife isn’t necessarily a matter of friend or foe. It is an overall environment one learns to navigate and build a community within. As students turn 21 and progress toward true adulthood, the scene starts to make more sense. And as many a senior will tell you, the nights out become less about access and more about students finding where they feel they really belong.