With Parizade’s no longer moonlighting as a college destination and off-campus houses off limits, Duke students will need to broaden their scope in search of after-hours entertainment this fall. Never fear, recess has scoured Durham’s “dark side” for hours so you can skip the riff-raff and head straight to the late night sweet spots. From hot music venues to chill lounges, recess has found the quintessential atypical locales you’ll want to check out before the masses flock their way.
music:
coffeehouse
The reopening of the Duke Coffeehouse under the auspices of the Union has been more successful than anyone could have imagined.
During the week, students study and socialize amidst the aroma of fresh brewed coffee while on the weekends, the Coffeehouse has become a music venue for local hipsters and students alike. In the recent past, the Coffeehouse has brought The Rosebuds, TV On The Radio, and Ambulance Ltd.—some of our favorite bands—to campus as well as open mic nights and student performances. Better yet, most shows are BYOB for people of legal drinking age. The Coffeehouse is open from 6 PM to 2 AM seven days a week and provides wireless Internet for those of us who can’t live without it.
-Sarah Freeman
joe and jo’s
Some of the best burgers in Durham are found right at this little pub on Main St. Within walking distance of the ballpark, you can grab dinner before a Bulls game or stop by for post-game drinks. Friendly bartenders treat customers like old friends, and the fast service will never leave you disappointed.
With two rooms and outdoor seating, there are multiple settings to choose from. If you prefer a noisy pub then you can stick to the bar or you can go into the adjoining room or outside for more of sit down atmosphere. On the weekends you can find talented local bands playing their latest tunes for an enthusiastic crowd.
-Sarah Freeman
305 south
Former owners of the beloved local hang outs Ooh La Latte and The Untidy Museum (R.I.P.) have relocated and refocused their physical and financial efforts on creating a larger music venue in Durham. While its new downtown location is less convenient to students than its former spot off East, 305 South will become an integral part of the ongoing downtown revitalization and will hopefully prompt more students to pursue off campus entertainment.
-Sarah Freeman
bars:
the green room
Andy Seamans, Fuqua '94, and Daniel Robinson, Trinity '98, both met their wives at the Green Room many years ago. The pool hall/bar has been serving local patrons for twenty years.
“It's where Duke meets Durham,” says Robinson. “This is where I actually interacted with the community.” For Duke students who tend to travel in packs of popped collars, that's no small thing.
Where else can you grab a beer with novelist/playwright Joaquin Dorfman (son of Duke professor and acclaimed author Ariel Dorfman) and his high school buddies before heading off to shoot pool with a Writing 20 prof?
The owner, Joe Wilson, 54, a burly jokester, describes his place as a “Star Wars” bar. “You know that first scene where they go into the bar and there's every kind of critter in the universe in there?” asks Wilson. “You come in here and you have every ethnicity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status. I'm pretty proud of that.”
And while one might expect a liberal skew from an avowed gay-friendly bar, Katie Linn, at Dorfman's table, assures me with a giggle that “we're very accepting here--we do not exclude those who are Republican.” Besides, adds Dorfman, “we can generally all agree that we like domestic beer.”
If you need more proof that the Green Room is inclusive, just consider the fact that you'll find Carolina fans associating freely with Duke fans, even though Wilson himself is a sworn Dukie. When Linn mentions that she got season Carolina tickets from a friend, Wilson responds “Someone giving me season Carolina tickets is like someone giving me a case of the Clap.”
Drink: the $2 domestics or the wide range of imports.
-Corinne Low
sirens
While this is Sirens’ sophomore year on the Duke scene, owner/manager Lindsay Locke, Trinity ’02, says she’s constantly looking for ways to keep it fresh. Tonight the place is packed with a fratty crowd, and Solo cups line the bar. “What’s with the cups?” we ask Lindsay. One dollar draft Thursdays, it turns out.
“I don’t want to get boxed in,” says Locke, adding that she has tried to establish a different drink special and/or theme for every night of the week, such as an ’80s night on Wednesdays.
Sirens’ upstairs is pure bar wrapped in a martini lounge package, which makes it a great alternative to the usual Thursday through Saturday restaurant/club hybrids. Downstairs hosts a dance floor complete with theme DJs.
“I really opened this place because of my frustration with having no place to go out as a Duke student,” Locke says. “You just get the same thing every night. We’re trying to break that mold.”
Fruit-infused vodkas, made in-house by bar manager Michael Gagon, offer a sophisticated twist to the martini menu, though non-special prices can be steep at $8-9 a pop. We tried Summer of ’69, a seasonal special made from strawberry, lemon, watermelon, and pineapple mixed with vodka and Energy ’69.
Drink: dollar drafts or the infused shooters (just go easy, they’re pure alcohol).
-Corinne Low
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