Nightlife

[JV130]

How many people think HR has an exciting nightlife? Let me know what you think.

[Serbian Underground]

How many people think HR has an exciting nightlife? Let me know what you think.

I was born and raised in Beograd, Serbia and now that I live here in Hampton Rds... what nightlife?? I don't think this place ever knew what night life was... well I heard maybe during the major wars. Most European cities are very consolidated with highrise flats typically six stories high in the older sections of cities. On the ground floor of these flat bluidings are cafes and shops. We don't have to drive anywhere. We can walk or take a taxi or a tram (trolly car on tracks). If we leave the city, we take a train or drive the family car. At night, we all get out and walk to visit family, friends or colleagues at their flats or we meet in cafes or clubs. We walk everywhere and we eat and drink like there is no tomorrow and we never gain any weight. At night in Beograd, the streets come alive with people everywhere from locals getting exercise to tourists looking for a bite to eat and a little entertainment. Every night from the Spring until the Fall everyone sits in cafes and talks about everything from politics to who had a baby. Only in the winter do we really sit inside our flats and watch TV. I'm a club hopper from 10:00pm to 4:00am on the weekends. You can only imagine how depressed I was when I arrived here. I hang out at the beach sometimes but where are the people and the clubs? I see now some cafes are opening along the main beach front streets but they are closing too early. And clubs???? There are so few clubs here that the ones you have are too crowded and the concepts of most of the clubs are all wrong which is why I see clubs come and go here quickly. I have watched the Pembroke Mall area closely to see what is not happening there. OK you've got something to do there if you're really hungry and want to hang out in a restaurant all evening or see a comedy show. What gives with the shops here closing at 9:00pm every night? In Istanbul, Turkey, shops stay open as long as there are people wondering the streets. Crime you say!!! Yes, I have noticed all the places here that get robbed and it is a good reason for shops to close at a "decent" time. But in most places in Europe it is very safe to walk at night because there are so many people out walking -- who is going to commit a crime on you with so many witnesses? Only once did I turn down a dark narrow avenue and a man with a knife stepped out of a doorway and demanded my wallet. I told him "No, you give me your wallet because mine is empty!!"... and he left me alone. Now that's nightlife. Seriously, I know it is expensive for the city to hire police to attend to things which happen around bars and clubs when people get drunk. But as a city consolidates its population, the population tends to take care of its own. We don't let our friends drink too much or if we do (and it's really funny to watch them hang onto the grass to keep from falling off of the earth) we physically carry them home around the block or down the street or we let them sleep it off in our flats. Here in Hampton Rds. you can't drink hardly at all when you go to a bar or restaurant. You have to drive a ton of miles to get home. I believe suburbia has cut the American people off from each other. Americans seem too consumed in their own private lives and homes. They hardly know who their neighbors are or colleagues at work. In Europe, we make it our business to know everything about anything and everyone's business. You have a child and the whole community raises your child. If your child pulls up flowers from a flower box two blocks from your home, you will know it a minute later. I believe the American people need to be brought together again somehow to care about each other and not to be so passive about what is happening in politics and then complain about being powerless to change your government. It might help to have somewhere to go at night for an hour or two. Other metro cities like New York and Chicago have nice corner bars everywhere where people yell and scream about their politicians and patrons are sometimes wearing their PJ's. Nightlife doesn't have to include drinking alcohol. European cities are full of small cafes year round open late, late at night serving nothing but coffee and some small desserts. I don't think Hampton Rds. is ready for the clubs we have in Europe though -- Rav, techno, dance, trance, underground, heavy metal, goth, etc... and the clubs are more than just music. I mean walls move, floors move, ceilings move, and the people aren't afraid to dress anyway they wish to express themselves. Nope, not Hampton Rds. Even your radio stations play maybe a tenth of the best music there is to listen to in the world. How can you stand to listen to the same stuff all the time??? Variety is the spice of life. So this is my take on Hampton Rds. nightlife. Sorry if it was too much. I'm getting wordy these days because now I hang out at Barnes and Nobles because "it stays open late at night".

[Telmnstr]

I'll admit, I'm not a huge party guy. I don't go to the clubs often, and when I do I'm generally interested to see how good their setup is.

I think you will find Hampton Roads is pretty dry. Granby Street is hopping all night long, if you like that crowd. Club Premiere generally looks crowded, if you like that crowd. Time Lounge as well.

Then there is a different crowd at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. There are some clubs down there (Peppermint Beach Club, etc). None of them are very large in contrast to the few places I've been to in DC And NYC.

Waterside is another hopping place. I don't know much about what it is like at night. I've heard there are alot of problems.

It isn't Austin, where they close down the streets and openly invite the youth to come out, and hang out, have fun, spend lots of money and find an acceptable means of getting home.

You've got a large bible crowd in the area, and that might be part of it.

Also, if your into Hiphop, there are a good number of clubs around for that. A friend was involved with one that puff daddy was looking at buying! We've got the hip hop scene... that is pretty much what this area is about.

(I think 757 is 6th in Ludacris's "Ho's from different Area Codes" track. Missy Elliot is local, Clipse / N.E.R.D. / Neptunes is local, Timbaland and Magoo are local I believe. Blackstreet was local but I think some members moved to ATL, Teddy Riley is still in the area.... I don't know how often these famous people stay around here. I think as they grow in popularity they spend more and more time away from the area, but perhaps return after the popularity dies down, or between projects.

Unfortunately I'm not a huge fan of modern hip hop. There is no school like the old school! Sage Francis type stuff is great, political and intelligent. I want more of that in my hiphop. I'm sure there are underground artists... but as far as mainstream, what I hear seems dead.

Hampton/Newport News has it's own clubs. Mittys @ the Omni and some others.

[vdogg]

Premiere is probably the closest you'll get to the type of club you're used to Serbian. It's a nice place, but I hear you on the nightlife. I think as our area continues to grow and diversify however, so will our entertainment options.

[rusthebuss]

You are comparing a area that developed after cars were a normal thing. Europe is not a fair comparison. Different culture and most of it was developed century before cars were even a concept. We will get there one day.

[Serbian Underground]

You are comparing a area that developed after cars were a normal thing. Europe is not a fair comparison. Different culture and most of it was developed century before cars were even a concept. We will get there one day.

I'm amazed that just in about 250 years that the U.S. grew into what it has. The American spirit is talked about all over the world among those who have traveled here. What I see in Hampton Rds. that is similar to Europe which will be important to HR's nightlife is the fact that this region has so many rivers flowing all through and around each city. If you notice, most major and spectacular European cities are built along major rivers and the cafes and clubs are plentiful to cater to the people who love to walk around those cities at night and along the rivers. Rivers enhance architecture in a powerful way. Beograd is notorious for floating cafes along the Danube and Sava Rivers and they open when the sun goes down and close when the sun rises. HR has the potential to be like this. Norfolk is close to being there but tourism is very important to European economies and HR needs to offer something for tourists to do at night after they have taken in the museums and malls. There is enormous revenue to be made on nightlife. Thanks for the tips on places to go. My friends here from Russia are already there.