What are some alternatives to bars that stay open late for folks that don't drink alcohol?
Bars are notable for staying open late, but I’m not really familiar with alternatives that might operate similarly. I think many cafés (at least around my area) tend to close a few hours earlier by comparison, which would be my go-to for an alternative otherwise, so what other options are there?
Find yourself a hackerspace. They’re collective-toolsheds of people around your community who find joy in making things, learning skills, and generally interested in helping teach others the skills that they know.
My local hackerspace, for example - has a 4 axis HAAS CNC, multiple metal lathes, TIG, MIG, Stick welders, leatherworking supplies, access to 3D printers, laser cutters, and lots of woodworking tools. We also had basically every console in existence and others bring in their game libraries for everyone to play.
They are also generally filled with college students that are burning the midnight oil quite regularly but may otherwise be somewhat solitary in their activities.
These places also will kind of locally crowd-fund new machines for people to use. They can vary wildly from space-to-space, some places being filled with old guys who are mostly into woodworking, or filled with young web-devs with no interest in welding, etc. If you are lucky enough to have multiple around your area, visit them all to see which one fits you best.
Also, membership usually includes 24/7 access to the space via controlled entry (membership keys, etc)
Is hackerspace the common term for these? I think I’ve also seen makerspace, or at least it sounds like there’s overlap. I may have to do some more searching along these terms, but any time I’ve read of these it seems like they’re more around larger cities or university towns/cities, which I don’t happen to live in at the moment.
Hackerspace is the original term, but some places call themselves Makerspaces instead because “hacker” has a negative connotation with the common populace. A hack, in the original sense is almost equivalent to ‘redneck engineering’. It’s a non-formal environment, probably doing non-standard things…thus a hack.
They are generally found around larger cities, universities, etc – there’s not enough population otherwise to keep them running as they’re generally member-funded, and they still gotta pay things like rent.
Fablabs are similar, but corporate-owned and you’re expected to use tools and GTFO; not stick around and be social.
For me, Makerspace always made more sense. You go there to make something. Hacking, while not negative, always has the meaning of modifying existing things to me, which does not always apply.
I hack together an item = I merge several items into one. I hack an item = I modify an item.
Not a native speaker, so I’m unsure if that is the correct usage.
I help run a makerspace (hackerspace with a fluffier name). We’ve done many an all nighter. Often for no good reason, other than we got going on an interesting topic!
My favorite local bar (a microbrewery) sells the brewery stuff just there in cans. I’ma take that lemon drop home so my besties from out of town can have it at our game nights (they like lemon drops too). That way we don’t have to have our game nights at the bar. I don’t think they want us taking up four tables playing Eldritch Horror or Gloomhaven at the microbrewery. It’d be kind of fun tho.
I’ve kinda tried D&D in the past and it’s not really to my tastes tbh. I’d be down for other tabletop games, but I need to look around some more to find groups playing what I might like.
When I was an 18 year old high schooler, we would go to our towns bowling alley that did last call for a game at midnight. We would also go to a hookah lounge, which was open until 2am. YMMV with these, but they worked for me about 6 or 7 years ago.
I live in an area with a lot of muslim people, as they don't drink they often go to Shisha bars or Dessert bars. There's also a few tea house type places, fancy dark late night places that do posh teas.
heh. I checked my city of 100,000. Nada. Next town over. They’ve got 60,000. Zilch. Next town over. 20,000. Nope. I went the other direction. 120,000. Nah. 125,000. Null. 450,000 folk in my county and not one ping on that map. I know there are mocktails served just about everywhere I go. I’ll try to flesh out the map because it looks like it’s just got Portland and LA on my coast. I just make it to bars like once or twice a quarter.
Humans will build a bar as soon as there are more than two people that want to drink but you typically need much larger populations before you get a sober community at all. You usually only get dedicated sober spaces when those communities get big enough.
Fortunately, as many others on this thread have pointed out, there are many sober options beyond dedicated sober spaces.
Clubs. Activites. Local Theater. Rehearsals go to something like 10 pm quite often. They are social, fun, and you have a common goal. Drinking is not allowed.
When I was younger, there were some places with a club atmosphere that didn’t serve. For whatever reason, no booze. They became hang out spots for teens and the like. There was also a strong coffee shop culture, and one or two that stayed open just as late as bars. But in a post-covid world, many of those places shut down and new places like that close early.
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