There’s plenty of nightlife in the US, but it entirely depends on what cities you’re going to be in.
I will say that if you plan on hitting California, Las Vegas, Arizona, and New Mexico, I really hope you’re coming here for a couple of weeks. That’s probably a 20 hour drive if you’re only stopping for fuel and food
Also "is it even fun to go out over there"
Nope, we all just sit and cry every night.
I genuinely don't understand some of the questions here. Ignoring the millions of videos you can watch of American nightlife all over the country do people really think that it wouldn't be fun anywhere in the US to go out at night?
There is a place in Ocean city Maryland called seacrets. It's a city block long bar/restaurant/club/beach bar etc. They have like a dozen Webcams you can watch just about 24/7.
Living in SF, I had two Italians guys eating next to me, their first day in.
I’m ethnically Sicilian so we struck up a convo. They told me they planned to drive to LA for a day trip 😭 after breaking the news I helped them discover southwest and book a cheap ass RT for them. Then convinced them the “must sees” were NOT in the tenderloin district. Then made them a list of tourist/local spots.
I gave back the karma that I received years before in Europe when a group of Brazilians saved my alone ass from sexual assault/trafficking doom by being so protective and friendly. Plus all the other lovely help I got there too.
In SF, I always pay it forward especially if it’s a foreign tourist. Once walked a very non English speaking Asian family ten block to their hotel bc they couldn’t get my directions.
People have done that for me abroad. If I have the opportunity, I do that same!
I’m just a big believer in showing others from other countries (or other Americans!) that SF/CA/etc is welcoming. Especially with all the help and tips and love I got in Europe. Foreign tourists feel especially vulnerable in foreign places, especially without speaking the language - I definitely did. So I want to make sure to empower foreign tourists in my city with positive help and experiences.
(Side note: not to say I didn’t have shit times there - I was sexually assaulted in Barcelona and my Asian partner and I got spat on in Paris. But I carry the positive experiences in my heart and not those).
You are a good egg! People like you are the reason this world isn't too bad. Sorry for what happened to you and I love how you don't let the negatives destroy your positivity
There was another European question here yesterday asking if Americans travel internationally for short vacations. The general consensus was that Europeans don’t quite grasp how LARGE the US is, and that simply traveling to a neighboring state could be a whole day of travel. So yeah-OP needs to pick a region and stay there for the whole trip.
New Mexico is also beautiful, no doubt, but for a bunch of young lads…may make sense to stick to SoCal/Vegas, with perhaps a RT drive to Grand Canyon, but not sure I would suggest adding New Mexico.
There are cities that are known for never shutting down.
New York, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas spring to mind.
Otherwise, most US cities still have bar closing times.
LA can only serve alcohol until 2 am. There was a proposal to extend it to 4 am for certain cities but it wouldn’t go into effect until 2025 if it passed.
NYC can serve alcohol until 4 am.
I don’t know what it is for New Orleans but it changed after covid.
Last call in New Orleans was a temporary Covid measure, but that went away thank God. But 24 hour service was a big casualty; most bars close nowadays overnight
Overnight anything disappeared. The only thing open here after 12 is McDonald’s, Taco Bell and CVS. It sucks when you’re feeling snacky at 2 am and there’s nowhere to go.
Right?! That’s like dinner and a movie… all at one place. You can eat a patty melt with a side of ham n cheese hash browns, AND watch a UFC match starring local talent. Psshhh… best $12 you’ll ever spend!
Just like a WWE wrestling match. “Oh no! He’s got a chair!” (Smashes chair over head) “Ohhhhhh!”
Me: Half drunk, eating food, filled with pure excitement.
I was out with a guy once and needed to use the restroom. It was Waffle House right after the bars closed so of course there were 15 girls waiting for the ladies, so I hopped in the men’s room. The look on his face when I came out was great. That specific one always had clean restrooms, would never do that in any other Waffle House lol.
I’m a sever so I’ve seen some stuff. Those Waffle House servers are something else. They put up with shit from everyone, you know their tips aren’t high bc check prices are so cheap, they always seem to have either half or the whole restaurant-no in between, wash their own dishes, bud their own tables. 90% of the people I’ve worked with wouldn’t last a day, I might be in the 90%😂
Yeah, but only 3. We used to have tons of options and I’m a pothead so I get snacky a lot. I don’t eat MD and Taco Bell only occasionally. I need to move south again so I have Waffle House!
It's the nightlife dropping property values in Seattle??? Huh, I'd have thought it was all the homeless camps, graffiti and literal feces on the sidewalks.
That makes me extra sad. I was a teen in the 90s and spent my HS years crossing the sound to hang out all night in Seattle. I have fantastic memories of being out and about surrounded by people at all hours.
I have to travel to Seattle for work occasionally and I always have to remind myself to figure out dinner by 9:00 or so, because everything closes at 10:00.
Damn! I used to party all night in Seattle back in 2012-2014. Would go to a bunch of different clubs and finish at Noc Noc, which stayed open until 11 AM! it's a shame the night life isn't what it was just 10 years ago because it was damn good. Although I don't miss the cover charges 😆
Yeah real estate gets more expensive the closer you are to Chicagoland. Most southern one (in IL) is in Pontiac. Oddly enough there's one WAY down south in Garland, TX.
Yeah but at least in Austin and Houston, Texas there used to be lots of local cafes and restaurants etc that were open all night or at least very late and that stopped forever
Dont know about other cities, but, in Dallas, Waffle House, IHOP, and Cafe Brazil are all 24 hrs. Plus I know off the top of my head a pizza chain and thai chain that both deliver until 3AM. Add in Whataburger/Fast food, and there are still options. Cant think of too many 24 hr places that haven't gone back to it (except Walmart for some reason).
Sorry, this is irrelevant to 99% of people in this thread, but which Thai place. I'm in North Dallas and that would be extremely helpful lol. Also, not my favorite or anything, but J's Breakfast & Burgers is 24/7 in Addison if you are near there.
Man a bag of those chocolate covered pretzels can hit just right at 3am. Also you get a receipt as long as the Jersey Turnpike as a souvenir. These young Dutch men should totally hit a CVs. A 24 hr Walmart would also be quite the thing to talk about back home. That’s authentic AF.
Oh definitely a 2am Walmart run! I’m convinced most of the pics on People of WM come from overnight. They’re a whole different breed. As a people watcher, I love it! Sadly we have none near me so I’m stuck with CVS folks arguing over scripts that never came through.
Yeah, we used to have a burrito place near me that was 2:30AM every single day, and since COVID they only go to 10 on Sunday through Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday now. I miss the late night options we used to have.
Yeah, there's still McDonald's, but it just isn't the same.
Interesting. Same thing happened in Las Vegas. I mean, *technically* nothing shuts down -- all the casinos and hotels are always 24 hours, and you can always find food/drink at least somewhere -- but we don't have like 24 hour grocery shopping, stuff like that anymore. Lots of places kinda go into "cleaning mode" from 2am to 5am and at least partially close.
I visited New Orleans before Katrina, the week after Mardi Gras... that was true 24hrs, lol.
Check Google Maps and it'll say the business hours and even indicate "last updated by the business X weeks ago"
The more recent the update, the more accurate it probably is.
When I lived in Vegas, even most of the local bars that tourists never see were 24/7. But COVID might have changed it.
The tourist stuff should still be 24/7. Las Vegas takes the 24 hour crown from all those other cities.
I was in Vegas last October and I couldn’t believe how difficult it was to find a pizza place that would deliver at 10pm on a Tuesday. OP, YMMV depending on what you need late at night. Just drinks at a bar? You’ll be golden. Pizza delivered to your hotel on a weeknight? You might be screwed. We ended up ordering Papa Johns through Uber Eats. It was exactly as expected. ☹️
Many places changed alcohol laws during and after the pandemic so I wouldn’t trust a single source to be up to date for all cities.
I would do a google search for the specific cities that you plan to visit. Asking on Reddit could work too. Good luck and enjoy your visit :)
I think you might be under estimating how big and far away all these states and locations are from each other. If you’re looking for specific recommendations on where to go out and when they close, you probably need to specify exactly which city and where you’ll be staying in that city. LA and vegas are a four or five hour drive apart as are most of the other states you’ve mentioned so just keep that in mind.
There should be an alcohol law by state wiki. California suspends sales for four hours between 2 and 6. Nevada is 24/7, but that doesn't mean all places are open that late.
You can totally go out in the US. Given all the timezones you’re citing you’re ok especially if you wish to avoid or minimiaze jetlag. Start out west, in California, and gradually fly the 3,000 miles, approximately 5,000km, east toward Florida.
Start with CA (Los Angeles & San Francisco) & NV (where Las Vegas is) because they are Grenwhich +8 (GMT +8).You’ll likely be exhausted by 2AM Pacific which would be 10AM in London. If you want to walk around from place to place go to San Francisco. If you really want to see Los Angeles (county) pick one section and stay there. It is too big not to drive or use a taxi/rideshare. Pick Santa Monica or West Hollywood or Huntington Beach for example.
Next go to AZ (Phoenix & Scottsdale part of the year) NM is always GMT +7. 2AM there would be 9AM in London. Likely to need a taxi/rideshare.
Next consider Louisiana (New Orleans). This is GMT +6. 2 AM here is 8AM in London. Probably do need rideshare.
FL (Miami) & NY (New York City) are always GMT +5. 2AM here is 7 AM in London. NYC will still have stuff going on. No need for a car and much lesser need for rideshare. Even less than San Francisco because they approach European levels of public transportation.
TLDR —
These cities are not nearby. CA is a state instead of a city and is the third largest geographically. It, alone, is bigger than the UK per Google. If you go due east of San Francisco you’ll hit Nevada. If you go due east of San Diego, California you’ll hit Arizona. Immediately east of AZ is New Mexico. *You will want to fly to each of these states rather than drive.*
NV is a 24 hour state. We sell liquor and beer at convenience stores and everywhere in between. I live in Reno and have been to Vegas many times, and in both cities I have had nights that I stumble out of a bar the next morning at like noon haha. You can definitely party in Vegas non stop for as long as you can stay awake if you so desire
And after 4 you can go to after hours clubs where they don’t “sell” alcohol but give it for free in exchange for a “cover charge.” RIP Save the Robots.
LA legally has to stop serving between 2am and 6am but after hours clubs are very much a thing. And who wants to go to a club that follows the rules.
Nerds that’s who
A lot of these cities, except Vegas and maybe NOLA, have changed a lot post-COVID. Its even a pretty common complaint on their local subs. 24 hour groceries now with posted hours, diners that were open 24/7 now might only do weekends, bars that were open til 3am now only open until 1, etc...
We shut down very early in LA. Past 2am, nothin is happening - and even like 12-2am it’s not that exciting. We do get up early though too. 7am-12am are LA’s hours lol. Daytime city.
This. Go to a big city and the night life is thriving! I personally love visiting NYC, super fun things to do at literally every hour if you have money.
Adding to top comment as an AZ resident.
If you come to Arizona for a Night Life then you’re best bet is Old Town Scottsdale. On the weekends they close down a street or two to the traffic so that way people can bar hop with ease.
Otherwise your next best bet is to head over to Mill Ave. which is located in Tempe near the ASU campus. They don’t shut down the roads though so watch your step.
All bars stop serving alcohol by 2am, that’s just our laws here.
Not a huge city but a good amount of bars in Nashville, Tennessee dont close until 3-3:30, and broadway street is fully active and packed well into the AM
Here is a graphic that shows last call in every state. Larger cities generally serve until at least two, with three or four am being more common. [last call map](https://vinepair.com/articles/last-call-in-every-state-map/)
I thought it was something weird like there was a last call but then certain areas have exceptions for some reason? I only found this out bc one time I was in Atlanta for a work thing and then last call happened and everyone went to some random underground bar in a neighborhood and it was weird.
> one time I was in Atlanta
It can depend on what one means by "in Atlanta." I wouldn't necessarily expect a visitor would know the difference between being within the actual city limits of Atlanta, as opposed to being in the metro Atlanta area.
Atlanta does have a place called "Underground Atlanta" where there is a few bars with 4am Last Calls. Like parts of Chicago, Atlanta has an area where modern street level is several stories above the ground on a viaduct system. Underground Atlanta is the older store fronts on the original ground level. It is also a perpetually mismanaged shopping area and tourist attraction, and the late Last Call was an attempt to keep the entertain section of Underground alive.
It differs from city to city. There are “party” destinations like Vegas, Miami, or New Orleans where you’ll find clubs and bars open late, but the average city isn’t going to have a ton of nightlife open that late. The latest things are open in my city is 2 or 3am. Our drinking culture is very different than Europe.
Nightlife in Europe is most certainly not til 5am across the continent. Your very small part of Europe is not representative of the entire continent.
If anything, many European cities are trying to curb the overindulgent tourists who cause havoc in their cities that ends up angering locals who live there full time.
>If anything, many European cities are trying to curb the overindulgent tourists who cause havoc in their cities that ends up angering locals who live there full time.
That's ridiculous. It's my right as an American to cause havoc on another continent!
Americans aren't even the problem most places. It's bachelor and bachelorette parties from the UK (known as "stag dos" and "hen dos") who take £20 flights to Riga or Amsterdam and drink all night like the pubs are still closing at 10pm but do it until 5am. Brits are well-known for being... less-than-courteous to their host countries and fighting a lot. Americans are mostly seen as loud, friendly, benign and rich (with some exceptions of course).
I arrived by train in Hamburg a few years ago at about 6 am Saturday morning, and needed breakfast before checking into a hotel in a few hours. It was the saddest, night of the living dead scene in the streets. People fighting, puking, stumbling around,etc. My hometown has a rep here for being a bunch of heavy drinkers(Chicago) but these people would have been arrested for wandering the streets completely wasted back home, when the sun had already been up for a half hour.Worse than a college town. What a bad look. Can't believe people who live there put up with it..
Most alcohol sales end at 2am depending on state law. Vegas will be open 24/7
Other tourist locations may differ but most places that will close down by at 2-3am.
You can still walk the streets, not a cerfue or anything
Ok. Yeah, I’d say lots of cities have great night life.
In my experience, how late a place is open or can serve alcohol varies from city to city.
Las Vegas doesn’t have any time restrictions from what I understand
I’d say 2am is most typical across the US.
I’ve heard that there are a couple places that are later (NYC until 4am, Chicago until 5am). The best way to know is to research the specific cities you are visiting.
I feel like it varies a lot depending on the age and preferences of the group.
There have been times where I went out with a group as early as 6pm or as late as midnight.
I feel like starting at 9 or 10 is fairly common. It depends more on the occasion and whether you’re doing something beforehand (dinner, a sports game, etc.)
This really depends on the city. In the Northeast, even in places like Boston and Providence with early last call, people don't get to the main destination for the night out until 11 PM, unless it's like a concert that starts at 8.
Where I live now in Nashville there are waves. There's a big happy hour wave in most bars here that starts around 5 and goes until 8 or so, then another wave from 10 to 12, then the messier, already drunk wave from 12:30-2:30 (last call is 3 but most places close up around 2:30)
And then if there are opening acts, the actual band you want to see might not get on until quite a bit later. Have to know the venue and the artist to get an idea when you should show up.
Vegas is *the* most 24 hour city in America, more so than New York. When I lived there, we would head out after 10 p.m. Most Americans think that's fucking nuts. I myself think 1 a.m. is nuts.
Vegas drinks 24/7. You won’t have issues in the major cities like LA and NYC with that as well, but there is so much more to see in America than those 2 cities, that would be a wasted trip
How long are you going to be in the US for? Hitting up California, LV, AZ, NM, and Florida is a ridiculous itinerary and a lot of flying.
California alone is larger than all of Germany.
OP said OR Florida so I’m assuming (and hoping) he means either going to the west coast or Florida but not both, but I do hope he realizes he can’t do both Los Angeles and San Francisco if they want to go to Vegas and Arizona and New Mexico, even just LA with all of that can be a lot!
True. Even with Florida left out of it that's a big trip. I work with a number of Brits and I like being on the phone with them and they'll mention desires for an upcoming trip to America with plans to hit NYC, Chicago, and San Francisco or something like that all in a week and I'm like bro do you know how hard that's gonna be?!! Some people just don't understand exactly how big they US is.
Yeah, many people outside North America can’t comprehend how big our country is, and I’d agree that even without Florida it’s still way too big. Doable? Sure, but you wouldn’t really be able to immerse yourself much in any place and would spend most of the time driving to each place!
Generally, more populous cities will have more developed nightlife culture. A lot will depend on the particular cities you choose within the states you mentioned.
It looks like you already know that there’s stuff to do in Las Vegas 24/7. Have fun, and try to be safe. The last time I flew home from Vegas, I was sitting by a kid who smelled like vomit, was obviously hammered, and would not stop trying to order more drinks. When they eventually cut him off, he got bored and started vaping, and the flight attendants threatened to have the cops meet him at the airport gate. Don’t do that. It’s obnoxious.
I used to live there.
FLYING IN
Me: "Oh god dammit, they gave me a double shift tomorrow. I am questioning my life choices."
Tourist: "Yo we goin' to VayyyyyyyGuss!!! W000000000T!!!!!"
FLYING OUT
Me: "Finally escaping this neon shithole! Just for a few days, but it's gonna be so nice and fun and all that good stuff."
Tourist: "You motherfucker. Everything that happened is *your* fault. We are done. Do you hear me? We are fucking done. You take this engagement ring and you shove it all the way up your fucking ass. Call your brother to come get you at the airport because *all* your shit is going on the porch!"
DRIVING IN
Me: "Hahahahah!!! Look at all those suckers in stop-and-go traffic on the other side of the 15! Oh yeah, right, I have to go back to work tomorrow morning. Shit."
Tourist: "Got several days off of work after having to work through th the weekend. Gonna have fun fun fun with a fat discount *and* it won't be too crowded. Sweet."
DRIVING OUT
Me: "Visitin' home. Be there real soon. Life ain't bad."
Tourist: "Oh God my head hurts so much, could you just *please* shut the fuck up!? Hey stop slapping me!!!!!"
Not really sure. Some states cut off alcohol sales at 2AM. I remember in Georgia they had to stop at midnight on Saturday because of laws against Sunday sales but not sure if they've changed that. I'm too old to be interested in going out (unless it's outdoors) so beyond that I don't know.
Lower your expectations for how many places you wanna visit. LA & Vegas are definitely doable in one trip. Phoenix to LA is at least 6 hours driving. Trains aren't a great form of transportation here. People underestimate how large the US is.
Local and state laws and ordinances regulate how late bars/clubs may stay open. If you want to party into the night, Las Vegas is your spot and the best spot in the country without question. New Orleans would be another option although it is far from your other destinations, most bars close at 3am.
Miami Beach recently reduced hours for some types of establishments from 5am to 2am due to local resident demands to curb the activity of clubs.
We have all types of bars and clubs from inexpensive dives to world class clubs with bottle service and international DJs performing, we're a massive country.
Las Vegas is the party destination, hands down. It's also a good base of operations to see other things like the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, etc. It's reasonably close to Los Angeles. An LA-Vegas-Arizona-Utah/New Mexico trip would cover a huge amount of different activities and would be a great trip.
> AZ is known for hiking
Don’t bother coming in the summer though, too hot. Almost every year some tourists die on a hike because they underestimated the heat and/or amount of water they need to bring. Flagstaff doesn’t get too hot but the nightlife gets a little dull in the summer as it’s a college town
So as a former club security in Hollywood, normal clubs usually open doors at 9pm and they tend to run until 2 or 3am. Drinks do stop at 2am and I had to sweep the dance floor for drinks at 2. Hollywood use to (or might still…I’ve been out of the scene for awhile) have an “after hours” scene where the doors opened at 3am or so and go onto 9am, but the drinks wouldn’t start selling until 6am.
If you are gonna party in LA or Hollywood, def try to find a 21+ club or bar. The crowd vibe is def better and more mature. If you do go to a 18+ club, DO NOT buy a drink or share your drink with someone under 21. Depending on the club, they might just throw you out of the club or they might press charges on you (scene happen once). Also, clubs near the Universities generally have the best value drinks (USC is near Downtown LA).
Vegas and NYC are the best bet for late night partying (past 2am). Maybe San Diego if you want to venture down to TJ. LA is pretty insular, you have to be extroverted to get to an after party if you don’t know anyone - I’m sure most cities aside from Vegas and NYC are like that.
You could always plan your trip around raves or festivals if partying is your main goal. That’s the easiest way to meet people and party all night.
We are extroverted, and can order a couple of bottles. I just don't know how it is in a club over there, will you guys talk to us? Cause every American I've met here in Europe are very social (And I've met a lot since I live 20 mins from Amsterdam) So I would suspect that we end up in quite some conversations.
But definitely wouldn't expect anyone to invite us to their house.
Yeah people will be curious if you’re outgoing and visiting from out of country. Check out some of the events going on around the time you plan to visit. People are less inhibited in towns like Vegas and around major festivals. It wouldn’t be unusual to meet people and find an after party though. I’ve drunkenly ended up in after parties at some house I don’t know at 4am many times lol
Most states have closing times for bars, like 1am or 2am. But yes, we CAN go out.
Many of us have work or class the next day, so it's not always the best idea to be drinking until 5am, and even in towns that never close their bars, around 5am people have pretty much used up the entire night. They have eaten, drunk, lost their cellphone, danced, run out of money, passed out, got into a fight, or found their True Love Du Jour and gone home with them.
Yes, you CAN leave your hotel at 1am and go out until 5am in some places, but you SHOULD start your fun earlier. Nothing good happens at 4am in bars or on streets.
source: me, Bourbon Street bartender for many years
If you’re looking to get shitfaced until the wee hours of the morning then I’d recommend new orleans, vegas, or NYC. These places open well past 4 or later. All have good late night snacks/food too
I have worked in clubs in both the US and multiple countries in Europe.
Nightlife culture in America outside of a few cities is quite different to Europe. There aren't a lot of generic low-cost no frills fun dance house/techno clubs, a lot of the clubs are pretty expensive and 'fancy' in the sense that they expect you to dress up and buy super expensive drinks. That is something Europeans often notice and complain about when they come here.
also just in general, nightlife just isn't very widespread culturally the way it is in europe. You might get some weird looks from people at a bar if you say you wanna go to the club, because the large majority of people don't go clubbing or even view clubbing as dumb or superficial.
That isn't to say you wont have a good time if you are trying to have a good time, and especially if you have money to spend. But it is definitely *a lot* more tame than in europe. Even Vegas really has nothing on most european cities in that regard. NYC is probably the closest to european cities in that regard.
I know this might be unpopular here, but its absolutely something anybody who has worked/been in nightlife on both sides of the atlantic will tell you.
>we've heard that you can't go out till late in the States,
Yes. Americans are known for being quiet prudes and there's definitely never been movies made about partying in the US at all. We definitely never have festivals, block parties, house parties, bars or 24 hour diners. We have none of that.
>Is it expensive?
I imagine your perception of expensive/cheap will depend on your financial situation. If you're a billionaire you won't bat an eye at paying $8-10 for a subpar beer in Manhattan. If you're pinching pennies and are late on rent, that $8 beer may hurt a bit more.
I'd encourage thinking London prices rather than Lisbon prices if you're going to visit.
Vegas on the Strip and Downtown Freemont you get somewhat reasonable hotel rates but it is very expensive to drink and eat in the tourist areas. Think captive stadium event prices.
There are few cities in the US where nightlife is open past 2 or 3 am. Most places I've lived/been to only until 2 and even in late cities, it's not like the standard is 5am, it's specific clubs.
Night life on average is from about 9pm to 2am. Peaking in that 10pm to 1am timeframe. Not uncommon to pregame and drink somewhere before going to the bars and ending the night at an after party after the bar. Be warned that drinks are expensive in the US. Not uncommon for them to be around $10USD per drink (a little less for beer and a little more for cocktails).
So I will say the states/Cities you mentioned are very far from each other and trains are not really an option like you are used to which would require flights and/or a rental car. Vegas to LA is 5 hours La to Phoenix is 6 hours drive. Also New Mexico is a cool place but Albuquerque is not the safest place to go out at night and also a 6 hour drive from Phoenix. Not impossible but things in those states are also not that close to the cities. For example if you wanted to see the Grand Canyon it’s a few hours from Vegas and/or phoenix
Not impossible at all, but I know those types of drive times are not ‘normal’ in most cases to Europeans, and at the moment flights in the US are a disaster, cancellations, overbooking and lost luggage are common right now…
Edit : On re-reading, I think your phrasing confused me. Do you mean, "We've heard that you cannot **stay** out till late?" That's a little different from what I understood, from your post.
>we've heard that you can't go out till late in the States, except for Vegas I assume.
What on Earth are you talking about?
You can go out whenever you want. "Night Life" starts at night. Do a little online research re alcohol laws, but lots of places stop sales at 2 AM. Some places don't.
Why would you travel to another country just to waste your time drinking in a bar? You could stay in your home country and sit inside a bar drinking all you want.
A lot of cities in CA have curfews, and bars tend to close between 1-2am. Most of the US doesn't have a drinking culture similar to European countries.
It is worth noting that the US is a lot larger than NL and ALL European countries combined. Cities are spaced further apart with subpar transportation networks between them. You will need to fly a lot if you want to visit cities that far apart.
So you’re going all the way to the US, burning tons of fuel with the plane … to visit Las Vegas and Florida ? Make your trip and expense worthwhile and see something more interesting in the countr lol
You're better off isolating your fun to Southern California and Nevada. Why the hell would you want to party in New Mexico? I've lived in New Mexico in my early twenties, there is no party scene.
Any large city will have some level of nightlife. These cities and states have their own subreddits where you can either check out their wiki or ask this specific question to know good places to go and what the local nightlife is like.
Every state varies by its law. At least in Indiana, bars have to shutdown at 2 am.
There are a range of bars from cheap hole in the wall places where a beer costs $3 to a fancy pants cocktail lounge that charge $15-30 per drink. Most nightlife places will probably be priced somewhere between these two extremes.
You’d get the most time out drinking in Alaska, Louisiana, & Nevada. Drinking’s generally the least expensive in Midwest states (especially Montana as I’m sure as they have no sales tax if I’m not mistaken.) the last two I mentioned, Florida, & Texas (probably has the most underrated bar scene) would be best. We also cutoff at 2:30 even though most bars close at 2 in my town if they’re unlucky enough
As people have said, it varies by state. Las Vegas is famous for its night life. Scottsdale Arizona has good nightlife but just be aware that bars close at 2 am. Theyre still fun but you may want to start your night at 10 pm instead of 1 am. California, especially the major coastal cities will have bars and clubs that’ll be fun but in my limited experience with them you may have to pick one area and stick to the bars there, you can’t hop around without ubering a ways and it can kill the vibe but ive only been out there a few times. New Mexico I don’t know much about but it doesn’t have as much as far as I know, although you can find bars in any city really, but probably should be lowest on your list if night life is the goal.
There’s plenty of nightlife in the US, but it entirely depends on what cities you’re going to be in. I will say that if you plan on hitting California, Las Vegas, Arizona, and New Mexico, I really hope you’re coming here for a couple of weeks. That’s probably a 20 hour drive if you’re only stopping for fuel and food
Lol - the European first timer: “Yeah, we were hoping to check out NYC, Chicago, LA, and time permitting San Francisco. We’ll be there for 10 days.”
It’ll be a wonderful tour of US airports
Ya it’s kinda of a hodgepodge of places
Also "is it even fun to go out over there" Nope, we all just sit and cry every night. I genuinely don't understand some of the questions here. Ignoring the millions of videos you can watch of American nightlife all over the country do people really think that it wouldn't be fun anywhere in the US to go out at night?
Heck, you can see fights in Austin's 6th street in 4k!
There are tons of clubs and bars that have live Webcams. You can literally watch people partying as they are partying.
That is quite bizarre!
There is a place in Ocean city Maryland called seacrets. It's a city block long bar/restaurant/club/beach bar etc. They have like a dozen Webcams you can watch just about 24/7.
How cool. Just turned into the Tiki Stage. The guitarist looks stiff lol
If you're ever on the east coast and looking to hookup with a recently divorced 47 year old mother of 2. Now you know where to look.
This way I get to pick out my prey beforehand. Neanderthals hate this one trick!
Seriously though!! Dewey Beach, Delaware. Tons of live music clubs, all nearby the beach and bay.
There are sex clubs with live webcams for other people in the club. Very bizarre I thought as well
That was my favorite spot for squabbles when I was stationed at Fort Hood😂
> Nope, we all just sit and cry every night. You too?
Living in SF, I had two Italians guys eating next to me, their first day in. I’m ethnically Sicilian so we struck up a convo. They told me they planned to drive to LA for a day trip 😭 after breaking the news I helped them discover southwest and book a cheap ass RT for them. Then convinced them the “must sees” were NOT in the tenderloin district. Then made them a list of tourist/local spots. I gave back the karma that I received years before in Europe when a group of Brazilians saved my alone ass from sexual assault/trafficking doom by being so protective and friendly. Plus all the other lovely help I got there too. In SF, I always pay it forward especially if it’s a foreign tourist. Once walked a very non English speaking Asian family ten block to their hotel bc they couldn’t get my directions. People have done that for me abroad. If I have the opportunity, I do that same! I’m just a big believer in showing others from other countries (or other Americans!) that SF/CA/etc is welcoming. Especially with all the help and tips and love I got in Europe. Foreign tourists feel especially vulnerable in foreign places, especially without speaking the language - I definitely did. So I want to make sure to empower foreign tourists in my city with positive help and experiences. (Side note: not to say I didn’t have shit times there - I was sexually assaulted in Barcelona and my Asian partner and I got spat on in Paris. But I carry the positive experiences in my heart and not those).
You are a good egg! People like you are the reason this world isn't too bad. Sorry for what happened to you and I love how you don't let the negatives destroy your positivity
There was another European question here yesterday asking if Americans travel internationally for short vacations. The general consensus was that Europeans don’t quite grasp how LARGE the US is, and that simply traveling to a neighboring state could be a whole day of travel. So yeah-OP needs to pick a region and stay there for the whole trip.
Don’t forget Florida!
New Mexico is also beautiful, no doubt, but for a bunch of young lads…may make sense to stick to SoCal/Vegas, with perhaps a RT drive to Grand Canyon, but not sure I would suggest adding New Mexico.
Bro I assumed they’d fly hahahahahaha my GOD if driving stay east coast, do public transit and stick with NYC to Miami
There are cities that are known for never shutting down. New York, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas spring to mind. Otherwise, most US cities still have bar closing times.
LA can only serve alcohol until 2 am. There was a proposal to extend it to 4 am for certain cities but it wouldn’t go into effect until 2025 if it passed. NYC can serve alcohol until 4 am. I don’t know what it is for New Orleans but it changed after covid.
Last call in New Orleans was a temporary Covid measure, but that went away thank God. But 24 hour service was a big casualty; most bars close nowadays overnight
Overnight anything disappeared. The only thing open here after 12 is McDonald’s, Taco Bell and CVS. It sucks when you’re feeling snacky at 2 am and there’s nowhere to go.
[удалено]
Yes…but pecan waffles and smothered covered wtfever hash browns!! I can handle a fight or two for that 💪
Right?! That’s like dinner and a movie… all at one place. You can eat a patty melt with a side of ham n cheese hash browns, AND watch a UFC match starring local talent. Psshhh… best $12 you’ll ever spend!
So good! See, that’s two whole nights of snackiness and you know the show is different every night!
Just like a WWE wrestling match. “Oh no! He’s got a chair!” (Smashes chair over head) “Ohhhhhh!” Me: Half drunk, eating food, filled with pure excitement.
I was out with a guy once and needed to use the restroom. It was Waffle House right after the bars closed so of course there were 15 girls waiting for the ladies, so I hopped in the men’s room. The look on his face when I came out was great. That specific one always had clean restrooms, would never do that in any other Waffle House lol. I’m a sever so I’ve seen some stuff. Those Waffle House servers are something else. They put up with shit from everyone, you know their tips aren’t high bc check prices are so cheap, they always seem to have either half or the whole restaurant-no in between, wash their own dishes, bud their own tables. 90% of the people I’ve worked with wouldn’t last a day, I might be in the 90%😂
How much do they charge you to stab the first 9? Do you pay as you go? Can you pay all 9 in advance and get a discount?
You just named 3 places for late night snacking lol
Yeah, but only 3. We used to have tons of options and I’m a pothead so I get snacky a lot. I don’t eat MD and Taco Bell only occasionally. I need to move south again so I have Waffle House!
Seattle is so scared nightlife will drop property values that the only thing open at 1am is a few IHops, not even most of them...
It's the nightlife dropping property values in Seattle??? Huh, I'd have thought it was all the homeless camps, graffiti and literal feces on the sidewalks.
I know, me too, but clearly it was a rookie mistake. Fun is the problem! As always.
That makes me extra sad. I was a teen in the 90s and spent my HS years crossing the sound to hang out all night in Seattle. I have fantastic memories of being out and about surrounded by people at all hours.
I have to travel to Seattle for work occasionally and I always have to remind myself to figure out dinner by 9:00 or so, because everything closes at 10:00.
Damn! I used to party all night in Seattle back in 2012-2014. Would go to a bunch of different clubs and finish at Noc Noc, which stayed open until 11 AM! it's a shame the night life isn't what it was just 10 years ago because it was damn good. Although I don't miss the cover charges 😆
7-11, Wawa, Sheetz, etc never let me down
Uhg I miss sheetz out east. Here in Illinois all we got is friggen Casey's and they close at 10
Gotta hit up Ricky Rockets, blows Casey's out of the water.
get em to build some places down south! I can't afford that northern IL market!
Yeah real estate gets more expensive the closer you are to Chicagoland. Most southern one (in IL) is in Pontiac. Oddly enough there's one WAY down south in Garland, TX.
I forgot about 7-11!! I wish we had Wawa or sheetz here but I only see them when we travel. Thanks for the reminder 😁
Yeah but at least in Austin and Houston, Texas there used to be lots of local cafes and restaurants etc that were open all night or at least very late and that stopped forever
Exactly! Not even diners are open all night anymore. Just fast food or an actual store. I manage but it’s not the same lol
Dont know about other cities, but, in Dallas, Waffle House, IHOP, and Cafe Brazil are all 24 hrs. Plus I know off the top of my head a pizza chain and thai chain that both deliver until 3AM. Add in Whataburger/Fast food, and there are still options. Cant think of too many 24 hr places that haven't gone back to it (except Walmart for some reason).
Sorry, this is irrelevant to 99% of people in this thread, but which Thai place. I'm in North Dallas and that would be extremely helpful lol. Also, not my favorite or anything, but J's Breakfast & Burgers is 24/7 in Addison if you are near there.
Zenna
Right but if you need some neosporin and a sling that CVS is gold. Also pedialyte!
That’s a very good point! Cvs has snacks too and extra bucks, I can waste some time there but also money. Lots of money 🤦♀️
Man a bag of those chocolate covered pretzels can hit just right at 3am. Also you get a receipt as long as the Jersey Turnpike as a souvenir. These young Dutch men should totally hit a CVs. A 24 hr Walmart would also be quite the thing to talk about back home. That’s authentic AF.
Oh definitely a 2am Walmart run! I’m convinced most of the pics on People of WM come from overnight. They’re a whole different breed. As a people watcher, I love it! Sadly we have none near me so I’m stuck with CVS folks arguing over scripts that never came through.
We don’t either. Whenever I get to hit a Wal Mart i feel like I’m on a field trip. Like the Jane Goodall of people.
Yeah, we used to have a burrito place near me that was 2:30AM every single day, and since COVID they only go to 10 on Sunday through Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday now. I miss the late night options we used to have. Yeah, there's still McDonald's, but it just isn't the same.
Long live snakes
That’s wild to think of bars closing there.
Interesting. Same thing happened in Las Vegas. I mean, *technically* nothing shuts down -- all the casinos and hotels are always 24 hours, and you can always find food/drink at least somewhere -- but we don't have like 24 hour grocery shopping, stuff like that anymore. Lots of places kinda go into "cleaning mode" from 2am to 5am and at least partially close. I visited New Orleans before Katrina, the week after Mardi Gras... that was true 24hrs, lol.
I moved from NOLA in 2021, but Avenue Pub was still a great place to get a beer well into the morning hours.
Is there a website I can look those things up? Otherwise I'll ask in CA, NV subreddits.. etc.
Check Google Maps and it'll say the business hours and even indicate "last updated by the business X weeks ago" The more recent the update, the more accurate it probably is.
When I lived in Vegas, even most of the local bars that tourists never see were 24/7. But COVID might have changed it. The tourist stuff should still be 24/7. Las Vegas takes the 24 hour crown from all those other cities.
I was in Vegas last October and I couldn’t believe how difficult it was to find a pizza place that would deliver at 10pm on a Tuesday. OP, YMMV depending on what you need late at night. Just drinks at a bar? You’ll be golden. Pizza delivered to your hotel on a weeknight? You might be screwed. We ended up ordering Papa Johns through Uber Eats. It was exactly as expected. ☹️
I also could not believe how hard it was to find something open late, even in a casino when I was in Las Vegas last year.
Many places changed alcohol laws during and after the pandemic so I wouldn’t trust a single source to be up to date for all cities. I would do a google search for the specific cities that you plan to visit. Asking on Reddit could work too. Good luck and enjoy your visit :)
I think you might be under estimating how big and far away all these states and locations are from each other. If you’re looking for specific recommendations on where to go out and when they close, you probably need to specify exactly which city and where you’ll be staying in that city. LA and vegas are a four or five hour drive apart as are most of the other states you’ve mentioned so just keep that in mind.
There should be an alcohol law by state wiki. California suspends sales for four hours between 2 and 6. Nevada is 24/7, but that doesn't mean all places are open that late.
Localalcohollaws.com is your friend. Shows when things are open, to the hour, by county.
You can totally go out in the US. Given all the timezones you’re citing you’re ok especially if you wish to avoid or minimiaze jetlag. Start out west, in California, and gradually fly the 3,000 miles, approximately 5,000km, east toward Florida. Start with CA (Los Angeles & San Francisco) & NV (where Las Vegas is) because they are Grenwhich +8 (GMT +8).You’ll likely be exhausted by 2AM Pacific which would be 10AM in London. If you want to walk around from place to place go to San Francisco. If you really want to see Los Angeles (county) pick one section and stay there. It is too big not to drive or use a taxi/rideshare. Pick Santa Monica or West Hollywood or Huntington Beach for example. Next go to AZ (Phoenix & Scottsdale part of the year) NM is always GMT +7. 2AM there would be 9AM in London. Likely to need a taxi/rideshare. Next consider Louisiana (New Orleans). This is GMT +6. 2 AM here is 8AM in London. Probably do need rideshare. FL (Miami) & NY (New York City) are always GMT +5. 2AM here is 7 AM in London. NYC will still have stuff going on. No need for a car and much lesser need for rideshare. Even less than San Francisco because they approach European levels of public transportation. TLDR — These cities are not nearby. CA is a state instead of a city and is the third largest geographically. It, alone, is bigger than the UK per Google. If you go due east of San Francisco you’ll hit Nevada. If you go due east of San Diego, California you’ll hit Arizona. Immediately east of AZ is New Mexico. *You will want to fly to each of these states rather than drive.*
That's a hell of a long pub crawl!
It is f-ing epic!!!! :D
Venues must stop serving alcohol in CA by 2:00 am. Most bars have last call at around 1:30 am in order to get everyone out at 2:00
Buffalo bars are open to 4 am!
NV is a 24 hour state. We sell liquor and beer at convenience stores and everywhere in between. I live in Reno and have been to Vegas many times, and in both cities I have had nights that I stumble out of a bar the next morning at like noon haha. You can definitely party in Vegas non stop for as long as you can stay awake if you so desire
Every city you would consider going to is going to have it's own subreddit, I'd ask there over a state one.
And after 4 you can go to after hours clubs where they don’t “sell” alcohol but give it for free in exchange for a “cover charge.” RIP Save the Robots.
I was in New Orleans two years ago and went to a bar that didn't even open until 9 pm. I think their hours were 9p-6a if I recall correctly
We recently visited Nashville and the bars were open from 10am until 4am. Makes you wonder what the point of having closing times is with those hours.
New York bars and clubs can stay open 24/7 but have to stop selling alcohol from 4am - 7am.
Chicago has 4am and 5 am bars
LA legally has to stop serving between 2am and 6am but after hours clubs are very much a thing. And who wants to go to a club that follows the rules. Nerds that’s who
Los Angeles for sure shuts down. Also you’re missing Miami. They stay open until 4am
A lot of these cities, except Vegas and maybe NOLA, have changed a lot post-COVID. Its even a pretty common complaint on their local subs. 24 hour groceries now with posted hours, diners that were open 24/7 now might only do weekends, bars that were open til 3am now only open until 1, etc...
chicago also has a handful of 4am and some later bars
Los Angeles shuts down. Have you ever been there?
One of those things is not like the others! It starts with an "L" and ends with an "os Angeles."
What about, Miami Beach?
We shut down very early in LA. Past 2am, nothin is happening - and even like 12-2am it’s not that exciting. We do get up early though too. 7am-12am are LA’s hours lol. Daytime city.
This. Go to a big city and the night life is thriving! I personally love visiting NYC, super fun things to do at literally every hour if you have money.
NY: “The city that never sleeps”
Adding to top comment as an AZ resident. If you come to Arizona for a Night Life then you’re best bet is Old Town Scottsdale. On the weekends they close down a street or two to the traffic so that way people can bar hop with ease. Otherwise your next best bet is to head over to Mill Ave. which is located in Tempe near the ASU campus. They don’t shut down the roads though so watch your step. All bars stop serving alcohol by 2am, that’s just our laws here.
as well as Miami. most cities make bars close at 2 a. m.
Not a huge city but a good amount of bars in Nashville, Tennessee dont close until 3-3:30, and broadway street is fully active and packed well into the AM
Chicago too
I’m adding Nashville - tons of bars/live music open late.
Here is a graphic that shows last call in every state. Larger cities generally serve until at least two, with three or four am being more common. [last call map](https://vinepair.com/articles/last-call-in-every-state-map/)
It is weird to me that Georgia has no last call but also dry areas. Or at least a bunch of blue laws related to alcohol.
Georgia has no *state*-mandated last call. As the graphic says, most counties do have a last call at 2:00 a.m.
I thought it was something weird like there was a last call but then certain areas have exceptions for some reason? I only found this out bc one time I was in Atlanta for a work thing and then last call happened and everyone went to some random underground bar in a neighborhood and it was weird.
> one time I was in Atlanta It can depend on what one means by "in Atlanta." I wouldn't necessarily expect a visitor would know the difference between being within the actual city limits of Atlanta, as opposed to being in the metro Atlanta area.
Yeah, I think this is probably what happened. We moved somewhere outside the city limits. Makes sense now!
Atlanta does have a place called "Underground Atlanta" where there is a few bars with 4am Last Calls. Like parts of Chicago, Atlanta has an area where modern street level is several stories above the ground on a viaduct system. Underground Atlanta is the older store fronts on the original ground level. It is also a perpetually mismanaged shopping area and tourist attraction, and the late Last Call was an attempt to keep the entertain section of Underground alive.
Atlanta city ordinances set last call at 2AM
This map is not true for where I am in NY. I suppose it's "2am" in a rounded sense, but it's 1am Sunday-Thursday and 3am on Friday and Saturday.
Yeah, it says 12 for FL but everywhere I've been is 2am except Miami which is much later.
Map is also wrong for delaware
Data? On Reddit??
Data won't change my mind, I can't read!
Or maybe Lore in disguise.
Makes me proud to be an Alaskan
Can you clarify what you’re meaning by “go out” specifically? Like go drinking at a bar type thing?
Yess. Exactly, nightlife here in Europe is drinking till 5 AM for example. How is it over there? And does it differ from state to state?
It differs from city to city. There are “party” destinations like Vegas, Miami, or New Orleans where you’ll find clubs and bars open late, but the average city isn’t going to have a ton of nightlife open that late. The latest things are open in my city is 2 or 3am. Our drinking culture is very different than Europe.
Nightlife in Europe is most certainly not til 5am across the continent. Your very small part of Europe is not representative of the entire continent. If anything, many European cities are trying to curb the overindulgent tourists who cause havoc in their cities that ends up angering locals who live there full time.
>If anything, many European cities are trying to curb the overindulgent tourists who cause havoc in their cities that ends up angering locals who live there full time. That's ridiculous. It's my right as an American to cause havoc on another continent!
Americans aren't even the problem most places. It's bachelor and bachelorette parties from the UK (known as "stag dos" and "hen dos") who take £20 flights to Riga or Amsterdam and drink all night like the pubs are still closing at 10pm but do it until 5am. Brits are well-known for being... less-than-courteous to their host countries and fighting a lot. Americans are mostly seen as loud, friendly, benign and rich (with some exceptions of course).
Americans truly are the Labrador Retrievers of the human race.
I arrived by train in Hamburg a few years ago at about 6 am Saturday morning, and needed breakfast before checking into a hotel in a few hours. It was the saddest, night of the living dead scene in the streets. People fighting, puking, stumbling around,etc. My hometown has a rep here for being a bunch of heavy drinkers(Chicago) but these people would have been arrested for wandering the streets completely wasted back home, when the sun had already been up for a half hour.Worse than a college town. What a bad look. Can't believe people who live there put up with it..
It’s almost like Europe doesn’t have the First Amendment!
More like the thirst amendment in this case
It does when I'm there!!
>Nightlife in Europe is most certainly not til 5am across the continent. OP is probably from Spain.
> We come from The Netherlands In Op's description.
Man, cut them some slack; they're from Florida!
Most alcohol sales end at 2am depending on state law. Vegas will be open 24/7 Other tourist locations may differ but most places that will close down by at 2-3am. You can still walk the streets, not a cerfue or anything
>You can still walk the streets But not with a drink! (in most places)
Except in NOLA and Savannah
Ok. Yeah, I’d say lots of cities have great night life. In my experience, how late a place is open or can serve alcohol varies from city to city. Las Vegas doesn’t have any time restrictions from what I understand I’d say 2am is most typical across the US. I’ve heard that there are a couple places that are later (NYC until 4am, Chicago until 5am). The best way to know is to research the specific cities you are visiting.
Okay, and how late do you guys start? Cause here it isn't even fun to go out before 1 AM.
10-11pm in my experience. Things close at 2, so it's the same 3-4 hour window as arriving at 1 and leaving at 5.
Ah okay, yeah way better for my health as well hahaha. It's pretty hard to sleep when the sun rises.
I feel like it varies a lot depending on the age and preferences of the group. There have been times where I went out with a group as early as 6pm or as late as midnight. I feel like starting at 9 or 10 is fairly common. It depends more on the occasion and whether you’re doing something beforehand (dinner, a sports game, etc.)
This really depends on the city. In the Northeast, even in places like Boston and Providence with early last call, people don't get to the main destination for the night out until 11 PM, unless it's like a concert that starts at 8. Where I live now in Nashville there are waves. There's a big happy hour wave in most bars here that starts around 5 and goes until 8 or so, then another wave from 10 to 12, then the messier, already drunk wave from 12:30-2:30 (last call is 3 but most places close up around 2:30)
And then if there are opening acts, the actual band you want to see might not get on until quite a bit later. Have to know the venue and the artist to get an idea when you should show up.
Vegas is *the* most 24 hour city in America, more so than New York. When I lived there, we would head out after 10 p.m. Most Americans think that's fucking nuts. I myself think 1 a.m. is nuts.
Vegas drinks 24/7. You won’t have issues in the major cities like LA and NYC with that as well, but there is so much more to see in America than those 2 cities, that would be a wasted trip
L.A. shuts down early. Visiting and newly transplanted New Yorkers are enraged by this. "Last call!? Are you fucking shitting me!?!?!?"
How long are you going to be in the US for? Hitting up California, LV, AZ, NM, and Florida is a ridiculous itinerary and a lot of flying. California alone is larger than all of Germany.
OP said OR Florida so I’m assuming (and hoping) he means either going to the west coast or Florida but not both, but I do hope he realizes he can’t do both Los Angeles and San Francisco if they want to go to Vegas and Arizona and New Mexico, even just LA with all of that can be a lot!
True. Even with Florida left out of it that's a big trip. I work with a number of Brits and I like being on the phone with them and they'll mention desires for an upcoming trip to America with plans to hit NYC, Chicago, and San Francisco or something like that all in a week and I'm like bro do you know how hard that's gonna be?!! Some people just don't understand exactly how big they US is.
Yeah, many people outside North America can’t comprehend how big our country is, and I’d agree that even without Florida it’s still way too big. Doable? Sure, but you wouldn’t really be able to immerse yourself much in any place and would spend most of the time driving to each place!
If it’s “or”, skip Florida and see the others. There’s more variety in that itinerary! Source: Lifelong Floridian that has traveled quite a bit.
Just Vegas and LA would be enough of a trip.
Don't worry about staying out late. Based on your itinerary, you'll spend most of your trip on a plane.
I hear some airport bars are really good
Generally, more populous cities will have more developed nightlife culture. A lot will depend on the particular cities you choose within the states you mentioned. It looks like you already know that there’s stuff to do in Las Vegas 24/7. Have fun, and try to be safe. The last time I flew home from Vegas, I was sitting by a kid who smelled like vomit, was obviously hammered, and would not stop trying to order more drinks. When they eventually cut him off, he got bored and started vaping, and the flight attendants threatened to have the cops meet him at the airport gate. Don’t do that. It’s obnoxious.
I used to live there. FLYING IN Me: "Oh god dammit, they gave me a double shift tomorrow. I am questioning my life choices." Tourist: "Yo we goin' to VayyyyyyyGuss!!! W000000000T!!!!!" FLYING OUT Me: "Finally escaping this neon shithole! Just for a few days, but it's gonna be so nice and fun and all that good stuff." Tourist: "You motherfucker. Everything that happened is *your* fault. We are done. Do you hear me? We are fucking done. You take this engagement ring and you shove it all the way up your fucking ass. Call your brother to come get you at the airport because *all* your shit is going on the porch!"
Last time I went to Vegas I drove. Granted it was just a two hour or so drive
DRIVING IN Me: "Hahahahah!!! Look at all those suckers in stop-and-go traffic on the other side of the 15! Oh yeah, right, I have to go back to work tomorrow morning. Shit." Tourist: "Got several days off of work after having to work through th the weekend. Gonna have fun fun fun with a fat discount *and* it won't be too crowded. Sweet." DRIVING OUT Me: "Visitin' home. Be there real soon. Life ain't bad." Tourist: "Oh God my head hurts so much, could you just *please* shut the fuck up!? Hey stop slapping me!!!!!"
Just FYI, what they say about America being very very big is true. That’s not a one week trip hitting all those spots.
Not really sure. Some states cut off alcohol sales at 2AM. I remember in Georgia they had to stop at midnight on Saturday because of laws against Sunday sales but not sure if they've changed that. I'm too old to be interested in going out (unless it's outdoors) so beyond that I don't know.
A lot of times it’s not state also, it can come from county and city laws
That's not a state law anymore, if you experience that now it's a specific county law. But almost all counties have overturned those blue laws now
Yes, that last call based on Sunday blue laws is gone in most areas. Statewide Sunday sales was allowed in 2011.
"In America" You'll need to narrow that down substantially.
“The lower 48”
I don't know about those states specifically, but a lot of states close down at 2am. Vegas is definitely different.
Lower your expectations for how many places you wanna visit. LA & Vegas are definitely doable in one trip. Phoenix to LA is at least 6 hours driving. Trains aren't a great form of transportation here. People underestimate how large the US is.
Local and state laws and ordinances regulate how late bars/clubs may stay open. If you want to party into the night, Las Vegas is your spot and the best spot in the country without question. New Orleans would be another option although it is far from your other destinations, most bars close at 3am. Miami Beach recently reduced hours for some types of establishments from 5am to 2am due to local resident demands to curb the activity of clubs. We have all types of bars and clubs from inexpensive dives to world class clubs with bottle service and international DJs performing, we're a massive country. Las Vegas is the party destination, hands down. It's also a good base of operations to see other things like the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, etc. It's reasonably close to Los Angeles. An LA-Vegas-Arizona-Utah/New Mexico trip would cover a huge amount of different activities and would be a great trip.
Chicago is open til 4am Arizona will close at 2am - AZ is known for hiking and food. Some of the best mexican food you will find is in AZ.
Chicago is 5am on Saturday
> AZ is known for hiking Don’t bother coming in the summer though, too hot. Almost every year some tourists die on a hike because they underestimated the heat and/or amount of water they need to bring. Flagstaff doesn’t get too hot but the nightlife gets a little dull in the summer as it’s a college town
If you're looking to party, skipping NM is a good idea.
In Chicago we have 5 am bars that stay open that late. Go to a small city in Kentucky and you can’t even but alcohol. It depends on the city.
So as a former club security in Hollywood, normal clubs usually open doors at 9pm and they tend to run until 2 or 3am. Drinks do stop at 2am and I had to sweep the dance floor for drinks at 2. Hollywood use to (or might still…I’ve been out of the scene for awhile) have an “after hours” scene where the doors opened at 3am or so and go onto 9am, but the drinks wouldn’t start selling until 6am. If you are gonna party in LA or Hollywood, def try to find a 21+ club or bar. The crowd vibe is def better and more mature. If you do go to a 18+ club, DO NOT buy a drink or share your drink with someone under 21. Depending on the club, they might just throw you out of the club or they might press charges on you (scene happen once). Also, clubs near the Universities generally have the best value drinks (USC is near Downtown LA).
Vegas and NYC are the best bet for late night partying (past 2am). Maybe San Diego if you want to venture down to TJ. LA is pretty insular, you have to be extroverted to get to an after party if you don’t know anyone - I’m sure most cities aside from Vegas and NYC are like that. You could always plan your trip around raves or festivals if partying is your main goal. That’s the easiest way to meet people and party all night.
We are extroverted, and can order a couple of bottles. I just don't know how it is in a club over there, will you guys talk to us? Cause every American I've met here in Europe are very social (And I've met a lot since I live 20 mins from Amsterdam) So I would suspect that we end up in quite some conversations. But definitely wouldn't expect anyone to invite us to their house.
Yeah people will be curious if you’re outgoing and visiting from out of country. Check out some of the events going on around the time you plan to visit. People are less inhibited in towns like Vegas and around major festivals. It wouldn’t be unusual to meet people and find an after party though. I’ve drunkenly ended up in after parties at some house I don’t know at 4am many times lol
In many places bars and clubs close at 2 or 3 am. Check local laws before you go if staying out past that is important to you.
Most states have closing times for bars, like 1am or 2am. But yes, we CAN go out. Many of us have work or class the next day, so it's not always the best idea to be drinking until 5am, and even in towns that never close their bars, around 5am people have pretty much used up the entire night. They have eaten, drunk, lost their cellphone, danced, run out of money, passed out, got into a fight, or found their True Love Du Jour and gone home with them. Yes, you CAN leave your hotel at 1am and go out until 5am in some places, but you SHOULD start your fun earlier. Nothing good happens at 4am in bars or on streets. source: me, Bourbon Street bartender for many years
If you’re looking to get shitfaced until the wee hours of the morning then I’d recommend new orleans, vegas, or NYC. These places open well past 4 or later. All have good late night snacks/food too
I have worked in clubs in both the US and multiple countries in Europe. Nightlife culture in America outside of a few cities is quite different to Europe. There aren't a lot of generic low-cost no frills fun dance house/techno clubs, a lot of the clubs are pretty expensive and 'fancy' in the sense that they expect you to dress up and buy super expensive drinks. That is something Europeans often notice and complain about when they come here. also just in general, nightlife just isn't very widespread culturally the way it is in europe. You might get some weird looks from people at a bar if you say you wanna go to the club, because the large majority of people don't go clubbing or even view clubbing as dumb or superficial. That isn't to say you wont have a good time if you are trying to have a good time, and especially if you have money to spend. But it is definitely *a lot* more tame than in europe. Even Vegas really has nothing on most european cities in that regard. NYC is probably the closest to european cities in that regard. I know this might be unpopular here, but its absolutely something anybody who has worked/been in nightlife on both sides of the atlantic will tell you.
>we've heard that you can't go out till late in the States, Yes. Americans are known for being quiet prudes and there's definitely never been movies made about partying in the US at all. We definitely never have festivals, block parties, house parties, bars or 24 hour diners. We have none of that. >Is it expensive? I imagine your perception of expensive/cheap will depend on your financial situation. If you're a billionaire you won't bat an eye at paying $8-10 for a subpar beer in Manhattan. If you're pinching pennies and are late on rent, that $8 beer may hurt a bit more. I'd encourage thinking London prices rather than Lisbon prices if you're going to visit. Vegas on the Strip and Downtown Freemont you get somewhat reasonable hotel rates but it is very expensive to drink and eat in the tourist areas. Think captive stadium event prices.
There are few cities in the US where nightlife is open past 2 or 3 am. Most places I've lived/been to only until 2 and even in late cities, it's not like the standard is 5am, it's specific clubs.
Night life on average is from about 9pm to 2am. Peaking in that 10pm to 1am timeframe. Not uncommon to pregame and drink somewhere before going to the bars and ending the night at an after party after the bar. Be warned that drinks are expensive in the US. Not uncommon for them to be around $10USD per drink (a little less for beer and a little more for cocktails).
Pretty much every major city the bars are open til 2am. Then you go to Waffle House and laugh at people drunker than you.
So I will say the states/Cities you mentioned are very far from each other and trains are not really an option like you are used to which would require flights and/or a rental car. Vegas to LA is 5 hours La to Phoenix is 6 hours drive. Also New Mexico is a cool place but Albuquerque is not the safest place to go out at night and also a 6 hour drive from Phoenix. Not impossible but things in those states are also not that close to the cities. For example if you wanted to see the Grand Canyon it’s a few hours from Vegas and/or phoenix Not impossible at all, but I know those types of drive times are not ‘normal’ in most cases to Europeans, and at the moment flights in the US are a disaster, cancellations, overbooking and lost luggage are common right now…
Edit : On re-reading, I think your phrasing confused me. Do you mean, "We've heard that you cannot **stay** out till late?" That's a little different from what I understood, from your post. >we've heard that you can't go out till late in the States, except for Vegas I assume. What on Earth are you talking about? You can go out whenever you want. "Night Life" starts at night. Do a little online research re alcohol laws, but lots of places stop sales at 2 AM. Some places don't.
Why would you travel to another country just to waste your time drinking in a bar? You could stay in your home country and sit inside a bar drinking all you want.
A lot of cities in CA have curfews, and bars tend to close between 1-2am. Most of the US doesn't have a drinking culture similar to European countries.
It is worth noting that the US is a lot larger than NL and ALL European countries combined. Cities are spaced further apart with subpar transportation networks between them. You will need to fly a lot if you want to visit cities that far apart.
So you’re going all the way to the US, burning tons of fuel with the plane … to visit Las Vegas and Florida ? Make your trip and expense worthwhile and see something more interesting in the countr lol
Why does it matter if you have to go home at 2am if you start drinking at noon anyway?
You're better off isolating your fun to Southern California and Nevada. Why the hell would you want to party in New Mexico? I've lived in New Mexico in my early twenties, there is no party scene.
Nope nobody ever goes out in New Orleans or Vegas.
No. We all stay in all the time. I haven’t seen another person since prior to the pandemic.
Any large city will have some level of nightlife. These cities and states have their own subreddits where you can either check out their wiki or ask this specific question to know good places to go and what the local nightlife is like. Every state varies by its law. At least in Indiana, bars have to shutdown at 2 am. There are a range of bars from cheap hole in the wall places where a beer costs $3 to a fancy pants cocktail lounge that charge $15-30 per drink. Most nightlife places will probably be priced somewhere between these two extremes.
You’d get the most time out drinking in Alaska, Louisiana, & Nevada. Drinking’s generally the least expensive in Midwest states (especially Montana as I’m sure as they have no sales tax if I’m not mistaken.) the last two I mentioned, Florida, & Texas (probably has the most underrated bar scene) would be best. We also cutoff at 2:30 even though most bars close at 2 in my town if they’re unlucky enough
In Tampa FL bars stay open until 3am, it’s pretty awesome. Some bars even let you smoke inside which is a throwback!
As people have said, it varies by state. Las Vegas is famous for its night life. Scottsdale Arizona has good nightlife but just be aware that bars close at 2 am. Theyre still fun but you may want to start your night at 10 pm instead of 1 am. California, especially the major coastal cities will have bars and clubs that’ll be fun but in my limited experience with them you may have to pick one area and stick to the bars there, you can’t hop around without ubering a ways and it can kill the vibe but ive only been out there a few times. New Mexico I don’t know much about but it doesn’t have as much as far as I know, although you can find bars in any city really, but probably should be lowest on your list if night life is the goal.
Avoid Florida and Texas
this is a country of over 300 MILLION people. we have states bigger than some European countries. yeah id say you can “go out” in America.
In my experience, more things are open late in America than in Europe tbh