Bard College
- Nightlife

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Despite Bard’s geographical location and its small student body, nightlife here remains pretty animated. This is due, in part, to frequent parties and concerts, and the fact that local bars stay open until 4 a.m. Bard’s liberal drinking policy means that having a few cocktails in the common room is usually an accepted activity. Also, registered party-throwers over the age of 21 can serve beer and alcohol in the larger dorms, making for a lively and oftentimes raucous Friday night pre-bar scene.

The bar scene around Bard is pretty limited. For the most part, Bardians flock to the Black Swan, a local Tivoli tavern known for its smoky atmosphere and cheap drinks. Students move to the Swan’s peculiar mix of music—some nights there’s jazz, other nights there’s pop or techno—on the small dance floor, while the back room fills with the dappled hum of inebriation. By sophomore year, most Bardians have developed a sort of love-hate relationship with the Black Swan. It’s a fun, accessible bar, but it’s really the only one around. Besides the Swan, Tivoli offers only Santa Fe. Santa Fe has established itself as less of a Bard bar and more of a watering hole for beefy and oftentimes aggressive locals. For more adventurous drinkers, a trip to Rhinebeck on weekend nights is essential. Although the Rhinebeck bars are a 15- or 20-minute drive away, they do offer a fresh alternative to the Swan. Restless or underage campus dwellers are not completely out of luck. Bard has produced several talented student DJs over the years that are dedicated to throwing the craziest parties this side of the Hudson, bringing in guest DJs from New York City to spin with them on occasion. Still, no one will deny that Bard is far from a party school. Yes, students enjoy drinking and smoking marijuana, but it is not uncommon to spend a Friday night just hanging around the dorm, talking politics or philosophy, and listening to music.

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Nightlife at Bard College

dididi

Studio Arts '15

3.5

B

Highs and Lows

it kind of sucks because there is no alcohol AT parties... pre-gaming is a necessity for those who like to drink and be drunk. also, many nights that start out excited and party-hopeful turn into long, dark walks through the woods going back and forth from tewksbury, smog, and cruger. every now and then there will be a really great party; more often, you may enjoy just getting down with dormmates. also, smog can be VERY repetitive; angsty post-punk or high-energy techno that, while fun to dance to, is much more fun to dance to on cocaine (hence the use of cocaine in the bathroom)

Oct 22, 2011

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Nightlife at Bard College

Bardgirl

Languages and Literature '13

2.7

C+

Nightlife

Nightlife at Bard is dominated by house parties in Red Hook and Tivoli. Sometimes the music is a bust, but usually there's another party to check out if you aren't having a good time. These parties usually get pretty tiresome.

Jan 05, 2011

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Nightlife at Bard College

AllInGoodJest

French Language and Literature '14

4.6

A

The night-life is decent for a college

I have spent time at many of the small liberal arts schools in the North Eastern United states (I have friends who I visit). Bard's nightlife is about as good as it gets at any liberal arts school. Its almost always fun

Jan 01, 2011

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