Columbia University - Nightlife

This bar and club is more laid-back than the haute culture of the rest of the club scene in Manhattan, and it offers a fun, casual locale for the shaking of groove things.

One of New York’s hottest clubs with 30,000 square feet of party space divided into four levels.Sound system and lighting are just as impressive as the famous DJs that keep the club packed well into the morning on weekends.

1020 is the favorite among upperclassmen and some graduate students. The pool table in the back also draws neighborhood folk who just want to shoot a few rounds and drink a few pints. A big screen in the back plays the big game or whatever movie is on TBS or AMC. Cover: None

A favorite among Columbia athletes, Cannon’s has pitcher specials most nights of the week and a rowdy, fun attitude. This is for the  strong-hearted. Cover: None

A favorite amongst sorority girls and male athletes, Nacho’s is usually a pretty safe bet for eye candy (which, granted, are sometimes way-too-drunk freshmen girls). Look your best and act your nicest, though, as the bouncers can be quite stringent and make you wait outside (which all Columbians agree is a little strange in the un-swanky neighborhood of Morningside Heights). Cover: None

Another swankfest, Table XII is connected to the Lombardy Hotel and serves the bold and the beautiful. Cover: None

The indie-rock undergrads at Columbia rejoiced when this dingy, punk-rock dive bar moved to town last year. But all drinkers agree, the Ding Dong is an unpretentious place to drink cheaply and listen to something other than pop radio (live DJs mosts of the week help keep the music interesting). Cover: None

The dive bar to end all dive bars, the clientele at Night Café looks like a lineup at the local precinct. But sometimes, you want to drink in a place where the music blares sad, drinkin’ tunes and questionable substances aren’t hard to find. Cover: None

What better than a night with friends in a futuristic Korean-style karaoke bar? With a wide selection of songs and drinks you’ve probably never heard of, this is definitely an experience to try.

There’s hardly anything you can say about a bar whose slogan is “Where Columbia had its first beer,” except that everybody goes there. It’s the closest bar to the main gates of campus and most residence halls, so everyone is familiar with it, making it a popular place to assemble for a study lunch or a night out. Fortunately, the place is as big as a barn, so there’s room for all who are thirsty and a lounge in the basement is often a spot for local and campus bands to play. Cover: None

The 10-block walk to the Abbey can be hard to handle on a very cold night, but the table service and friendly, laid-back atmosphere can be worth it. The Abbey Pub used to be known for serving alcohol to anyone, including those entering the bar in strollers, but recent crackdowns have changed the rules. Cover: None

Caroline's is a great comedy club at Times Square that books class acts.

Interested in sharing your vocal talents and having a blast? Then the numerous Karaoke bars in K-Town (Koreatown), on 32nd between 5th and 6th Avenues are where you should be. Rooms accommodating anywhere from five to 50 people are available for private use, and you do not have to be over 21 to sing.