Lehigh UniversityNightlife Summary

Written by Charlie Gimber

Charlie Gimber

Hometown

Sudbury, MA

Major

English and Journalism

View all previous student authors

Fraternities dominate the social scene from freshman through junior year, as many students will probably spend more hours playing Beirut than in class or the library. A big reason for the tremendous popularity of the Hill is because local bars card very hard—it’s not unusual to hear of a Lehigh student who got arrested over the weekend trying to use a fake ID at Leon’s. As such, incoming freshman better get used to lots of Beirut.

Of course, some people complain that playing Beirut every night gets tedious, which is true for just about anything, but  students who are over 21 mix things up by going to the local bars. There are three main drinking establishments that students tend to choose: Tally Ho, McGrady’s, and Leon’s. Leon’s has always been a mainstay. Its prime location to off-campus housing and cheap prices make it a must-visit every weekend night. There are two other seldom-visited dive bars in the area: the Happy Tap and the Funhouse. The Funhouse was actually featured in Stuff’s 20 biggest dive bars in America and occasionally features live music, so it can be a refreshing alternative. On any given weekend night, there is also a fair number of free off-campus parties on Hillside Avenue, but they are usually exclusive to either seniors or members of whichever fraternity or sorority that is scheduled to party there. It’s much more inviting and safer for freshmen to wander the Hill in search of nightlife rather than off campus.