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Northwestern University - Nightlife - Nightlife - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.46

Nightlife

B
Where does this grade come from?View all Nightlife rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Nightlife Grades:

Quick Stats

Primary Areas with Nightlife
  • Chicago
  • Downtown Evanston
  • Frat quad
Student Favorites
  • 1800 Club
  • The Keg
  • Las Palmas
  • Mark II Lounge (the Deuce)
  • Prairie Moon
  • Tommy Nevin’s Pub
Other Places to Check Out
  • Bat 17
  • Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar
  • McFadden's Restaurant and Saloon
  • Samah Hookah Lounge
  • Wrigleyville
Favorite Drinking Games
  • Beer pong
  • Card games (Kings)
  • Century club
  • Power hour
  • Quarters
Useful Resources for Nightlife chicago.metromix.com

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

The bar scene at Evanston is pretty limited, with students frequenting two main establishments: The Keg of Evanston and The Deuce. But don’t expect to be bar hopping on all nights of the week. NU students, many of whom are under 21, take over the Keg on Monday and Saturday nights. The creepers tend to come out in full force on the other nights. You can spend your "Thirsty Thursdays" at The Deuce, but it is a cab ride away. But many students will agree, a good pre-game is necessary.

If the bars aren't for you, there are plenty of parties, both on campus at frat houses and off campus at people's apartments. These parties are usually very easy to get into, especially if you’re a girl. However, if they get too crowded too quickly, they will start to run out of alcohol. These problems are especially prevalent during fall quarter, when the freshmen are starting to scout out NU’s party scene. Off-campus parties dominate the first two weeks of school, when the frats are put on "Freshman Freeze" (a period when no freshmen are allowed in Greek houses). After these two weeks, the frats become the place for freshmen to party. Off-campus parties dominate once again after the freshman frat phase wears off. Whatever your scene, though, you'll find it at NU.

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Northwestern University Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Nightlife at Northwestern University

HelenW

Public Policy, Administration, and Social Work '13

3.5
B

21 and Under

Even though I have not reached the age of 21, there are still a lot of fun things to do around campus at night. Located close to the city, easy access to public transportation makes it convenient to go anywhere. I even went on a ghost tour through a historic district! But the university itself offers lots of things to do, including activities like balls, haunted houses, movie nights, and pub nights.

May 16, 2012

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Nightlife at Northwestern University

Siebs234

Industrial Engineering '15

3.5
B

Greek and Chicago

The social life and party scene is run by the greek system predominately. There are options outside of greek, but they are much smaller with "less cool" people. The parties in general are not as much fun on average compared to other schools. There are just not enough people or interest, or as many "cool people" for the party scene to be great. However, it can be fun if you know enough people and go to the right events. Bars and clubs are only good in Chicago, but they're great there with better people funneling from Loyola and DePaul.

Apr 06, 2012

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Nightlife at Northwestern University

quickkicking

Journalism '13

3.8
B+

Limited for Under-21S.

Northwestern's party scene is a little limited for those under 21 and without a fake i.d. Every weekend boasts a variety of frat, house, and apartment parties for those who don't have the option of hitting the bars in downtown Evanston or Chicago. For those lucky partygoers over 21, Evanston offers an easily accessible variety of bars.

Jan 07, 2012

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Page 1 of 10
User rating for Northwestern University - Nightlife is 3.5 out of 5 based on 30 user reviews.

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate the off-campus bar and club scene on the following topics

What is the party scene like on campus?

What’s the best way to get to the popular nightlife spots?

Facts

Club Crawler

Clubs in Evanston proper are virtually non-existent—most students head to one of the hundreds in Chicago.

Bar Prowler

Evanston has only allowed liquor on its premises for the last 30 or so years, so it’s no wonder the bar scene is relatively small and unimpressive. There are also laws that mandate Evanston bars must do 50 percent of their business in food and 50 percent in liquor. Still, if you’re looking for a night out, but are too tired to head down to Chicago, hit these old favorites.

Closing Time

Between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m.

Cheapest Place to Get a Drink

The Keg or frat parties

Organization Parties

Most clubs, sports, or activities you join will sponsor their own parties. Some are private, and some are open to everyone at the University, but they may charge a cover. School-sponsored parties, such as those thrown by academic departments, are usually more conservative affairs, though they often have luscious food.

Did You Know? Underage students at Northwestern usually head to frat parties. Other options include going to the movies or a hookah bar.

Bar ListingsWhat's This?

Pete Miller's Seafood & Prime Steak

This is a cool spot with great steaks. It's a little more suitable for a drink and a date than some of the other bars around town, and there's free jazz—a terrific combination.

1557 Sherman Ave.

Evanston

(847) 328-0399

www.petemillers.com

Prairie Moon

With good food and excellent drinks, this new establishment has been raking in customers. It's a lot more low-key than other bars, so expect the more crunchy, artistic types to patronize this place.

1502 Sherman Ave.

Evanston

(847) 864-8328

www.prairiemoonrestaurant.com

Tommy Nevin's Irish Pub

There are English and Irish taps, so beer drinkers’ interests are always piqued here. This hip night spot was recently renovated and serves up delicious meals, as well as hot music acts.

1450 Sherman Ave.

Evanston

(847) 869-0450

www.tommynevins.com

Mark II Lounge (The Deuce)

An institution, if only because it stays open until 4 a.m. and offers sports on TVs and pool tables aplenty. It's not high class, but if it's a drink you're looking for, a drink you will find here.

7436 N. Western Ave.

Chicago

(773) 274-8623

www.mullensbarandgrill.com/mark-II

Bar Louie

It's a fairly typical restaurant and bar chain, but it's less populated by fraternity and sorority members than other local bars.

1520 Sherman Ave.

Evanston

(847) 733-8300

www.barlouieamerica.com

The Keg

The food is sketchy, but nonetheless, students flock here, mostly on Monday and Thursday nights. Fridays can be a little quiet, so prowl around for action elsewhere.

810 Grove St.

Evanston

(847) 869-9987

www.evanstonillinois.net/keg.html

Las Palmas Mexican Restaurant & Bar

On Friday and Saturday nights, this place is filled with students drinking overpriced margaritas and enjoying themselves.

817 University Place

Evanston

(847) 328-2555

www.laspalmasmexrst.com

What to Do if You're Not 21What's This?

Century 12 Evanston/CinéArts 6 and XD

Whether you are 21 or not, movies are always a fun way to hang out with friends.

1715 Maple Ave.

Evanston

(847) 491-9751

www.cinemark.com

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Shayna Starr
Hometown
Houston, Texas
Major
Journalism
Grad Year
2014

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
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