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Old Dominion University
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Old Dominion 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

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Quick Stats

Primary Areas with Nightlife
  • Norfolk
  • Virginia Beach
  • Waterside
Student Favorites
  • Chico's
  • Excess
  • Half of Colley Ave.
  • Monarch Grill
  • Peabody’s
  • Perfectly Frank
  • Red Dog
  • Sobo
  • University Pizza
  • The Wave
Other Places to Check Out
  • Rainbow Cactus
  • Scottie Quixx
Local Specialties Vodka Kiss: Kind of what it sounds like - one part Kool-Aid and (depending on severity) several parts vodka
Favorite Drinking Games
  • Beer Pong
  • Card Games (A$$hole)
  • Century Club
  • Power Hour
  • Quarters
Useful Resources for Nightlife www.norfolkdowntown.com/nightlife

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Norfolk isn’t too terribly dull, but at the same time, it doesn’t have an outstanding number of clubs and places for young college students to frequent—unless of course they are 21. There’s the Have a Nice Day Café that offers college night and places like Jillian’s, too—but if you’re underage, you might just want to try and find a cool club like the Wave, which every single person at Old Dominion knows of and probably frequents. At any rate, most of the better clubs require a car to get to, as no club is within walking distance from the campus. This might alienate half of the freshman population. But don’t despair—Fair Grounds, as well as a lot of other hotspots that don’t involve alcohol or cramped dance floors, are available for you on Colley Avenue.

Norfolk’s night scene would be greatly improved if there were closer clubs or a better variety. Most of them don’t play anything really underground—so a lot of times scenesters and club kids are stuck in the tedium of the ‘80s, ‘90s, or today. And most of the time, the clubs keep playing the same songs (the Wave is notorious for this, and so after a couple of visits it gets blasé). As for bars, they all close at 2 a.m., and that’s kind of dreary. But freshmen and sophomores should just stick in there for a couple more years—once they turn of-age, the activities they can engage in won’t be so limited to the haze of fraternity parties and ennui-inducing coffeehouse chats.

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Old Dominion Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Nightlife at Old Dominion University

kgrac003

Accounting '15

4.6
A

Theres Something for Everyone

Nightlife at ODU is really what you make of it. Sometimes i would go to VA beach to the clubs and sometimes i would enjoy the convenient house parties. ODU police may be a problem sometimes because they break up house parties but thats about it.

May 09, 2012

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Nightlife at Old Dominion University

dbowers

Psychology '15

3.5
B

ODU Has Potential

All the house parties are walkable distance so you don't have to worry about having a DD or cab. Just make sure you always travel in groups since ODU does have a higher rate of crime from being in the city. Twenty one year olds have the most fun because they can go to the bars on campus.

Apr 27, 2012

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Nightlife at Old Dominion University

armanimines

History '15

2.7
C+

Night Life at Odu

i dont know personally but its average from what i heard

Apr 16, 2012

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Page 1 of 13
User rating for Old Dominion University - Nightlife is 3.5 out of 5 based on 37 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

Practically all of the clubs in Norfolk close at 2 a.m. What follows is a list of the most popular bars and clubs, often filled with red-eyed, hot-blooded college students. And the occasional spinster caught in a time warp.

Bar Prowler

Not so many bars as there are clubs—mostly because around here they come in the combination forms.

Closing Time

2 a.m.

Cheapest Place to Get a Drink

Red Dog

Organization Parties

If you’re looking for a party set up by a certain organization, head for that organization’s e-mail roster or listserv. Major clubs like the Mace and Crown and ODU OUT always throw parties, especially for their own members. It just depends on the organization.

Club ListingsWhat's This?

Peabody’s Nightclub

Peabody’s has acquired a cult following from college students and older crowds alike. It has great music (great variety and themed nights), women get in for free on certain days of the week, and it’s close to the beach. Go to Peabody’s and get smashed, then go jump in the water. Just try not to get caught by the fuzz.

209 21st St.

Virginia Beach

(757) 422-6212

www.peabodysvirginiabeach.com

The Wave

The Wave is within a mile or so of ODU and is frequented by practically the entire campus. Stuck in the ‘80s? Check out ‘80s night every Thursday and relive your pre-MTV addictions. What about techno? Saturday’s showcase titillating techno thumpa-thumpa beats and tst-tst loops. Minimum age is 18-or-older—drinks are served as well, but only to the 21-and-uppers. And bring water—the place is so hot they know that people will pay $4 for a bottle of Aquafina.

4107 Colley Ave.

Norfolk

(757) 440-5911

www.thewavenorfolk.com

Ambush

Ambush plays to a gay audience, mostly. For a small cover charge, soft-core male strippers and cheesy ‘90s pop hits sound like a steal. It’s a small club, really, and most of its time is devoted to the strippers and the proverbial drag queen hostess. In comparison to most clubs, though, Ambush seems to be a lot more friendly, because often everyone inside knows each other. There are seats, too. Unfortunately, it’s about 30 minutes away from Old Dominion’s campus. So, if you want to sample the sweets, you need some keys and a car—or a best friend who can drive you.

475 S. Lynnhaven Rd.

Virginia Beach

(757) 498-4301

www.klubambush.com

Excess

Excess is a poor excuse for a club. It’s small (small as in only about 10 people could dance comfortably on its dance floor), it’s expensive, and it plays horrible music (too much variation to get into a groove). It skips from outdated hip-hop to overplayed top 40 hits. Do yourself a favor, and go to excess to avoid Excess.

2014 Atlantic Ave.

Virginia Beach

(757) 428-6510

Bar ListingsWhat's This?

Jillian’s

Jillian’s is really just a super playground for adults. It’s got a video game room with games like Hyper Bowl, Bass Fishing, Sega Rally, and Fight Simulator. It’s even got two dance clubs and a billiards lounge.

333 Waterside Dr.

Downtown Norfolk

(757) 624-9100

www.jillians.com

The NorVa

The NorVa looks like a stylish yet defunct warehouse. Get tickets and check out the groups that play. Also, connected to the NorVa is the Backstage Café, owned by Ian Copeland (brother to Stewart Copeland, former member of rock group The Police).

317 Monticello Ave.

Downtown Norfolk

(757) 627-4547

www.thenorva.com

Bar Norfolk

Bar Norfolk is normally only for an older crowd (21-and-up) but on Wednesdays 18-year-olds can enjoy the fun as well. Thursday nights are also favorites. It also has a pool table, DJ dancing, and a bar so the eager can shake it.

333 Waterside Dr.

Downtown Norfolk

(757) 627-2800

www.bar-norfolk.com

Boar’s Nest

Boar’s Nest is right behind the Ted Constant Convocation Center. It’s newer, and it’s close. Drinks are moderately priced, and it closes at 2 a.m.

4502 Monarch Way

Norfolk

(757) 961-5465

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

Elliot’s Fair Grounds

Fair Grounds may close at 9 p.m., but a lot of students hang out around the patio until at least midnight. So, even if it closes, it’s still open.

806 Baldwin Ave.

Ghent

(757) 640-2899

www.fairgroundscoffee.com

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Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Bryoney Hayes
Hometown
The East Coast!
Major
English with a Journalism concentration

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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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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