Well travelled bar goers please respond!!

[Derrick]

Hi there!! I'm new to Nanaimo and have a friend coming to visit from Alberta tomorrow (fri. July 08) and want to take out bar hopping but don't know where to start. We're in our mid 20's and like heavy music and loose women
I've already talked to a few people and they say the heavy music is out of the question for bars here but maybe the cambie, but some other people told me that unless I was a meth or crackhead to stay away from the cambie! So if you have any input it would be greatly appreciated

[Phil]

Ah well, I'll give you a rundown on some of the bars/pubs I frequent.

Cambie: Punk/Streetlife bar. Rough crowd, Live music (punk/hard rock mostly) The area outside is often littered with drug addicts. No Dancing, more of a Pub. You can spit on the floor and you piss in a trough smoking happens on thier tarp-covered deck. one pool table. Sometimes Cover ($3-$8)

Queens: Accross the street from the Cambie. has a Mixed Crowd (older/youger/rich/poor) Live Music nightly. Music is mostly Rock, but sometimes hiphop and more. Small Dancefloor. Smoking on the small balcony. a few pool tables. Cover ($5-$10)

Grizzly Bar: Mixed crowd, mostly younger people. Hiphop mostly, dancefloor and pool tables. Somewhat of a "meet {meat} market". Generaly a good time. A fairly large smoking room a few videogames. Cheap drink specials ($3 bottle canadian/ highballs). Can be harder to get into lately.

Pressroom: Young crowd of more 'upper-class'. most nights, lounge section with couches/pool tables/games, smoking. Fairly large dancefloor Upper deck. live DJ. Cheap Drinks. Cover ($5-$8)

The Jungle: Younger Crowd, medium-sized smoking section medium-sized dance floor. Sometimes Cover ($5-$8)

Quarterway: Karaoke on Fridays, pool table, medium-sized smoking room. Mixed crowd (older/younger).

Chasers: right behind the Quarterway. Karaoke on Friday & Saturday. Small Mixed crowd. Darts & Pool table. Large smoking room.

Club Mailbu (formerly Desperados): Mostly a Native bar but a mized-crowd, small dancefloor, medium-sized smoking section 1 pooltable.

[Jen]

EEEEwwww the Cambie is gross. It's full of yuckies, and if you are female do not use the bathroom.

[desi-roo-roo]

Well Phil I must say you did a pretty run down of the bars but I might add from a females perspective, I think the Queens is more of an " older persons " meat market and I think the Press Room is more of the " younger persons " meat market. Grizzly I think is good times mixed with a pick up place. Ive found by going there alot of the people are actually there for a good time and not all are on the prowl. For me personally I dont go to the Press Room cause I think it is tacky how aggressive the men are in there, the men I have run into make it very clear they only have one thing on mind.

[Jen]

I agree with Desi-roo-roo, however let's be honest. 99.9% of the clubs and pubs are meat markets. It is hard to avoid-especially if you are female. Or a male under 30 being attacked by cougers. LOL

[Nick]

I like the queens quite a bit.. Live music does it for me.

[Derrick]

Hey guys thanks for all the info!! Yeah we made it to most of those places on Friday and I think we might of had a little too much "FUN" because all I can remember is being molested by a few older women at the Quarterway lol.

[Phil]

lmao. Good times.

I was at the Quarterway for while wth Jen on Friday too. Perhaps we seen you. Did you sing?

[Derrick]

No we didn't sing we only stayed for one jug then headed downtown, did you see that red haired guy sing? What a karaoke voice!!

[Phil]

No, I don't think so. I might have been gone by then. I do know of one guy w/ red hair who is a really good singer -- can't remember his name, though -- you Jen? We headed over to Chasers after a few and we started pretty early. 'Bout 9ish -- and then down to the Grizz after midnight.