Downtown Decatur isn’t bad either, but sitting in a bar with people your Mom’s age doesn’t sound that fun.
You’re definitely not in the mood for cheap liquor from a frat house and don’t you dare bring up Maggie’s!
If you’re a 21+ Emory student, Virginia Highland’s nightlife is the perfect of fun and laid back. But there’s so many bars, there’s no way you should just stay at one. That’s why I’m presenting you with the Virginia Highland version of “The Golden Mile”, 5 bars, each with a different atmosphere and all located withing walking (or stumbling) distance of each other!
1. Start off with an Emory favorite, Hand in Hand!
Located on the southwest corner of North Highland Avenue and St. Charles Avenue, Hand and Hand is a great place to start off your night with $5 Fish-n-Chips every Friday!
While you’re there, why not help a good cause?
2. If you’re in Emory Greek life, you’ve might’ve visited Neighbor’s Pub for a date party, but this is a great place to stop right after your visit to Hand and Hand. Grab a beer or two and watch your favorite college basketball game on one of their 4 flat screen TVs. After grabbing a drink, play a game on their CSI pinball machine or on their dart boards! Also if you’re not feeling the music, there’s a touchscreen jukebox with a photobooth! Selfies anyone?
3. Next up is Dark Horse Tavern. Dark Horse Tavern is perfect for those who want a younger crowd, a great variety of music (where else can you hear Chris Brown, the Backstreet Boys, and The Spice Girls all on the same playlist?)
Besides it’s awesome bar upstairs, the portion downstairs has amazing rock karaoke! Don’t take my word for it! Peep this Yelp review of Dark Horse from Stephanie S. from Chicago:
4. To get the most out of your Virginia-Highland bar hop experience, you should definitely take a trip to Poncey-Highland area. In particular, stop by El Bar on Ponce de Leon Ave. El Bar attracts a diverse crowd, doesn’t have a strict dress code (YES! Sneakers!), and has Atlanta’s best DJs spinning the best music in town!
Although this bar usually has a cheap cover, if you want to grab a decently priced drink and dance like there’s no tomorrow, this is the perfect spot!
5. If you’re rhythmically challenged like I am, then a great alternative to El Bar is The Local. The Local is not a super popular option for Emory students with fake IDs, but this is definitely a great place to end your Friday night. If you’re up for maybe one or two more drinks before the night is over, The Local has some mixed drinks for only $4.50 and a selection of generic and craft beers for a very reasonable price. If you caught a case of the munchies, try their dirty bird/pig sandwiches!
To paint a picture of what to expect at The Local, check out Pratik S.’s Yelp’s review:
If you’re not stumbling home by the end of this bar crawl, you’ve done my “Golden Mile” completely wrong; but hopefully you would’ve had an amazing Friday night outside the “Emory bubble.” Remember to drink responsibly!
