What did I do wrong at Cuse?

[upperdeck]

Both of you are correct. I got there the year after it closed. It became American Pie

Yes that was what I was forgetting American Pie.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

Yes that was what I was forgetting American Pie.

I don't think I ever stepped foot in there after it became American Pie. I was more of a Pines, Mc Cawbers kind of guy anyway.

 

[upperdeck]

90s were Petes/Plums Mccawbers, Moonshadow, Chapter house, Fall creek and then the half a dozen or so in college town depending on whether to hang with the IC crowd or the Cornell crowd.

 

[Scooch]

Bars are expensive, house parties are not. It's always been that way, but like most everything else the difference is even more stark now. From my own kids experience that's a huge driver. Going to the bar is a luxury item, so to speak, not an everyday thing to do.

 

[Chip]

It tells me that they don't mess around with Fake ID's like they use to as 75% of college kids are under the age of 21. College kids figure it out, where they can get in, where they can't, what times they can, what times they can't, who is working the door and who isn't.

It's not like it was 25-30 years ago

The NYS driver's license of the late 80s early 90s was the best. Especially for a state that wanted to crack down on underage drinking.

I lived in Shaw. Easy to find art majors. But didn't really need one. Born in 73? We'll put some chalk in the middle of that squared font number, put a straight line on the left side in pencil (because you could write on them), and there you go, you're born in 70. And here's some magic art spray (probably hair spray) so the chalk and pencil won't wipe off.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

90s were Petes/Plums Mccawbers, Moonshadow, Chapter house, Fall creek and then the half a dozen or so in college town depending on whether to hang with the IC crowd or the Cornell crowd.

I think Moonshadow came on the scene around '91 or so. A little after I left. TJ Tuesdays was a good place on the Commons to hear live music. The Haunt and the North 40 were also places to go for live music, but a little further out.

 

[FreakTalksAboutSU]

I'm 47 now. When I was about 27 I went to Chucks and was called grandpa

I stopped going to M street bars at that time

I mostly do Armory now. Awful Al's is my jam

 

[Vshukla]

I swing by Shifty's almost every time I'm in town. Love that place

I loved Shifty’s. Great wings, cold beer and dartboards. They also had their around the world tour, with 60 beers from 20 countries. Anyone else complete the tour and get their picture on the Wall of Foam? I did and still have my t-shirt (not even close to fitting) and mug. Hey if I spent that much money to get a mug, I’m going to use it even 40 years later!

 

[rocklloyd]

The NYS driver's license of the late 80s early 90s was the best. Especially for a state that wanted to crack down on underage drinking.

I lived in Shaw. Easy to find art majors. But didn't really need one. Born in 73? We'll put some chalk in the middle of that squared font number, put a straight line on the left side in pencil (because you could write on them), and there you go, you're born in 70. And here's some magic art spray (probably hair spray) so the chalk and pencil won't wipe off.

1969, chalk it to 1964

 

[CuseTroop]

1969, chalk it to 1964

I chalked my 86 to an 80 and it worked way more than I thought it would. Good ol Geneva bars

 

[Forza Azzurri]

I chalked my 86 to an 80 and it worked way more than I thought it would. Good ol Geneva bars

Aren’t you legal now?

Why bother?

 

[Forza Azzurri]

1969, chalk it to 1964

Trying to collect social security early?

 

[Forza Azzurri]

It is. I actually went in there for maybe the 2nd time a few weeks ago. I actually couldn't believe how big it was. Had no idea. I think I went once max in 4 years at SU. Surprised it is not more popular.

Regarding campus bars in general-- unfortunately there just is not much selection. In my years (08-12), Chucks was the place and by far most popular. Also had Faegans (still there) which was mostly a mid week place. Then Lucy's (again mostly a mid-week place), Harry's, and DJs (named something else now) which was the place to pop into at 1:30am and pound a Molson XXX. Seems to me the most popular is Orange Crate. Students very much follow each other, which is why you'll see a 50 person deep line outside Crate and then a totally empty Faegans.

Greek life is also big at SU, so a lot of students just party there. And now with it being so easy to get to places downtown (Uber/Lyft), I am sure many venture there. I almost never went downtown when I was a student just because it was far enough to be annoying.

So, when my daughter graduated in ‘22, we went to “Lucy’s” (actually Orange Crate - no idea why they call it Lucy’s) the night before graduation ( also the night the bouncer got shot - we left 30 mins before it happened).

Now I don’t spend a whole lot of time in bars anymore (meaning none) so maybe I am off but I found the drinks to be expensive for a college bar. Every round I bought (for 4 of us) was $50.

The days of $3 all you can drink beers at Sutters on Thursdays, $1.50 32 oz beers at Bragg’s on Saturdays, 4 for 1 Wednesdays at Buggsy’s and $1 imports at Maggie’s appear to all be long gone.

$50 for 4 drinks seems rich for college kids.

Not to mention I ordered a kamikaze and watched him make something with orange juice and no triple sec and tried to pretend he knew what it was.

 

[Cusefan95]

I don’t think the bar scene at very many schools in anything like it was 30 years ago. And it’s not just college bars in the US - 22% of all pubs in England have closed since 2020. Some of it gets attributed to changing lifestyles - but in reality a huge cost of living crisis in the west is driving those lifestyle changes.

Fewer college bars is in a weird spot - on one hand, fewer 19 years olds drinking to excess and doing stupid stuff as a result is hard to view as a bad thing. But knowing that it’s not because they’re smarter than I was at their age, it’s just that they can’t afford to means fewer college bars is a bit of a canary in a coal mine. The standard of living in the west is likely to drop rapidly over the next generation - and in reality we see signs that it’s already started and is well underway.

 

[capeorange]

So, when my daughter graduated in ‘22, we went to “Lucy’s” (actually Orange Crate - no idea why they call it Lucy’s) the night before graduation ( also the night the bouncer got shot - we left 30 mins before it happened).

Now I don’t spend a whole lot of time in bars anymore (meaning none) so maybe I am off but I found the drinks to be expensive for a college bar. Every round I bought (for 4 of us) was $50.

The days of $3 all you can drink beers at Sutters on Thursdays, $1.50 32 oz beers at Bragg’s on Saturdays, 4 for 1 Wednesdays at Buggsy’s and $1 imports at Maggie’s appear to all be long gone.

$50 for 4 drinks seems rich for college kids.

Not to mention I ordered a kamikaze and watched him make something with orange juice and no triple sec and tried to pretend he knew what it was.

Vodka, triple sec and roses lime juice was the beginning of many seemingly great ideas...

 

[rocklloyd]

Trying to collect social security early?

In 1987, you did what you had to do.

 

[Bayside44]

I don’t think the bar scene at very many schools in anything like it was 30 years ago. And it’s not just college bars in the US - 22% of all pubs in England have closed since 2020. Some of it gets attributed to changing lifestyles - but in reality a huge cost of living crisis in the west is driving those lifestyle changes.

Fewer college bars is in a weird spot - on one hand, fewer 19 years olds drinking to excess and doing stupid stuff as a result is hard to view as a bad thing. But knowing that it’s not because they’re smarter than I was at their age, it’s just that they can’t afford to means fewer college bars is a bit of a canary in a coal mine. The standard of living in the west is likely to drop rapidly over the next generation - and in reality we see signs that it’s already started and is well underway.

They're a little smarter. Also parents are a thousand times more involved than back in the day, for better and worse. The on ramp to drinking has changed for a lot of kids, esp the kind that go to SU.

 

[dollarbill44]

They're a little smarter. Also parents are a thousand times more involved than back in the day, for better and worse. The on ramp to drinking has changed for a lot of kids, esp the kind that go to SU.

Legal Marijuana has a LOT to do with the decline in the bar scene. College kids still go to bars, but more as just a part of their night, as opposed to me when I was at SU l, when we would go to M Street at 9:00 and bar hop until 2.

 

[BomberOrange]

I think Moonshadow came on the scene around '91 or so. A little after I left. TJ Tuesdays was a good place on the Commons to hear live music. The Haunt and the North 40 were also places to go for live music, but a little further out.

I lived at Tuesdays my freshman year. Wednesday 25 cent pitchers (they were half size) and dimeys on Thursday night. Then they closed.
After that it was Bomb Shelter, Pie, Plums, with an occasional college town run.
Haunt was great for live music. Pearl Jam played there my sophomore year in front of 100 people. Some other big bands stopped there as well.

 

[Newhouser]

Cortland bars still jumping? Haven't been in a few years but those bars seemed to fighting the decline of the college bar.

 

[atlanticuse]

Legal Marijuana has a LOT to do with the decline in the bar scene. College kids still go to bars, but more as just a part of their night, as opposed to me when I was at SU l, when we would go to M Street at 9:00 and bar hop until 2.

I was going to say this.
Getting high and drinking $7 six packs has far less risk than fake ID’s and .08 DUI.
“College” bars are financially supported by old dudes. Syracuse isn’t a big enough city to support them only on a drip of students.

The bar scene on the hill is dead compared to 20-30 years ago.

 

[orangezen]

I worked as a DJ at Sutters Late 70s to about 81.it was a wild time . I was about the only DJ that didn’t get fired or arrested. An SU student who’s dad owned the largest Mercedes dealership in Middle East got busted in the parking lot in his Maserati with 1/2 lb of cocaine. I won’t spill about the after hours parties especially those with SU athletes.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

I lived at Tuesdays my freshman year. Wednesday 25 cent pitchers (they were half size) and dimeys on Thursday night. Then they closed.
After that it was Bomb Shelter, Pie, Plums, with an occasional college town run.
Haunt was great for live music. Pearl Jam played there my sophomore year in front of 100 people. Some other big bands stopped there as well.

Plums! I knew I was forgetting something. I hit the Bomb Shelter a couple times after graduation as I believe it was owned by a couple of my classmates.