Bars are notable for staying open late, but I’m not really familiar with alternatives that might operate similarly. I think many cafés (at least around my area) tend to close a few hours earlier by comparison, which would be my go-to for an alternative otherwise, so what other options are there?
Have you considered going to a bar and drinking whatever you want?
So maybe a hot take, but being at a bar to not drink alcohol is not really that fun.
Its not really that fun when drunk either. Unless your drunk enough to have a very non-fun two next days.
No I totally understand. It wasn’t meant as the best solution. Just a suggestion. I’m not a fan of bars myself tbh
In my experience it depends on the bar. I have a local that I like that is very laid back and relaxed bar scene, you still get some rowdy groups, but it’s not like fighting for the bartenders attention or blasting music. Perfectly easy to go in alone or with friends, sit down and shoot the shit for a few hours. Doesn’t really matter what’s in your glass.
That’s not an option for recovering alcoholic.
Depends on the person. I facilitate recovery groups, and you see a variety. some people get triggered simply by seeing a bottle, or a beer. Some have absolutely no problem
I omitted my personal reasoning in the OP to avoid sidetracking the conversation, but since it’s had some time to develop & you ask, I just personally don’t like the smell of much alcohol or the erratic behavior it causes. The former I just find unpleasant, meanwhile the latter makes me uncomfortable & anxious on top of being annoyed by the scents.
As someone being sober, I’d feel like I’m half-expected to be responsible for some of those getting drunk around me (even if I’m not, really), and it just makes it hard for me to relax as I’d like.
I could, and I may end up caving and finding a bar with an atmosphere I don’t mind, but I was hoping there might be some alternatives to spaces that I generally just find uncomfortable to be in. Also, and this just comes down to the area I’m in right now, many of the bars have a specific style/theme to them here that I don’t care for whatsoever, at least from the little bit I’ve looked around.
SPORTS
LOUD SPORTS
TVS ON EVERY SURFACE AT TOP VOLUME
TUNED TO MULTIPLE CHANNELS SO NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE THERE ARE ALWAYS COMMERCIALS ASSAULTING YOUR SENSES FROM AT LEAST TWO DIRECTIONS
You’re going to the wrong bars. All the bars around me have the TVs on but they’re muted and none of them show commercials.
I don’t go to bars. I strongly resent that my hometown pushed out the cozy local coffee pub that sat at the core of the city’s culture in favor of yet another chain sportsbar when it already has so many of those.
Yeah. Most of the bars I go to don’t even have TVs. There are a bunch of shelves with board games.
There’s a few of those in the city I live in, they’re great.
That’s 100% understandable. I don’t really “get” bars. So I don’t go. I don’t know what to do there. If I want to go out at night, I go to clubs, but they have some of the same issues with drunk people. Aside from that, I have hobbies to share with like-minded people. For example I go to an open couple dancing (Forró) event as often as I can.