Nightlife

Greater Cincinnati has an abundance of nightlife. There’s something for everybody, regardless of musical preference, age, or social status. You can boot scoot, disco, line dance, slam dance, sumo wrestle, arm wrestle, rub elbows with celebrities, watch five games at once, drink alcohol, drink Perrier, play pinball, play volleyball, sing along, sail, laugh, cry, or even do your laundry all in the name of nightlife.

And like other vibrant metropolitan areas, the segments of nightlife seem to be congregated into certain areas. We’ve organized certain of our listings by those areas.

With the stadiums downtown, the nightlife in the city has moved onto Main Street and to Newport on the Levee. In Kentucky other riverfront establishments continue to draw people of all ages, especially during the summer months.

It would be impractical, however, to list in this chapter all the bars, nightclubs, and other such entertainment establishments in the area. There are simply too many, and they change too fast. So rather than list every joint, we just mention those institutions that are a tried-and-true part of the area’s social scene.

And it should be duly noted that there’s more to nightlife than just bellying up to a bar. This chapter examines some different nocturnal options as well. Other types of nightlife, though, may be in other chapters in this book. Concerts by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra or Pops, for instance, are listed in The Arts chapter. Sports events are in the Spectator Sports chapter. Restaurants often feature bands and other types of entertainment. We encourage you to check out these other chapters as well.

You will find that most of the nightspots listed in this chapter have a cover charge, particularly those that have live bands performing. Most cover charges will be a minimum of $3, although they can get as high as $15 for some national acts, so be prepared. Also be prepared to be carded no matter where you go. The legal drinking age in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana is 21, and many bars won’t let anyone in—even adults with graying hair who haven’t been younger than 21 in many years—without some sort of identification. And even though some bars cater to those 18 and older, that doesn’t necessarily mean they serve liquor to those customers. Most of the bars shut down at 2:00 a.m., and it is illegal to drink and drive anything—including boats and bicycles—with a blood-alcohol level of more than 0.10.

One final note about one form of nightlife that the local law enforcement agencies aren’t crazy about, especially in the city of Cincinnati: There are some dance (strip) clubs that are frowned upon by some Cincinnatians. Most are near the river in Northern Kentucky or on the northern fringes of Cincinnati in Butler, Warren, and Clermont Counties. If you’re interested you can find them easily enough without our help.