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Dance the Night Away

Where to get your groove on, however you get your groove on.

2013 Nightlife Issue
2013 Nightlife Issue

Wallflowers beware: addictive beats and tasty elixirs move San Diego’s dance scene to a new state of trance. We rhythm seekers live forever on the dance floor and DJs always play our favorite songs. From posh downtown electro to hipster, hip-hop, and fetish underground, however you get your groove on, San Diego has got the beat.

Place

Bar West

959 Hornblend Street, San Diego

Bar West

One of the best places to get wild on the coast, Bar West combines downtown flair with cool beach vibes. The lack of a cover charge, cheap drinks, open dance floor, and two stripper poles draw a crowd of rowdy 20-somethings that come to get crunk. Bar West delivers a full plate of hip-hop — from R&B to very, very Dirty South. The bump-and-grind dance moves are in full effect by 11pm. Thursday through Saturday the dance floor is packed with sweaty bodies until 2am — definitely not a club concerned with personal space.

Place

D Street Bar and Grill

485 South Coast Highway 101, Encinitas

D Street

Heavy bass and flip-flops meet at D Street in Encinitas, a hipster bar and grill that effectively transforms into a dance hall after 10pm. Be prepared to sweat. From a raised DJ stage, the small dance floor looks more like an orgy. The line to enter can get long, but it moves quickly. There are plenty of tables and booths. Partiers scream to songs by Lil John and LMFAO. D Street’s casual atmosphere is a great place to spontaneously end a night and bust a move, and it’s occasionally a spot for heated hipster dance battles.

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Sponsored

Place

F6ix Niteclub

526 F Street, San Diego

F6ix

For unadulterated, nitty-gritty hip-hop, F6ix is the upscale establishment that lets guests get down and dirty. The basement-level dance club is fixed with a top-notch lighting and sound system that shakes some serious bass. The air underground gets hot as the dancing heats up. There’s no patio and ventilation is poor. Get there before ten and avoid the cover. Otherwise, it’s ten bucks at the door. This mixed and classy crowd would fool most with their surprisingly serious dance moves. downtown’s dirty little secret.

Place

Fluxx

500 Fourth Avenue, San Diego

FLUXX

FLUXX delivers some of the biggest names in EDM and hip-hop. Honoring both genres well, the single-story interior transforms each evening with themed decor, acrobatic dancers, and amazing music. The cover and drink prices aren’t cheap, but this club over-delivers on dancing. Bottle service is available but unnecessary. Here, the advantage is getting out on the floor — which takes up 80 percent of the space — and dancing. Thursdays FLUXX hosts exclusive EDM parties; hip-hop DJs spin gangster mixes on Fridays and Saturdays.

Place

Onyx/Thin

852 Fifth Avenue, San Diego

Onyx/Thin

This two-story club combines a sexy lounge atmosphere with eclectic dance music. Two separate spaces are great for groups that can’t decide on an evening’s activity. Depending on the night, DJs are spinning everything from neo-soul — a Tuesday-night attraction—to a variety of popular dance music by David Guetta or Calvin Harris. Popular hip-hop dominates the dance floor on Fridays and Saturdays. Cover and drink prices are in the usual inflated-to-Gaslamp price range. Bottle service and table reservations are available, and the lounge offers considerable seating to take a break and catch a breath.

Place

Numb3rs

3811 Park Boulevard, San Diego

Club Sabbat at Numb3rs

Every second, fourth and occasional fifth Saturday, industrial Goth and Dark Wave music kidnap club Numb3rs in Hillcrest for a fetish-friendly party like no other. Synth-pop, power-noise, and electro spin inside the two-story club — two DJs mixing it up until 2am. The cool $5 cover and cheap drinks (available at three bars) make this alternative night affordable and a unique walk on the wild side. Go-go dancers dress up in leather and lace for the club’s themed nights, while the crowd stomps to super heavy bass.

Place

Daley Double Saloon

546 South Coast Highway 101, Encinitas

The Daley Double Saloon in Encinitas easily transforms from a mingling bar to a place to boogie.

Daley Double

This hip dive bar in Encinitas is a perfect place to serve up some serious dance moves. Dirty Monday’s deep house and dubstep paired with great drink prices mix well for free-spirited dance moves. Friday and Saturday nights, DJs spin popular hip-hop that flows into faster dance jams, perfect for making an impenetrable dance circle with friends.

Young and old alike sip and mingle in this intimate bar that easily transforms into a place to boogie. No cover and casual dress code make it a perfect place to have fun, sport a mustache, and have a more casual night out dancing to hip music.

Place

Cafe Sevilla Nightclub

353 Fifth Avenue, San Diego

Sevilla

Latin beats envelop the main floor of this multi-level restaurant and nightclub, where friendly clientele and live Latin music set the mood. Sevilla offers a variety of Latin music styles, including Salsa Night on Tuesdays and Cha Cha/Mambo Wednesdays. Underneath the Latin beats, on the lower level, Sevilla’s nightclub plays R&B and Top-40 hip-hop. The $20 cover is discounted by signing the guest list online and getting there before 10pm. Bottle service is available along with table reservations for larger parties — a good idea if personal space is important.

Place

Spin Nightclub

2028 Hancock Street, San Diego

Spin

The only club in San Diego hosting the genuine all-nighter — the doors stay open until 6 am. Saturday nights, the three-story building is packed with electronic dance music enthusiasts decorated in neon. Despite the club’s size, it’s incredibly dark and vibes an underground appeal. Food is served all night, so serious dancers can carb up for their favorite song. The club’s clientele is eclectic and the electronic dance music music is, too. Dubstep, house, and electro allude to the club’s rave-inspired design.

Place

Stingaree

454 Sixth Avenue, San Diego

Stingaree

Stingaree is San Diego’s go-to club for upscale tourists and young urban professionals. This three-story mega club boasts a celebrity guest list and bumps mainstream hip-hop and dance music that keep the main floor packed with beautiful people until 2am. The rooftop and patio provide nice spaces to catch a breath between songs. Bottle service starts at $350 and tops out at $2500 for a bottle of Louis XIII de Rémy Martin or Dom Perignon.

Place

U-31

3112 University Avenue, San Diego

U-31

One of the oldest clubs in North Park. The tables at Tuesday’s karaoke night vanish to become a dance floor for quality hip-hop/funk on Wednesdays, fusion/dance anthems on Thursdays, and high-energy mixes on Friday and Saturday nights. These mixed sounds inspire the club’s appeal in the hip neighborhood of North Park. Great drink specials throughout the week make U-31 a great place to try new dance moves or impress friends with old ones. The music embraces both.

Place

Urban Mo's Bar and Grill

308 University Avenue, San Diego

Urban Mo's

Even cowboys have a spot to kick up their heels in San Diego, at the always-happy Urban Mo’s Bar and Grill. The place fills up with good dancers almost every night of the week. Thursdays and Saturdays, Mo’s hosts Kickers Country Nights, spinning popular country mixes and dance anthems. Other evenings, guests can boogie to DJs spinning Top 40 from every decade — a fun mix of soul, funk, pop, and rock. Urban Mo’s is a great club to show off slick moves, in boots or otherwise. Sunday Funday at Mo’s is one of the few places in San Diego featuring a live DJ all day.

Place

Voyeur

755 Fifth Avenue, San Diego

Electronic-music fans unite at Club Voyeur.

Voyeur is exclusively an electronic dance hall—dropping Top 40 trance, drum-and-bass, dubstep, house, and electro. The club is a tight, two-story Victorian-style castle with sexy go-go dancers tearing it up inside an enormous wall of lights. The DJ stage is the heartbeat of the dance floor, packed with electronic dance music fans that come to sweat. Drinks are expensive, but the cover is avoidable before 10pm. With a bar on both floors, drinks flow easily, so skip the bottle service — it’s available for private parties on the second floor, overlooking the crowd.

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2013 Nightlife Issue
2013 Nightlife Issue

Wallflowers beware: addictive beats and tasty elixirs move San Diego’s dance scene to a new state of trance. We rhythm seekers live forever on the dance floor and DJs always play our favorite songs. From posh downtown electro to hipster, hip-hop, and fetish underground, however you get your groove on, San Diego has got the beat.

Place

Bar West

959 Hornblend Street, San Diego

Bar West

One of the best places to get wild on the coast, Bar West combines downtown flair with cool beach vibes. The lack of a cover charge, cheap drinks, open dance floor, and two stripper poles draw a crowd of rowdy 20-somethings that come to get crunk. Bar West delivers a full plate of hip-hop — from R&B to very, very Dirty South. The bump-and-grind dance moves are in full effect by 11pm. Thursday through Saturday the dance floor is packed with sweaty bodies until 2am — definitely not a club concerned with personal space.

Place

D Street Bar and Grill

485 South Coast Highway 101, Encinitas

D Street

Heavy bass and flip-flops meet at D Street in Encinitas, a hipster bar and grill that effectively transforms into a dance hall after 10pm. Be prepared to sweat. From a raised DJ stage, the small dance floor looks more like an orgy. The line to enter can get long, but it moves quickly. There are plenty of tables and booths. Partiers scream to songs by Lil John and LMFAO. D Street’s casual atmosphere is a great place to spontaneously end a night and bust a move, and it’s occasionally a spot for heated hipster dance battles.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Place

F6ix Niteclub

526 F Street, San Diego

F6ix

For unadulterated, nitty-gritty hip-hop, F6ix is the upscale establishment that lets guests get down and dirty. The basement-level dance club is fixed with a top-notch lighting and sound system that shakes some serious bass. The air underground gets hot as the dancing heats up. There’s no patio and ventilation is poor. Get there before ten and avoid the cover. Otherwise, it’s ten bucks at the door. This mixed and classy crowd would fool most with their surprisingly serious dance moves. downtown’s dirty little secret.

Place

Fluxx

500 Fourth Avenue, San Diego

FLUXX

FLUXX delivers some of the biggest names in EDM and hip-hop. Honoring both genres well, the single-story interior transforms each evening with themed decor, acrobatic dancers, and amazing music. The cover and drink prices aren’t cheap, but this club over-delivers on dancing. Bottle service is available but unnecessary. Here, the advantage is getting out on the floor — which takes up 80 percent of the space — and dancing. Thursdays FLUXX hosts exclusive EDM parties; hip-hop DJs spin gangster mixes on Fridays and Saturdays.

Place

Onyx/Thin

852 Fifth Avenue, San Diego

Onyx/Thin

This two-story club combines a sexy lounge atmosphere with eclectic dance music. Two separate spaces are great for groups that can’t decide on an evening’s activity. Depending on the night, DJs are spinning everything from neo-soul — a Tuesday-night attraction—to a variety of popular dance music by David Guetta or Calvin Harris. Popular hip-hop dominates the dance floor on Fridays and Saturdays. Cover and drink prices are in the usual inflated-to-Gaslamp price range. Bottle service and table reservations are available, and the lounge offers considerable seating to take a break and catch a breath.

Place

Numb3rs

3811 Park Boulevard, San Diego

Club Sabbat at Numb3rs

Every second, fourth and occasional fifth Saturday, industrial Goth and Dark Wave music kidnap club Numb3rs in Hillcrest for a fetish-friendly party like no other. Synth-pop, power-noise, and electro spin inside the two-story club — two DJs mixing it up until 2am. The cool $5 cover and cheap drinks (available at three bars) make this alternative night affordable and a unique walk on the wild side. Go-go dancers dress up in leather and lace for the club’s themed nights, while the crowd stomps to super heavy bass.

Place

Daley Double Saloon

546 South Coast Highway 101, Encinitas

The Daley Double Saloon in Encinitas easily transforms from a mingling bar to a place to boogie.

Daley Double

This hip dive bar in Encinitas is a perfect place to serve up some serious dance moves. Dirty Monday’s deep house and dubstep paired with great drink prices mix well for free-spirited dance moves. Friday and Saturday nights, DJs spin popular hip-hop that flows into faster dance jams, perfect for making an impenetrable dance circle with friends.

Young and old alike sip and mingle in this intimate bar that easily transforms into a place to boogie. No cover and casual dress code make it a perfect place to have fun, sport a mustache, and have a more casual night out dancing to hip music.

Place

Cafe Sevilla Nightclub

353 Fifth Avenue, San Diego

Sevilla

Latin beats envelop the main floor of this multi-level restaurant and nightclub, where friendly clientele and live Latin music set the mood. Sevilla offers a variety of Latin music styles, including Salsa Night on Tuesdays and Cha Cha/Mambo Wednesdays. Underneath the Latin beats, on the lower level, Sevilla’s nightclub plays R&B and Top-40 hip-hop. The $20 cover is discounted by signing the guest list online and getting there before 10pm. Bottle service is available along with table reservations for larger parties — a good idea if personal space is important.

Place

Spin Nightclub

2028 Hancock Street, San Diego

Spin

The only club in San Diego hosting the genuine all-nighter — the doors stay open until 6 am. Saturday nights, the three-story building is packed with electronic dance music enthusiasts decorated in neon. Despite the club’s size, it’s incredibly dark and vibes an underground appeal. Food is served all night, so serious dancers can carb up for their favorite song. The club’s clientele is eclectic and the electronic dance music music is, too. Dubstep, house, and electro allude to the club’s rave-inspired design.

Place

Stingaree

454 Sixth Avenue, San Diego

Stingaree

Stingaree is San Diego’s go-to club for upscale tourists and young urban professionals. This three-story mega club boasts a celebrity guest list and bumps mainstream hip-hop and dance music that keep the main floor packed with beautiful people until 2am. The rooftop and patio provide nice spaces to catch a breath between songs. Bottle service starts at $350 and tops out at $2500 for a bottle of Louis XIII de Rémy Martin or Dom Perignon.

Place

U-31

3112 University Avenue, San Diego

U-31

One of the oldest clubs in North Park. The tables at Tuesday’s karaoke night vanish to become a dance floor for quality hip-hop/funk on Wednesdays, fusion/dance anthems on Thursdays, and high-energy mixes on Friday and Saturday nights. These mixed sounds inspire the club’s appeal in the hip neighborhood of North Park. Great drink specials throughout the week make U-31 a great place to try new dance moves or impress friends with old ones. The music embraces both.

Place

Urban Mo's Bar and Grill

308 University Avenue, San Diego

Urban Mo's

Even cowboys have a spot to kick up their heels in San Diego, at the always-happy Urban Mo’s Bar and Grill. The place fills up with good dancers almost every night of the week. Thursdays and Saturdays, Mo’s hosts Kickers Country Nights, spinning popular country mixes and dance anthems. Other evenings, guests can boogie to DJs spinning Top 40 from every decade — a fun mix of soul, funk, pop, and rock. Urban Mo’s is a great club to show off slick moves, in boots or otherwise. Sunday Funday at Mo’s is one of the few places in San Diego featuring a live DJ all day.

Place

Voyeur

755 Fifth Avenue, San Diego

Electronic-music fans unite at Club Voyeur.

Voyeur is exclusively an electronic dance hall—dropping Top 40 trance, drum-and-bass, dubstep, house, and electro. The club is a tight, two-story Victorian-style castle with sexy go-go dancers tearing it up inside an enormous wall of lights. The DJ stage is the heartbeat of the dance floor, packed with electronic dance music fans that come to sweat. Drinks are expensive, but the cover is avoidable before 10pm. With a bar on both floors, drinks flow easily, so skip the bottle service — it’s available for private parties on the second floor, overlooking the crowd.

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