So a lot of people say they want to live in big cities because there’s always things to do and places to go. The nightlife is often cited as a big thing. This also comes up in a lot of threads - there’s jobs there, but who would actually want to live there? There’s nothing to do.
Typically, something to do in the evening includes:
live music acts
live theatre
going to venues specifically to drink booze
…what else? I’m also wondering where I’d fit in this. Don’t like drinking, not big into music, not big enough into theatre to move somewhere because of it. I like video games and computers and movies. What do geeks find in the big city? Does New York have special D&D bars? Halo tourney on the theatre screen?
Brought to you by my brother asking me what’s going on when he’ll be here on Sunday. There isn’t anything here that doesn’t involve nightclubs or the movie theatre.
There’s also the likelihood of finding a variety of restaurants open somewhat late at night. As opposed to Village Inn and Denny’s over and over and over.
In a small city/town there are going to be fewer people that are college educated, fewer agnostics/atheists/humanists, fewer people across the spectrum of political affiliations (libertarians/green party/etc) and fewer geeks in general.
I’d suggest he look up boardgame shops and see if they have anything interesting going on the nights he’s there.
When I used to hang out after work on payday Fridays, a typical non-special event night: Post work drinks at the Tony Roma’s, walk down to the Barnes & Nobles to see who was book signing or reading, if it was warm or we were being cheap- Washington Square Park; if we felt like spending money-- Cafe Wha?, The Back Fence or Kenny’s Castaways. Maybe stop for chicken videloo or cheese blintzes on 4th Ave. And then a nice stroll home across the Brooklyn Bridge.
Winter was more inside-y. Shout!, The City or Ones for dancing. A movie and a stop at America, the restaurant. . .
I grew up in the boonies, in rural upstate New York and later in a small town in South Dakota. Now I live on the outskirts of Philadelphia. There is a TON going on here, compared anywhere I’ve lived before. There are millions of things to do in the city, and even in the relatively quiet burbs there are plenty of options: theaters, bars, movies, live music, live comedy, fine dining, viewing art, festivals.
However I’ve found that everywhere I go, I’m basically the same, even though I was a child then and I’m 25 now, and have been living here for almost 10 years. Usually when I leave my house it’s just to be outside (I have a big vegetable garden near my apartment, and like walking my dogs in parks). I like to stay at home. I like quiet and solitude. I don’t enjoy bars, movie theaters, or live music, and eating at restaurants that satisfy my palate is usually out of my budget. Now, that’s not to say I haven’t seen what’s out there and that I don’t ever go out - but it’s so rare that I might as well live where there’s nothing to do.
I think most introvert homebodies can relate. I think I would prefer to live someplace much quieter and low-key, but this area is nice and I have a lot of relationships based here. Plus I don’t drive and plan to never own a car, and while I’ve been able to bike or walk to all the jobs I’ve had so far it’s nice to have the option of using the excellent public transportation here, should I so need it.
One thing that is also very nice for me about living here is that there are many more people in this area who have an outlook on life similar to mine, compatible senses of humor, etc. Partly because there are just a lot more people around, partly because the culture is different here. In the conservative, traditional, very religious town in South Dakota I grew up in, I was a bit of a square peg even as a kid.
Hmmm. I didn’t think about festivals, ha ha. Good one.
I can do all of that in a smaller city, except the Brooklyn Bridge part (we have a nice bridge, it’s just not famous) and the book signings won’t have famous authors.
Haven’t had much trouble finding people like me to hang out with either.
Not that it matters, but in the OP I’m the geek, my brother just asked what there was to do when he came to visit. Two different things going on there.
“Art” movies, lectures, First Friday art-gallery crawls. In some places, major league baseball.
By the way, the OP is a bit confusing. Are you living in a big city and your brother is wondering what people who live in big cities do, or does your brother live in a big city and is wondering what there is to do when he visits you?
I don’t know about New York, but here in Austin, some of the game places are open late.
Place like the Alamo Drafthouse have interactive events that involve more than just watching a movie. There is food too.
One of the biggest late night draws here as well are the food trucks. This city is overrun with them now. The foodies are all there until the wee hours eating the food, blogging about it. tweeting about it, taking pictures of each other with their iPhones. It’s a show just watching these nerds going on and on about it.
When the Zombies eventually attack, I don’t want to be anywhere big cities. I don’t need ‘nightlife’ or other similar things to make my life whole. For me it’s an artificial dependence to rely on others for my own happiness.
I don’t know about D&D bars, but NYC has some pretty big comic book stores. You’ll have a lot easier time finding what you are looking for here than in Jerkwater, Anystate USA
I’m guessing you’ve seen movies where someone from New York or LA suddenly discovers they have to go to Somewhere, Wisconsin and are immediately disgusted with having to go somewhere so backwater.
The backwater places has bars and nightclubs and live venues and bowling alleys and movie theatres. Is a big metropolitan city really just the same but with more of everything?
I put in my preferences because if big city nightlife is just more clubs with more famous people and a better selection of liquor, then no, I’m not interested.
Sorry, I’m a geek (in a medium sized city) who is wondering what the big fuss is about with big cities having more things to do at night and what they’d be if you aren’t into drinking or live shows.
I just brought the topic up now because my brother (from a very small city) is coming to visit me and I realized that we do the same things they do in the small city - you just have more bars and movie theatres to choose from.
I recently went to a storytelling show my friend was performing in.
Before the event began the venue announced some upcoming events. They included a “Grease 2” movie screening with audience singalong, and a speech by the World Pun Champion about the pun in history.
Geek Stitch & Bitch (an all-nerd knitting group) meets every wednesday in Brooklyn.
I suppose it depends on what you mean by “geek”. If you are a weird social recluse who doesn’t like to go out, I suppose you could hide in your appartment and not go out in any city in the country.
Well, in Seattle, we have PAX, a massive video and table top game convention which I seriously need to get my tickets to. There are also nerd-adjacent conventions like Sakura-con and Emerald City Comic Con.
If cons aren’t your thing, there are about a dozen game stores around.
AFK Tavern isn’t quite in Seattle, but it is awesome that there is enough of a crowd anywhere to make an all gamer hang-out not only thrive but seriously packed every weekend. You can play Halo on one of their big screens while downing pretty tasty chow and reasonably priced and amusingly named mixed drinks.
On the more philosophical side, the Seattle Atheists are a pretty cool group of cats. Their Rapture Relief effort right now is in the key of awesome. They also go as Pastafarians in the annual pride parade.
There is also the Seattle Town Hall, which has a packed roster of interestingly diverse speakers. Attending the talks is either free or carries a minimal ticket fee. Those are awesome.
And, you can go to the Seattle Art Museum. The exhibit they had recently on Michelangelo was fascinating. Or, you can just walk around the Market (aka Pike’s Place.)
Here’s a list of what to do in Chicago, as listed by the Chicago Reader, just for this weekend.
It’s a 4-page list. You can narrow the search by interest - go ahead and see what there is that matches up what you like.
Part of what I love about city life is just what’s available whether I utilize it or not. A big draw for me isn’t even what’s available for entertainment, but what’s available for someone like me who works past 10pm. I never do grocery/supply shopping on days off, that’s too much like work. I far prefer to stop at a store on the way home from work and save days off for, well, not having to do stuff. While there are certainly small-town 24 hour Wal-Marts and such, in a small town that’s about it. Here, I have a selection of stores to stop in, and so am not limited.
Plus, there are lots of restaurants open late for delivery, so I can get dinner delivered to work at midnight if I want. Checking GrubHub, there are 10 restaurants available to deliver to me right now, at 3 in the morning, from Indian, Thai and Sushi to Burgers, Italian, and Pizza.
So maybe that doesn’t really answer the “things to do” question as much as explain “why the city” for me. Oh, and I also can live by myself without needing a roommate in the city, because I don’t need a car here. I use CTA, walk a lot (because this town is very walk-friendly, with sidewalks everywhere and all), and am a member of a car-sharing service for when I do need a car. The nearest cars are a half-block away and I can see them from my kitchen window. I can reserve one to pick up in 10 minutes if I want.
If I ever move, it will be to another big city. I can only imagine being happy in New York after Chicago, though, unless I quit the US altogether and move to London. What a fabulous city that is!
Even though small places have live venues, it’s unlikely they’d have as many big-name acts. Plus there are all the other nights out possibilities that people have suggested to you - it’s not just bowling, pubs and live venues - and I’ll add museums open in the evening.
In large cities it’s also generally easier to get home from these nights out without having to drive.