I have to agree that it just depends on what establishment you choose to patronize. Here in Houston, there are a number of bars / clubs, and they do seem to be separated by race. Most places in downtown and an area called the 'Richmond strip' tend to be more White / Asian oriented. There are a number of Latino / Tejano clubs and bars around town, and of course you have your majority Black clubs and bars. It just depends on where *you* want to go.

I also have to agree that most Black bars / clubs / lounges tend to be more dance oriented (music, DJ, dance floor), where the White ones tend to be more stand around and drink.

Just to add, I too would not live in an area with 'plantation' in the name.

I just drove my friends home from The Plantation and it appears the name is going to be The Plant from now on, and the logo is someone "Planted" on a bar stool drinking a beer. The nickname remains the same, but the meaning has changed. There used to be a sign on the roof, but I can't remember if it is there anymore.

Oh yeah Dionysus, there were Black people there but no women, just guys. I made sure to look just for you. :D I'm going to keep an eye out this weekend since it is homecoming and I'll have a tally for you ;)

my bar experiences are limited to going with white coworkers (and being one of the only black females there) AND/OR going with a group of black girlfriends and us being the only ones there... no shortage of black men tho... but that's a totally different topic.

i agree with the poster that said the smoke in hair smell is a deterrent. I would only go to a bar on an evening where i planned to wash my hair / get it done the next day anyway.

i prefer lounges on the rare ocassion i go out, and i LOVE drinking at home. :p

Maybe it's the bar itself you go to. If they play damn foo fighters and nsync you might not see any beautiful sisters. I live in Raleigh, NC and I know that if I go to the "Ale House" on Wake Forest Rd. Yeeeeaaaah!! Its going to be what the white folks hate. "Blacked Out!" Full of fine black women. Or if you go to a bar in one of the "chocolate cities," ie; Atlanta, DC, Philly... Then of course your gonna see black women. It's all about location, location, location, and music. Finally, and I praise the black women for this one. Most black women are not gonna chill at a spot filled with more white men then black men.

Tis true for this Black woman. I go where I am comfortable and I tend to be more comfortable in my chill time with places that cater to Black people.

I've gone to Cosmos and enjoyed myself because it was a nice mix and no cover charge, lmao.

And I am with those who prefer smoke free or less smoke filled environments. Although a tip I learned is to spray your hair with oil sheen before going to bed and the smell will at least be gone from your hair.:)

Haha....you went there. Yeah, I agree, and that's probably the main reason. Or, afraid of a "Duke" sort of thing happening. I don't think that explains it all though. Come on, only two or three black women out of several hundred people? And, while there's usually more white guys, there's definately enough black guys around. Some Asian and Hispanics too. It looks like Baskin-Robbins somtimes. There's got to be more than five black women in this city who's attracted to more than one flavor of guy.

I know that here in Indiana most of the African Americans prefer clubs as oppose to bars. Here, bars are strictly for drinking and picking up women/men. There is no dancing and the music is horrible! Most of "us" prefer to dance, get dressed up and go to an establishment where you can drink, dance, and meet other Blacks from campus or in the area. Lounges are also nice because it creates an intimiate atmosphere where you can actually carry on a conversation.

I think I went to 2 bars since I've been in college and I only went because one was free wing night and the other time was Karaoke night. Other than you can find me at the club...:p Well actually now that I'm saved I'm at home listening to gospel and reading my Bible...LOL.:D

I am a big fan of The Loop, Westport, and CWE/Manchester. I have hanged out everywhere except for Soulard, South County, North St. Louis, and East St. Louis. I only go to Soulard for Mardi Gras (not a lot of black women at Mardi Gras either, lol) . South county has too many of those "Rusty Pick-Up Inn" sort of places. East St. Louis is probably where you find the black women that Nelly raps about. I know absolutely nothing about the places in North St. Louis.

I have never been to Lafayette, but I heard a lot of crazy stories about it, one of them being someone once pulled out a gun there.

I've never been to McGurk's either, but I heard a LOT of positive things about it. I want to go there one day.

We have homecoming this weekend too. :)

I guess I will be honest. I'm very self-conscious in all black social environments. I have no idea how to interact. When you've been the token almost everywhere since you were a young kid, it's actually easy to get used to it.

I was able to discern this about you a long time ago based on your online persona.

In Cleveland, Places like Club 75, The Mirage and The Sunset Lounge has a high percentage of black women. But most hang out at the bars on the east side.

myself, I go where the action is.

Aaaaaah The Mirage, my former stomping grounds. I got in as a 19 year old :D thanks to my next door neighbor who tended bar there. :cool:

Umm...you'll do what....

I KNOW that someone has to have some photogrpahic evidence to disprove this statement, lol. I think I might, lol. SOMEwhere.

Well un-self-conscious yourself, stop being a token, go out to the clubs where we are and start mingling. :D

The V Lounge (the name is hella misleading) USED to be nice but now it is STRAIGHT HOOOOOOD. I went for the first time ever last month and I felt like I was there chaperoning every student that had ever failed my class. I was shook!!!:eek:

Now if I go to the Time Hotel Lounge in the good ol Big Apple, I will shake my groove thang, LMAO ;) And I have pictures of you too!!!! :D

Many is the time I've beent he black girl inthe bar, and to be honest, most but not all of those times I have been terribly bored. Not so much because there were no other black people, but because I really don't like bars. To me, if I drink alchohol it's got one of two purposes: 1. to get me slightly twisted so that i am ready to go out and dance for a few hours or 2. to go to bed. In order for me to have fun I have to be going with a large, fun group of people I know really well, and even then there's no guarantee.

At bars you just sit down and drink. Yawn. I can do that at my house for waaay cheaper. If I just wanted to talk to my friends while I did it I'd tell them to come over. A lounge at least is more likely to have music I want to listen to.

ok...just trying to keep you honest.....sit with a book my butt!

And Dionysus- you should give black folks a chance, I promise you most of us won't tell you you're not black enough or some ridiculousness. I have had to reassure a couple of young ladies about that through the years, lol.

When I think of bars, I think of a bunch of men sitting around a table chug-a-luggin' beer. Needless to say, whenever I go to a bar, I go to the wetbar in my den.

Ironically, one of the best places to get your hurr did up in the Pacific NW is Moscow, Idaho... ;)

So one of my co-workers in California asked me to attend her birthday party at a Country-Western Bar!!!

So I tricked a friend of mine to go with me and we go...

I must say for happy hour, the bar had one of the BEST spreads in the city for the cheapest amount of money...

But I have never desired to ever go that bar again... I was too uncomfortable.

Thanks - that is a helpful tip for the hair......

Although I tease my husband all the time for not wanting to go out to drink cause he's too cheap to want to pay for the drinks - I have to agree with Still_BLUTANG prefer to drink at home;)

The top floor of the V Lounge is going to come crashing down one night...they allow that joint to be packed way past fire capacity I'm sure....lol

it is expensive to drink in most downtown Charlotte bars....we usually start drinking at home and then we only have to nurse our buzz after that...luckily we usually drink free at Fox and Hound...I can only think of one true lounge and its in NoDa, a kinda bohemian cool neighborhood..it draws a really diverse crowd...

Awww, I've even been there! :) We also like O'Connell's and Dressels.

I'm a black gal, and I like bars. I'm usually there with guy friends, though, who are all white.

Two reasons:

1) When white men get drunk, they want to kiss everyone.
2) When white women get drunk, they want to kiss everyone and dance with other women.

Yeah, that's it........

"Therein lies the rub," or something like it. ;)

Most bars are predominently white male, for a number of reasons that are boring to discuss in a thread such as this.

Exactly where is McGurk's? South St. Louis?

I can't believe I got serious responses in this thread. Thank you all. :)

I know and that sucks.

I think I may know who you're talking about, it is a small town after all.

Dionysus I have a killer sinus infection but I'll be sure to do a statistical analysis for you when I go to bars again ;)

you know, i have been in situations where ive gotten comfortable being the token, especially at parties and social events. honestly, it would be like a united colors of benetton advertisement, with your (token) asian, black, spanish person. then you get a racially ambiguous person or two, maybe a gay or indian person...

point is, ive been the only "one" in the bar and it can be uncomfortable and such, but come on, sometimes bars have the best deals, like dollar beer night (if youre in NYC, holla at me at Off the Wagon on Mondays) or quarter pitcher night (Wednesdays at Town Tavern). i have learned to like bars, but its not my preference of hangout spots.

some nights im in the mood for a bar, to just sit and have a drink. sure, i can do away with the smoke (i HATE cig smoke, but since NY has no more smoking in bars, dont have to worry anymore. and it irks me when i go out of town and am in a smoky bar) but some nights, i dont want to do the loud music/dance thing.

also in nyc, the lines of bar/restaurant/lounge are blurred, which can be a good thing if you wanna get your dance on one minute and then next just wanna sit down and knock one back.

Ugh @ people typing "token" and meaning it.

Yeah, that was my grad school experience, and therefore my professional experience, in a nutshell. I can't wait to meet another black person who does what I do. I've met a few engineers who do similar things...close, but no cigar.

I prefer bars to clubs. I went to the 4040 club here in NYC a few weeks ago, and I was booooored. I'm not that much of a dancer. I would rather sit with some friends drinking beers and watching the Red Sox than dancing any day.

:confused:

Well, "token" is a derogatory reference but being the only black person in most settings (educational, professional, or social) doesn't automatically make you a token unless THEY make you the token. ;)

hmm. a lot of terms are derogatory until you reclaim the phrase... at school we threw it around as such, like "look at us token [fill in the blank] folks." even white students threw it around, like, "yeah im the token white kid from burbs"

youre right, youre only a token if they make you one. and yes, ive been the said token in educational, professional, AND social settings, but not just for being black, but for being female, for being young, etc...

Right.