Do americans see pubs differently

I went to NY in the summer and we went to a few pubs and clubs. The venues themselves were pretty similar but the difference was in the peoples attitude to drinking. Not all getting wasted and falling over but sitting drinking chatting and having conversations that diddnt involve boddily functions!

When we went out clubbing everyone was drinking water and dancing like maniacs except for the three scottish lads there slumped on the bar top covered head to toe in vodka red bull!
 
In my experience as a seasoned bar-goer most bars with an older crowd tend to begin earlier, say beginning at dinner time and extending until closing time. Bars with a younger customer base tend to be at least part night club with loud music and a more rowdy crowd that arrives later and drinks more heavily.
 
Booner! said:
Literally just got back from my local..... 4 americans in there. middle aged. Playing board games on the table and drinking?!?!?

I mean seriously, who plays board games in a pub, especially one which us youngsters drink in!
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We did, there are 2 pubs about 10 meters away from Phoenix Halls in Brighton. You come out, turn right and it's 3 doors down, it's call the Geese I think. They have board games you can just play there. Tiny pub but it's great and lots of students go there.
 
Booner! said:
I was refering to student pubs... like where people get drunk.. Which I highly doubt you will find a chess set for obvious reasons! :)
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So...? I am a student, live in a student area and go to student pubs... both my locals have board games up for grabs :p It's completely the norm for me in pubs & even some bars I know.

What uni do you go to?
 
crowhorse said:
So...? I am a student, live in a student area and go to student pubs... both my locals have board games up for grabs :p It's completely the norm for me in pubs & even some bars I know.

What uni do you go to?
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Sorry I am not a student... I guess missing out on student life is showing.. :(
 
In my experience, English pubs are the worst in the world. Atmosphere sucks, the people suck and the bar is usually crap too. Huge generalisation I know but it usually rings true.

I much prefer bars in America, the atmosphere and the people make it a far more pleasant experience.
 
i miss some of my old haunts in the UK. cant get a decent pint of ale in dublin for love nor money.

stupid guinness. stupid heinekin. its all they bloody drink here. Ive had to get used to the black stuff just to avoid drinking lager *shudder*.

though some of the limited edition guinness brews they do are quite good, they are no match for a nice pint of real ale from a local microbrewery in the beer garden of a devon country pub on a hot summer afternoon.

m'all homesick now :(
 
Scuzi said:
In my experience, English pubs are the worst in the world. Atmosphere sucks, the people suck and the bar is usually crap too. Huge generalisation I know but it usually rings true.

I much prefer bars in America, the atmosphere and the people make it a far more pleasant experience.
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A lot of pubs in the UK does suck, because they are either

1 - Without character, one of those that tries to keep up with the times with a new lick of paint and a 40" LCD with football, but it's no more than Wetherspoon with music.

2 - Old pubs, bags of character but it's so old and been there so long that it is hard for anyone who is not a regular in there feel comfortable. It's full of the same old people with the same faces, almost a private club and strangers are not welcome.

3 - Wetherspoon, O'Neils, Lloyds...etc. All the same.
 
The_TailGunner said:
i miss some of my old haunts in the UK. cant get a decent pint of ale in dublin for love nor money.

stupid guinness. stupid heinekin. its all they bloody drink here. Ive had to get used to the black stuff just to avoid drinking lager *shudder*.

though some of the limited edition guinness brews they do are quite good, they are no match for a nice pint of real ale from a local microbrewery in the beer garden of a devon country pub on a hot summer afternoon.

m'all homesick now :(
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If you can't have fun in Dublin pubs, then there's no hope at all for you.
 
Scuzi said:
In my experience, English pubs are the worst in the world. Atmosphere sucks, the people suck and the bar is usually crap too. Huge generalisation I know but it usually rings true.

I much prefer bars in America, the atmosphere and the people make it a far more pleasant experience.
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Yeah i hate going to local pubs, all the same boring idiots every day. Everybody knows each others business and enjoys nothing better then gossiping behind backs to get their kicks. I'm not sure it would be that much different in the bars in America though tbh.
 
HangTime said:
The impression I get is American bars attract more singles on their own than in the UK, i.e. certain bars will effectively be 'pickup joints', with single men/women going there on their own or with a close buddy with the intention of pulling. In the UK we seem to see pubs as more of a general 'warmup' area for drinking and chatting with friends, with anything else being a bonus. It tends to be clubs where people are looking to hookup.

This may also explain why (judging by tv/film), sitting at the bar seems a lot more common in the US. In the UK people tend to order at the bar and then either take drinks elsewhere in the pub or kinda stand around nearby, unless it's a real 'local' where everyone knows each other.
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This is why I love the US. I travelled around California and Oregon doing some solo camping and climbing. Would drive into some dusty outback town, go to the bar alone and feel right at home stood by the bar with a pint of sierra Nevada. Get chatting to all the locals in no time, everyone friendly and inquisitive. Some single ladies around to chat to.


In the UK pub suck. Either boring smoke filled cess pits (well at last the smoke is not a factor), or deafing places filled with obnoxious drunks. Everyone has formed tight impenetrable social circles and no one is really interested in meeting new people or is open to conversation. Girls are defensive, and scarce, or just plain getting sloshed. I hate clubs as a place to meet peopl or pick up girls. So loud you can't hear yourself speak, no idea what anyone says half the time. Over priced warm flat rat-**** from danmark. Pap music and pretentious people.

I like going to bars alone and just seeing what happens. In the Uk that is just not really possible. Here in Switzerland things are a little better but I get shafted with the language.
 
D.P. said:
In the UK pub suck. Either boring smoke filled cess pits (well at last the smoke is not a factor), or deafing places filled with obnoxious drunks. Everyone has formed tight impenetrable social circles and no one is really interested in meeting new people or is open to conversation. Girls are defensive, and scarce, or just plain getting sloshed. I hate clubs as a place to meet peopl or pick up girls. So loud you can't hear yourself speak, no idea what anyone says half the time. Over priced warm flat rat-**** from danmark. Pap music and pretentious people.
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You must be going to the wrong places.

I go out on average 3 times a week.

I find it easy to penetrate these so-called inpenetrable social circles you're on about - even if they're sitting down at a table. You just have to be interesting and address the whole group, my guess is you were just trying to strike up a conversation with a single member, in effect isolating that member from the group. Bad thing to do until you get friendly with the whole group.

Girls are only defensive if they perceive you as another Average Frustrated Chump. Some people, like it would seem you, have no kind of social awareness. They can spot it a mile away and put their bitch shield straight up. I went out on thursday, opened over a dozen groups, some women-only and some mixed guys and girls... left them better than when I joined & that's the motto I try to adhere to. Then the previous saturday I opened in excess of 20 groups & quite a few open me too. I always make a good few new friends when I'm out & am always welcomed back into their groups should I choose to go back.

If I were you, I'd read some stuff on opening conversations with people... it will do you a world of good. If you ever come back from Switzerland of course.
 
D.P. said:
Here in Switzerland things are a little better but I get shafted with the language.
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Most of the Swiss people I've met speak at least 3 languages to a reasonable degree and some rather more than that. It could be that I've just met the ones confident enough in their linguistic abilities to travel but they gave the impression that it wasn't uncommon. I guess it depends on the part of the country you are in but a bit of French, German or Italian together with English should be good enough I'd have thought?

I've not yet been to America so can't answer directly but I think that the drinking culture in Canada isn't that far removed and I've spent a little bit of time there. I got the impression that people, particularly in the more out of the way places, would have a few drinks at home then go to a club and frequently bypass the whole drinking in a pub stage. In bigger cities you might well find that the culture is the same although perhaps still slightly less focused around going to the pub as here and that was something I missed a bit.
 
The fact that you can't drink until 21 means they see them as more adult I bet but I have never been so I cannot say.

I do like old English pubs but I wouldn't go in alone, but then I am not the type of person to go anywhere alone, I get bored easily and need my mates to laugh at my geek jokes. No one else will :(
 
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