venue
Out of the ordinary Lawrence nightlife away from the crowds By Mandy Hendrix, Jayplay writer
It's the last semester of my senior year and honestly I'm becoming a little bored with the typical student bars. I've had some great nights at these places throughout my college days, but I'm starting to yearn for a change of scenery. Thinking that you might feel the same way, I decided to visit some of the most interesting bars away from campus and Massachusetts St.
Gaslight Tavern, 401 N. Second St.
Cross Town Tavern,
1910 Haskell Ave.
The red walls and red lights radiating within this itty-bitty bar make it seem as if you're inside a womb. The tiny house-like facade seems uninviting from the outside, but the friendly staff and community atmosphere make up for appearance. Candles burn throughout the bar, making the venue even more mellow. "It kind of feels like a secret club," says Kyle Akers, Prairie Village senior. "It's small and intimate and really warm to be there." The Gaslight is also great if you're not in a mood for drinking. I sipped on one of the best vanilla lattes I've had in awhile. Sitting at the nearly deserted bar were two laid-back guys, drinking pints of Guinness. This place is definitely worth checking out with a small group.
Out of the way of most students' usual hangouts, the Cross Town Tavern offers cheap drinks in a no-frills setting. This bar offers little more than what you see. Pool tables and oak wood paneling give a sports bar feel to one end of the large room. The other half suggests dancing with a wall of mirrors and a lone disco ball hanging form the ceiling. This place may have been groovier in the '70s, but Cross Town still hasn't lost its soul. Al Green quietly plays throughout the room over the bickering of the pool players and the friendly conversations of the drunks. The crowd here is a bit rougher than typical student hangouts, but you wanted to
check out something different, right?
Many of the clientele don't appear to be students, but rather down-home, blue-collar workers. "There is no pretense," says Craig Bundy, Kansas City, Mo. resident. "You can get as wasted as you want and no one is going to say anything because they're all there too." The best thing about Cross Town is the drink specials. If anything go just to check out the $1.50 draws on Wednesday and$ 2 margaritas on Friday.
Charlie's Eastside Bar and Grill,
900 Pennsylvania St.
If I could describe a bar as pleasant it would be Charlie's. The wooden beams and limestone rocks remind me of a winter lodge. In the warmer months the large porch on the front of the building is great for people watching. Crammed inside the small upstairs are two large tables and the bar-and-grill area. The downstairs has a pool table, but the room is bleak and lacks personality. The atmosphere seemed relaxed and welcoming, but that could have been because my friend and I were the only two people there. The bartender told me that Charlie's used to be a hot spot for the younger crowd, but these days the student base has dropped off. Oh well. I was able to get a big beer for $2 and chat with the bartender about basketball.
Going around town made me realize that Lawrence has so much more to offer than "Mass Street." Sometimes it's intimidating, but wandering away from the usual hotspots can be rewarding.
What's so different about these bars? They feel like part of something. They don't have a manufactured feeling to them. These are the types of bars that give Lawrence its laid-back, relaxed nature. "You run into more interesting characters than at normal bars" Bundy says.
02.17.05 Jayplay
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