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Overview:
The city’s
Dance Club scene started building momentum during the
mid-1990s. As a prime example of this dance club boom, in no
more than a span of two weeks, four massive clubs held their
grand openings, with each club boasting a minimum of 2,500
patrons. And since that 14-day period, each club has been an
extremely popular spot, despite the many more clubs that
began appearing around the city.
The most concentrated area is along two parallel oneway
downtown
streets - Adelaide and
Richmond - in an area that borders the Entertainment
District of King Street
West and the trendy restaurant and bar music scene of
Queen Street West. This
is an area of old warehouses that were quickly turned into
some of the hottest, multi-level dance clubs in the city.
Some of these clubs can accommodate a crowd of 3,000, yet
there are still lines of club-goers leading to the front
door every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.
During the summer, the streets are literally teaming with
a party crowd, hopping from one trendy spot to another. But
do not drive in this area. For, you may
never find a parking
spot - even at the weekend price of $20. And there
are so many people
wandering this party circuit you won’t be able to drive
anyhow. Thirdly, with
even more hordes attending the huge theaters along
King Street, a concert
at Roy Thomson Hall, plus a game or concert at nearby
Skydome, its best to
just take a cab. Nevertheless, below we have listed some of
the more popular dance clubs in town.
Berlin
2335 Yonge Street
(416)489-7777
A popular club located outside the downtown club
district, Berlin is situated at the
cross streets of Yonge
and Eglinton, aka "Young and Eligible" which
should give
you some idea of the
explosive nightlife in this area. This is a large "open
club," which is
also know for its excellent restaurant (fairly rare on the
club
scene) and focuses on
all things Latin. There are special nights of Flamenco and
Tango, with free lessons
from professional teachers, adding to the sultry
feel of this sensuous
club. Berlin is an upscale dance club, with the feel and
all the amenities of a
full scale ritzy restaurant nightclub.
Parking: street & nearby parking lots.
Cover: $5 to $10, depending on what evening.
Fluid
217 Richmond Street West
(416) 593-6116
Truth in advertising! Fluid is indeed just that; the
walls curve, square
corners on tables and
pillars have been rounded off, the bar slinks and curves
around corners, and the
walls never meet at a 90-degree juncture. In fact, by
the end of a crowded
(1,500) evening, you may feel the entire club is
undulating. There is
also a huge fish tank that adds to the floating feeling
throughout the vast
one-floor dance and bar area.
Parking: street & nearby parking lots
Cover: $5 to $10, depending on night.
Joker
318 Richmond Street West
(416) 598-1313
CN Tower aside, the view from the fourth level terrace of
this club may be
the best in town. In
fact, you can see the CN Tower, SkyDome and the city’s
waterfront stretched out
for miles before you. The deck, which actually circles
the entire building,
holds hundreds of people and is equipped with
barbeques and mini bars.
Mind you, the inside of Joker holds several thousand
patrons on its three
floors of more than 20,000 square feet, with a
different dance beat and
style on each floor. Take your choice: 80s retro, hip
hop, R&B, whatever.
This is one of the top clubs (certainly one of the
largest converted dance
warehouses) on the "club strip" of Richmond
Street. Though it holds
approximately 3,000 people, there are still lines
Of people from Thursday
to Saturday.
Parking: street & nearby parking lots (if you are
early and lucky)
Cover: $10 on weekends.
The Bovine Sex Club
542 Queen Street West
(416) 504-4239
You really have to be looking for this club to find it
since there is no outside sign
to mark the spot. However, there are scraps of twisted
metal outside like some bizarre public sculpture that easily
serve as a fine landmark. And this is only the exterior
introduction. The interior is also decked out in metal
whatnots, which somehow seems to suit the 70s punk
atmosphere. Bar patrons stick to the front of the house
while dancers spill onto the submerged floor in the back.
This place is both fun and weird. Although, with a name like
The Bovine Sex club, you know it had better be trendy. Doors
open at 9 pm, seven days a week.
Parking: Street / nearby parking lots
No cover
The Docks
11 Polson Street
(416) 461-3657
This massive one-floor nightclub accommodates 3,000
people with flashing strobes and go-go dancers (try and get
here for ‘Foam Night’ when tons of foam completely cover
all the dancers). But that is only half the story here. The
Docks is a total entertainment complex with a 300-yard
driving range, 18 volleyball courts, sand beach, deck pool
and an outdoor patio that seats another 1,500. This venue
has the most incredible view of the city skyline, Toronto
island, and hundreds of sailboats in between. Get there for
a sunset libation and burger on the patio and stay for the
10pm opening of the nightclub. Actually, many people arrive
for lunch, hit the driving range, the pool, doze on the
beach, gaze at the
sunset over dinner, marvel as the lights come on all over
the city, then slide
into the club for some foamy dancing. What a day!
Parking: on site parking $5
Cover: $10/nightclub only
Easy & The Fifth
225 Richmond Street West
(416) 979-3000
This is a fun, unpretentious multi-level warehouse space
that has taken a page from the speakeasies of old, as
patrons must to enter through a side alley door. The action
of loud and fun in the main room, with wooden pillars, tall
chairs and tables, as well as a huge side room (which alone
can easily accommodate 300) with pool tables and lounges is
eminent as soon as you enter this place. This is a young
professional crowd whose musical tastes run to Top 40 and
R&B as opposed to club techno and funk. Note: And
upstairs restaurant, "The Fifth" of the title, is
a spectacular and intimate dining room for 50 maximum, with
a stone fireplace, piano player, long chairs, and a deck in
summer. Both establishments open Thursday, Friday and
Saturday only.
Parking: Street / nearby parking lots (if lucky)
Cover: $10
The Guvernment/Warehouse
132 Queen’s Quay East
(416) 869-0045
A massive, multi-level waterfront warehouse of 60,000
square feet that
Sees a big crowd most nights of the week. The main room
features Global Fridays and Spin Saturdays, with a mixture
of house and dance beats, while upstairs - The Drink - hosts
a popular Top 40 band every Saturday. (Note: live bands also
play at the attached sister club, The Warehouse).The
different rooms and levels have decors ranging from 20s Art
Deco to Arabian Nights. It is almost impossible to calculate
the number of thousands of party animals who gravitate to
this vast emporium of club pleasure every weekend.
Parking: Street / nearby parking lots
Cover: $5 to $10, depending on night and live band.
Phoenix Concert Theatre
410 Sherbourne Street
(416) 323-1251
There is a large stand-up bar area (as well as tables of
course) that always
seems to be packed with
a young upscale crowd. Entertainment ranges from the latest
up-and-coming live performer on stage to the themed DJ club
nights.
Also, every Saturday features a live-to-air radio
broadcast with DJ Martin
Streek on 102.FM. This
club holds thousands of patrons and is a true
"destination
venue," since it is away from the main club action
downtown. As
such, they suggest you
call for lineup information, since there is no where
else to go in the near
vicinity.
Parking: Street
Cover: No cover to $10, depending on live performers.
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