this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2025
186 points (93.9% liked)

Ask Lemmy

34926 readers
921 users here now

A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions


Rules: (interactive)


1) Be nice and; have funDoxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, and toxicity are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them


2) All posts must end with a '?'This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?


3) No spamPlease do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.


4) NSFW is okay, within reasonJust remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either !asklemmyafterdark@lemmy.world or !asklemmynsfw@lemmynsfw.com. NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].


5) This is not a support community.
It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions. If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email info@lemmy.world. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.


6) No US Politics.
Please don't post about current US Politics. If you need to do this, try !politicaldiscussion@lemmy.world or !askusa@discuss.online


Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.

Partnered Communities:

Tech Support

No Stupid Questions

You Should Know

Reddit

Jokes

Ask Ouija


Logo design credit goes to: tubbadu


founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

I remember just a few months ago bars and clubs being super packed and now there's hardly anybody at them. What's going on?

Edit: I'm in the Los Angeles area

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] MisterNeon@lemmy.world 174 points 2 months ago (2 children)
[–] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago

I mean, I could go to a bar and get a $10 drink.

Or, I could have a whole-ass $11 bottle of wine, at home, in the quiet, with my dogs and a damn good book.

[–] obinice@lemmy.world 133 points 2 months ago (8 children)

...Might help to mention what hemisphere you're in, or continent you're on? Or country? Or city?

The reason for your local change in nightlife could be anything from a wide, wide range of reasons, almost all of which depend heavily on where you are.

Let's not be like the uncouth Defaultist Americans that assume everybody in the world lives where they do. Let's be better, and let's provide a location when it's key info.

[–] skeezix@lemmy.world 56 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Obviously from the US because they think every human is from the US.

[–] drmoose@lemmy.world 36 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Americans legit think the internet ends at their borders. Even relatively modern places like Bluesky are so infuriating for not understanding how internet works.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] DoGeeseSeeGod@lemmy.blahaj.zone 33 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Yeah they be from somewhere outside the united states like Hawaii

[–] AmidFuror@fedia.io 27 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 15 points 2 months ago (2 children)
load more comments (2 replies)
[–] 11111one11111@lemmy.world 20 points 2 months ago

Sooooo fucking on point. If you arent a sports fan in my area you would be so curious of the same question depending on time of year or success of season. Super anecdotal but just 1 example of tons and tons of variables that effect the bar/restaurant/hospitality industry

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] BaroqueInMind@piefed.social 78 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Trump economy. Enough said

[–] OutlierBlue@lemmy.ca 41 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Trump put a 100% tariff on fun.

[–] Bebopalouie@lemmy.ca 17 points 2 months ago

More a tariff on life itself.

[–] Mediocre_Bard@lemmy.world 16 points 2 months ago (4 children)

It's bigger than one administration. Capitalism separates the majority of people from their wealth, which destroys their ability to go out to the club. All of that money you hear about that billionaires and even millionaires make is just the club money that you and I use to have. Now, instead of going to club, we sit in the dark and watch the ultrawealthy fly really high and call it space travel.

Everything that they have was taken from you and I.

load more comments (4 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] secretlyaddictedtolinux3@lemmy.world 50 points 2 months ago (1 children)

It's a financial thing. There's a K shaped economy, with no middle class, and the lower class dealt with inflation for a while with credit card debt... and... those credit cards are filled up.

[–] snoons@lemmy.ca 23 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Middle class is still working class.

[–] Joeffect@lemmy.world 25 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Stop doing this... its people vs the ultra wealthy... unless your less than 100 people your all the fucking same... they want people to feel divided, we are not... its rich assholes who are so morrally corupt and evil vs the rest of us...

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] GlendatheGayWitch@lemmy.world 47 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I imagine there's a lot less tourists since ICE started showing up in big numbers in LA. The presence of a large oppressice force also makes some question whether they want to go out or not, especially those close to the people who have been kidnapped.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] theneverfox@pawb.social 44 points 2 months ago (11 children)

People are terrified.

Everyone is more subdued, people are going into debt as prices continue to shoot up when they're already stretched to their limit, and ice is kidnapping people willy nilly

Oh, plus tourism is basically over

All in all, this doesn't surprise me. Things are getting very bad

[–] Passerby6497@lemmy.world 14 points 2 months ago (4 children)

All in all, this doesn't surprise me. Things are getting very bad

And we're still in the good times. My therapist asks me why my scores for happy/hopefulness are low and the anxiety/depression scores are high every week, and I can't help but gesture wildly at the state of the world.

Fucking figures that I'd get 2008'd again right as I start getting my life together.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] ameancow@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

People are terrified.

Funny way to spell "poor."

Average people aren't nearly as worried about ICE as they should be, but people are definitely feeling the pinch of a dying middle-class and wealth inequality skyrocketing.

[–] theneverfox@pawb.social 11 points 2 months ago

It's not just money. There's very real fear as well, it's both

load more comments (9 replies)
[–] scytale@piefed.zip 34 points 2 months ago (3 children)

No money and too expensive. Your option for water is sold in a can that costs $5. Alcoholic drinks are almost double the price now. And at least for my city, the bar districts are now just full of assholes who post-pandemic seemed to forget how to act in public especially when alcohol is involved.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] rozodru@lemmy.world 34 points 2 months ago (5 children)

I mean here in Canada why would I go to a bar and spend like $12 on a single pint of beer when I can go to the store and pay the same amount and get like 6 pints?

Back in my 20's when I could go to the bar and pay $1.50 for a pint of PBR, sure it made sense. it was cheaper and i was with friends. I could get drunk on the cheap and have a good time.

now? there's no point. Cheap Dive bars (the ones I used to frequent) are going the way of the buffalo and in my city there's literally like only one left out of the dozens I used to go to all the time. I'm not paying over $10 for a single beer. Plus the patrons that still do go to bars are crap. they all would rather be on their phones then have a conversation at the bar.

so to sum up A. it's more expensive and B. younger generations killed the vibe.

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 29 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Too fucking expensive.

And at least for me, I have little interest in alcohol-centric outings because transportation becomes an issue.

[–] can@sh.itjust.works 27 points 2 months ago

Do you live in a college town?

[–] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 25 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I walk past a couple bars a lot and they seem to have the same amount of people. All the outside tables had folks last night.

I'm not going to bars because I'm unemployed. Like I say, if capital wants me to spend money they can give me some, first.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] HootinNHollerin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 points 2 months ago

I was at a packed one last night for my friends that were DJing. I didn’t drink there though to save money

[–] Doubleohdonut@lemmy.ca 22 points 2 months ago (2 children)

In addition to Summer Student Season, I hear there's a lot of ICE pouring through LA this year.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 22 points 2 months ago

bars and clubs run on disposable income.

[–] humanspiral@lemmy.ca 22 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Fewer tourists from other nations would be a contributing factor. ICE in general may be more. Perhaps economy isn't as great as our Fuhrer wants us to think.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 11 points 2 months ago

Tourism would be a thing, yeah.

Who in their right minds would go visit the US, knowing full well you might end up in a torture prison for a year just because you wanted to have a week of fun in the US?

[–] AlecSadler@lemmy.blahaj.zone 21 points 2 months ago

I think the effects of tariffs and unemployment and everything are starting to be felt.

I've seen a small decline in busy days at local bars or restaurants. I also live near areas that depend on summer tourism, and that is way down.

Thing is, as that goes down, so do the revenues/employees. As that happens, places close or cut employees.

[–] zewm@lemmy.world 19 points 2 months ago (15 children)

People just spent a few hundred dollars taking their families to watch the 2 biggest movies of the summer and now in 2 weeks the kids return to school and need supplies. Money is tight right now and priorities.

load more comments (15 replies)
[–] Leviathan@lemmy.world 18 points 2 months ago (2 children)

The climbing gym is fucking packed though

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] winni@lemmy.world 15 points 2 months ago

of course they are all caught in the traffic jam at the Gotthard tunnel

[–] devolution@lemmy.world 14 points 2 months ago (1 children)

No one wants some 20 year old jackass taping them for TikTok clout.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] tal@lemmy.today 12 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I just read some article about how Germany has supposedly been experiencing a decline in the club scene for some years, and how there's a word for it.

kagi

Not the article I was thinking of, but the word is clubsterben.

https://www.dw.com/en/is-berlin-in-a-club-death-spiral/a-70341859

Is Berlin in a 'club death' spiral?

[–] GiveOver@feddit.uk 23 points 2 months ago

I'm a Kagi user and you still had me thinking that the German word was "kagi" for a moment there

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] MelonYellow@lemmy.ca 11 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Probably depends on the area, but I’m in a high COL work-focused one and I’ve been noticing people going on their phones more these days. Even the bartenders. It’s kinda sad.

[–] lectricleopard@lemmy.world 14 points 2 months ago

Yeah, man, I get the feeling you're talking about. There's stuff to talk about, but no one wants to talk about it anymore. But it's hard not to think about that shit though...

[–] Fondots@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

In addition to the economy thing that everyone else has already pointed out (and is totally valid)

I think it's worth pointing out that in the northern hemisphere it's summer right now, so if that's where you're located there's a lot of people going on vacations and having parties right now.

My social circles aren't exactly rolling in it, but at any given time over the summer, there's still at least a couple people I know are the beach, camping, having a BBQ or bonfire, or hanging out at a pool somewhere on their downtime when they might have been at a bar or something otherwise.

If you live in a touristy area, yeah, that's the economy, bars should be booming there.

I remember a couple years ago on a whim a couple of friends and I decided to go to a bar that's usually packed with a line well out the door of people waiting to get it. But it just happened to be a holiday weekend so lots of people had other plans, and we got in no problem.

[–] Mothra@mander.xyz 10 points 2 months ago

I haven't noticed anything in particular, which country are you talking about?

[–] pineapplelover@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 2 months ago
[–] driving_crooner@lemmy.eco.br 9 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Not in my experience, living and clubbing, in São Paulo. Can't really compare with pass years, since I'm being living here just for two years, but all the parties I go are really packed.

[–] descartador@lemmy.eco.br 10 points 2 months ago

Unfair to compare Sao Paulo, brother

load more comments
view more: next ›