The Hidden Gems
By Jade Louise Greenwood
Is the classic "party-hard in your early 20s"
How twenty somethings are spending their evenings in winter
When asking Algonquin College students how they feel about going out, their answers were consistent: most are going out less, spending less, and choosing comfort over chaos.
Larissa Syme, a 24-year-old, shared her thoughts about how she stopped going out and started staying in. “I feel like this time of year, people just want to be cozy and stay at home. It’s also expensive, so it’s cheaper to drink at home.”
Even more so, people may be drifting away from the party life, but cost might not be the entire issue. The weather also effects peoples wants and needs equally.
When asking 25-year-old Emma Neville whether she thinks people are staying in more than going out during the winter, she didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely,” she said, “I’d say so for sure.”
“I would just say waiting in the lines and the cold, like no one wants to wait outside a club,” said Neville.
The appeal of a quieter night has started to outweigh the thrill of a packed dance floor. A glass of wine on a couch has become the way of socializing with a few friends and not the rest of the city. It’s better for quiet conversations, a more intimate evening.
“Personally, yeah,” Neville said. “I don’t really go out much anymore. I did when I was younger, but not so much recently.”
Syme also reflected the same opinion. “Once I hit 22, I just stopped going out as much,” she explained. “I’d rather stay in with a couple of friends than be surrounded by a bunch of people I don’t know.”
Plenty of young adults still go out, but after years of heavy socializing in their teens, many hit their early twenties and felt the need for a change.
According to a study done by Queen’s University, students are going out earlier. Seven years ago, 80 per cent of sales happened between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., but now sales happen between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.
In another study done by this journal, they found alcohol consumption among 18-34 year olds has dropped 10 per cent over two decades.
Overall, young adults are drinking and partying less. The desire to stay out and up all night is slowly fading from the limelight. Although there is a 10 per cent drop in alcohol consumption, that doesn’t mean drinking is disappearing, but it is no longer the centre piece in social life, the way it once was.
Twenty-somethings still want connection, just not at 1:45 a.m. with a vodka cran in hand.
After dark, after class
Why today's students are trading dance club floors for quiet night focus
When the sun goes down, most think that’s when the party starts, but not all fun needs to be at a club downtown. In reality, students nowadays aren’t partying as hard as they used to. They have classes, school and grades to worry about.
Ask any student when they study, and most of the time, they say at night.
“During the night, my focus is better, and I just kind of end up having to do it,” Mei Angelino says, from the program illustration and concept art. “I’m sure everybody can relate to the time crunch.”
Angelino swears by nighttime studying and has a few places where she travels to regularly. Gong Cha Bubble Tea is a cafe in College Square that opens up at 11:30 a.m. and closes at 11:00 p.m., which is great for students wanting to get in a late-night cram sesh. “You can never go wrong with the place,” Angelino says.
Oh So Good Desserts is another gem found right downtown, in the middle of the nightlife scene. Open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays (and 11 p.m. the rest of the week), it’s a spot where you can slip between both worlds in a single evening: grab a slice of cake after dinner or a quick drink with friends, then crack open your laptop and finish that assignment before going home.
“When I am done with classes, I’ll go,” Angelino says. “So maybe around 6 p.m. or 7 p.m., but sometimes later, depending on where I go.”
One law clerk student, Rayan Jaber, spoke about how being in a cafe late at night helps her focus. “Sometimes I find I’m more productive during the day and sometimes I’m more productive at 1 a.m., for some reason,” Angelino says. “My friends enjoy going out, but I like getting work done first.”
So instead of following her friends out on the town, she does some solo studying.
Jaber suggests an ambient coffee shop, Oat Couture Oatmeal Cafe, an evening cafe for those looking for a viby, cozy couch to work on. “They have really nice areas for people to sit and study,” Jaber says. “They have great lighting that really sets the mood to get work done, lamps and comfy chairs everywhere.”
Last but certainly not least, we have Jaber’s final study spot, the classic Happy Goat Cafe, a student favourite filled with growing plants and the strong scent of coffee, so powerful you can smell every order, “just make sure you can find a plug for your laptop,” Jaber says.
Depending on your nightly schedule, there is always a cafe for you to study, some close to campus and others a bit further, and if you are lucky, maybe you will still have some time to go out after too.