Alternative bars for alternative spirits

After fifteen minutes of waiting outside in the snow and below freezing temperatures, students flood into one of Bloomington's busiest hotspots. The music is blasting and instantly dancing ensues, soon leading to immense thirst. Students crowd around the bar, throwing all etiquette to the wind once they realize it may take upwards of 20 minutes to be served. Finding a comfortable place to sit and catch your breath is also nearly impossible. For bar-hoppers who know this scene all too well, there are alternatives that offer a more low-key way of getting your drink on.\nThe Office Lounge,Video Saloon, and Uncle Elizabeth's are just a few bars which have their own unique styles and atmospheres, and are a few places in Bloomington where you can sit back and have a good time with your friends, whether it's playing pool, darts or singing karaoke.\n"We're not your typical fraternity or sorority bar; we're really laid back," says Office Lounge waitress Lindsey Lortz. "You can come and drink in your pajamas if you want to." \nThe Office Lounge (3900 E. 3rd St.), which doesn't charge a cover, offers an array of entertainment from bluegrass bands every second Thursday of the month to televised IU sporting events. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday are reserved for karaoke, but free pool is offered Monday through Thursday from 8 p.m. until close. Due to its proximity, the Office Lounge is a hang out for many inhabitants of Sterling University Glen Apartments. \n"The fact that the Office Lounge is so close is definitely a plus, but it's not the main reason (I go)," sophomore Georgi Neschev says. "I go there because the atmosphere is more relaxed; it's not like Sports or the Bluebird where it's always packed."\nThe Video Saloon is another alternative bar which prides itself on a diverse crowd and offers interaction with a broad range of interesting people. \n"It's a nice relaxing place to come to at the end of the week," senior Stephanie Roberts says. \nDespite the fact that there is no live entertainment, there is plenty going on at the Video Saloon to keep guests busy. Throughout this spacious bar, there are a number of pool tables, video games and dart boards.\n"It's somewhere that my boyfriend can come to play darts and I can relax and have fun doing something else," Roberts says. \nFor those wishing to take advantage of the drink specials it is best to come between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., better known as "happy hour." There are usually specials on pitchers every night as well. For many who go to the Bluebird Nightclub, Kilroy's Sports Bar or Axis Nightclub, this is a possible stop on the way home to wind down after a hectic night. \n"One a.m. to 3 a.m. are our busiest hours," says Michael Shiflet, the doorman at the Video Saloon. "This is the safest bar in town. It's not a place where the police come to break up a fight every night. People know that it's a safe place and that's why they come."\nIf the Office Lounge or the Video Saloon are not to your liking, then maybe you'll find your niche at Uncle Elizabeth's, one of the few gay bars in Bloomington.\n"Uncle Elizabeth's has a great ambiance to it," senior Moira Henneberry says of the bar which is housed in a double-wide trailer. \nMany guests find the lighting of the bar makes for a very comfortable setting where conversation comes easily and drinking follows.\n"The atmosphere is very comfortable," says owner Steve Keith. "We want our patrons to feel like they're at home. It's kind of like a neighborhood lounge."\nThe entertainment ranges from playing pool to listening to eclectic tunes from the antique jukebox. \n"If I want to sit down and just have a normal conversation with my friends this is the place to go," junior Jordan Conover says.\nUncle Elizabeth's also offers specials on drinks Monday through Thursday, and although many who pass through its doors may come in search of a companion of the same sex, it doesn't mean that are not welcome.\nEach watering hole offers an alternative to the crowded, hectic atmosphere of popular campus bars. Though many may enjoy being chest to chest with hundreds of strangers and revel in the energy of a crowded club, these bars offer ways to get away once in a while. And they may have more to offer than expected.