College-adjacent barhopping: Occidental

(Credit: Felix Salzman/LAT)

Fun fact: Barack Obama spent his freshman and sophomore years at L.A.’s Occidental College. Obama then went on to Columbia, of course, but Oxy kids will tell you there’s a good chance he couldn’t handle the party-hearty liberal arts scene. In past years, students have spent their nights in Old Town Pasadena, but with recent revamps in Eagle Rock and Highland Park, there are now a number of bars to lubricate the weekend.

CT Lounge
This new sports bar on the block houses ginormous flat-screen TVs and a projector roping in sports-lovin’ neighborhoodies and students. You won’t find hard alcohol, but the lounge features more than 100 beers and a lengthy wine selection. A game and a brew not your thing? Come Tuesdays for the movie nights—past screenings have included “Kill Bill”—and try one of the soju cocktails.

The Chalet
No, you didn’t do one too many beer bongs and end up at a ski lodge in Mammoth. Welcome to this cabin-like cozy EaRo bar. With its fireplace and candlelit booths, the Chalet is the place to bring that cutie you’ve been eyeing in psych class or to catch up with your old roomie. Be sure to scope out the jukebox with indie tunes that really set the mood here.

The York
All the cool kids come to the York to mix with locals and in-the-know urbanites at this sleek gastropub in Highland Park. The glass-front bar is outfitted with exposed brick and brings a ready-to-hook-up crowd whose lips get slippery with sin-worthy cocktails such as the Plum Crush. You’ll want to be sure to bring a designated driver: Cops have been known to patrol the area as they look out for the neighborhood wiseguys.

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