downtownjosh

Trashy bar

I avoid this bar at all costs. The crowd is young but generally unattractive (people don't seem to put much thought into getting ready to go here). It is pretty mixed gay and lesbian on most nights. Drinks are not particularly good or strong and the entertainment is drag-centric and not very interesting. The music tends to be more R&B/rap when it is dance time. I love R&B, but the beat always gets too hard for me to enjoy here. If you are 18-20 then this would be an acceptable place to hang given your choices, but I really can't see why anyone would hang here on purpose once they are legal to be elsewhere.

Twink bar good for dancing

The Wave is Norfolk's only real dance club and is 18 and up. The crowd is young and fairly friendly. Saturday nights are the busiest night by far. The front bar plays some terrible house/techno music (I guess it's good if you like that sort of thing) and the back small bar plays a great dance/top 40 mix. There is an outdoor smoking patio as well as a pool room. It's not great, but it's a fun place to spend an evening. Do not attempt to go on a Friday night because it is inexplicably dead. Thursdays are also fun for 80s night. They rotate DJs and one of them doesn't understand what 80s music is, unfortunately. One turn off is that the crowd is very young and mixed on Thursdays, including lots of insecure boyfriends with their girls who get freaked if you smile of say hi. If you don't like being around younger crowds, then go to the Cactus in Virginia Beach because you'll hate the Wave.