Pop quiz: What is a monopoly?
Hardcore trivia purists are probably already familiar with The City Bar's notoriously oppressive trivia Monday nights. Its length is grueling and its questions teeter on absurdity. All the while, its underground locale (this place is literally a basement) renders all assistance from a smart phone negligible.
But over the summer The City stretched its reigns by adopting a more undergraduate-friendly trivia night on Tuesdays. The whole ordeal is designed to wrap up in about two hours, and the questions cater more to an audience that has spent time outside of almanacs and newspaper headlines for the past 20 years.
If you ask the minds behind the event, they'll tell you Monday trivia is like The New York Times and Tuesday's is like The Washington Post. Either way, The City's stronghold on trivia nights makes each of its local competitors look like a ""Jeopardy!"" teen tournament.
Honorable mention goes to Logan's monthly pop culture trivia. For anyone more concerned with Tony Danza and Stephen Malkmus than east-asian carp or Rod Blagojevich, the first Thursday of the month provides the one evening when all those hours watching ""Nick @ Nite"" actually pay off.
—Kyle Sparks
Alright drunk kids, it's time to talk about an underground State Street Bar that gets entirely too little State Street cred.
And I know a lot about street cred, I'm a writer.
The City Bar located across from Brats on State Street reminds me of my best friend's basement from my elementary school days for two reasons. First, it's a basement. Second, I drink there.
And also like my bff's basement, there just aren't enough other drunk kids at The City Bar. I understand why it gets overshadowed, but that doesn't mean I agree. It's not the flashiest, it's not the cheapest and to be honest it's not very clean. But as a former bouncer for this around par bar, I can honestly say there's just something indescribable about The City that keeps me coming back for more.
It might be their signature strawberry vodka or their explosive Skittle bombs, but I really think it's the atmosphere that sets it apart from the rest. With a capacity of less than 150 people and an extensive collection of leather couches, The City Bar offers an environment unfamiliar to the otherwise rowdy State Street establishments.
Nights at The City have a carefree vibe; bargoers dance on tables, chill on couches and pop a few bucks in the electronic jukebox. There's not as much pressure to look good at the bar or drink until you pass out.
I've been to my fair share of State Street bars. For the most part, they all feel like a high school party taking place in a tavern.
But The City is different. It's not about fulfilling your social commitment to going and having a long story for the rest of the week. It's about relaxing with friends while having something to drink, and it's the smoothest social transition for anyone whose best friend had a basement.
-Dan Tollefson
