Everyone's always talking about North Hollywood's art and theater scenes, but NoHo deserves some serious points for its bars too. Though they're not trendy like the Valley bars on Ventura Blvd., they're hipper (most of them, anyway) and attract young, laid-back neighborhood regulars, many of whom become BFFs over pints.
NoHo nightlife guide
NoHo bars aren't trendy like the Valley bars on Ventura, but they're hipper—most of them, anyway
By Alexandra Le Tellier
MetromixJuly 16, 2008
NoBar
10622 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood818-753-0545
This dimly lit NoHo nook offers stiff, moderately priced drinks and a jukebox with serious indie cred. Boasting a pool table, NoBar is one of of those divey gems that has just enough liveliness and no swollen egos.
Skinny's
4923 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood818-763-6581
The Valley nightlife scene has exploded with chic cocktail lounges, and Skinny's is no exception. It's styled like a ’50s lounge, with stone walls and a killer jukebox. And the scene has the perfect balance of hip and casual, which is exactly what we've come to expect from owner Jeremy Thomas, who also owns the Room in Hollywood.
Bar One
12518 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood818-509-1938
Tucked away in a kosher neighborhood lives North Hollywood’s best-kept secret, Bar One. The bar places just as much emphasis on entertainment as it does on imported beers and classy wines. Bar One also features weekly events like “Hitsville L.A.,” when music ranges from indie rock to Britpop, and underground hip-hop nights with performances by the links of Soul Children. The narrow venue is equipped with a long bar, flat screen TVs and a smoking patio.
Match
4657 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood818-766-0116
A sexy bar is the last thing you'd expect to find on this industrial stretch of Lankershim Blvd. best known for its auto dealerships—and that's just how owner Jeffrey Best likes it. Like his other Valley spot, Firefly, Match is hidden and has no sign, but inside it's like an oasis with banana plants, high ceilings, velvet couches and a long dark wood bar. It's the perfect place to surprise a date; come to think of it, it's not a bad place to find someone you'd like to date.
The Good Nite
10721 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood818-286-3929
Tattooed Dita Von Teese look-alikes and their pompadour-coiffed boyfriends fill this place along with other North Hollywood rockers looking for a good time. After your seventh shot, you’ll feel flexible and sexy enough for a little dancing on their all-too-stripper-like brass pole. For the non-pole-dancing folk, the bar has drink specials throughout the week, as well as themed nights, '80s dance parties and “Rock Band” challenges.
Tonga Hut
12808 Victory Blvd., North Hollywood818-769-0708
A giant tiki idol welcomes barhoppers to this tiny island oasis in the Valley, where the drinks come with umbrellas and the jukebox comes with classic rock.
Club Cobra
10937 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood818-760-9798
This gay Latin dance club serves up three bars, a bumpin' sound system and live shows, but what really turns this North Hollywood venue into a fiesta are the go-go dancers. We especially love it when they come out in tight white briefs and nothing else.
Blue Moon Nights
4712 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood818-761-1433
If "sexy" and "erotic" are the adjectives you like to describe your nightlife, then you'll appreciate Blue Moon, which lures in busty girls, big ballers and the occasional old man.
Ha Ha Cafe
5010 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood818-508-4995
Ha Ha Cafe may feel like a basement, but the restaurant-turned-comedy club sounds like the Laugh Factory.
Heist [CLOSED FOR RENOVATION DUE TO FIRE]
5303 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood818-760-1648
The nightclub section of the Bank Heist—a restaurant/bar/lounge/music venue located in the converted Security Pacific Bank building—gets the lion’s share of the old bank’s space. To compete with the 21 active theaters in a 1-mile radius of the club, Heist hosts live music nights, comedy events and—why not?—Bomb Cherry Dolls, a weekly cabaret show.
Alexandra Le Tellier is Bars & Clubs editor for Metromix Los Angeles.
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