Make Gainesville 21+ Again
Last semester, I was enjoying a Saturday night out with my friends on the MacDinton's rooftop, vodka cranberries in hand. A group of boys walked over to warn us there were cops around and we should drop our drinks.
While the sentiment was nice, we smiled, told them we were 21, and continued sipping.
“You guys are so old,” one of them blurted.
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My freshman year, the upperclassmen I met made it clear which bars were designated underclassman bars.
Range, White Buffalo, Grog and JJ’s — infamous for its rum buckets — were practically freshman-only, where you can expect sticky floors, throw up in the bathrooms and at least one person passed out in the corner.
Courtesy of Shaine Davison: A night out in JJs in 2023
Cantina Anejo and MacDinton’s (formerly Social) skewed older, with some of my friends warning me about fake IDs getting taken or police presence cutting their night short.
Because of this, my friends and I often defaulted to fraternity parties with no cover, free booze and facey characters.
But fraternity parties get old, much like I did.
As I’ve navigated the nightlife scene in Gainesville over the past three years, and turned 21 early into my junior year, I’ve found myself wanting a space where one is looking over their shoulders for cops and where the night feels a little more intentional.
One of the last true 21-plus bars that still stands in Gainesville is Salty Dog Saloon. Like most students do the night of their 21st birthday, I got my first legal drink at Dog. I was eager to experience a true bar – not just one overcrowded with blacked-out underclassmen.
And it was perfect: chill, relaxed and inexpensive. And, it felt like a rite of passage. What’s the point of turning 21 if nothing changes?
Courtesy of Shaine Davison: My first legal drink in Salty Dog Saloon
But as the semester went on, that feeling didn’t last everywhere. I started noticing large groups of girls migrating from Jennings or Broward into bars that used to feel more upperclassman-heavy. The distinction between underclassman spaces and 21-plus spaces began to blur.
There’s nothing wrong with freshman bars. They serve their purpose, and they have definitely served me (figuratively and literally). But as students grow up, there should be spaces that grow with them. Turning 21 should feel like an upgrade, not just a technicality.
Gainesville doesn’t need fewer bars, it just needs more distinct ones.
Strike out,
Shaine Davison
Editor: Hailey Indigo
Shaine Davison is a copy editor and writer for Strike Magazine GNV. You can find her doing work at almost any coffee shop near UF, spending way too much money on caffeine. You can reach out to her on Instagram @shainedavison, or by email at s.davison@ufl.edu.
