When you think Jacksonville you don’t think of a college town, do you? So, going to the University of North Florida or Jacksonville University, you tend to think you’re sacrificing cheap restaurant deals and one of the seemingly most important things in College…College bars. While Jacksonville may not be a “college town” it certain does have a lot to offer being a medium sized city with a somewhat vibrant downtown area and hopping beach scene.

So what about when you hit 21 and are looking to grab some drinks with your fellow "of-age" friends, or maybe dance until you can barely stand? Jacksonville’s happening nightlife can more or less be divided into a couple key areas.

You have the beach bars, a group of bars all walking distance from each other that tend to offer great weekly drink specials--and you’ll always run into someone you know. Next we have the Riverside bars, a popular hangout for hipster folk as well as beer connoisseurs. These two would be the so-called main bar areas for the recently of age crowd to flock to. There are also a handful of hot spots in downtown.

Based off my one year and three months of weekly, sometimes biweekly bar trips, here is how to do a night out at the beaches.

Let’s start off with a little bit about Jacksonville Beach: Jax Beach is about 15 minutes from UNF and 30 from JU. For UNF students, "Thirsty Thursday" has almost become a sort of tradition. The bars have great specials Monday thru Thursday with the most popular night being Thursday. Since many 9-5 workers are over the age of say 23, Thursday is a popular night to run into fellow college aged bar goers. On the weekends the beaches are hopping but sometimes the lines can be out the door and packed with a bit of an older crowd.

If you’ve never been to the beaches, here is a guide to your night out on a typical Thursday.

Transportation – Do you like to drink? Do your friends like to drink? Take an Uber! Uber’s from the UNF area run between $10-$15 each way, split between three or four people, turns into a very cheap way to get out and about and a safe way. Plus you don’t have to worry about paying for Parking. If not then have a designated driver that you know and trust.

Attire - I have gone with a friend wearing board shorts before and was turned away at the door, so while it may be the “beach bars” make sure to wear shorts or jeans, so you don’t get turned away!

Arriving at the beach bars, here is the rundown for the best and worst places to grab a drink, in order of starting the night to ending the night.

1) Brix –

Under the same ownership as the Ritz and the Lemon Bar, which we will get to later. Brix has a calm atmosphere with a live DJ, a larger outdoor patio and great drink specials such as dollar wines and glasses of champagne. If you’re looking to drink on a budget, I’d suggest starting at Brix. Brix is less popular so chances are you’ll have the place almost to yourself if you arrive between 10 and 11 p.m.

2) The Ritz –

Or “Ritz” as many of us call it, is practically a historic landmark, since it was founded in 1945. Like Brix, Ritz also has nightly drink specials, on Thursday’s ladies can cool down with $2 Gatorades. I would go as far to say Ritz is the most popular bar in Jacksonville Beach, typically after 11 p.m. any given weekend night, you will have to wait at least a few minutes in line to get through the door. There is a side entrance for ladies to use, to avoid the line and most likely finish their first drink before any of their man friends get through the door. Ritz can get crowded so if you’re looking for a place to sit around with friends and talk quietly this is not the bar for you. UNF Greek life basically takes over the corner area towards the right side of the Ritz, so if you lose your friends they have stumbled over to mingle with some fellow Osprey’s. Overall, Ritz is a fun time but can go from 50 people to over 100 really fast. The ideal time for Ritz is between 11 pm and 12:30 am.

If you’re feeling hungry on your way to the next bar, look no further. Ritz’s hotdog stand, if you’re lucky,will be set up under the neon glow of “The Ritz" sign .

3) The Shim Sham Room –

Shim Sham is a block away from Ritz and is only a couple of years old. Now what is the draw about Shim Sham? Shim Sham doesn’t typically have as many specials but has the draw of a friendly staff and excellent food on a non-bar night. If you’re looking for a chill night out from 4 to 7 p.m., Shim Sham has $2 tacos among many other cheap and delicious food options. Now back to the highlights of Shim Sham: for dancing check out their upstairs dance floor if it’s open and dance the night away with bars upstairs and downstairs. The big draw for Shim Sham and a must for any first time Jacksonville Beach bar goer is the giant stuffed bear. Yes, Shim Sham has a giant bear perfect for any photo opportunity with your squad. Depending on what holiday is coming up, the Shim Sham bear may even be dressed in appropriate holiday attire. I would say to come to Shim Sham between 12 and 1 a.m.

4) The Tavern on 1st –

As a whole, I would not recommend this bar. The Tavern is directly across the street from Shim Sham and tends to be a bit of an older crowd of people in their late twenties through there thirties. I’ve had friends who have had a fun time at Tavern and even won a cooler at a contest there, but if it’s your first time out you may want to save it for another night.

5) The Pier Cantina & Sandbar -

I wouldn’t call it a sandbar as it is not directly on the beach but it is the closest beach bar to the beach. The Pier is the only bar in Jax Beach that does a $10 minimum on cards, not sure why but do not go if you aren’t carrying cash on you or plan to drop $10 there. The Pier usually has decent live music but as a whole it gets tiring fast. If you do want to make an appearance, come around 12:30 to 1 a.m. to make the most out of your night.

6) Lynch’s Irish Pub-

Last but not least and probably my favorite bar at the beaches. Lynch’s is an authentic Irish Pub, I was recently in Ireland and every bar reminded me on Lynch’s and made me realize how authentic this bar is. Typically everyone you ran into at Ritz an hour or two ago you will now run into ending their night at Lynch’s around 1 a.m. Lynch’s always has a live band and if you’re lucky you may even snag a dance with Lynch’s regular Janis who is deemed “ Mama Lynch” by the masses. If you’re a beer enthusiast such as myself, Lynch’s always has a $2 beer of the night on draft and is usually pretty tasty such as Yuengling or Killian’s. I would suggest arriving here between 1 or 1:30 a.m. to ensure you make it inside since last call is around 1:45 a.m.

The night is now drawing to a close as the bars close down at 2 a.m. If you do not want the fluorescent lighting to blind you as Lynch’s attempts to guide the crowd out around 2 a.m., I would suggest calling your Uber now. Uber’s prices tend to spark in high demand at the beaches or when all the bars in Jacksonville close at 2 a.m., to avoid surges either request yours at 1:45 or take a walk to Pita Pit and grab a bite to eat while the crowds die down and head home around 2:30 or 3 a.m.

So you survived a night out the beach bars, hope you’re down for round two in a few days!