For a young and trendy neighbourhood like Liberty Village, surprisingly there aren’t many places to go dancing. While Liberty Village has a long history of being one of the city’s best spot for underground clubbing (anybody remember Industry Dance Club??), those days seem to mostly be behind us.
With that being said, Liberty Village does have a couple of spots in the immediate area for people who want to move their bodies. And, for those who don’t mind the walk or catching a cab up north to Queen or down King, there’s plenty of dance clubs, DJs, and more to explore.
Locus 144
Probably the closest thing to a club in Liberty Village is Locus 144 which sadly really isn’t much of a club at all. Let’s be clear, Locus 144 is a lounge. That said, there are lively DJs from time to time. Locus 144 is at unit 144 on 171 East Liberty Street. Inside, you’ll find a classy, sexy atmosphere somewhat unique to Liberty Village. Locus 144 is very King West resto-bar style with high ceilings and classic Liberty Village-esque open space. They bring in a lot of local music artists. Locus 144 is easily the only place in the neighborhood that comes close to being a DJ-style dance club.
Forty2 Supper Club
The venue is small but the music is good. Located at 42 Mowat Ave, Forty2 Supperclub can get pretty packed but it plays a great mix of hip hop, R & B and Old School. If you are looking for a good mix of people, some bottle service and some great tracks this might be worth a try.
The Drake Underground
The Drake Hotel at 1150 Queen Street is a bit of a walk-up from Liberty Village but for those that don’t mind the travel, they occasionally have some pretty decent DJs, bands, and dance nights. Check beforehand though as the events at the Drake Hotel are relatively eclectic, meaning you never know what night will be a DJ-based dance night or an art night, indie rock night, etc. The Drake is a great place to come to meet others, is a fun venue overall with some great eats and delicious drinks, and some might say it’s a hub of Queen West culture.
Early Mercy
If one were to travel down King West, Early Mercy is a trendy cocktail bar with offbeat décor and light eats. On dance nights, it’s also really bouncing. Despite being located at 540 King West, to us in Liberty, Early Mercy is still worth talking about because it does receive a good amount of attention from neighborhood party-goers. It’s a fun place to come dancing with some excellent vibes, delicious cocktails, and more to look forward to. They also have a nice street-side patio which allows one to sort of take in different vibes if they’re not particularly in a party-all-night-dance-all-night kind of mood.
Oh Liberty Village, Why Don’t you Wanna Dance?
Admittedly, this is a short list and rightfully so. That’s nothing to be ashamed about though. Liberty Village has some great bars, pubs, and restaurants – LOCAL, 3 Brewers, the Liberty Commons, Brazen Head, Williams Landing and The Craft Brasserie & Grille all come to mind. For whatever reason, we’re just not a neighbourhood bred for dancing anymore. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of DJs, dance music, and nightclubs just a little ways down King or north on Queen. If you’re willing to cab it, have a car, or have a TTC pass to whip out, it’s worth taking a trip down any Friday or Saturday.
