Inexpensive drinks promos and entry, good music, central location, friendly staff, seating provided
Disadvantages:
Decor isn't as 'plush' as some other clubs, if you're bothered about that sort of thing !
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
42nd Street, or '42s' as it is often called by regulars, is an indie nightclub located in on Bootle Street in Manchester city centre, only a few minutes' walk away from the city's Deansgate train station.
The club is open Monday to Saturday, with a different theme each night:
MONDAY - 'Relax' - '80s TUESDAY - 'The Best Indie Night Ever...' - the name says it all! WEDNESDAY - 'Retro' - '60s and '70s THURSDAY - 'From Manchester With Love' - Manchester bands, new wave, rock'n'roll, indie FRIDAY - 'Glamorous Indie Rock'N'Roll' - chosen from clubbers' requests SATURDAY - 'Urban Legends' - indie, '60s, pop, funk
The price of drinks is fairly standard for a club of this kind. The range is pretty much limited to alcopops, spirits and mixers in plastic cups, or beers and ciders in bottles - pints are not served here! Each night has a different drinks promotion, which is usually a choice between one flavour of alcopop, vodka and mixer, or one brand of beer, for £1 each - very easy on the wallet.
Combine this with the entry price offers and you're in for a fun, cheap night out! Depending on the time you arrive, whether or not you have a student card and the day of the week, admission prices range from £3 to £6. However, students who arrive before 10:30pm will get in free. But don't despair if you're not a student! 42nd Street's website have a different flyer for each club night - print off one of these and you'll also get in free before 10:30pm. I've done this in the past and it does work! Be warned though - on busier nights (Friday and Saturday) you may find yourself queuing to get in as everyone else will have the same idea as you and will be trying to get in for free, so if you're determined to have your night out on the cheap, turn up just before doors open! As this is Manchester you may want to have a hooded coat or umbrella with you just in case it rains, which it almost inevitably will if you have to queue for more than a minute or two, lovely.
The club's website can be found at www.42ndstreetnightclub.co.uk - visit this for up to date info on prices, entry times and each night's theme. The website also has a mailing list - signing up to this gives you the chance to obtain 'queue jump' passes and free entry as well as alerting you to the latest goings on.
The door staff at 42nd Street are usually quite strict about ID, which, as a legal drinker myself, I'm perfectly happy about - but they're also friendly with it, which makes a nice change. Unless you're underage trying it on with them, in which case you deserve it really don't you?! Even if you're well above the legal age I would advise you to take ID anyway as you can never be too careful - I personally get IDed there as a 23 year old and have known people up to the age of 26 to get asked for ID as well! If you're queuing to get in they will usually check your ID before you go in to save time.
Once you're safely inside, you can check your aforementioned coat and umbrella into the cloakroom for £1 a throw. If you're the sort of person who likes to make a quick getaway at the end of the night, a word of advice - go collect your belongings from the cloakroom before the last song ends or you may find yourself queuing for another 20 minutes, seriously frustrating when all you want to do is go get your chips'n'mayo and hit the sack!
The dress code is fairly relaxed - go as casual as you like (no tracksuit bottoms or football strips though, but I'd like to hope you'd make more effort than that anyway!) or get on your best party gear and go mad with the glitter, the choice is yours and whatever you decide you won't feel out of place. The general fashion theme, unsurprisingly enough, is indie-flavoured in keeping with the music - lads in their shirts, cardies or zip-up Adidas tops, girls in their skinny jeans or leggings with tunic tops.
The club is decently sized, all on one floor, with two bars located either side of the dance floor. Toilets are fairly average - not spotless but what nightclub has spotless toilets?! There is a fair amount of seating provided which is handy when you've had one too many (drinks or dances, take your pick!) and fancy a breather. Decor isn't the fanciest, compared to the city's more spacious 5th Avenue for example, but when you're at an indie club do you really expect much else, or particularly care? Put it this way, I've definitely seen my fair share of far dirtier dives. The important thing is, 42s has a great atmosphere and definitely has its own particular 'feel'. Some clubs can feel a little intimidating or uneasy at times, or you can sometimes feel a little self-conscious in certain places, but I've never experienced that here. Each time I've been I've had a really enjoyable night out - the music is good, no one looks at you funny because you're dancing and enjoying yourself, the crowd and staff are friendly and unpretentious, and most importantly I can get through the whole night on less than a tenner thanks to the club's fantastic offers!
More details
Cleanliness
Good
Family Friendly
Average
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