<p>What's the overall feeling on campus regarding the new 21+ bar law? Do you guys think the school's party/social scene has suffered because of it? Or are things pretty much the same as they used to be before the crackdown on drinking?</p>
<p>Hey IHR,</p>
<p>I’m currently a freshmen ending my first year here. I don’t have a first hand experience of what it was like before the 21 ordinance, but a lot of the upperclassmen say the downtown scene has died down a lot. Thats not to say that students don’t go.</p>
<p>As for the party scene suffering, eh. It’s just moved towards house/apartment parties. There are like 3 bars that students underage still crowd to before 10, they bump. Then after it moves towards the apartments if you still want to rage. Networking is key for that.</p>
<p>Hope that helps!</p>
<p>IHR, I’m not a student, but a couple articles in the campus newspaper deal with the question you pose:
[21</a> ordinance prompts earlier drinking downtown - The Daily Iowan](<a href=“http://www.dailyiowan.com/2011/05/09/Metro/23419.html]21”>http://www.dailyiowan.com/2011/05/09/Metro/23419.html)
[One</a> year later with 21-only, police find calmer downtown - The Daily Iowan](<a href=“http://www.dailyiowan.com/2011/05/09/Metro/23418.html]One”>http://www.dailyiowan.com/2011/05/09/Metro/23418.html)</p>
<p>Hey Beastman–so…in theory the Airliner has an exemption, thus it’s business-as-usual there, meaning a fake ID gets an 18-year-old in the door, and a fake ID showing a 19 or 20 year old as 21 can buy right from the bar. Wonder if they use those wristbands? And you would think that the IC police are watching those exempt places like a hawk. After all, they gotta make up that lost PAULA money somewhere…</p>
<p>Whatever, I guess kids find a way. Bar, restaurant, house party, sit outside Dirty John’s and have someone buy a 12-pack for you.</p>
<p>
Airliner is more than just a bar, they actually serve decent food.</p>
<p>
In particular what I enjoy is a bustling downtown ( reason why I have preference towards large cities) and with the 21 ordinance there is definately a decrease in population downtown and several bars have closed. Though I would say around late March downtown has become more popular and the city is still making efforts to attract anything downtown but a bar.
Overall most on campus would say no to the new 21+ law, and the social scene on campus has mainly become limited towards entertainment being downtown unless your there for a concert.</p>
<p>I know the Airliner is more than a bar, I’ve been going there since 1975. I think it opened in 1947 or around then. Yes, it serves food & it’s pretty good but make no mistake, folks come there to party. Wonder how they got the exemption–must’ve been some type of grandfathered thing.</p>
<p>Exemptions are given to bar/restaurants with >50% of revenue coming from food sales. The Airliner, Mickeys (I think), and some others were given exemptions because of this.</p>
<p>Nothing to do with grandfathering.</p>
<p>And the exemptions are controversial, of course:</p>
<p>[Alcohol</a> partnership eyes bars with 21 exemptions - The Daily Iowan](<a href=“http://www.dailyiowan.com/2011/05/12/Metro/23503.html]Alcohol”>http://www.dailyiowan.com/2011/05/12/Metro/23503.html)</p>
<p>Been talking to some students about the whole 21 and over thing… sounds like their not too happy. Looks like UI might be past its glory days…</p>
<p>Depends on what you consider ‘glory days’, ihatereading…</p>
<p>IMO the glory days were over when downtown became overpopulated with bars not long after it was pedestrianized. Come on, the way to make money at that point (early '90’s?) was to open some bar/club just like six others in a two-block radius. And there was no doubt a nod-nod-wink-wink with the Iowa City police & campus security to allow 19-year-olds into the bars, of course to drink nothing stronger than a Mr. Pibb.</p>
<p>Because of this, some of the longtime quaint shops/stores present in the '60’s/'70’s/'80s were squeezed out, and there you were. My take is that in time the IC police saw that 1) not enough revenue was being taken in solely from walking/staggering intoxications, and started infiltrating the bars in plainclothes to make arrests inside, and 2) this underage thing in the bars was becoming a real nuisance & more importantly a huge liability issue. </p>
<p>So…despite the tax dollars these establishments were bringing in, to their credit the Iowa City governors decided they had created a monster & slayed it. Personally, I think this is a good thing moving forward, although I understand the negative by-products like increased house parties, alcohol in dorms, etc., but it’s nothing that wouldn’t have been there anyway. Bottom line is that kids find a way. And recently I’ve seen a couple new shops opening up in place of closed bars. Let’s hope that continues & returns downtown Iowa City to the charming, dynamic area it was in the past.</p>