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Thursday, October 23, 2008

Pangaea: Si or no?

Austin, let's talk about it. What do you think of Pangaea?


Is impressive from the outside, non?

So impressive that DJ AM will be playing there next month for Pangaea's first birthday.


Hmm.....for some reason, I have my suspicions about Pangaea. Is very chichi (and sorry, but DJ AM just doesn't do it for me).

But! Before I go any further, I must admit I've never actually been to Pangaea. I've heard it's fun for dancing, and in fact, here is what Michael Barnes has to say about the place:

Let me dispense with three misconceptions:

  1. Because it is cordoned off by a velvet rope, Pangaea is exclusive. (Frankly, I’ve never seen anyone turned away. It’s an illusion.)
  1. You must spend several hundred dollars on bottle service. (No, you can purchase a reasonably priced drink at one of two bars.)
  1. Upscale spots like this decrease Austin’s weird factor. (This is my main point: Austinites are the customers. So it’s very, very Austin. Slightly more dressed up than usual, but variety is not an anti-Austin condition.)
And see, that all puts me squarely back at "hmmmm." I envision all the patrons of Pangaea shopping at The Domain, but perhaps that isn't fair. Maybe I'm just being a cranky ass.

Have you all been to Pangaea? And if so what did you think?

3 comments:

Lyssa said...

I've only been to Pangaea for the numerous events they host where the drinks are free ... then I'm for it. I do agree with Michael that it's not as pretentious as people think it is.

That said, drinks are definitely pricier and people definitely dress nicer to go there. But if that's what you're looking for in an evening, who is to judge? It's great to have options in Austin!

Anonymous said...

My gut reaction is: Blech. But then, I shop at The Domain. I also shop on South Congress. I am getting a bit tired of the "That's not Austin!" argument. There are plenty of people like me who straddle the line between "hip" and "yuppie," two labels that I kind of hate anyway. And, as Lyssa says, it's great to have options. Pangaea is a business like any other. If there are people willing to patronize it, great. If it's not your scene, then don't go there.

Austin Eavesdropper said...

Excellent points, ladies. The Austin dichotomy between hip and yuppie is probably a fake one like you said, Bre...I think people begin to get prickly when they suspect Austin is trying to mimic L.A. (a la ultra-lounges and DJ AM), but other "weird" cities like San Fran and Seattle also have velvet ropes and glitter eyeshadow aficionados, so there you go!

Anyway - like you BOTH said, it is indeed good to have options.