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The U-District doesn't offer much of interest unless you're taking your new fake ID out for a spin. With the exception of jazz club Lucid and the District Lounge in the Hotel Deca, most U-District haunts fall firmly in the pub category and are filled with students on weekends. If you don't want to drink, you'll have better luck: the neighborhood has a comedy club, a few theater troupes, and several good movie theaters, including beloved art house Grand Illusion Cinema .
It's all about the view at this rooftop bar of the Graduate Hotel: in a neighborhood with few tall buildings, it feels on top of the world. Inside, windows that stretch to the ceiling surround the exploration-themed decor, while the patio space extends the view to the sky. Most of the craft cocktails have clever local themes, but the bartenders are happy to mix conventional classics as well.
This dimly lit place, with classic eon signage out front, serves tasty frozen cocktails, pizza by the slice, and some more elaborate full pies dreamed up by the founder, a former fine-dining chef. The atmosphere feels like an ironic take on the classic New York pizza joint, with better cocktails and a cleaner setting than the classic college pub.
