During my high school years, while my friends were getting drunk in bushes and grinding with hockey himbos to Morgan Wallen, I was planning my escape from Northern Ontario.

I couldn’t wait to flee to the city where I could drink, dance and socialize with other queer people in a safe space—a space that preferably didn't involve stepping over poison ivy and wearing Hunter boots.

In preparation, I followed Toronto DJs such as Babygirl, Sophie Jones and the legendary Chippy Nonstop on Instagram. I screenshotted as many of their events as possible, so when the time came I would be fully prepared to shed my introverted skin and live my party monster life.

You can imagine my disappointment after driving up the Gardiner Expressway to find that Toronto's nightlife scene at the time was comparable to a deserted town in the Wild West—tumbleweeds and all rolling in the distance. 

It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact reason behind Toronto's lackluster nightlife scene. Toronto is often coined as the "New York of the North," yet it lacks the vivid nightlife culture that many other big cities possess.

When I first started going out in Toronto circa 2021, I was taken aback by the 'Drake-ification' of the clubbing scene.

I would ask people for recommendations and they would bring up ToyBox or 44, but these venues seemed much smaller than the ones I had imagined based on Kesha music videos from the early 2010s. 

For students studying in a large metropolitan area, there is less of a house-party atmosphere than what you would find on close-knit campuses like Western or Queens.

At the same time, there are scarcely bars and clubs geared towards young people to fill this gap, and therein lies the problem. Unless you want to spend a night basking in the chlorine-radiated atmosphere of Bangarang, or have a handsy U of T student ask you "what’s your major?" at The Madison, there aren't many reliable locales for students to frequent. 

My friends and I have spent our fair share of time partying in The Village. While many of the most popular venues on Church Street such as Crews & Tangos and Woody's have dance floors, these locations often function as bars, clubs and performance venues all at once.

These spots are incredibly important and serve as historic, celebrated spaces in Toronto's queer community. However, they don't necessarily foster the same environment as large, bygone venues such as the now-defunct Stages, the world-famous club located on Yonge Street in the 1980s. 

Glamorous, larger-than-life nightclubs like Stages are few and far between these days, even in nightlife hot spots such as Montreal and NYC. How can this gap in the club market be circumvented? Here is my best advice for partying in Toronto.

Look for events rather than venues

Many people are already familiar with collectives such as Pep Rally or Lotion Magazine, which aim to provide safe spaces for queer and BIPOC party-goers. With large event spaces, world-renowned DJs and creative themes, these events are well worth the ticket price.

Warehouse raves take place on more of a monthly basis, but using apps such as ResidentAdvisor can help scout out exciting events for last-minute weekend plans. 

Save your money, buy early-bird

Raves are fun, but they can be costly. Check the organizer's social media accounts or EventBrite for information on early bird ticket sales. I also highly recommend Money is Tight, an up-and-coming collective with great DJs where tickets are always 10 dollars.

There are also often discounted tickets for BIPOC and queer people who are facing financial challenges.

It's okay to judge a book by its cover when it comes to DJs

You can likely surmise how a DJ's set will sound by scrolling through their Instagram. If they look like someone you would want to be friends with, give it a try! It's usually safe to assume if they're a straight, white guy in a pair of Raybans and a plain white T-shirt, they will likely just play unce-unce EDM.

Also, do your research. If you attend an event with great music, find out who was behind the booth and keep track of the other events they've been working with. 

Find out the old fashioned way

Word of mouth is always a reliable option. Student-run events are also growing in popularity, such as Chroma Creative Collective's Club Chroma, a brand new event tailored to young creatives in the city with tickets going for $25.

Always keep an ear out on campus for weekend plans! You might strike gold. Or you might end up standing in line for hours, magically losing the cash you were going to use for your ticket at the door that was safely tucked inside your sock, or waiting for the streetcar in Ossington at 2 a.m. with one shoe on. I've had my fair share of experience with both.

This article is from Youthquaker Magazine, a print arts & culture publication pushing youth-driven journalism on untapped multidisciplinary subject matter.