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AIR Lounge and Bar
Categories: Nightlife Dance Clubs Nightlife Bars Lounges Dance Clubs, Lounges [Edit]
492 9th St(between Broadway & Washington St)
Oakland, CA 94607
Neighborhood: Old Oakland
(510) 444-2377
- Hours:
Wed-Fri 5 pm - 2 am
Sat 9 pm - 2 am
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Music:
- DJ
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Wed, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Ages Allowed:
- 21+
- Ambience:
- Trendy, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
202 reviews for AIR Lounge and Bar
Review Highlights
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"The cinco de mayo yelp event provided plenty of food and..." In 5 reviews -
"Grown and Sexy, Is what I like." In 9 reviews -
"Hands down they have the best bartenders in the Bay." In 37 reviews
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202 reviews in English
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Review from Caroline B.
Walnut Creek, CA
12/27/2011
everytime i come here i enjoy myself.. can be either a chill spot or dance spot although the dance floor can get crowded.. the drinks are usually strong except my mai tai was not so i tried the tokyo tea and it was very strong.. i have had strong mai tais elsewhere so guess depends on the bartender and their specialties...? anyway my first experience was last summer and latest was saturday before last.. brought my niece and company here after not getting in at club neo so her 21st bday was still a blast.. just was not at the place she originally wanted to party at.. plenty of space to sit inside and outside.. nice cozy corners.. every long island ice tea i had from here damn near put me on my back lol.. good times indeed..
thanks air lounge for saving our night lol.. -
Review from Yamona S.
Pacific Grove, CA
1/23/2012
One star for the music and the cool bartenders.
The music was good and I shook my little tail off.
Zero stars for filthy bathroom as the night progressed and the watered down drinks - seriously, it was all just fruit juice in my cocktail. -
Review from Brandon H.
Bay Area
11/25/2011
Just like what Jessica said this place is hidden, sleek, mellow.
Surprisingly I liked this place.
HipHop music, majority black crowd, loungy, cool blue lit ceiling.
Security wasn't too strict.
Chil environment yee. -
Review from Teena Marie T.
San Francisco, CA
3/12/2012
First time to this spot on a Saturday night, with a so so experience. After circling around the neighborhood for parking. (only metered street parking&1paid lot) Arrived to the spot at 10pm & waited in line for about 40mins to walk inside to an empty club. Cover was $10 really? Medium size/square-ish shaped lounge. 2-bars & 1 small main dance floor. Pretty crowded... Somewhat of a wait for drinks... Hard to move around/ and even dance. Maybe an ok spot if u live locally.
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Review from Sophia A.
Pleasant Hill, CA
3/15/2012
I can only vouch for poetry night! I love it!!! So many talented people in the bay area get to showcase their skills. Its all about being about to hear someone's emotions/thoughts/talent and letting them express it in their unique way. After all the poems are read it turns into a nice lounge with the best r&b, reggae, top 40 music.
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Review from MyShawn C.
Sacramento, CA
4/2/2012
ONLY FROM THE CLUB ASPECT. I went on a Thursday a few weeks back and I can't wait to return. I had one of the best times ever and that says a lot because I go out an average of at least 4-5 times a week. Even though I live in Sac I frequent the bay at least twice a week if not more. Reggae music was good and the crowd was full and fun. I will have to try a Fri or Sat but Thursdays for reggae is the business.
-
Review from Jessica R.
Oakland, CA
11/8/2011
If a man wanted to seduce me, he just take me here and I'd be set.
That is, if he could get me off the dance floor.
This place is sexy as hell, but unfortunate for me I don't have a man so I just swayed by myself. -
Review from DeQuan S.
Oakland, CA
2/19/2012
Decent underground spot. Used to come to this spot BEFORE it was used as a poetry slam lounge. Its cool I guess for something to do. Poetry events there are ok. Wouldn't see me there EVERY Wed though. May dip in every blue moon if im bored. Cool location. Oakland small so dont be surprised if you run into folks you know, old "work" or whatever, lol!
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Review from Chives S.
Antioch, CA
3/12/2012
This place was just ok or a Lil above average. Nice older & mature crowd tho. Very hot & small inside. Good drinks & nice bartender.
-
Review from Nichele R.
Union City, CA
10/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
For the most part I love this place but only on Thursday nights because of reggae. I wouldn't come here any other time except for Thursdays unless someone drags me here.
The drinks can either be watered down or perfect. It all depends on the bartender you get. The music is great but sometimes they get a little lazy and you'll hear the same songs towards the end of the night if they don't start playing "regular" music (which is a bummer). The crowd is fun but if you're not experienced it can definitely be over-whelming.. especially for the ladies since the guys are hounding you you for a dance (only sometimes though).
I like this place and one of the bodyguards makes for good eye candy! -
Review from Hally J.
San Jose, CA
8/1/2011 1 photo
i think Air sucks. Not "air", the dumb club I'm talking about. The space was beautiful, but would it kill the waiter to smile a time or 2?
The music is pretty okay, but I think that's cool. I gave them a suckish rating because they sucked. They sucked -
Review from Daniel P.
Oakland, CA
8/19/2011
Sometimes I love you, sometimes I hate you.
Things I love
-still the best venue in the east bay for a chill night out because of...
-the exposed brick, the seating lounges, the lighting, the outdoor patio, being underground, the double sided bar
-the longest going Wednesday party in the East Bay. You can always find attractive folks here enjoying the poetry in the evening and ready to party on the late night
-Reggae Thursday parties usually have no cover with people having a great time
-The gal who sells her Caribbean Curry or Jerk Chicken on Thursday nights. Wow, so good! I'll be coming back here just to eat!
-Attractive and on-point bartenders (don't think they have any male bartenders)
Things I hate
-Girl to guy ratio is often horrible (usually 1 girl for every 3 guys). I think girls should get in free and charge $20 for guys
-Even on super crowded nights at the bar they allow people to play chess at the bar. I love the game of chess, but playing chess with loud music in the background and people yelling out for drinks is not the business. I could understand if it's not that crowded and/or during happy hour, but during the late night parties that get super crowded? If folks want to play chess, put the game board outside on the patio.
Extra points for being a spot I can go to in Oakland mid-week. -
Review from LakeshoreGlitterati S.
Oakland, CA
1/14/2012 12 Check-ins Here
Air Lounge, how I both love and hate thee...I am chummy with your staff (including your owners) and I love that during the week I can get a cool little party vibe going. I do NOT like your semi-rude bartenders, the bottom-feeders that frequent your hallowed halls and the fact that your small dance floor is always over-packed, musty and the floors filled with broken glass that never quite seems to get picked up. All in all, you and me are still cool, see you soon.
-
Review from vince j.
Oakland, CA
1/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is jumping almost every night of the week! Tuesday and Wednesday are the best nights but dancehall Thursdays have the best reggae in the bay area. The cover is always cheap or free and the decor is upscale. Turnt up Tuesday moved to arsimonas so I'm sure Tuesdays at air lounge are dead for now
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Review from Mel M.
Oakland, CA
2/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
Ive only been here for Mouth Off Wednedays. My favorite Spot for Poetry. Cant speak on other nights.
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Review from Secret A.
San Lorenzo, CA
4/4/2012
I love the spoken word but when the answering machine & web site says it starts at 5pm on Wednesday nights for happy hour b4 spoken word, hey should do so. They are feeding in low water due to the fact that this is false advertisement! I suggest they update their script and come as they are. No one likes a liar....smh come on now air lounge
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Review from Hollywoodif S.
Vallejo, CA
3/13/2012
i give air lounge five stars!!!!!
i highly recommend coming on every wed. night between 730pm-about 11pm if u love open/mic/its poetry nite/club scene!!!
after 11pm-2am its the club scene. every wed. nite during poetry nite they play all the old skool 80z music like chaka khan/earth wind and fire/etc.
after 11pm they play all the great music that kmel plays/reggae as well. theres no drama/positive vibe!
its a real nice setting in lounge/as for drinks my fav. drink there is kool aid for those of you who have had that there its the number one drink recommended to buy and it taste jus like cherry koolaid lol. ; ) -
Review from Marina R.
San Lorenzo, CA
12/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Sooooo bottom line bottle service sucks period.!!! don't waste you money just pre game instead. First off, when we got there our table was not reserved, they were some big ghetto mamas sitting at our table and got upset bc we had to make them get up. Anywho... Next, which was what kinda ruined our experience was that they didn't have waiter service!! needless to say we kept asking for mixers, ice, and cups etc...Just all bad...On a brighter note our bartender was nice and the music was awesome!! Ill probably be back, but bottle service, never again.
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Review from Sarah S.
Oakland, CA
5/1/2011
I feel like I should've liked this place, but I kind of didn't. The space itself was beautiful inside and out, the music was good, and the bartender who served me was quick and friendly (slammin' too, if I swung that way), but otherwise I felt like I got nothing but attitude from the moment I entered from both staff and patrons. Would it kill you to smile a bit, maybe even have a good time??
I might have left it at 3 stars, but there was a big boo-boo on their part...my friends and I got there around 11, sat down at one of the tables towards the back, got our drinks, did some dancing, basically got ourselves nice and settled. We'd probably been there at least half an hour when one of the people down the super long table from us left and came back with a staff member who asked us to move because that whole table was reserved. Reserving a table and asking us to move are fine, but perhaps they could have indicated that some how, or notified us before we were completely settled? By the time we were asked to move, there were a lot more people, and fewer seating options. We could have just picked a different spot to begin with, if we'd known the table was reserved.
We managed to have a good time anyway because that's how we roll, but I probably won't be back. -
Review from Mikayla M.
Oakland, CA
11/12/2011
they put cheap liquor in there "better" liquor bottles. so if you think your ordering top shelf, you will pay the difference, but you ARE NOT getting what you pay for. so what does that mean? HANGOVER!!
they have "professional photographers" who walk around taking your photo, [where you want them to or not] then try to charge YOU, for YOUR photo, that THEY took without your permission. yea, i made that douche bag delete my picture, i dont wanna be on there website or any advertisement for a place i would NEVER go back to.
lil to hood for my taste, and the whole switch with the cheap liquor/expensive liquor thing really turned me off. how do i know this is true you ask, my boyfriend use to bartend there.. -
Review from Van W.
Oakland, CA
4/1/2011
I came here about 2 years ago and I haven't been back since. It isn't because I've been avoiding it -- but it also wasn't a place I made a point to go back to either.
I came here with a bunch of Asian guys and girls and one of the whitest white guys ever. There was one other non-black person here the entire night. It reminded me of the first time I snuck into a club when I was underaged way back in the day.
Anyways, the music was old school and I didn't know much of it -- when I thought I knew something I realized it was probably something recent sampled off of something people seem to like to refer to as "old school"
The crowd though was fun and friendly. I mean, by friendly I mean strangers liked to "grind up on each other." Which is friendly if it's welcomed. It was tough to get drinks, but the lounge area was chill. It looked a lot nicer than it was to actually hang out. I guess that was the point?
The best part of the night was some Japanese guy that was either punk rock and hardcore or possibly a clown. Maybe those aren't mutually exclusive. Everyone loved him though, although I don't know how he was able to wear sunglasses in the dark club. Cory Hart would be proud. -
Review from Daniel D.
Alameda, CA
11/28/2011
Me and my girl checked the place out with another couple. I would go again. The admission price was fair. We arrived earlier than we expected and caught the tail end of a poetry night. I guess the poetry was cool, if that is your thing. They also had a group of people stop by raising money for a men's homeless shelter. The MC got pretty pissed about people in the crowd, who kept talking, and a girl came to the mic and start testifying about how her dad was homeless and how people should respect the cause. They won me over so I gave a $5 spot. That was different, but I guess it gets 5 stars for originality. After the open mic was finish the club got packed quick, Too Short was up in that joint, and the scene seemed to be all love. There is photographer snapping shots, and you can get prints for cash.
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Review from Ms. Good K.
Sunnyvale, CA
11/2/2011
Tuesday's are the best time to go for "Turnt Up Tuesday's!!" I was surprised to see how many people come out on a Tuesday night. Although later in the night, the place becomes a sweat box and is hard to maneuver from one place to another because of so many people, I have a blast everytime i come!
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Review from Cha Z.
Bay Area
1/29/2011
This place USE to be the spot but over the years its gone down hill. What use to be trendy is now a little lets say trashy. I went for a birthday party on Friday and wow it seemed that all the ladies were under age and darn near taking their clothes off on the dance floor, I was shocked. All I can say is I saw to much booty crack and not enough of the classy ladies and gentlemen that use to come here.
If you haven't been here for awhile I would recommend to stay away. Sorry Air you are not what you use to be. -
Review from Kadi D.
Oakland, CA
3/6/2011
A bunch of us stopped in here for some chill time...
Pros... Overall it was a great time, Drinks were good, bartenders were GREAT & patrons were fun...
Cons... Bathrooms were nasty & music was a little to old school for dancing -
Review from Ashiana K.
Richmond, CA
9/19/2011
Wednesday night's "Spoken Poetry" session is what I go for :-) The lounge is a chill place and definitely a great place to unwind when it's the middle of a work-week. I appreciate the open mic nights because there's so much diversity. It's a great experience. The lounge turns into a club at 11pm which plays average-to-good head bumpin' music. The DJ works at a Cheesecake shop so on a good night, you'll get free delicious cheesecake in various flavors while enjoying the talents of many speakers!
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Review from Mindy H.
Oakland, CA
9/19/2010
Cool lounge, mostly for the 30-ish crowd. Good oldies jams! Drinks are a bit on the expensive end, but good. Lots of space to hang or a dance. Very nice decor. Would have never expected the lounge to be here.
Mindy Says: Would come here again for a girls night out in a few months. Go for the AMF -
Review from Jessica T.
San Francisco, CA
4/5/2007
AIR's sexy.
Hidden. Sleek. Mellow.
It's the kind of place, that you'll want to get "girly glammed" up for.
The kind of place that you'll want to bring out your "wait I need to unbutton the top button, just to breathe" jeans,
And put on
an extra coat of double lashes mascara.
Slide on your
black boots
low-cut shirt
And apply
volumizing conditioner
while listening to
Prince's "Call my Name" on repeat.
And it'll be worth it.
It's the kind of place that people will notice
your eye-lash flutters,
your denim silhouette
and black boots.
And not in an obnoxious way.
but in a subtle head turn, whisper "diiid you see......." kind of way.
Cause....Air's smooth like that.
Appreciative while still being cool.
Cool like their rustic exposed brick and
white colored vinyl seats; some of them deeply set into the walls. Nuzzling spots for when you've had a few and want to get cozier with your party.
And the music....
Hip Hop...R&B.....(hand to chest with emotional, too good to be true dramatic effect)
I've been missing some good-get-down hip-hop for too long in San Francisco.
Buuuuuuuuuuuuut prepare yourself for the clincher.
Deep breath.
The clincher is the Kool-aid....and not this kind of Kool Aid - http://en.wikipedia.or... .
Muuuuuuuuuuuuuch better. (though just as sweet)
If the right bartender is on duty - she will whip you up a fruity, frothy, 'can't even taste the alcoho'l kool-aid drink for you, that will have you owning that dance floor in...
three kool-aids
time. -
Review from Wengfai C.
San Jose, CA
4/10/2011
music the DJ have there as Luther, Musiq, and baby face. R&B and old school and good for grown and attractive people to go.
The people there are nice. Nice decoration. Drink is a reasonable price. -
Review from Keane L.
5/6/2007
Girl grabs my arm to pull me into the dance crowd:
"KEANE!!! It's CYNDI LAUPER!!!"
You know what? It kinda made me excited. Just a little bit...
The best Yelp event I've ever been to. Lots of drinks, food, and fun. The space was excellent. Two bar areas, a huge interior, and a sunny exterior. I totally dig the whole below street level thing. A few blocks from 12th St. BART.
I prefer the Yelp Elite parties to the Yelp Let's-invite-everyone-and-stand-around-in-sweat-fu mes parties. Everyone you want to meet is there, and everyone there is worth meeting. It's like the difference between banging pots and pans and watching American Dad! One is absurdly annoying. It's not the first one.
I had my leg humped and my arm kissed. That's enough to make it a five star experience.Listed in: Yelp Events!
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Review from Ligaya T.
San Francisco, CA
11/23/2008
Hot diggity damn! Never before had I seen so many swoon-worthy dapper brown gents packed into one place before. Then the dancehall kicked, my heart a-flutter, and I swore that this chic, subterranean lounge was my personal slice of heaven.
Truth is, I relish being places where I don't belong because I can observe without being interrupted. Panning the crowd I realized I could have gone all out and stayed under the radar cuz from hoochie mama to weekend's best, the trendy space deserved a little bling effort and its patrons rose to the occasion.
I'd like to check it out on a mellow night to really appreciate the lounge potential (the uber cool bartender suggested Thursdays). Though if the urge strikes for to glam it up and shake it, those ladies can teach me a thing or to about how to wind it proper.Listed in: Oakland Nightlife, East Bay Cocktailing
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Review from Ann W.
Oakland, CA
8/12/2007 ROTD 4/27/2008
Ok, I read the other reviews and at first I was confused, but now I understand that most of the reviews are written by City Folks who came out for a Yelp event and that really doesn't give you much of an indication of what type of experience one would have on a regular night.
Now I am about to knock you San Franciscans because of your comments, but keep in mind that I too was born in San Francisco and felt it the ultimate sacrifice to move to Oakland. That is until I moved to Oakland and found out that I actually like it better.
So Oakland has a really bad reputation which is good for rent prices, but totally misleading. I know that if I was selling crack on the corner of Seminary and E 14th, at some point or another I could expect to be robbed or stabbed or hustled or whatever. But all of Oakland ain't spooky and please remember that when writing a review of your two block walk from the BART that so surprised you because it reminded you of Manhattan or Paris. *sigh*
Next, please do not think that you found the only cool, upscale place in Oakland to hang out. Remember, if this is the only place you have ever been to in Oakland, you really have nothing to compare it to.
Ok, now I feel better, on with my review. AIR is one of my more regular stomping grounds because of its close proximity to my house. I tend to venture in on weekend nights because I like the vibe. The crowd is a little older (closer to 30 than 20), classy, and clean. There's usually a sprinkling of diversity amongst the predominately black crowd. Everyone dresses well and there's plenty of good lookin' people with some fugly ones hanging around too for good measure.
The drinks are expensive, but strongly poured. There's a cover on the weekend, but it's only $5 so if you can't afford it, you definitely can't afford the $9 drink. The bartenders and waitresses are the nicest and warmest and friendliest ever in a nightclub. In fact, every time I go it seems like everyone in the place is like that. Everyone's always smiling and happy. No snobbery or fighting.
I have to be honest and say that the music sucks. I have no idea what these DJs are playing. Is this some sort of mash-up or can you just not label it because the DJs only buy records from the sale bin at Amoeba so it's totally random? And the sound system SUCKS!! But everyone's always having the time of their lives, dancing and what not, so I tend to forgive the music and shake a tail feather myself. It's almost like the party is such fun that the music is trivial, whereas everywhere else, the music tends to be the defining factor.
I also like that the club is sunken down below street level with a large veranda outside the entrance complete with seating. It can get stuffy in the basement and it's nice to step outside to cool down or have a smoke. -
Review from Herra Chink y.
San Francisco, CA
5/6/2007
Alright y'all. I just got back from Yelp's seXXXy Cinco de Mayo event at Air and I must write a review. Back when I lived in Oakland, I'd always go to Air often, and it's a sleek space with lots of thought in design (love the blue wall with holes in it), many options for seating (bed-like caverns in the wall), competent and um, hotty mchott hott bartendresses, heavy pours, and hip hoppin music. But what I think the Yelp crowd missed out of all this is that everytime I've been to Air without Yelp, the crowd leans one particular way racially. Which is awesome to me. That's what I love about Oakland.
One thing is, I've always hated Jackie Chan for his "East meets West" movies. Not because I find them particularly offensive in any way, but because in my mind, I've always wanted to be fobby confused Asian guy caught between the gun-slinging urban American life and the old hard-fought traditional values of kung-fu Asia.
I wanted to crack jokes about eating dog and have my snappy Black companion (preferably Chris Tucker, that guy cracks me up!) order fried chicken.
I wanted to be the Asian driver who starts the car during a high speed chase and have the music be some crazy Chinese opera music, exchange an awkward glance with my companion, have him change the radio to a Wu Tang Clan song, and then put the pedal to the floor in hot pursuit of the bad guys.
I wanted to lighten up the final fight scene by doing some crazy ass kung fu moves and flip upside down and beat two other guys up and then slip on a banana peel and crash into a gong while my Black companion says something ethnically appropriate catch phrase like "word, chizzle."
The thing about Air that I love the most is that it makes life seem like a high-flying "Far East meets Urban West" Hollywood movie. And we could all use escape sometimes in our lives.
Word, Yelpizzles. [goonnnnnnnnng]Listed in: Thizzel Juice Dispensers
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Review from Joshua L.
5/7/2007
I read Jessica T's review of Air at http://www.yelp.com/bi... and I was like, "Okay, not only do I love Jessica because she is a Mariah lamb as much as I am, but girlfriend is a good writer. She makes Air sound poetically hotter than that guy wearing the silver latex bodysuit in the music video for En Vogue's 'My Lovin' (Never Gonna Get It)'." And for the record, that is SEXYHOT. But I'm all, "Yeah, to see is to believe though."
And I get there on Saturday for the Yelp Elite Cinco de Mayo.
Wow.
And I believe.
I believe that Air IS sexy. It makes me want to throw down beat poet style.
Air is getting a pedicure, your hair did, your nails done, your face on.
It's that hot guy who sees you looking at him because you've been secretly staring all night, too chicken to approach him, and he licks his lips at you: slow, seductive, soft.
Air is when you've just had enough delicious alcohol to give you liquid courage, but not enough to make a fool of yourself, and you leave the night with two (or more) phone numbers.
It's the plush leather lounge beds dug into the wall for some measured privacy while your pulse throbs in time with the music.
Air is laughing, talking, enjoying yourself, and a guy reaches over and gently tucks that wayward lock behind your ear and it's not creepy, but sweet.
It's sweating out the stress of your day-to-day and breathing in the funkiness of fun.
Air is going out to the below-level patio to get some fresh air, and in the quiet, you hear each others' thoughts, and you like it.
It's knowing, at the end of the night, you're walking around legacy built as a catwalk as you sashay in your heels or dress shoes, surrounded in the ambiance of Old Oakland.
I believe that Air is sexy.Listed in: I Want To Increase My "Great…
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Review from Bella W.
San Francisco, CA
2/5/2007
Berger: I can't believe there's an LA type bar in Oakland.
Yup, my sentiments exactly.
Even though I'm not a fan of the LA type bar, this statement just reflects the decor! The drinks are strong and the crowd is mellow. Berger and I chilled in one of the inset couches for a few hours and took a nap- ok, not really, but it was uber comfortable.
The music just enhanced the mood- chill and mellow- John Legend, Alicia Keys, etc... The dj even busted out with some old skool Groove Theory- "Tell me if you want me to"- yeah babe, I want you to:)!!
It was a perfect end to a great night!Listed in: Ex marks the spot.../The Ex…, Makeout Lists
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Review from Michael P.
San Francisco, CA
6/3/2007
"Brown, fertile! Extra large, grade AA! Raised without cages! Free from hormones!"
Yes. For a minute I thought I was at Trader Joe's. -
Review from Nish N.
4/3/2007
Hey Oaktown, you guys are lucky to have Air, and don't you forget it. I actually had the chance to visit Air in the daytime before it was open and what I noticed right away was how cool and clean the space was in broad daylight. If you've ever seen some nightclubs in good lighting, you sometimes wish you hadn't.
Later that day, or should I say evening, I went back for the last remnants of happy hour. Here again, as the space dimmed and took on a blue-ish tone, Air looked like something out of the near future. I mean, if Tron showed up, I wouldn't have looked twice.
The club can easily accomodate a few hundred people, and there is enough seating to get cozy or take a breather from getting jiggy. While the main dancing takes place right by the DJ booth, you can see the good people grooving all through the club, especially as the drinks start loosening up the crowd. My favorite interior aspect, though, are the large sunken seating chambers where you can get into all sorts of trouble, or just observe the scene like club royalty.
Another cool aspect is that you have to literally go underground to get into Air - as you step down the stairs, there's a little outdoor patio area to get some fresh air, a refreshing compliment to a night scene that can get sweaty.
Good times for sure, I'd check out their site or join their mailing list to keep up on what nights best suit your mood and style, but in general you're always going to have time here.
If you can find him (often behind the bar), ask for Gairy, one of the cooler club owners in Oakland or otherwise.Listed in: Nish Tours Oakland... And…
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Review from David D.
5/7/2007
Space age club in a historic neighborhood.
We were excited to BART to our first Yelp event outside San Francisco. Walking through the ghost town that is downtown Oakland on the weekend, we discovered the Old West when we turned onto 9th Street. A couple of blocks down, and down a sidewalk staircase, we found the Air Lounge.
Nice, open space inside. The brick walls and the enamel walls seemed to balance well, as the light emphasized the blue lucite wall! Yes, a blue lucite wall is the centerpiece, and around it the DJ blasts music like he's going to repel pirates. Opposite the bar was a bed. A bed in a bar, no waiting! There was little waiting at the bar, if you were in the right place, too. The bartenders only moved over 1/3 of the bar, but they were pouring drinks like machines. We tried a Yelp tequila novelty, which Shrimp Chips has aptly described. Let's just say it wasn't a call drink.
Thanks to Sauza for getting everyone sauced, and we had a great time greeting and talking as best we could with everyone we could recognize or who could recognize us. The longer I Yelp, the more there are.
People who wanted a long, meaningful conversation found it outside in the stairwell patio, away from what seemed like a 120-dB DJ. -
Review from Matt H.
Berkeley, CA
5/7/2007
Miami Vice meets Greenwich Village meets LA meets bartenders who know how to sling drink.
The first thing you encounter going to Air is the pair of be-badged sentinels they have guarding the front. They're sharply dressed, sporting shades, and way way way cooler than me. Somehow their coolness rubs off on your way in, or should I say DOWN the front steps into the outdoor sub-sidewalk patio area.
I'm a smoker. I like to smoke. There is plenty of room to smoke out there and I don't end up feeling like a farting leper cringing outside on the sidewalk. It is legal? Is it against the rules? SHHH, your questions annoy me!
Inside, the decor is spacious and yet somehow cozy; I suspect the low ceiling is responsible. The majority of the lounge is one large open area with plenty of room to dance in the center. The sides have large cushioned seats and NOOKS. That's right, like a Thomas' English Muffin. No crannies, just NOOKS with enough space, cushions, and pads to comfortably snuggle three drunks in a semi-private reclining position. Not private enough to bang your date in, but easily private enough for a healthy snog.
The bartenders are quick to get to you, quick to make the drink, quick to handle the money, and quick to smile. When I yell "STAT!" at the end of my frequent lordly commands, I think of these champions and smile knowingly. Note of interest: I couldn't get a picture of them because they were moving so fast and -never stopped-. Nothing but blurs on my camera. God damn right!
The Cinco de Mayo Elite event was a blast, thanks to Air's expert handling of the rampaging Yelp army, but I would recommend Air on it's own merits, of which it has many. -
Review from Emma K.
Oakland, CA
5/7/2007 ROTD 12/22/2007
My first official elite event (I'm no newbie though, I've just been intimidated in the past by a) you celebrity yelpers 2) crossing the bay and c) getting drunk on a weeknight) occured at this lovely establishment in the very delightful town in which I live.
Whatever apprehensions I had about elite events was quickly dispersed by several delicious margaritas (except of course, for the infamous Paloma, which I think we can all agree tasted like sweat painstakingly collected from the balls of all the male tequila drinkers that night).
What I love about being around yelpers is that everyone is fair game - because you "know" them (albeit from the internets) - for conversation, dancing, flirting, ass grabbing, etc. etc. and no one will remember if you make a fool of yourself. In fact, I found that many people were encouraging my drunken militant dance recruiting and general inappropriateness. These are my people!!!!
The bartenders, as noted by many, are of utmost hotness, and the atmosphere, while bordering at times on yuppie c#nt, has a real Oakland undercurrent to it. And I mean that in the best of ways, because I LOVE love LOVE Oakland. All right yelp, you've convinced me -- I'll come out to more elite events. And please have another one in the east bay!Listed in: East Bay Essentials
