What Changes around USC Once You Turn 21
By Paul Samaha ‘17
This past weekend I turned 21. I had a great birthday (aside from the loss to Stanford) with great friends and even some family that flew in town from Virginia to visit me. While part of me is terrified of getting any older and wants to freeze time where it is, I’m mostly just excited to be able to explore new areas of USC and the nearby LA area that I couldn’t explore before! Below are some nearby places I can now legally enter/order from that I couldn’t before.
Before we begin, here is a friendly reminder that USC Student Affairs sends out to all students a week before they join the 21st Birthday Club, a website that contains a lot of helpful information on how to enjoy your birthday while remaining safe and healthy (hint: eat food and know your limits).
Yay, free food! Now, let’s begin with the restaurant Student Affairs mentions in the 21st Birthday Club message above:
Traditions (Traddies)
Traditions, informally known as Traddies, is an on campus bar and grill located beneath the Ronald Tutor Campus Center. Don’t have game tickets or airfare to an away Trojans football game? No fear– the environment at Traddies during game days will make you feel like you’re back home in the LA Coliseum. The delicious, finger-licking (dare I say greasy?) food is inspired by food trucks and is sure to make your mouth water. Drinks run aplenty and are hard to turn down with names like Trojan Blonde and Ruin the Bruin. But more famously, they are known for the beer towers. Traddies is 21+ to enter–except on game days, when it is open to all ages. Check out the daily food specials here and the uniquely Trojan-esque drink menu here.
Moreton Fig
Moreton Fig is an on campus restaurant and lounge. The inside resembles a fine dining experience, but the outside patio has a newly-implemented happy hour menu from 3:30 pm – 8:00 pm called The Fig, perfect for students looking to sit down and eat without breaking the bank (shout out to USG University Affairs for making the happy hour menu happen!). While any student can eat at The Fig, you can’t get a hand on those world-class cocktails or brews until you’re 21! Moreton Fig is classy enough for meeting a professor or going on a date, but The Fig is casual enough to simply treat yourself during one of those days when you finish class and need a pick-me-up!
901 Bar & Grill (The 9-0)
The 901 Bar & Grill, informally known as the 9-0 (the Nine-O), is the single staple in USC nightlife. Established in 1947, the 9-0 grandfathered in its placement by USC; legislation to outlaw bars within a mile radius of elementary schools in Los Angeles was passed after the 9-0 was created. Because the 9-0 is the only bar within USC territory, and because of its placement on Figueroa Street parallel to Fraternity Row, it is no wonder why so many students end up at the 9-0. Show your student ID during 11 am - 4 pm daily to receive 25% off your food/drink order. Or go to happy hour between 4 pm - 9:01 pm, and receive two drinks for the price of one! After 9:01 pm, you can go for one of their daily half off drink specials, found here. But no matter when you go to the 9-0, you are always guaranteed to run into a friend. Must be 21+ to enter.
Downtown LA + Beyond
While there are some other places to sip a drink nearby campus like Bacaro, La Barca or the Lab Gastropub, none of them are allowed to stay open late. But more exclusively-21+ fun is just a mile north of campus in Downtown Los Angeles! Some great places to go out in DTLA where you can find fellow ‘SC students are Honeycut, the Standard Rooftop, Library Bar, Perch (pictured) and Mrs. Fish. However, there are endless possibilities when it comes to the booming nightlife scene downtown, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know! I am now 21 and ready to take on the town. Responsibly, of course.
