Hookah lounges suddenly smoking in popularity
Cutting-edge nightlife usually finds its way to Hollywood rather quickly.
The neighborhood is generally a destination for all sorts of new social gathering places. Whether it be upscale clubs, dive bars or multi-purpose venues that feature a night club, bar and restaurant all in one, Hollywood has not lacked for party options.
Until recently, however, the area had yet to really latch onto the growing national popularity of hookah lounges.
As recently as a year ago it was a challenge to find a place in Hollywood in which to partake in the ancient Indian tradition.
In much of the rest of California and around the country, hookah lounges have been springing up rapidly for years.
It has become an alternative to the traditional bar and club scene for many hipsters. For those who don’t know, it involves smoking tobacco (known as shisha) through a water pipe (which is the hookah).
Typically, groups get tables for a flat rate and those sitting around the table take turns smoking from the hookah.
With these establishments having taken off in many urban and college areas, it seems natural that they would fit right in among the Hollywood scene.
And they appear to be doing so, now that they have finally arrived.
Within the past few months, three have sprung up within a six-block radius of Hollywood Boulevard.
All three are often crowded on weekends and have carved out a niche for themselves among the throng of partiers that flock to Hollywood on a weekly basis.
The hookah lounge isn’t for everyone (I have never tried one and have no interest in doing so), but it definitely brings a new and different vibe to the Vegas-ization of the Boulevard.
If nothing else, it provides some pretty awesome looking pipes to stare at from the windows while strolling down the Hollywood strip.
© Examiner
