A common refrain in Pittsburgh these days is that nothing is open late anymore. Gone are the days of 24-hour diners, hedonistic nightlife, and after-hours clubs — to hear many tell it, they've been replaced by bank branches, uptight coffee shops, and craft breweries that close at 10. Xavier Thomas, Pittsburgh City Paper's Best Local Photographer in 2017 in part for his vivid shots of local nightlife, remembers when "everybody was trying to get to the clubs in Pittsburgh." He grew up in Uniontown and remembers when Station Square, the South Side, and the Strip were a regional draw. "Nightlife used to be so popping that they had to have an under-21 club, [ Club Zoo]," he tells City Paper. "To go from that to nothing, that is ridiculous." To be clear, this isn't just a Pittsburgh issue. New York and Chicago have likewise seen clubs decline in recent years; COVID-19 put many clubs facing economic headwinds permanently out of business across the globe. Changing habits means the way people party is no longer the same as it was when thousands packed venues like Metropol or Xtaza. Still, in Pittsburgh, the decline of club-oriented nightlife mirrors local concerns about gentrification, racism, and the city's shifting identity.
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