The Gates

Easily the worst drinks I have had in Ithaca. I have no idea what kind of alcohol and mixers they are using, but they are absolutely awful, and I don't have high standards for mixed drinks. Even the cranberry Vodka was bad. How can you possibly screw that drink up? They did have a good DJ at the time, but it wasn't enough to prevent the one star rating.

Good live DJ, not sure if its a daily thing or they had one on that day I was there but it was good. However here is where they miss: drinks. The specials were cheap but they were nasty. Seriously tasted like a health drink, not good. I was drunk so I tried a different specialty, it was also not so great. Lots of space though, perhaps the best layout/atmosphere in ctown. If evaluated on drinks alone, it would be 1-2 stars.

I am pleased that The Gates has brought us another venue for live music.  I stopped in to see the Andrew and Noah Band recently and had a pleasant experience. The space is modern and sparse, there is a pit for the band which keeps them out of the way of the dancers.  The dance space is good but watch out for the pillar in the middle! This is a great place to lean if you have induldged a bit too much, or if you can't keep up with the late, late night crowd.  Bands here don't start till 10pm or later if there is a diva in the group.  The sound seemed ok the one time I was there, but I may change my review upon seeing a few more live shows in this space.
The bar staff was friendly and there was some talk of making the rather pedestrian drink menu more upscale.  I think that a fieldtrip to some of our other local establisments might be needed. There is a VIP booth which I suppose is there to give the upscale alure, however a coat check would be more beneficial in achieving this goal.
Time will tell, I hope that The Gates can bring in enough interesting groups to stay alive and well.