Anyone in LA-area go to South for the Games?

Submitted by TheDarkKnight on

I am thinking about heading to South in Santa Monica for the game this weekend. It's the designated spot for alumni and fans to watch Michigan games. Wanted to see if anyone has gone yet and what they think of the atmosphere. Went to Barney's Beanery last weekend and there were about 10 of us watching the game. Would like to be around some more fans though. Thoughts?

HermosaBlue

September 24th, 2009 at 12:51 AM ^

I'm in Hermosa Beach. Pitcher House is a helluva lot more convenient than South for those of us in Redondo, Hermosa, Manhattan and Torrance.

http://www.pitcherhouse.com

That said, for the 9am Pacific starts I generally just roll out of bed and watch from my sofa.

EDIT: Looks like I'm late to the thread and should've scrolled down further.

UNCWolverine

September 23rd, 2009 at 8:56 PM ^

I was there for the first half last Saturday. I live in Manhattan Beach and only stopped by because I stayed up there Friday night. I got there at about 8:50 and got a spot without issue. By halftime it was pretty packed, maybe 200 people.

For those in the south bay there is a Michigan bar that a guy I know secured for last season in Redondo called the Pitcher House I believe. It's the upstairs joint above Whole Foods at PCK and Beryl.

tomhagan

September 23rd, 2009 at 9:30 PM ^

Ive been there to that place, its not bad, they have good burgers and lots of TVs for games... im still thinking about this Saturday...usually I just get up and roll out of bed, grab a large Red Bull and watch the 9AM games at home because it is so early...Id be more up to meet up for a later game some time... not sure about this week.

Mustaches4Michigan

September 23rd, 2009 at 9:09 PM ^

South is fine and dandy, nice flat screens but not much in the way of square footage. Our Mustaches graced South for the Opener and have since returned to our former host at Hollywood Billiards (who gave all the Michigan fans shots on the house for the ND game).

If you're going to South, get there early - like a least an hour and a half early for the bigger games. Indiana, I wouldn't sweat the crowds too much. Also, make sure you seek out and talk to Todd Drucker, LA Alumni Club President and tell him how re-goddamned-diculous it is to only have ONE official alumni bar in all of Los Angeles... and decide to have that one location oh-so-centrally-located all the way over in Santa Monica.

As someone else mentioned theres a South Bay unofficial bar as well.

VictorsValiant09

September 23rd, 2009 at 10:11 PM ^

I just moved to LA (actually, the Valley), from Michigan, and am still spending a lot of my time job-searching. I also still need to buy a car, it sucks without one. If anyone is thinking about organizing a carpool to South in Santa Monica, let me know, maybe we can meet at some designated spot in the Valley or LA itself. Man, do I need a car!

Mustaches4Michigan

September 23rd, 2009 at 11:40 PM ^

If you're already in Santa Monica, or the west side in general, South is the place to be. As I mentioned, space is limited so plan accordingly. The general aesthetic is of your modern chic sports bar - tidy with flat scenes in good proportion to its size. The service was great and everyone was accommodating. There will be plenty of Michigan fans to watch the game with as it is our Official Alumni Bar. The Alumni Club does a raffle, and 10% of everything you order goes to the U-M So Cal Scholarship fund.

Nothing against South, it's just a heckuva commute across town. South is on Wilshire at 26th Street.

TokenMChick

September 24th, 2009 at 1:32 AM ^

What's the major demographic of the South game watches? I'm a recent alum and I've heard that the "official" alumni bar tends to skew toward older alumni. I've been to Pitcher House for a couple of games and it was a lot of fun, with overwhelmingly younger alumni, like myself.

BiaBiakabutuka21

September 25th, 2009 at 7:16 PM ^

I went there for the western game and had a great time. Keep in mind that Michigan's great start is directly due to the mustaches grown by our mustached brethren. I truly believe that. I hung out with them and they are really cool guys.

I graduated in '08 and got pretty rowdy at South. I'll probably go back for the msu game and other big games. 9 am games are tough to get there for. But if you are new to la it is a really great spot to meet people and even to network a little bit if you are looking for a job.

Just get there early. Not much space.

TokenMChick

September 24th, 2009 at 11:45 PM ^

For those who are interested, this is an excerpt from the latest email about gamewatches at South from the LA Alumni Club:

In case you haven't heard, South made some adjustments after our overwhelmingly stake-claiming turnout in week one. They've added more tables, more staff, more TVs and most importantly it is officially a 100% Wolverine bar without any space reserved for other clubs. Nobody has had to wait to get in, and those who show up know that it has to be one of the best venues outside of the Big House for watching Michigan football. Here's a video link to give you a taste of what it was like when Michigan beat Notre Dame. The owners said it was louder than when the Lakers won the title! True story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnTTqfTb6Jk

Anyway, enough hype. Doors open at 8:30AM for this week's game against Indiana, and they will be serving breakfast and Bloody Marys.