In my first year, I was a regular Atik attendee, especially at Park End. Chris Duke’s shout-outs, the cheese floor and Ahmed’s chips on the way home were maybe not the highlight of my week, but certainly something I looked forward to. Last term, however, I did not attend a single Park End. While this is partly because I’m now in my second year, I do think Atik’s closure played a role. From my friend’s reports, it has certainly undergone some changes. Of course, my memories might be clouded by the rose-tinted glasses through which I viewed most of my first-year experiences. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Atik’s closure is the culprit. No one wants to go on two nights out in a row at the same club. But does this mean everyone is going out less? Has Atik’s closure cemented the decline of Oxford’s nightlife in general?
Part of me does miss Atik. This is mainly because, when it was open, it seemed like there was a wider variety of options to choose from on a night out, rather than because I loved the club itself. Let’s face it: Atik wasn’t exactly Ministry of Sound or Berghain. In fact, I’m sure about half of the student body openly welcomed its closure, its demise giving other venues a second chance. Ever heard of Thirst or Spirit? The only times I’d noticed these two bars was when standing in the queue for Atik, and they were always eerily empty. But last term, I ended up at a bop at Thirst. It was teeming with people and the DJ was great. Meanwhile, Spirit now offers crewdates, with entry to Bridge included. I don’t think we would’ve seen these bars take off while their big neighbour still dominated. Maybe there is still life on Park End Street after midnight – maybe it’s not all a picture of decline.
On the other hand, the Oxford nightlife scene can be so much more than just clubbing. Even last year, some of my best ‘nights out’ didn’t involve a foray into Bridge, Atik, or Plush. Bops in the college bar, where drinks are cheap and the whole college turns up are always a highlight for me. Or crewdates, where we end up drunkenly staggering to Spoons and rarely make it to the club afterwards. From this angle, the nightlife scene at Oxford seems to be as thriving as ever. Besides, for those club rats out there, Cowley still exists, with potentially better clubs on offer than any in the city centre. Hopefully, Atik’s closure has encouraged more people to venture outside of OX1 for a night out. Either way, the nightlife scene at Oxford is certainly not dead!
