Block No. 16 Union & Spirits

It’s the club, what else is there to write?
They don’t play hiphop until midnight –_–

I had such a blast at this venue last night at the Bazaar Noir event for Dos Equis beer that everything to say is positive, even checking now the bad reviews about lack of attendance in many nights or not getting the good vibe. I definitively got it, everything was magical. The event itself, the free cover, the nice security guards working there, the staff… everybody was super friendly and acomodating, including the guests. The event had this atmosphere mixed of Mexican-​Gypsy-​Moroccan with palm readers, lollipops with worm inside, free beers, interesting appetizers with exotic names and no less exotic animals like iguanas and snakes. The music was eclectic and just different to the usual downtown clubbing scene, and the models/​actors/​dancers were great performers. This venue was perfect for this type of event and I will definitively come back.

This place is EMPTY before 1030pm.
We came here early first to see how the crowd was and no one was there. The covered was FREE and we had a huge group… OF DUDES too. We ended up leaving and went to other places to bar hop and came back here to end the night. It definitely got crowded around 1130pm but again, more dudes than girls and my group didn’t help either.
Crowd: Pretty mix crowd, but lots of the girls are just with their friends and seem so unwillingly to just say wassup. lots of dudes look pretty defensive with their lady friends so i MEAN… lighten up.
Lot of early 20s kids around and the music mostly all edm. HUGE LED light screens.
The drinks are pretty cheap like $ 9 a shot, but NO HENNY. NOT COOL.
I may go back here, but I rather just go to fluxx or voyeur is more my cup of tea.

Block 16 has fallen off in a few key aspects. The small dance floor is increasingly packed and with the growth of true high end places the floor size has gone from a small issue to a detriment. I don’t mind packed, but only when the mood and vibe is right and it’s just not that way here anymore.
The music has not kept with the times and sadly that big ass screen is no replacement for something that everyone else is doing, lights. Their line up is B squad at best now.
I still love the service. Doorman, security, etc. Cover gal was nice once again and the huge central bar was run smooth. My experience with drinks reminded a younger gal that the midori sour doesn’t coke and needed a cherry. Drink prices are reasonable. A round for my party of 10 was a hundo. The little side bar area is more the getaway.
What once seemed cool and grand now gets blasé reactions. The upper deck area somehow didn’t catch on unless you get the bottle service. That walk way is roped off, but gives a great view. The railing may seem strong, but I’ve definitely seen it get leaned on and question it. parking in the area is hard to come by and the nearest lot is pricey from all the traffic.
Not vape friendly, yet they light sparklers and blow fog throughout. At least they just asked me not to vape because they know it’s not illegal. Some places would have kicked me out.

To bad all we can give is 1 star for the lowest rating. I will not be a returning customer to Block No. 16 ever.
We had bottle service at this club for my boyfriend’s 29^th birthday on March 23, 2013. If any of you Unilocalers remember, THIS WAS THE NIGHT WHERE AROUND 1AM THE ENTIRE CLUB CLEARED OUT IN LESS THAN 5 SECONDS DUE TO THE ‘TEAR GAS, FOG MACHINE CLEAR SMOKE FIASCO.’ People rushed out of the club like cattle, and were outside standing on the side walk coughing there brains out.
I am so upset, we had bottle service in one of the upstairs booths, and we had 1 full bottle of Jameson, plus 1 half bottle full of alcohol that went to WASTE because of that BULL. Did we still get charged the $ 600 for 2 bottles??? YES!!!
If anything the club should have comped 1 bottle and didn’t charge us for the 2^nd one we didn’t even touch, shady! When we tried contacting our bottle service coordinator the next day– she did not return our calls or texts. That’s just wrong, because the problem was caused by the venue I think they should have and still should do something to make up for this problem.
I would definitely not recommend this place to anyone that I love for their safety and health may be in danger. They are so many other places in Downtown SD that are worth it, and that will probably take ownership if this were to ever happen at their club.
Think twice about having bottle service at Block No. 16.

Well well… I think I have gone back to being a freshmen in college and attending a rave party at some sketch warehouse… somewhere…out in the boonies… of L. A…
This place has a cover charge but my BFF and I were on the guest list… so no we didn’t pay. I don’t think I would go here if I had to pay…
This place has a HUGE LCD screen… and half naked girls dancing… not very well… but it must be tough to shake those rumps every min of every hour…
Tons of kids in their early 20’s…and tons of cheap dudes here ordering free drinks… wish I knew where to get some of those tickets… but nothing good is free.
I spent a lot of time laughing at the lonely dudes that spent their time gawking at the half naked rump shakers dancing on the second floor.,…hahahaha!
Bathrooms were nice and clean… nice black lady dancing for her life and listening to her ipod!
I may go back… I had some good laughs at this place… but only if it were free again.

My friends were in town and they decided that we wanted to turn our biological clock back 4 years and spend a night clubbing in Gaslamp. At first we decided go to Fluxx since we heard some good things about it. We got there at around 11 and there was a 30 min line + the cover charge was $ 40 per head. Darn it Fluxx! We’re in San Diego, not Vegas! We then decided to go to Block No.16 since some promoter stamped our hands earlier for free entry.
Block No. 16 Union & Spirits (horrible name BTW — what kind of Club has a name that has 10 syllables in it) was pretty crowded when we got there at around 1130. They had two good looking gogo dancers that were schooling everyone on dance moves and an over sized rectangular bar with bartenders that were very quick to serve drinks. The club itself was pretty large with two main dance floors. I liked that their restrooms didn’t have a guy in there soliciting for tip by handing you paper towels and pumping soap into your hands. +1 brownie pts for that.
This place is a bit further from all the action in Gaslamp, but with no cover, and good dance floors, it might be worth the walk.

I don’t know how accurate the «no cover before 10:30» thing is… Because I walked in and was being charged $ 10 before that time. Soooo…
TIP ALERT: Check-​in on Unilocal to redeem your free cover! Otherwise $ 10 or keep walking.
Place is spacious and unlike Mcfadeded, is kept clean and stocked with friendly staff throughout. Which I really appreciate, because some guys just can’t take a HINT. ++Stars Thanks to the security guys for helping my group out!
I’ve been here a couple times and each time the crowds are hit or miss I guess. Maybe because it’s a bit off the 5^th ave track, but it can go from empty to crowded and then empty again within an hour… Most people just passing through?
Cost of drinks are about average for downtown. $ 10 for Jack & Coke Last Friday happen to be $ 5 for SoCo… Luckily for me SoCo-​Limes are a go too! :)
Want space to dance that is kept clean? Block No. 16 it is!

My 25^th birthday was a couple months ago and a ton of my friends were in town to celebrate with me. I wanted to make sure we all had a great time and did extensive research on the very best place to bring in my 25^th year. Saturday night was my actual birthday and I thought this club sounded like the best spot to be. Highly reviewed, large and mixed in a lot of hip hop which is what I love in a club. And it was new and hot!
So I contacted the club and let them know I would be coming with about 20 people and got myself on the list. Thanks to that and the Unilocal check in — we didn’t have to pay cover.
I arrived around 11 –and after searching for the entrance (not the easiest to find) — i noticed there wasn’t a line outside, which made me nervous, until I realized how big the place was. Hopefully this didn’t mean they let in riff raff to fill the space.
The place was spacious and fun — and I didn’t feel super cramped, which I enjoyed. We were even lucky enough to commandeer an open table that wasn’t being used right next to the dance floor. Nice! Happy Birthday to ME.
Unfortunately, around 1 o’clock the entire place was engulfed in what we believe to be pepper spray and the place was quickly evacuated as people ran out choking and eyes burning.
The bouncers were encouraging people to close out their tabs before exiting — absolutely not — get the f out STAT — we didn’t know what was happening. This definitely put a wrench in my birthday. I had a good time until that moment, but I have been nervous to return since then. It just made me question what kind of people were in the crowd… I was just trying to have a good time with my friends and obviously someone was getting crazy. So I haven’t returned… and this makes me sad because I feel like this may have been my new spot. It seems as though they were concerned with filling the space… so they chose quantity over quality.
Sad face.

Went here for the first time last night for a friends birthday.
Cover was free if you’re on the guestlist or before 1030.
Strict dress code for guys.
Drinks are way overpriced. (Didn’t taste like they put that much alcohol in their mixed drinks)
They pour half into a shot glass and charge you for a full shot ($ 9)
Adiós ($ 14)
Music is alright.
The whole setup inside is weird because the bar is setup in the middle of the dance floor.
On top of all that. Everyone had to evacuate by 1:15a because there was a pepper spray bomb thrown.

For a downtown club– the workers are so much less pretentious than you could ever ask for. While the drinks are just as expensive, they have specialties they’re happy to make for you regardless of how busy they are. The have excellent music that changes randomly (at least the Friday night we went with DJ Mark Thrasher). I had a blast and the people were seemingly very friendly! Now it’s my fave place to dance :)
The best part to me is that they don’t BAN you from the seats even if they’re not bought out like other clubs!

One of the newer establishments in East Village, opened up ~6 months ago next to the Blind Burro and across from Bub’s at the Ballpark. The entrance is a little further back from the Burro, so it’ll be hard to find the place even with the sign.
I signed up on the guest list pretty late (had work all day), but as I arrived 9:30pm I was ushered in pretty quickly without having to check the guest list. I just showed my ID and didn’t have to pay any cover. If you check in with the Unilocal app you can get free cover.
The bartender was SUPER nice. So I was lamenting that I couldn’t use my check-​in because I already got in before they started charging. To make up for that he would get me a drink: their «Gold Digger» cocktail — Grey Goose La Poire, St. Germain, Champagne, Simple Syrup, Fresh Lemon and Strawberries. This cocktail was voted favorite cocktail via Facebook. Tasted of pears (hence la poire) and champagne topped with fresh strawberries. I got myself another one for happy hour price ($ 5) because it was 10 minutes to 10:30. I still got good service afterwards because I only went to him to ask for waters. Supposedly the other Unilocaler that I went with also mentioned how great this person was.
Bathrooms were very clean and for the women, there was hardly any line!
I really liked the music, but I was always a fan of resident DJ Marc Thrasher. He’s the guy that mixes up contemporary top 40 on 93.3 during the afternoon. It did not consist solely of rap or hiphop.
There’s also LOTS of room for dancing. Not only there’s the stage, but there’s also the 2^nd floor and it’s also NOT reserved for VIPs.
I also liked the crowd. It seemed like everyone just wanted to have a good time, nobody wanted to start a fight or do any weird shit. Heck, even the guy that approached my friend and I was very nice and seemed very interested in conversation.
I’m usually not a clubber, but I would suggest this place as this seems more down-​to-​earth than other locations in the Gaslamp (ie. Fluxx, Stingaree). Finally, a shout-​out and many thanks to Jennifer N. and Sonya D. for good times!

FREE COVER WITH YOUR FIRST Unilocal CHECK-​IN. Saved $ 20 :)
Get’s pretty packed and you can get bottle service in the public downstairs area or pay extra to get it upstairs where only people with bottle service can enter the area. The DJ is also upstairs in that area. I always have a good time but the drinks are definitely on the more expensive side here. I’d rather go to the bar next door, grab a few drinks, THEN go to Block 16. Just a tip :)

OK club

Conveniently located close to Petco Park and away from all the other busy nightclubs — is Block 16. Parking is available in the parking structure across Petco Park and The Marriott Hotel.
When you start seeing Block 16 signs STOP you’ll pass the entrance. VIP (booths) and bottle service available $$$. Both the bartenders and security staff are nice and chill people.
This is what I like: Chairs available to sit on at the center bar.
There are two spacious dance floors (I like the upper level so I can people watch too).
2^nd Floor available for parties. (Nice view of the dance floor)
Great remix’s and easy to dance to music.
The negative: No coat check in on a cold night.
Tip: Check In on Unilocal and get in Free (no cover).
Great crowd to party with.

I like this place a LOT better than Fluxx! The set up is super cool and I love how they designed the different floors.
What I liked the most was that it was really roomy. Even though it was crowded, it never felt stuffy or sweaty. I think it’s because the 2^nd and 3^rd floor have open space in the middle and overlooks the first floor. (Does that make sense? Oh god)
I also love how the stage has a HUGE screen where they play music videos and etc. Super cool :) The vibe is really great, young and trendy… felt like a kick ass rich people warehouse party that you see in nyc TV shows, haha.
good music, good drinks (sort of pricey? idk) and the bouncers aren’t total douchebags. Example: Fluxx has the most asshole bouncers. Oh my god I won’t even start… but at Block 16 they’re a lot more understanding. My friend got too drunk and they were going to kick her out, but she composed herself and asked if she could just sit down and wait for a friend to come get her. They allowed it and brought her water. I thought that was REALLY nice and courteous of them.
(Whereas at Fluxx, my other friend who wasn’t half as drunk got kicked out. They wouldn’t let her tell us that she had to go, and she had no cellphone… where was the girl supposed to go? Send a drunk girl out BY HERSELF to dt sd in a skimpy dress and heels. At least call the girl a cab. Clearly they just viewed her as a credit card and as soon as she was no use they dumped her out. FUCK FLUXX)

Atmosphere: It seems like every few months San Diego gets a new night life spot. This club is in a relatively large space. I like the high ceilings, so regardless of how many people are dancing /​drinking the night away, I don’t feel claustrophobic, which tends to happen a lot in other clubs.
Drinks: The drinks here tend to be on the higher price side. There are two bars. The larger one is in the center of the club, which makes it easier to get a drink. Block 16 gets an A for doing this.
The Peeps: I have been here on 4 separate occasions, pretty spaced apart. The crowd tends to be always mixed and in the mid to late 20s.
The Music: They tend to stick to Top 40 and some house.
Overall a cool spot if you want to checkout a new spot. It’s free before 10:30, which is always a plus.

Cleanest bar ever! Me and my boyfriend kept commenting about how noticeably clean it is here. I mean, when you’re at a bar, you kind of expect a bit of grit around the edges (e.g. napkins on the floor, drink spills, dirty tables) but this place is like a hospital operating room.
It’s super spacious and large. Definitely plenty of room so that everyone gets their own personal space and more.
Awesome venue for music shows! There are massive screens all around the room that display whatever visuals the band wants… and music videos when bands aren’t performing. The sound is great, the stage is big and everyone can be super close to it and have amazing views of the show, and there’s enough room for people to dance without jostling anyone else.
I give this place 3 stars because the ambiance is kind of confusing. On the one hand, the alternative rock music playing on the speakers was actually pretty energetic… but the crowd is too mellow when bands aren’t performing. My friends and I were talking about it and we think it’s because the place is so spacious and people have so much room to spread out that the vibe just stays weirdly calm, even though when you’re going out you want more excitement. It doesn’t really feel like you’re at a bar and almost feels like you’re at a work party. I want this place to feel more lively!

COUGARSSSSSSSSSSS !!!
…and I was one of them. =(
— Nice, new hip club
— Hip hop NO; house music YES
— Small dancefloor and gets packed quick
So why is it called Block No. 16 ?? Someone enlighten me please.
UPDATE: Thank to Corey H. I now know why. There are 16 blocks in East Village. Hence, Block 16.

I like it A. It’s not that hard to get into for girls or guys (even when my friends aren’t working the door)
B. drinks are about $ 7 downtown is usually $ 12 plus
C. There’s a lounger area, mezzanine, and stage with jumbo LCD screen ., so lots of people watching areas.
D. They have waitress who will
Also get you a drink without you having to stand in line
E. the table service you can get $ 40 of champagne and just spend like a $ 300 tab no ridiculous $ 200 a bottle for a sky bottle
F. Clean bathrooms and no line
G. When you first walk in there is a picture of the San Diego skyline so you can have a Kodak moment
All in all I like how it’s has all kinds of lights etc like a mega club but you have lounging areas to just talk n mingle or stand by the bar without being so
Crowded. Kinda of Pb meets downtown reminds me of clubs in Cabo (layout)
Only con is the downstairs dance floor below the stage/​LCD area gets really drafty and if you where a loose dress it will fly up and you might get cold. I also saw a live performance by some dancers which was pretty cool. I’ve been here a handful times already … My crews new spot. Oh ladies the Goldigger with fresh strawberries is awesome!