Alder Heights Alder Heights Locations

Alder Heights • Eventide District Clutch

The top demographic in Alder Heights is college students, and many of the businesses in the area reflect this truth. Retail stores, bars, and even housing are cloaked in a progressive, youthful air, vying for young peoples’ money and time. Among the clusters of avante-garde coffee shops and vegan restaurants, one can find relatively affordable living accommodations and a wide variety of entertainment.

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Alder Heights College

Don’t let the status of “community college” fool you - AHC is a large, successful school with a myriad of proclaimed programs. The campus is comprised of multiple buildings that sprawl across five city blocks, the center of which is a nearly one hundred year old, four story library. The first floor of this library has been converted into a registration and counseling center, and much of the building has been renovated and modernized with computers and key card access. Parking is meager, but shuttle passes are included in tuition fees!

Disc Go Round

For those who prefer the physical sleekness of a vinyl record over a Spotify playlist, Disc Go Round is a slice of heaven. This record store may appear to be small from the outside, but inside these brick walls are perhaps thousands of records, from big names to those less well known, in nearly every genre one’s heart might desire. In the back of the store, a small space is occasionally cleared out for local bands to put on Saturday night gigs, and wall space is often taken up by art (for sale!) by locals.

Elysian

If you spend enough time in Alder Heights, it won’t take long to find out about Elysian. A drag bar with only one dress code requirement - dress to party - this establishment puts on dazzling, energizing shows with talented queens on the weekends. The dance floor is often crowded, pulsing with music and colorful flashing lights, and the better you tip your servers, the better they’ll pour your rounds.

Griffin Stadium

Somewhat aging but well-loved, Griffin Stadium is built to withstand massive crowds that flock in for football games, concerts, and the occasional circus show. Flanking the fringes of the building are a handful of restaurants and retail spaces, which are open even when the stadium is not hosting an event.

IKEA

Come on, it’s an IKEA. This store is absolutely massive, and beyond the checkout area, customers are greeted by a sprawling assortment of room examples, from kitchens to bedrooms. Everything in these rooms is tagged with names and prices to be more easily found in other areas of the store, whether it’s that cool Maximera kitchen cabinet or the Hampen rug that would look amazing in your bedroom. Just try not to get lost.

Joe's Hole

A secret hole in the wall type of restaurant with a run-down exterior hiding the fact that this is just about the best and most authentic Italian food you can get in Ridgefield County, hands down. Cooked with love. Kids under 12 eat free!

Lotus

Owner: Safiya Farouk (view refs)
Lotus' ground floor is a shop packed with crystals and other arcane supplies, jewelry, bohemian clothing, Egypt-inspired home decor, and even a side room for fortune telling! Beneath the shop lies an unexpected twist: a basement bar and hookah lounge. Enjoy dozens of hookah flavors, good drinks, and lively music at the small dance floor.

Ridgefield Planetarium

Owner: Beauregard Bertrand
Featuring extra evening hours for late night visitors, Ridgefield Planetarium's interior is lit with cool blue and violet hues, a soothing atmosphere for its many rotating exhibits on the cosmos. From classic paintings of the heavens to high tech hands-on displays to stargazing with a massive telescope, the planetarium offers something for everyone. The experience culminates in a 360 degree theater dome at the center displaying a rotating view of the night sky between documentary showings.

Spider Books

Owner: Andie Miles
Opened in 2019, this small cat-café bookstore is named after the proprietor’s friendly black cat, Spider, who you might find sitting on a pile of books in one corner of the shop. The feminist establishment has an agreement with a local animal shelter, so most days you will find cats of all ages roaming through the shop that are available for adoption. A percentage of sales goes towards a different charity each month, and the shop is often host to book signings and other small literature events on weekends. Come for the books, leave with a kitten! Or bring your own furry friend while you curl up with a good book and a hot cup of coffee.