USC needs more bars. AI imagined them for us
Seven ideas to cure our infamously dry neighborhood.
Tomo Chien & Sophie Sullivan
January 16, 2026
USC, once ranked America’s number-one party school, has shockingly few drink options near campus.
There’s Rock and Reilly’s, perhaps the only reliable pick, but it gets old and isn’t a spot for a date night. The tab at Bacari can’t fit a college budget, and the 901 might as well be an official USC institution — but only on Wednesday nights.
So it was hardly a surprise when, on Wednesday, a crowd of more than 300 bar-goers forced Rock’s to shut down.
“Use your time here at USC to dream and dream big," former President Carol Folt once implored of students.
That we did. Using our brand-new access to ChatGPT EDU, we visualized the campus bars that we’ve always yearned for.
Ministry of Coffee as German beer garden
Mudd Hall as outdoor wine bar
La Barca with bar seating
We feel this is actually practicable.
Spudnuts, WeHo-ified
Bacari but everybody signs an NDA
Because you can’t go on a first date without seeing everybody you know.
Double-decker Shryft party bus
QUADRUPLE-DECKER ROCK AND REILLY’S
Try shutting THIS party down.
Tomo Chien can be reached at [email protected].