As much as we sometimes fear it, change is natural. As we waited to see the changes that were coming to 308 University Ave. (former site of Hamburger Mary’s), many of us expressed different sentiments. Some worried that the comfortable restaurant, bar and club they had become so familiar with would lose its feel. Others told me they worried that a new name just couldn’t capture the essence of what Hamburger Mary’s was. And some waited with excitement and anticipation, doing everything they could to be sneaky and find out what the new name of one of our favorite spots would be.

Well, the long-anticipated day finally came! Sept. 13 marked the beginning of a new era for the building at 308 University Ave. By now, most of you know that Hamburger Mary’s is now Urban Mo’s Bar & Grill. Owner Chris Shaw and his staff have done a great job with the upgrades to the place, while still maintaining the feeling and atmosphere that Hamburger Mary’s had become known for in its 15 years of operation.

If you haven’t been since the “reinvention,” be sure to swing by. The new red and black décor is fabulous, the outside bar has been upgraded and looks great, and there’s even an area in the back of the patio with cabanas! The crowds continue to pack Urban Mo’s, and the nights we’ve become so fond of remain: the ever-popular Detour on Sunday night, Noches Calientes on Monday, Liquid Skyy Lounge and dance on Tuesday and Trash Disco Wednesday, as well as country nights Thursday through Saturday and the SKIN dance party on the second Friday of every month.

We popped by Mo’s for the grand opening and had a blast! The place was packed, and everyone was excited about San Diego’s new hotspot. Check it out! Visit www.urbanmos.com to get a glimpse of the new look, view the Web cam to see who’s there or just to find out what a ’mo is!

I felt so underdressed. Hillcrest was the center of fashion on Sept. 9. Two very fashionable events were going on in two locations that evening, within steps of each other. Our first stop was to May*Star’s Club Fashion Whore at the San Diego Sports Club. This twice-monthly indie fashion show, costume contest and electroclash trash dance party is definitely something to take in. Off the beaten path of our regular bar and club circuit, we checked out the “Back to School” party. The place was packed with hot boys and girls dressed in their best – and sometimes naughtiest – “school boy” and “school girl” costumes. We enjoyed meeting new people while running into some familiar faces. The San Diego Sports Club is certainly a dive bar, but Fashion Whore brings life to this place. And, best of all, I got groped by naughty school teacher Veronica Fake. If you want to check out Club Fashion Whore sometime, visit www.clubfashionwhore.com for information about the next party’s theme.

Just down the street at Rich’s was Fashionista. This was September’s Donkey Punch party. The club was packed with people of all kinds of fabulousness. My friend and I just planned to step in for a few minutes, as we had to check out this event advertised as “Fashionista… A revolution is coming.” We had to see what all the hype was about. The beautiful boys and girls were everywhere. The music by DJ Nikno was hot, and the runway shows kept us eager for more. The alternative fashions coupled with boys in skimpy underwear meant our eyes had plenty to feast on! Donkey Punch is scheduled to hold a party each month at Rich’s, and they have tentatively scheduled the next event for Saturday, Oct. 14. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next! Visit www.myspace.com/donkeypunchsd for more information.

It’s nice to have alternatives like this on our nightlife agenda; spices things up a bit. I’m already getting my costume ready for the next events!

Speaking of alternatives, why not hop on the trolley, get off at San Diego State University and check out Louie’s Suds N’ Sun in the SDSU Aztec Center? Now that school’s back in session, the boys – I mean students – are back on campus, and the sun is not the only thing that’s hot. Now, I don’t recommend wearing your rainbow boas to this bar, but it’s definitely worth checking out. Not only can you get a few beers for a few bucks, you can sit outside on the patio and observe an endless parade of hotties passing by on their way to class. Recently, a national magazine designated SDSU as having some of the hottest girls in the nation. But in my book, it’s all about the boys on this campus.

On a recent Thursday afternoon visit to Louie’s, my ’mo’s and I grabbed a few beers and chatted it up with some straight boys, who shared with us more than we ever thought we’d hear from them. After they discovered we were gay (well, that didn’t take much discovering), they felt pressed to tell us about all of their little frat boy antics. But this is a bar column, not an erotic novel, so we’ll stop it there…

It’s nice to know we have alternatives to the usual. Yes, we have some of the best bars and clubs around, but every once in awhile it’s nice to try something different, fashionable – or straight. We also need to accept and embrace the changes that our regular bar owners make to provide us the best possible experience. It’s great living in a place that provides so many choices for our nightlife fun. See you out there!

Hard to believe, but the popular Club Papi is already four years old! Celebrate this milestone on Saturday, Oct. 7, at Rich’s. Along with the usual fabulous giveaways, sexy Papi dancers and drink specials, this month’s party will feature old-school house music legend Robin S., direct from Atlanta, as well as DJ Carlitos (S.F.) spinning in the main room and DJ 4Play (L.A.) in the hip-hop room. Adding to the ambience will be an amazing laser and fog show, so make sure your destination on Oct. 7 is Rich’s!

It’s a few weeks away, but start planning now to see DJ Tracy Young perform at Bacchus House on Saturday, Oct. 14, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This is one world-class DJ you don’t want to miss!

Send your comments or venue/event information to editor@uptownpub.com.