Depends on where you are. Out west the raves are the places to go...they are promoted and produced with care, and people know how to enjoy themselves... Here in miami, the cops loathe raves, so you have to retreat to the clubs (if you can't prove you're 21+, you're SOL) but once inside the clubs, the cops don't give a shìt....here anytime someone throws a rave, it's full of passed out kids and piles of people on the floor who can't handle their drugs. I'd much rather hang out in a semi-sophisticated environment where if you pass out, you get tossed out. Plus, most of the places worth going to here have top notch (Phazon Inc-configured or EAW Avalon) sound systems and state of the art (LWR, Coherent lasers) lighting arrays.
Though I imagine this response is going to be followed up with the usual 'clubs are meat markets' response. I won't lie to you, living in miami, we've got shìtloads of beautiful women, and from what girls tell me the guys around here aren't that bad. So yeah, you go to a south beach nightclub and there's people out for a score, but you get a good percentage of people out for a good time...it all balances out. I'll gladly admit to going out though, and unwittingly finding myself with some company for the evening...
. The next thing I imagine you'll bitch about too is the dress codes..yeah they exist, but it's not as if you gotta wear versace to get in. It helps of course, but if you manage to look halfway decent, it's not a problem...and yes you can look halfway decent and still be very comfortable.
So watch it before you generalize us clubbin' folk