The many faces of hot and happening Hub
nightlife
by Josh B. Wardrop
For Dancing Fools
Whether you consider yourself a
modern-day Johnny Castle or more closely
resemble Elaine Benes when you shake your
groove thang, it doesn’t change the fact
that a night on the dance floor is good for
what ails you. One popular spot in Boston
for showing off fancy footwork is
The Alley (Boylston Place), a
cluster of nightclubs in the Theatre
District that includes The Estate, Suite
and Sweetwater Café. Nearby is
Rise (306 Stuart St., 617-423-7473), a
Hub curiosity not only because it doesn’t
serve alcohol (often a necessary element in
eliciting dancing) but also because it stays
open until 6:30 a.m.
Also try: Redline (59 JFK St., Cambridge, 617-491-9851); The Roxy (279 Tremont St., 617-338-7699); Rumor and Venu (100 Warrenton St., 617-422-0045, 617-338-8061); An Tua Nua (835 Beacon St., 617-262-2121).
A Good Laugh
The Boston comedy scene
isn’t what it was in the 1980s when it
produced folks like Denis Leary, Jay Leno,
Steven Wright and others, but there’s still
no shortage of places to garner some
giggles.
The Comedy Connection at the Wilbur Theatre
brings in national headliners like Joan
Rivers and Joel McHale,
The Comedy Studio hosts some of the
region’s top up-and-comers experimenting
with new material nightly, and the creative
Improv Asylum troupe plays off
audience feedback, ensuring you never see
the same show twice.
Also try: ImprovBoston, Dick Doherty’s Comedy Vault, Tommy’s Comedy Lounge (74 Warrenton St., 617-426-6912).
Fun and Games
In already sports-crazy
Boston, October and November find the
excitement level reaching fever pitch. With
the Red Sox in the playoffs, and the
Patriots, Celtics and Bruins seasons all
underway, sports fans have at least one game
to watch practically every night, and the
city abounds with fun, high-energy spots in
which to watch them. Fans who can’t get a
seat for a playoff game at Fenway Park can
try the next best thing—sleek and sexy
sports bar/nightclub
Game On! and casual bar/restaurant
Bleacher Bar, both located within
Fenway Park itself. Across the street from
Fenway, the
Cask ‘N Flagon (refer to listing,
page 61) draws enthusiastic crowds to eat,
drink, dance and watch sports, while
Allston’s
Sports Depot (353 Cambridge St.,
617-783-2300) is a sprawling sports bar
packed with plasma TVs perfect for watching
all the pro and college action anytime.
Also try: Champions (Marriott Copley Place, 2nd level, 110 Huntington Ave., 617-927-5304); McGreevy’s (911 Boylston St., 617-262-0911); The Four’s (166 Canal St., 617-720-4455); The Baseball Tavern (1270 Boylston St., 617-867-6526).
Lounging Around
As we all know, chatting,
flirting and drinking can be exhausting. So
it’s no wonder that the hottest concept in
nightlife these days is lounges—the comfy
couches and soft mood lighting have made
leisure time relaxing again. In the South
End, 28 Degrees (1 Appleton St.,
617-728-0728) offers an appropriately chill
atmosphere as well as funky two-way mirrors
in the restrooms. Boston’s newest lounge,
Splash Ultra-Lounge and Burger Bar (150
Kneeland St., 617-426-6397) brings a touch
of Miami/Vegas vibe to Beantown with its
roofdeck, complete with mini-pool. The
Foundation Lounge (500 Commonwealth
Ave., 617-859-9900) brings an air of
sophistication to Red Sox-centric Kenmore
Square, and
Gypsy Bar lures Boston’s many
international students and singles out to
see, be seen and hook up in a stylish and
sultry setting.
Also try: Alibi Lounge (215 Charles St., 857-241-1144); Daisy Buchanan’s (240 Newbury St., 617-247-8516); Match (94 Massachusetts Ave., 617-247-9922); Whiskey Park (64 Arlington St., 617-542-1482); Felt; The Living Room; District (180 Lincoln St., 617-426-0180).
You’re the Star
Few nightlife activities
inspire such polarizing opinions as the art
of karaoke: either you can’t get enough of
taking your turn in the spotlight belting
out your favorite tunes, or there’s nothing
less appealing to you than suffering through
another toneless rendition of “Don’t Stop
Believin’.” If you’re in the former camp,
you’ll want to check out
Limelight, which offers onstage
performance Thursday–Saturday, as well as
private studio space nightly. Or if you’re
more pub singer than “American idol”
wannabe, try the British tavern
Elephant & Castle on Saturday
evenings, choose from more than 120,000
songs and let ’er rip!
Also try: Courtside Restaurant & Pub (291 Cambridge St., Cambridge, 617-547-4374); Bell in Hand Tavern (45 Union St., 617-227-2098).
True Brew
If your idea of a great
night out requires nothing more than some
good friends, a couple of barstools and an
unending variety of quality beers, a
must-visit is Allston’s
Sunset Grill & Tap. Proprietor/beer
nut Marc Kadish’s restaurant accentuates its
awesome food menu with the city’s biggest,
most imaginative beer selection, including
112 beers on tap and close to 400 more in
bottles. Nearby, The Publick House
(1648 Beacon St., Brookline, 617-277-2880)
prides itself on an extensive and
unconventional beer list geared toward
Belgian ales. And discerning beer drinkers
are also drawn to Deep Ellum (477
Cambridge St., Allston, 617-787-2337), a
craft beer bar named in homage to a
nightlife-heavy section of Dallas.
Also try: Boston Beer Works (112 Canal St., 617-896-2337; 61 Brookline Ave., 617-536-2337); Bukowski’s Tavern (1281 Cambridge St., Cambridge, 617-497-7077; 50 Dalton St., 617-437-9999); The Lansdowne (9 Lansdowne St., 617-247-1222); The Lower Depths Tap Room (476 Commonwealth Ave., 617-266-6662); Cambridge Brewing Company (1 Kendall Square, Cambridge, 617-494-1994).
Something Swanky
Boston isn’t a city that
stands too much on ceremony—you’re just as
likely to see nightlifers dressed in
T-shirts and jeans as in fancy cocktail
dresses. However, there are some nights when
you just want to get dolled up, and those
nights call for an appropriately classy
venue. When it comes to a fancy night out,
why not start at the top—specifically, the
Top of the Hub, a chic restaurant
located on the 52nd floor of the Prudential
Center that has the city’s best views,
gourmet cuisine and live jazz seven nights a
week. Stylish Newbury Street boasts
Sonsie, a dark and romantic
restaurant which boasts a subterranean wine
bar for cozy canoodling. In the Financial
District,
Bond Restaurant and Lounge in the
Langham Hotel is one of the city’s top new
upscale nightspots for cocktails and
people-watching. And Barbara Lynch’s
minimalist yet oh-so-classy Drink
(348 Congress St., 617-695-1806) is so chic
it doesn’t even have a cocktail
list—instead, bartenders quiz you on your
likes and dislikes before creating unique
libations to suit your taste.
Also try: The Oak Bar (Fairmont Copley Place, 138 St. James Ave., 617-267-5300); Om (92 Winthrop St., Cambridge, 617-576-2800); RumBa (Intercontinental Hotel, 510 Atlantic Ave., 617-747-1000); The Vault (105 Water St., 617-292-3355); Les Zygomates (129 South St., 617-542-5108); Eastern Standard (528 Commonwealth Ave., 617-532-9100).
Turn it up to 11
Live music lovers have
plenty of spots in Boston where they can
rock out, bebop or sing along. The
House of Blues hosts national pop,
rock and blues acts in its brand-new
Lansdowne Street location, while the
venerable
Paradise Rock Club offers intimate
exposure to up-and-coming and established
rockers. Over in Cambridge, funky mainstay
The Middle East (472/480
Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-864-3278)
provides three separate spaces for eclectic
local and national acts and
Club Passim recently celebrated 50
years of bringing top-notch folk
performances to the area. Jazz lovers can
bop to top performers at
Scullers and
Regattabar, and the divey but
friendly
Cantab Lounge (738 Massachusetts
Ave., Cambridge, 617-354-2687) hosts
everything from bluegrass to soul.
Also try: Ryles Jazz Club (212 Hampshire St., Cambridge, 617-876-9330); Johnny D’s (17 Holland St., Somerville, 617-776-2004); Lizard Lounge (1667 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-547-0759); T.T. the Bear’s (10 Brookline St., Cambridge, 617-492-0082); The Beehive; Church (69 Kilmarnock St., 617-830-1233).
And What if I Want
To...
...pick up the 7-10 split while enjoying a
Cosmopolitan? Head to
Kings in the Back Bay,
where you and your crew can engage in
ten-pin bowling, sip cocktails at DeVille
Lounge or shoot pool in the billiards room.
...ride a mechanical bull? Head over to The Liquor Store (120 Boylston St., 617-357-6800), home to the city’s only faux bovine.
...drink a scorpion bowl the size of my head? The Hong Kong in Harvard Square is known for having the best bowls in the area. Warning: share it with a friend!
...eat a cannoli at 2:45 a.m.? Follow the sweet smells of baked goods to the Italian North End neighborhood and hit up Bova Bakery (134 Salem St., 617-523-5601) which stays open 24/7 making sweet Italian pastries, breads, pizza and more.
...show off my grammar skills? Try your hand at the Tuesday night Spelling Bee at bar/restaurant Highland Kitchen (150 Highland Ave., Somerville, 617-625-1131).
...watch a bunch of silent men with blue latex heads play unique musical instruments? Best bet would be to check out Blue Man Group, with shows nightly Tuesday–Sunday at the Charles Playhouse.
...get attitude from my waitress? If you’re really in the mood to spar, Dick’s Last Resort is known for its snarky waitstaff, who are encouraged to give their customers a good-natured hard time as they chow down on bountiful food and cocktails.
...learn to Riverdance? Popular Irish pub
The Burren
(247 Elm St., Somerville, 617-776-6896)
offers traditional set dancing classes every
Monday from 8–10 p.m. Give it a whirl, and
you’ll be a regular Michael Flatley in no
time.
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