Editing Boston (section)

==Boston Nightlife==
Like any city, Boston is brimming with clubs and bars. Asking 10 different Bostonians for the best of these will elicit 10 different answers, as tastes vary greatly. Downtown establishments tend to be pricier and dressier, with more mainstream music. The Boston CSers tend to avoid these establishments in favor of smaller venues, where the [[:wikipedia:Cover_charge|cover]] (door fee to enter a club) and drinks tend to be cheaper and the music better. For those interested in catching a live band, Boston has several world-class clubs that are institutions, as well as newer places to catch a big touring band or a small local gig. 

=== A warning to minors ===
'''A warning about the legal drinking age restrictions on nightlife in Boston''' - The [[:wikipedia:National_Minimum_Drinking_Age_Act_of_1984|legal drinking age in the USA]] is 21 years old. Depending on what city or bar or part of the country, you might find places where this law is not enforced. However, Boston is ''not'' one of those places. '''You should always bring your international passport with you if you are going out at night'''. For many places, even a government issued national ID card may not be accepted, but an EU Driver's License may work. An ID not issued by the government, such as a student ID, will ''never'' be accepted. In some places, you may be allowed in without proper ID, but the bartender will not sell you an alcoholic drink. The reason for such strict enforcement of this law in Boston is due to the fact that if a bar or club loses its [[wikipedia:Liquor_license|Liquor License]] temporarily, it may very well have to go out of business, as rent is expensive in Boston, and a loss of the license to serve alcohol can be devastating to their revenues. Add to the fact that Boston is a big college city with many people under the age of 21 looking to get drunk, the bar owners in this city find it better "to be safe than sorry" when it comes to checking your legal drinking age. You have been warned! If you are under the age of 21, we have made a list of [[#Under_21| nightlife possibilities Boston that are 18+.]]

=== Local Event Listing Websites ===
Several web sites list what is happening in the city, and recommend promising events:

*[http://thephoenix.com/Boston/Events/Search/ Boston Phoenix Listings]
*[http://digboston.com/ Weekly Dig]
*[http://www.last.fm/events/+place/United+States/Boston Last.Fm Music Event Listings]
*[http://www.lemmingtrail.com/events/ Lemmingtrail.com]
*[http://salsaboston.com/cg/index.cgi?action=searchbylocation Salsa Boston Calendar Listing]
*[http://www.meetup.com/BostonFrenchConversationGroup/ Boston French Conversation Club Events]
*[http://www.tourfilter.com/boston/homepage Tourfilter Boston Concert List]

If you are looking for something special or less common, such as Gay clubs or a Trance night, you should check out [http://www.yelp.com/boston Yelp!] as your best resource. By reading reviews rather than just ratings, you can decide whether the place will suit you. You could also seek advice on rare nightlife events by asking the Boston CS Group of course, as well.

=== Boston Couchsurfing Events=== 
The [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=664 Boston CS group] often posts gatherings, meetups, and other events several nights a week, and they are open to everyone (generally, except for bars which are 21+).

===Cambridge and Somerville=== 
Much like diverse Cambridge itself, you can find a little bit of everything in the bars and clubs across the Charles River from Boston. Top spots depend on the night of the week and personal taste, as many venues have different themes on different nights.

* ''Central Square'' - [http://www.mideastclub.com/ The Middle East] and [http://www.ttthebears.com/ TT the Bear's], the [http://phoenixlandingbar.com/nightclub.html Phoenix Landing], [http://www.yelp.com/biz/brick-and-mortar-cambridge-3 Brick and Mortar], [http://www.middlesexlounge.us/ Middlesex Lounge], [http://www.mideastclub.com/zuzu/index.html ZuZu], and [http://www.rivergodsonline.com/entertainment.htm River Gods] in Central Square. 
* ''Kendall Square'' - check out [http://www.thinktankcambridge.com/ Think Tank], [http://lordhobo.com/ Lord Hobo] and [http://www.cambrew.com/ CBC].
* ''Porter Square'' - further out on the T's Red Line, has [http://www.toadcambridge.com/ Toad]. 
* ''Davis Square'' - close to Tufts University. Check out Orleans, Foundry, Johnny D's, [http://www.saloondavis.com/ Saloon], The Burren, and Sligo.
* ''Inman Square'' - is a section of Cambridge and Somerville with many independent bars, restaurants and cafes, including [http://www.rylesjazz.com/ Ryles Jazz Club] (also, salsa), Bukowski's Tavern for beer lovers, and Atwood's Tavern for roots music. 
* ''Union Square'' - Many laid back bars with live music fill this small area, including the Independent, [http://www.backbarunion.com/ Backbar], Precinct, PA's Lounge, Sally O'Brien's and Razzy's.

Central Square, Harvard Square and Davis Square stations on the Red Line all are good bets if you simply exit the station and walk around looking for these establishments.

===Landsdowne / Fenway Park area=== 
Many, many sports bars and a bowling alley with billiards (Jillian's and Boston Billiards) anchor this mainstream bar scene. In one of Boston's usual incongruities, a leather-and-vinyl Gay/Fetish club ([http://www.ramrod-boston.com/ Ramrod], [http://www.machine-boston.com/ The Machine]) and punk-rock/metal venue ([http://www.churchofboston.com/ Church]) are located nearby, along with the recently built [http://www.houseofblues.com/venues/clubvenues/boston/ House of Blues] featuring medium-to-big-name music acts. Cover charges on weekends are likely for clubs and bars. Kenmore Station on the Green Line.

===Boylston Street / Back Bay=== 
The actual street "Boylston Street" is a very long street that stretches for many miles. Here, we are just describing the Back Bay neighborhood portion of this road. If you talk about the "Boylston Street Bars" to a local, they'll understand it to be this part of the street. It starts with the hipster-esque [http://www.theothersidecafe.com/ Otherside Cafe] at the westernmost edge that you can see from Hynes Station (Green Line). It then continues with many "college bars" in the west end, such as the [http://www.pourhouseboston.com Pour House] and Lir, and gradually gets more and more upscale with sleek martini bars, the further eastward as you get closer to downtown. There are a few similar bars on Newbury Street (parallel with Boylston). One notable standout is the tiny, but very popular [http://wallyscafe.com/ Wally's Jazz Cafe] (Mass Ave, Orange Line, or a 15 minute walk from Hynes). [http://www.rattlesnakebar.com/ Rattlesnake Bar] is notable for its roof deck, and is at the Arlington Station end of the stretch. Hynes, Copley and Arlington Stations on the Green Line.

===Faneuil Hall / North Station === 
''Disclosure: The authors of this wiki page are biased, especially about this nightlife area.'' Home to many sports bars and "Irish" (dubious) establishments, Faneuil Hall and the nearby North Station area have numerous bars to check out. The crowds here could be called the Bostonian equivalent of the ''[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bridge%20and%20tunnel%20crowd NYC Bridge and Tunnel Crowd]'', and the atmosphere is often gets referred to as a ''[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=meat-market Meat Market]''. This is the nightlife area of Boston that regional [http://www.thefreedictionary.com/suburbanites suburbanites], ''[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cougar cougars]'', hapless tourists, docked [http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=74280 sailors], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraternities_and_sororities fraternity brothers and sorority sisters] frequent the most. Sadly, for these crowds, Fanueil Hall is synonymous to them with "Boston Nightlife." The music choice is usually uninspired top 40 hits, although you may find decent real live Irish music at the [http://www.blackroseboston.com/ Black Rose] bar. Expect stricter dress codes, unfriendly waitstaff, overpriced drinks, attitude, heavily-groomed women and men (right next to the crude and unrefined), lots perfume and cologne, lines, cover charges, and overly-drunk fellow patrons. As you may have already figured out, this area is at the bottom of the list of CS recommended nightlife areas for a visitor to the city - but perhaps this is exactly the kind of place you enjoy most - we're not stopping you from checking it out anyways. Haymarket Station on the Orange Line, Government Center on the Green Line.

===Downtown=== 
Located in the theatre district, and the "The Alley" area, as well as the Downtown Crossing areas, you'll find the larger electronic music venues / nightclubs that aspire to bring a little bit of Miami or NYC to Boston. The more notable venues are [http://royaleboston.com/ Royale], [http://underbarsuperlounge.com/ Underbar], [http://downultralounge.com/ Down Ultra Lounge], [http://www.mydnnwebsite.com/felt/Home.aspx Felt], [http://www.libertyhotel.com/food_and_drink/liberty_bar.html Liberty Bar/Hotel], [http://www.theestateboston.com/ The Estate]. A particular club/bar stands apart from the rest, [http://www.goodlifebar.com/ Good Life], which tends to be less upscale and draws in more up-and-coming indie/underground DJ acts to it's downstairs section. In most all of these venues, dress codes are definite, cover charges are always high ($10-$20), you will wait in line 30 minutes to get in, and drinks are expensive and generally weak. Boston CSers generally consider these venues too expensive and "fake posh" to be worth visiting regularly. The truth is that Boston just doesn't have the kind of expensive, exclusive, fashionable and fancy clubs like NYC or Miami, yet the venues in this area do try to pretend that they are (as do their clientele). However, big name top electronic music artists do come through these clubs, so you can't always avoid them. Boylston Station or Park Street Station on the Green Line, or Downtown Crossing on the Orange Line.

===Allston / Brighton=== 
Home to mostly smaller, grittier rock venues. Colloquially known as "Allston Rock City", check out [http://www.commongroundallston.com/ Common Ground], [http://www.brightonmusichall.com/ Brighton Music Hall] (née Harper's Ferry), [http://www.greatscottboston.com/ Great Scott] and [http://www.wonderbarboston.com/ Wonderbar]. Dress codes are unlikely, although cover charges for live music are typically cheap ($5-$15). At the easternmost edge is also [http://www.thedise.com/ Paradise Rock Club] that features many good indie bands, although tickets are usually required to be purchased ahead of time. The best place for beer in the city is also here - [http://www.allstonsfinest.com/allstonsfinest/sunsetgrillandtap/sunsetgrill&tap.swf Sunset Grille] sports over 100 beers on draught (tap) and nearly 300 bottles to pick from. Above this is [http://www.allstonsfinest.com/allstonsfinest/bigcity/bigcity.swf Big City], a large billiards/foosball hall. Harvard Ave Station on the Green B line, and then walk north 5-10 minutes on Harvard Avenue. '''Warning''' - this area is not typically covered or included on downtown tourist maps! '''Finding public parking spaces in this area is ''very'' difficult''', so look at a map and take a bus route like the [http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/bus/routes/?route=66 #66], or consider taking a taxi from somewhere nearby instead - a cab fare will certainly be cheaper than a parking ticket ($40) or being towed ($150+).

===Gay / Lesbian / Bi / Trans / Drag=== 
Rather than listing this as an area, the typical top venues for alternative GLBT nightlife are to be found at [http://www.ramrod-boston.com/ Ramrod]/[http://www.machine-boston.com/ Machine] (Fenway), [http://www.riseclub.us/ RISE], [http://www.cluboberon.com/ Oberon], and [http://www.yelp.com/biz/club-cafe-boston Club Cafe] (Back Bay/Bay Village), [http://www.midwaycafe.com/ Midway Cafe] and [http://www.milkywayjp.com/ The Milky Way] (Jamaica Plain), and [http://www.paradisecambridge.com/ Paradise] (Cambridge). Note that the "Paradise" bar in Cambridge is not the same as the large rock venue in Allston called Paradise Rock Club. Many other venues have special gay theme nights one or more nights a week. Most of these places are certainly not fully GLBT (except perhaps Ramrod) - "straight" Bostonians frequent these nightspots too, to see musical acts and top DJs, or just to be with their friends. Spend some time on [http://www.yelp.com/boston yelp.com] to be certain of which nights and venues you choose to visit. Another neat option is [http://bostonguerrilla.com/ Boston Guerrilla Queer Bar], which is a group of people that "crash" a random bar and make it "full of queers" for one night a week. Luckily, searching for a gay night or club in Boston is a choice, as the city is generally open and accepting. You're much more likely to be heckled for wearing a NY Yankees piece of clothing. Worth noting is that the South End neighborhood is known as the most "gay" neighborhood, and Jamaica Plain as the most "lesbian", respectively. While many bars/venues in these areas will generally have an above average amount of LGBT patrons, they are not necessarily "known" as "top" homosexual destinations. In fact, both the South End and JP each are very diverse places with something for everyone, so don't exclude or include these areas just on these facts alone.

=== Under 21 ===

As an under-21 year old in Boston, you'll find it very frustrating at how few options there are for nightlife. Read "[[#A_warning_to_minors|a warning to minors]]" to understand the situation. We feel bad about this and want to make sure you have some ideas for things to do as an "underage" visitor in Boston! Some of the rock shows are "all ages" (under 18 is okay) - be sure to read the event listings carefully ahead of time. A general tip is that many "rock" (indie) shows are 18+, but nightclubs or bars with dance/djs are 21+.

*[http://www.facebook.com/glowbostonlive Glow Boston] Think Tank in Kendall Square hosts an 18+ dance night on Thursday nights called Glow Boston Live.
*[http://www.facebook.com/#!/throwedboston Throwed] BPM regularly hosts 18+ electronic dance nights around Boston at a variety of venues.
*[http://www.cluboberon.com/ Oberon] Oberon tends to hold LGBT/Burlesque/Alt lifestyle shows and events. Check for specific nights, for example, [http://www.cluboberon.com/events/junk Junk] is an 18+ gay night.
*[[#Boston_Couchsurfing_Events|Boston Couchsurfing Events]] Check the Boston CS events - we try to pick venues that allow 18+.
*[http://phoenixlandingbar.com/ Phoenix Landing] - Drum n Bass and other electronic music nights are often 19+ (but never on Friday or Saturday, for sure!). Central Square, Cambridge, Red Line.
*[http://www.yelp.com/biz/bills-bar-and-lounge-boston Bill's Bar] - Bill's Bar hosts several 18+ rock music and dance nights. Kenmore Square, Green Line. Check their schedule to be sure.
*[http://www.jilliansboston.com/ Jillian's Boston] - Billards, Bowling and Sports Bar. Huge venue. Sunday-Thursday before 8pm is all ages, after 8pm, 18+. Friday & Saturdays before 8pm is all ages, after 8pm, 21+. If you enter before 8pm, they are unlikely to tell you to leave after 8pm. Kenmore Square, Green Line.
*[http://www.mideastclub.com Middle East Rock Club] - Many of the indie rock shows at the Middle East are 18+. Central Square, Cambridge, Red Line.
*[http://www.thedise.com Paradise Rock Club] - Paradise and Paradise Lounge often have rock shows or dance nights that are 18+. Many shows sell out, so you may need to purchase tickets ahead of time to ensure entrance. Pleasant or Babcock Street station, Green B Line.
*[http://www.greatscottboston.com/ Great Scott] - Some of the live rock shows here are 18+. Harvard Ave Station, Green B Line.
*[http://www.cambridgebrewingcompany.com Cambridge Brewing Company] - This is the bar/restaurant that Boston CS often has meetups. Under 21+ are allowed to enter, but may not purchase alcohol from the bar. Don't bother to come here if it is not a CS meetup, though. Kendall Square Station, Red Line.
*[http://www.riseclub.us Rise Night Club] - Because RISE is only open after hours, they do not serve alcohol, and therefore welcome 18+ people into their club. Note that you need to be on their guestlist or go as a guest of a member to enter. Getting on the guest list for a particular event isn't usually hard, as they allow you to do so from facebook.com, however expect to pay more money to enter (nearly $20) as a non-member. Plan ahead of time, as you cannot just "show up" at the door. Arlington Station, Back Bay, Green Line.