Spend a night out on the (Bean)town

Checking in on Boston’s nightlife scene

View of Zakim bridge, Custom House tower, and Boston skyline at night

Could Boston become more of a late-night destination? | Photo by @donnys.photography

Over the past year, Boston has been pushing to revitalize the city — especially downtown — by introducing free community programming like “Boston Together Again” and identifying alternative uses for public spaces like City Hall Plaza.

The latest push for re-energizing Boston? Creating a new and improved nightlife scene. Enter: Boston’s new director of nightlife economy, aka the “late-night czar.”

Jamaica Plain resident Corean Reynolds is stepping into the position to help make our city’s nightlife options more accessible and equitable.

She plans to explore options like adding more activity-based bars (think: Flight Club + Puttshack) and pop-up events like the Little Saigon night market in Dorchester.

Paramount sign in downtown Boston. — Head downtown to experience the heart of Boston’s theater scene. | Photo by @thechrisdk

While we’re waiting to see how our local nightlife scene evolves, here are a few recommendations for spending a night out on the town.

🍽️ Grab a late-night bite: Check out Bova’s Bakery or South Street Diner for treats and eats available 24/7. If you’re hungry for more, find eight other spots that stay open late.

🎤 Catch a show: Laugh along to a comedy act at Improv Asylum or Laugh Boston, with weekend shows running until ~midnight, or snag tickets to see a musical or play in the Theater District.

🍻 Sip on a drink: Sneak over to a speakeasy like Yvonne’s and Mariel, or drink in the history at Boston’s historic pubs like the Bell in Hand Tavern (open until 2 a.m.).

💃 Hit the dance floor: Grab your group and dance the night away at a high-energy nightclub like Club Cafe, The Grand, or Royale.

🎵 Enjoy live music: Head to D’s Keys for a dueling piano show, pay a visit to the historic Wally’s Jazz Club, or jam out to bluegrass and traditional Irish sessions at The Bebop.

What would improve Boston’s nightlife?

A. Expanded MBTA hours
B. More late-night restaurants and bars
C. Free evening events
D. All of the above
E. Other

LET US KNOW

Click here to have your event featured.

Friday, Feb. 24

Buds in the Neighborhood | Friday, Feb. 24 | 9 p.m. | Cheeky Monkey Brewing Co., 3 Lansdowne St., Boston | Free | Tables are first come, first served to hear live music by Colours in Dub and shop local vendors Rooted In, Rove, and Bailey’s Buds.

Saturday, Feb. 25

Winter Family Day | Saturday, Feb. 25 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | MIT Welcome Center, 292 Main St., Cambridge | Free | The third annual MIT event will feature hands-on STEAM activities, live local performances, games, and food trucks.
Nubian Square Youth Ball | Saturday, Feb. 25 | 6-9 p.m. | Bruce Bolling Municipal Building, 2300 Washington St., Roxbury | $15-$30 | The formal dance + dinner event for Boston’s youth will have live music, tasty food, and plenty of photo ops.

Sunday, Feb. 26

PKL IPA by Night Shift Launch Party | Sunday, Feb. 26 | 2-5 p.m. | 64 C St., Boston | Free to attend | Celebrate the launch of the pickleball company’s limited edition beer with Night Shift Brewing at this South Boston soiree.
All Black Everything | Sunday, Feb. 26 | 2-6 p.m. | National Center of Afro-American Artists, 300 Walnut Ave., Roxbury | Free | Help the City of Boston close out Black History Month at this celebration with refreshments, live music, and poetry readings.

Friday, March 3

Harpoon St. Patrick’s Festival | Friday, Mar. 3-Saturday, Mar. 4 | Times vary | Harpoon Brewery, 306 Northern Ave., Boston | $35-$60 | Enjoy live traditional Irish music by Boston’s best cover bands + plenty of Harpoon beer under heated tents in Boston’s Seaport district.*

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

Weather

37º | Cloudy | 20% chance of rain

Coming Soon

A New York-based members-only dining club is headed to Boston. Tasting Collective is partnering with local eateries like Batifol to host monthly private dinner events — the April restaurant partner will be announced next month. 🍽️ (Eater Boston)

Traffic

Good news for drivers: the state announced a shorter than expected Sumner Tunnel closure for this summer. The tunnel connecting Boston to Logan Airport will be closed from July 5-Aug. 31. 🚗 (NBC 10)

Civic

Five local nonprofits are receiving $50,000 in mini-grants from the city to fund initiatives that promote citizenship. Organizations like Project Citizenship and Agencia ALPHA plan to use the funding for citizenship classes, education, and outreach programs.

Theater

The American Repertory Theater is set to host the world premiere of a musical adaptation of “The Great Gatsby” in 2024. The new production will feature music by Florence + the Machine’s Florence Welch — stay tuned for ticket information. 🎭

Holiday

Boston will recognize Lunar New Year as an official city holiday beginning Feb. 10, 2024. Celebrated by many Asian cultures, Lunar New Year traditionally starts on the second new moon after the winter solstice. (WBUR)

History

Looking for weekend plans? The Red Sox have partnered with the Museum of African American History to offer free museum admission + tours through Sunday, Feb. 26. Read up on the Beacon Hill museum and other local spots on the Black Heritage Trail.

Health

Boston Medical Center will end its addiction services program at the Roundhouse Suites hotel by Friday, March 31 due to a lack of funding. The center will continue to provide addiction treatment + harm reduction services at the hospital and through the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. (WBUR)

Film

BetMassachusetts shared a ranking of the 10 best movies filmed in our state, with “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” taking the lead and “Good Will Hunting” next in line. Let us know if you agree with the ranking — and if you need a refresher on movies that filmed in our area, we’ve got you covered. 🎬

Plan Ahead

Let’s Talk Womxn plans to kick off Women’s History Month with a culinary tasting event in Back Bay. The collaboration of 15 women-owned restaurants will feature local spots like Remnant Brewing, Urban Grape, and Boston Harbor Distillery. Get all the details + snag tickets. (Boston Globe)

Finance

This Princeton grad’s startup raised $161 million to help people plan for retirement — and its free tool can match you with up to three vetted financial advisors serving your area who can help you work towards financial freedom. Try it out for yourself.*

Number

55°. That’s the optimal temperature for storing wine. So unless you enjoy keeping your humble abode chilled year round, we recommend buying a wine fridge to foster favorable conditions for long-term aging. Our pick: this sleek wine fridge with touch-panel control and capacity for 24 bottles. Cheers. 🍷 *

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

Are you faster than the MBTA? 🚊

Are you faster than the MBTA?

Red Line train moving over a Boston bridge

Time your next jog and see if you’re faster than a Boston train. | Photo by @ckelley1989

As it turns out, you don’t need to be a Boston Marathon runner to outpace parts of the MBTA.

The Boston Globe recently obtained data on our transit system’s ongoing slow zones, which showed eight spots along the Green Line where the average Bostonian would give the T a run for its money.

Here are a few of the stations where trains are chugging along at a slower-than-normal pace:

Fenway: Westbound Green Line trains are moving at three miles per hour by this station — meaning a brisk walk would likely be quicker.
Packards Corner: Trains passing by the intersection of Commonwealth and Brighton avenues are traveling at six miles per hour — a pace you might be able to beat on your next jog.
Assembly and Wellington: For one half-mile between these two Orange Line stations, trains are restricted to speeds of 25 miles per hour — aka the Boston speed limit for drivers.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Sara.

Editor’s pick: Allow me to share a few Internet moments that made me chuckle this week: Fenway Park’s surprising new name on Apple Maps, Merriam-Webster admitting that Massachusetts is “wicked hard to spell,” and a very Boston pahking garage.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Here’s a list of local venues for those hearing wedding bells. 💍

Connect with us.

Editorial: Jessica Burton, Sara Frazier, Josh Kranzberg, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Peter Baldassare | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

ADVERTISE | SHOP | CAREERS | ETHICS

Did a friend forward this free newsletter to you?