Midweek Boston nightlife, NYC Fri and Sat nightlife

KFed

Hoping for some recommendations.

8 lads, 25-28 years old, heading to Boston in September staying in Back Bay area of Boston city for four nights, Monday - Thursday, and then heading to NYC, looking like Times Square sort of area for Fri and Sat nights before heading home.

NYC accomodation isn't booked yet so open to suggestions.

We're looking for some recommendations for good bars to go to, we want to have a good time, go where there'll be a young crowd, avoid overpriced tourist traps, and there's a few singles in the group so if along the way we happen to meet some pretty American single ladies, how bad. Well, that's actually that's probably more important than anything else.

Other than that, if there's anything that's a must do or a must see for Boston or NYC that'd be great too. Preferably not a list of museums to see though.

Hazys

KFed wrote: »

Hoping for some recommendations.

8 lads, 25-28 years old, heading to Boston in September staying in Back Bay area of Boston city for four nights, Monday - Thursday, and then heading to NYC, looking like Times Square sort of area for Fri and Sat nights before heading home.

NYC accomodation isn't booked yet so open to suggestions.

We're looking for some recommendations for good bars to go to, we want to have a good time, go where there'll be a young crowd, avoid overpriced tourist traps, and there's a few singles in the group so if along the way we happen to meet some pretty American single ladies, how bad. Well, that's actually that's probably more important than anything else.

Other than that, if there's anything that's a must do or a must see for Boston or NYC that'd be great too. Preferably not a list of museums to see though.

Boston is mostly dead during the week, but the back bay is a nice area to go out, it has some really good bars and there are a few night clubs on Tremont street, no idea how lively they will be tho mid week.

Emerson and Berkley College of music are in the area so they will be just be starting up in September so maybe they will have a few parties mid week.

If you dont want to do go to the tourist traps avoid Faneuil Hall for a night out, its mostly dirty irish bars, a replica Cheers bar and such


Also if you dont want to do the tourist thing in NYC for a night out, dont go to Times Square. Go to the East Village or Greenwich Village for bars and/or the meat packing district for night clubs.

Slunk

Pacha NYC, only opens Fri / Sat as I found out the hard way, was there during the week in May and couldnt go.

http://www.pachanyc.com/

Liamo08

In NY I'd second East Village, Greenwich Village and The Meat Packing District. A couple of small areas that you could walk around and should find a few good bars are - Bleecker St. between Laquardia and MacDougal St. or Essex St. and Ludlow St. just south of E Houston St on the Lower East side.

This is a good site for finding bars in NY: http://www.newyorkontap.com/subways.asp

Slunk

Slunk wrote: »

Pacha NYC, only opens Fri / Sat as I found out the hard way, was there during the week in May and couldnt go.

http://www.pachanyc.com/

Hmmm. I was in this place once. Full of people chewing their jaws and the music was sickingly loud. Bars in NYC are way better than clubs.
Mc Sorley's old ale house is probably one of the best bars I have ever been in.

southsiderosie

There are usually people out in Cambridge and Somerville, since there is a large student population, and everyone will be coming back in September. The places listed tend to have a slightly older crowd (i.e. they are not completely overrun with undergrads, and people in their mid 20s/early30s will not want to flee immediately).

The Burren in Davis Square; the later in the week, the better. Don't eat there though; stop in at Redbone's across the street for some fairly decent Yankee Southern BBQ.

Around Harvard Square there is always a crowd in Grendel's...and in Charlie's Kitchen which is a total dive bar around the corner...so cheap...The upstairs bar (if it's open) is usually more lively, and they have tables for large groups.

The Druid in Inman Square is a cool bar, but very small. Christina's down the street has the best ice cream in town.

In Central Square, the Enormous Room above Central Kitchen actually gets decent mid-week crowds, but they ebb and flow. If you're a group of eight, you could probably stake out a whole corner though. It can be a bit hipster-y, and it is definitely not enormous. River Gods always has stuff on mid-week (and it gets too crowded on the weekend anyway).

In Boston, if there is a Red Sox game on, the bars around Fenway will be lively. Fenway is a beautiful park, and one of the Cathedrals of baseball, so if you or anyone you are traveling with are even remotely interested, try and score some tickets - there is nothing better than settling in at Fenway with a beer on a sunny afternoon. Wally's on Mass Ave has live jazz or blues every night, and is a Boston institution (go for the music, not the drinks). There are several bars within the Liberty Hotel, but this is a more chi-chi scene - leave your sneakers at home.

Wherever you are, be sure to try some of the local/regional beers. Magic Hat is particularly good, and they always have quirky seasonal beers. Cambridge Brewing Company beer is also pretty awesome, and a lot of places will have it on tap, but you can also go to the CBC itself; it's behind Kendall Square in an odd location, but it's big and they have outdoor seating. On Tuesdays, they have one-day-only beer specials. They usually get a decent after-work crowd, especially if the weather is nice.

As for activities, if it's a nice day, you can walk the Freedom Trail, and have lunch in one of the good Italian restaurants in the North End. Be sure to have a cannoli at Mike's Pastries (but prepare yourself to get elbowed out of the way by little old ladies). The Boston Common is also a great park to hang out in for the day, especially if you pick up some to-go pizza slices from Upper Crust on Beacon Street. Finally, you can take a tour of the Sam Adams brewery in Jamaica Plain - which of course ends with a beer tasting.

+1000 on avoiding Faneuil Hall.