Surviving in a 21+ City

Written by Hollie Shuler | Designed by Ava Vitiello | Photographed by Ellie Watson

An Underage Guide to Enjoying Boston Nightlife

Boston is home to 35 different colleges, which seems like the perfect reason to have a city filled with nightlife for those 18 and up. However, despite the large and ever-growing student population in Boston, the majority of city venues are closed after 8 p.m. to those unlucky enough to be under 21.

Despite this unfortunate circumstance, there are still fun activities to do at night in the city for those under 21. We have rounded up a list of activities, places, and sights to see on a Boston night.

Kings Dining and Entertainment Centre If you’re looking for a place to enjoy fun group activities with your friends, Kings Dining and Entertainment Centre is the perfect place. They have two locations in Boston—Back Bay and Seaport. The Centre offers bowling, arcade games, pool, and karaoke. It’s open until midnight, but many of the bowling lanes fill up quickly on weekends, so it’s better to arrive early to reserve a lane.

Have a Movie Night For a more laid-back evening, the AMC movie theaters, located in Fenway and on Tremont Street, have showings that go until 10:45 p.m. on weekends. If new releases are not your thing, the Coolidge Theater in Brookline offers latenight showings of cult favorite films every weekend. Some films they have shown in the past include Fantastic Planet, Enter the Void, and Queen of the Damned. The avantgarde, camp movies shown here are often screened in 35mm film, and guaranteed to give you a unique weekend movie experience.

Concerts Boston is home to tons of concert venues—both large and small. There’s a concert occurring somewhere in the city every weekend. Keeping an eye out for venues hosting bands that you like is a great way to throw together some weekend plans. Spotify has a feature that will let you know when some of your frequently streamed artists are playing in venues near you—a simple way to keep track of future concerts. Some of the smaller venues such as Middle East Nightclub in Cambridge and Paradise Rock Club on Commonwealth Avenue have lesser known artists playing and offer cheaper tickets.

Even if you don't know the artist, it is a great, spontaneous weekend activity to buy last minute concert tickets, enjoy the vibes, and maybe even discover a new favorite singer or band.

Karaoke If you prefer to be more involved in the singing, Station K Karaoke in Chinatown offers private Karaoke rooms until 2 a.m. on the weekends. The private rooms are a great way to feel comfortable while loudly serenading your friends to your favorite songs. The rooms accommodate any group size, so whether you want to just go with your two closest friends or everyone from your floor freshman year, there's a room size for you.

Get Outside! As the weather gets warmer in Boston, another fun late-night activity is simply going outside and exploring areas such as the Boston Public Garden. At night, the garden is relatively empty, and the moonlight’s reflection against the pond is something you just can’t miss. Renting BlueBikes with your friends and going for a late-night bike ride to the garden to enjoy the serenity and emptiness is a great, inexpensive way to spend your night. A trip down Commonwealth Avenue at night is stunning and fairly stress-free, as there are not many cars out.

After any of these fun weekend activities, you’re definitely going to need a bite to eat. However, most restaurants in Boston either close around 10 p.m., or turn into more of a bar scene that prohibits people under 21 from entering. Luckily, for those underage, there are two iconic Boston locations that keep their doors open 24 hours a day— Bova’s Bakery and South Street Diner.

Bova’s Bakery Bova’s Bakery in the North End is the first location open late. Bova’s offers (arguably) the best cannoli in Boston, among other sweet treats, such as an award-winning tiramisu, luscious cream puffs, and sfogliatelle. Their late-night menu features calzones, arancini, and pizza.

South Street Diner For a dine-in meal setting, South Street Diner, located right across from South Station, is the place to go. This diner has everything you could want for a late-night bite, including grilled cheese, milkshakes, burgers, and an assortment of breakfast foods.

Boston’s nightlife doesn’t have to be limited to a 21+ crowd. Underage students can enjoy the city just as much with these activities.