Boston’s Late Night Dreams: Round Two for Rounds After 2 a.m.?
One of the most common facts people who don’t live in Boston make fun of us for is how early our bars close. Those who live in New York City, for example, are quick to point out that 2 a.m.—when fine Boston establishments such as The Point, Bell in Hand, and Grand Canal send their sweaty patrons out onto the streets—is when they’re just venturing out to begin their nights.
But things may be looking up when it comes to convincing your NYC friends that our city doesn’t always sleep.
Mayor Marty Walsh’s legislative agenda for the 2015-2016 session includes a section titled, “An Act Modernizing the Business Licensing Process.’’ It proposes doing away with specialty licenses for bars that have pool tables and automatic games, and it would make it easier to hold events with live music, to cite a few examples.
The proposal saves the best for last. At the end of the list sits a bullet point that reads, “Allow restaurants and bars to remain open past 2 a.m.’’
Don’t get too excited though. Last year, Boston went through the emotional roller coaster of trying to push back closing times for bars. The measure was ultimately shot down by lawmakers who feared it would “diminish the quality of life’’ and lead to more drunk driving.
Only time will tell if 2015 will be the year we’ll all be singing along with Semisonic—“Closing time, you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here,’’—later than 2 a.m.
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