I spent most of my 20s working as a journalist for the society in Manhattan You can also find out more about the following: Vogue And for the now-defunct Style.com. Years ago, I followed every fashion show, film premiere, nightclub opening and charity gala, with all the zeal and attention of a journalist. David Attenborough. In 2015, I spent more time at Cipriani’s Wall Street attending black-tie dinners than cooking in my apartment. My career expanded to include travel and I had the opportunity to experience nightlife in many countries, including posh house partying in London The full moon festivals are held in Bali.
Then, BostonMy hometown, Boston, was the joke. Boston was always my “city that sleeps and goes to sleep early” if New York City (our neighbor to the south) had been known for years as “the never-sleeping city.” In my 30s I was almost ecstatic about the predictability. You’d think that a quieter city would have less temptation.
Was I ever wrong?
Boston’s nightlife has evolved from Earth-like to lunar in the last few years. Although there’s been a sense of nightlife for many years, including live music, and the occasional nightclub, the city has struggled to maintain its after-dark scene. If you can even find one, liquor licenses cost hundreds of thousand of dollars. Arcane governance structures make it difficult for the City of Boston to pass its own nightlife laws—keeping us beholden to the political whims of far-flung towns at the other end of the Commonwealth (which, ultimately, have very little day-to-day influence on life here). Public transportation ceases to run around 1:00 a.m. but bars close at 2 a.m. Boston‘s Puritan roots lingered. Fun felt like a limited resource.
Michelle Wu was our progressive and forward-thinking Mayor who created, in an innovative move, the position of Director of Nightlife Economy. Corean Reynolds, a sharp and unflappable official, was the first to hold this position. She describes herself as “the connective tissues between City Hall, and those who make nightlife alive and breathe.” First time ever, restaurant owners, promoters of venues, bartenders and customers have direct access to the city government.
“We’ve had mayors in the past who said, ‘Nothing happens past 10 p.m.,” Reynolds told me. “Historically, people didn’t understand the nighttime economic value, or didn’t consider themselves part of it.”
