Boston a boring city? (Newton, Brookline: transfer, move to, title)

[pikabike]

Originally Posted by wolfgang239

MBTA inspections and operations, utility workers, Police, Fire, deliveries, airport operations and transportation services, security, building engineers and boiler operators, medical as you suggested.


While there are thousands of people doing the above on any given night, they aren't concentrated to one area so it becomes very difficult to sustain any business.

It would take the presence of large manufacturing plants to generate enough third-shift worker demand to keep shops open 24/7. Guess what, real estate has long been so expensive and unavailable in huge "campus" parcels that it is cheaper to put factories in other parts of the country, where the wages are also lower.

Blame it on the geographic constraints, blame it on gentrification, blame it on the nature of 21st-century professions, blame it on outsourcing, etc., but the fact is the bolded statement rings true.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by bostonguy1960

I'm in the Star Markets at Fenway, Allston and Pru/Copley often during the late hours, as they're 24/7 except Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving Eve and maybe Easter.

Of course, there aren't many shoppers most of the time, just cabbies and assorted others. Occasionally, a line of about 5-10 shoppers forms at 2 a.m. in the Fenway store, but it likely doesn't last long. Now...if there were really demand for 24-hour grocery shopping in Boston, these few possibilities would be jam packed, likely involving crowd control; of course deli, bakery and salad bars are closed during these overnight hours. Even the restrooms at the Pru Star Market are locked but the other ones are open, thankfully.

Oh, I think the South Bay Stop and Shop was 24 hours Mon-Fri. but it now closes at midnight each night. The North Quincy Stop and Shop is 24 hours Mon-Fri. I don't believe any Stop and Shop in New England is 24 hours?

I don't mean 24/7, but most of the Stop and Shops used to by 24 hours except for Saturday after midnight and maybe Sunday into Monday for a period (similer to N Quincy). Now only a select few are. I don't know, they have an overnight crew there anyway so it's not like it was really a huge burden on them...west of Boston the stores in Franklin, N. Attleboro, both Framingham stores, etc. shut down at night when you actually have a significant amount of facilities out there like EMC that operate 3 shifts.

Another area I think would be a candidate for late night eateries and such would be the S. Bay area. You have Gillette, the USPS annex, Boston Medical Center, the MBTA garage...all which operate 3 shifts if I'm not mistaken. I just don't get it, really.

[bostonguy1960]

Originally Posted by timberline742

Why is it unbelievable? There just isn't the demand for it.

But it seems NOBODY understands that there's no consistent year-round demand, yet expects many options for overnight food and transit...

Just because they need it now doesn't mean it's feasible for dozens of purveyors to be sitting around at 3 a.m , just in case they walk in.


I discovered a Chinese takeout in East Boston last week at 3 a.m. on a weekend; yep, I was the only one in there. And they close earlier weeknights, for a reason.

But it almost comes down to arguing with taxi passengers who are bewildered they have few late-night options here...and still believe they're necessary.

We're just not that kind of city.
.

[bostonguy1960]

Originally Posted by porterhouse

Additional late night options for food include, South Street (downtown) 24 hours, Peach Farm Chinatown) is open until 3am, Beantown Taqueria (Cambridge) 4a, Bovas (North End) 24 hours, Dumpling Palace (Back Bay) 3a, Tasty Burger (Harvard Square) 4a...

El Triuno (Mexican) on East Berkeley near Washington Street opens until 3 a.m. Thursday (?), and Friday and Saturday nights.

[SoulJourn]

Originally Posted by hooverphonics

I am from MA and living now in CO which is the Midwest though the state doesn't like to admit it and it is chock full of Midwesterners and though they are decent people they do tend to think they have a corner on real America and real family values (and WAY into guns) -- and that the coasts are full of degenerates and atheists. There is definitely a level of sophistication I miss here -- a sense of history, a sense of place...and water! And Bostonians are definitely as a whole more interesting, have more character and wit that those out here. Just sayin!

Spot on.

[495neighbor]

Boston visitors are families coming to tour the historic sites. New York visitors are convention goers and business people coming in for meetings. There is also a theater/performing arts scene, that Boston doesn't really have with people having dinner or drinks following a late night show. This is one reason I don't see Boston turning into a stay up all night city like New York or Chicago.

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by 495neighbor

Boston visitors are families coming to tour the historic sites. New York visitors are convention goers and business people coming in for meetings. There is also a theater/performing arts scene, that Boston doesn't really have with people having dinner or drinks following a late night show. This is one reason I don't see Boston turning into a stay up all night city like New York or Chicago.

Not sure I really agree. While certainly NYC does have a lot of convention goers and meeting attendees, I don't think you can characterize "most" visitors that way. NYC isn't even in the top 5 convention cities --a lot of organizations don't go there for conventions because it is so expensive and/or it isn't centrally located.

Boston has it's fair share of convention/meeting business. Again, while Boston has lots of families that visit, I question whether that's truly the majority. The most typical scenario I've run across are fairly young people visiting friends who are students at one of the universities. Or making a road trip from colleges that aren't so far away.

I don't think this is the reason why you don't see up all night so much here. Chicago has some, but not like NYC. I think that there just isn't overall human demand for 24/7 clubbing. I don't think that even worldwide there are all that many cities that have it.

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by 495neighbor

Boston visitors are families coming to tour the historic sites. New York visitors are convention goers and business people coming in for meetings. There is also a theater/performing arts scene, that Boston doesn't really have with people having dinner or drinks following a late night show. This is one reason I don't see Boston turning into a stay up all night city like New York or Chicago.

Originally Posted by chicagoliz

Not sure I really agree. While certainly NYC does have a lot of convention goers and meeting attendees, I don't think you can characterize "most" visitors that way. NYC isn't even in the top 5 convention cities --a lot of organizations don't go there for conventions because it is so expensive and/or it isn't centrally located.

Boston has it's fair share of convention/meeting business. Again, while Boston has lots of families that visit, I question whether that's truly the majority. The most typical scenario I've run across are fairly young people visiting friends who are students at one of the universities. Or making a road trip from colleges that aren't so far away.

I don't think this is the reason why you don't see up all night so much here. Chicago has some, but not like NYC. I think that there just isn't overall human demand for 24/7 clubbing. I don't think that even worldwide there are all that many cities that have it.

That brings up another very good point. The preponderance of undergraduates in night spots around Boston drives out the after work professional crowd. In other major cities with fewer colleges, I go out and there is a much better mix of ages in the restaurants and clubs.

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by 495neighbor

That brings up another very good point. The preponderance of undergraduates in night spots around Boston drives out the after work professional crowd. In other major cities with fewer colleges, I go out and there is a much better mix of ages in the restaurants and clubs.

I think it's more graduate students who are at many the nightspots (since the majority of undergrads are going to be under 21), and students tend to go out later than the people who go after work. In the cities where there is all-night night life, I don't think it's driven by the people who work 8-6 every day.

[hooverphonics]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

LOL @ people who think Colorado is the "Midwest."

You sound quite arrogant too. Maybe dial that down a bit eh?

My guess is you are a Midwesterner and you didn't like my observations about it??

Oh dear...