Doyle's Closing (Boston, Cambridge, Clinton: home, neighborhoods, wages)

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by GeePee

Doyle's was an institution to us. I will admit that my attendance has been scarce in recent times because of the better brunch options, But this place truly embodied what these new conglomerates are trying to capture. A cozy diverse place to eat, chat, and have a pint. Have to get 20 people together for an impromptu occasion? yup. Doyle's.

I understand where you're coming from, from a nostalgic viewpoint and the overall trend in Boston, but I still can't help but feel that your sadness about Doyle's closing is disingenuous. You stopped going there because you had better options.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by GeePee

Doyle's was an institution to us. I will admit that my attendance has been scarce in recent times because of the better brunch options, But this place truly embodied what these new conglomerates are trying to capture. A cozy diverse place to eat, chat, and have a pint. Have to get 20 people together for an impromptu occasion? yup. Doyle's.



As far as Redd's goes. That guy just wasn't doing good business. He was notorious for blaming waitstaff and even Trump. But truth be told that most nights aside from brunch there just weren't many people in there. He was quick to post his rant about the new neighborhood liquor licensing that would indeed help places, and create some more competition for him. He was also quick to post something about starting the resistance against the Trump election.. Pretty strange seeing that Roslindale is made up of a lot of working class people that do not yet unicycle to work. Not a graceful exit if you ask me.

I think it's an institution, period. I'm honestly more upset about Doyle's than I was about Durgin Park. Doyle's has a ton of authenticity and was still a quality place to grab a drink or a pint.

That's also true about Redd's. He's likely looking for an outlet and landed on that. But even if it's an excuse for him, there's no denying that the pricey liquor licenses are deeply ingrained in Boston's restaurant scene and changes will throw off the existing balance (however unfair it may be to newcomers). Long term, I think we're better off with the changes. The Redd's guy is now in my neck of the woods. He own's Dragon Pizza in Davis which is good (was better when it opened) and he's still kind of a jerk. Cruising around on his tractor-trailer version of a bike. But Davis being as hipstery and pretentious as it can be, is likely more his speed.

[GeePee]

Originally Posted by redplum33

I understand where you're coming from, from a nostalgic viewpoint and the overall trend in Boston, but I still can't help but feel that your sadness about Doyle's closing is disingenuous. You stopped going there because you had better options.

Brunch options... Not bar options. i just don't go out to bars at night much anymore.
Doyles is not just an old bar that has nostalgia. it had political significance too. It was where irish immigrants would drink with italian immigrants and boston natives.
I have seen Ted Kennedy there more than once . Mennino a few times.
It's basically one of the reasons boston has it's image of hard working immigrant DNA.

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by GeePee

Brunch options... Not bar options. i just don't go out to bars at night much anymore.
Doyles is not just an old bar that has nostalgia. it had political significance too. It was where irish immigrants would drink with italian immigrants and boston natives.
I have seen Ted Kennedy there more than once . Mennino a few times.
It's basically one of the reasons boston has it's image of hard working immigrant DNA.

You're right...and I feel like a hypocrite for what I wrote. I've been quite upset about many places that have closed that I didn't frequent often prior to them closing.

[massnative71]

^That's the whole thing. You often don't miss something until it's gone.

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by massnative71

^That's the whole thing. You often don't miss something until it's gone.

Yep.

[yaeger07]

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/...-shutting-down

A friend of mine who used to live and work in Boston wrote this piece of satire

[bjimmy24]

Before I left, I had taken to doing Sam-Turtle Swamp-Doyle's crawls probably once a month for the last 6 months or so. If you ever stopped by Doyle's after Sam touring hours, you'd find it mostly pretty empty. But I still liked the place a lot, ambiance-wise.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by yaeger07

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/...-shutting-down

A friend of mine who used to live and work in Boston wrote this piece of satire

I get the message, but what's the frequency of visits you need to reach before it's OK to be sad about a restaurant closing? I don't meant to shoot the messenger, but in this case, it's closing because the owner is selling high. Not because they're not getting the business to keep the doors open.

[GeePee]

Originally Posted by yaeger07

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/...-shutting-down

A friend of mine who used to live and work in Boston wrote this piece of satire

Good article. In my case I just don't frequent bars much anymore. But, when I did this spot was held very dear to my heart. So, yeah. Sad. Between the long gone mikly way, james Gate and Doyle's I would say JP is indeed suffering a change of guards. Shame because I believe the younger crowd these days prefer a more shiny, new, fad filled, instagramable experience over a genuine pub atmosphere.