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Culture shift: Boston considering opening some streets to open drinking

By adamg on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 12:47pm

GBH uncorks the news that City Hall is considering several "open container districts" where people could buy something adult at a local restaurant and then just walk around sipping like we're a common New Orleans or Las Vegas.

Among the areas being considered: Kenmore Square, the Seaport, the North End, Downtown and, of course, Allston/Brighton, where maybe Tavern in the Square closed too soon.

Boston currently bans alcohol consumption in public, or at least away from licensed patios.

Restaurants downtown and in the Seaport are forever being hauled before the licensing board after being cited by police when one of their guest from away - like from across the pond or west of Worcester, doesn't realize just how buttoned down Boston is and walks outside, drink in hand. The restaurants typically then get off with just a warning, after agreeing to post prominent signs on every available wall and door, warning patrons to leave their drinks inside.

Neighborhoods: 
Allston
Brighton
Fenway
North End
South Boston
Topics: 
Dining
Free tagging: 
Seaport


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Comments

By Friartuck on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 12:53pm.

Here we go!

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By Lee on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 1:35pm.

Good one!

By plt3012 on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 1:08pm.

Open air cannabis use zones. SPARK 'EM UP!

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By Lee on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 1:35pm.

Get your pot fix smoke free.

Same with nicotine.

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By anon on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 1:09pm.

Allston is a terrible idea .

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By brianjdamico on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 1:20pm.

when I visited New Orleans. But only a little.

By Gary C on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 1:33pm.

There is some merit in this, but I think being careful in which zones are given the green light is important. I would say that letting every "pre-gamer" going to a Sox game walk around with a PBR pounder is not a good idea.

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By thomas mccusker on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 2:20pm.

When in Rome!!!!

By SwirlyGrrl on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 3:39pm.

Little sandwiches and wine by the glass (in glass wine glasses!), served from some ancient hole in a wall.

Venizia and Firenze spoiled me! Now when I go to Casa Razdora, I half expect there to be a wine list.

By H Hartz on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 3:39pm.

In Saint Louis there used to be (may still be, but it's been a while since I lived there and parked far away) beer vendors a few blocks away from Busch Stadium and from the dome where you'd buy one for your walk in. It's also not uncommon to just bring some from home to drink between the car and the stadium. They just make sure to have trash and recycling bins at all the entrances.

No open containers was certainly a surprise for me when I moved to Boston 6 years ago after living in Saint Louis my whole life. Got called out for drinking a can of beer while watching sunset from the harbor walk. Whoops.

By anon on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 1:25pm.

North End is included just to tease them, right?

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By JCR on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 1:28pm.

You can’t walk around with an open container in the vast, vast majority of US cities. Boston is hardly an exception. If that makes us “buttoned up” than so is just about everywhere else except for New Orleans, Vegas, Savannah, a handful of other places driven mostly by tourism.

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By Scratchie on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 3:03pm.

It's becoming more common.

https://www.planetizen.com/news/2023/11/126249-revitalize-downtowns-citi...

In some cases, states such as North Carolina and Ohio are relaxing regulations to let cities create these zones, explains Kevin Hardy in Stateline. “They aim to revitalize downtown cores hollowed out by the changing nature of retail and the post-pandemic loss of office workers.”

“Aside from bringing foot traffic to shops and restaurants, officials say the success of the new districts reveals the need to update antiquated liquor laws that long banned public consumption in most places to try to reduce public intoxication and drunken driving.”

Hardy describes efforts in several cities and states, noting that, in most cases, the districts face little local opposition. Meanwhile, business owners report seeing increased activity.

By SwirlyGrrl on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 3:41pm.

This has quietly been a non-deal for a very long time, with the exception of a few cities.

By Jack Schwartz on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 1:34pm.

State-enforced mandatory twerking zones.

By anon on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 1:50pm.

I know I'm not the only one, but here goes, what could possibly go wrong?

By Kaz on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 1:54pm.

I'm not sure the point of doing something like this every day. Most people aren't just wandering around drinking (aside from legalities).

Block parties and parades and things, I could absolutely see time-and-place type designations for this. Outdoor markets like Faneuil Hall with multiple stalls/buildings, I could see this.

By sartreswaiter on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 2:02pm.

Regardless of whether this is a good idea or not, why is this even being discussed when Boston can't even get approval for the neighborhood liquor licenses the mayor fought for? If we can't even get Beacon Hill to agree to allow more INDOOR drinking, when the heck are we ever going to approve outdoor drinking?

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By Transphobia Watch on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 2:42pm.

I had the same though with regards to the neighborhood licenses. People can't even open up places for people to spend money on cocktails in the hood, but we're wanting to give white neighborhoods zones where people can buy a spiked Capri Sun and walk around?

However, if this encourages people looking to drink for drinking's sake out of the residential neighborhoods and sticking to staggering around hooting and hollering in the downtown and Allston restaurant districts, I could be all for it.

By Lee on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 2:05pm.

So long as the business establishments don’t take over more sidewalk space and the breweries give us back our park space the city handed over to them.

This will be happening on my neighborhood. Not so glad about that but I’m willing to give it a try. If it means they will make some streets more park like and pedestrian only, that would be fantastic.

By anon on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 2:06pm.

Mass and Cass?

By anony-mouse on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 2:26pm.

Amherst allowed open container up until the 1980's.

During the 1996 olympics in Atlanta, most of the areas around Olympic events and the village, etc., seemed to allow it considering there were street vendors selling 16 ouncers....

I'm not sure if that was special rules for the Olympics or in specific places, or just the usual in the city.

By Ellen on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 2:33pm.

Growing up in Dorchester we had a work around to the public drinking law. Dunkin’ Donut cups. The styrofoam ones were great. They kept your beverage of choice cold or hot if you were having a coffee with a little something extra.

By chaosjake on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 3:02pm.

I'd love to sip a cold beer while walking the dog after work.

By anon on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 3:29pm.

Near South Station on my home. Get some beer, occasionally whiskey, wine. Sometimes I just get a tall can IPA in a paper bad. Judging by the looks from a lot of people, especially for some reason young white women, you'd think I was a some kind of alcoholic deviant. And yes, I don't look like a homelessal alcoholic. If you don't count my facial hair.

Many Americans do still have an uptight attitude regarding alcohol. All generations.

By anon on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 3:29pm.

Commuter trains should have this. It works In Europe

By Cleary Squared on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 4:59pm.

MetroNorth between New Haven, CT and Grand Central Station had dedicated bar cars until they were phased out in 2014 by new trains. There was a plan to bring back the bar cars in 2022, but the MTA never acted on it.

I suppose if the MBTA/Keolis operated bar cars, it would likely be on the long-distance lines like the Providence, Worcester, Wickford Junction, Fitchburg/Wachusett, and Newburyport/Gloucester/Rockport lines.

By Angry Dan on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 4:59pm.

Paging Ed Flynn to his soapbox. Impending public safety crisis. Repeating, Ed Flynn to soapbox. This is not a drill.