During the World Cup, Massachusetts approved extending last call for alcohol sales to as late as 3 a.m., through the end of July. And Boston and Cambridge recently opened designated areas for public drinking with open containers as part of the World Cup and upcoming America 250 and Sail Boston celebrations.
Now, city officials, business owners, bartenders, and night owls are wondering whether this social experiment will finally answer whether Boston is capable of having a thriving nightlife scene.
Perhaps no one is more eager to find out than Boston’s so-called nightlife czar, Corean Reynolds, whom Mayor Michelle Wu appointed in 2023. She was tasked with cutting through a system mired in red tape, myriad regulations on alcohol, a ban on happy hour, and a lean MBTA schedule to improve Boston’s dull nightlife.
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She spent the last week talking with business owners about how the late-night hours were going. Most called it a success, she said, and described “a different energy.”
She said that much of her planning had finally become reality, if only temporarily. For two years, she and other Boston officials, for example, studied what other cities were doing, including “social districts” in Charlotte, N.C. — designated areas where people are allowed to have open containers in public. Last call there is at 2 a.m.
Reynolds said she has heard concerns about crime and noise if bars are open later. Some bartenders and service workers were also concerned about working longer hours and the potential for public safety issues. So far, that’s not been an issue, according to Boston police, who said there were no unusual incidents tied to the extended last call.
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