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Back Bay, Boston, MA

Back Bay, Boston, MA

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Actually underwater until a massive 19th-century land reclamation project filled in areas between Downtown and Kenmore, Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood has an endearing old-world charm and a population of young professionals who have taken over the area and the neighborhood’s distinct Victorian-era brownstones.

During the day, bustling Newbury Street is a magnet for upscale shoppers looking to browse the designer and boutique clothing stores or pop into the pricey cafés and restaurants for an afternoon treat.

Back Bay is also home to historic buildings like Trinity Church, the Old South Church, and the magnificently designed Boston Public Library, as well as two of Boston’s signature skyscrapers, the John Hancock Tower and the Prudential Center (“the Pru”), which boasts incredible views from its fiftieth-floor observation deck.

Back Bay’s central location means that nightlife can vary from the classy wine bars and trattorias near Newbury Street to the handful of crowded and dingy dives along Boylston Street popular with students from the Berklee School of Music.

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What to Do in the Back Bay

RumoR

20s / Bottle Service / Bouncer / DJ

Party Earth Review From early week house parties to gay nights to Top 40 mash-ups that bump everyone (who can get in) into the weekend, RumoR is a theater district staple for an international crowd of ... more

100 Warrenton Street
Boston, MA 02116

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Bukowski Tavern

Anything goes / Bar Food / Beer

Party Earth Review Named after America’s literary “laureate of the lowlife,” Bukowski Tavern is a great combination of sloshy dive bar and beer aficionado’s paradise that attracts students, hipsters ... more

50 Dalton Street
Boston, MA 02115

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City Bar

Burgers / Button-downs / Couples

Party Earth Review Located in the Lenox Hotel and catering to the well-heeled and connected, City Bar is a one-room refuge that draws a clientele of attractive business and finance types, designers, and ... more

Lenox Hotel
61 Exeter Street
Boston, MA 02116

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Venu

Blazers / Bottle Service / Chic

Party Earth Review Lovers of Latin and danceable techno will line the sidewalk most nights outside Venu, a Theater District hotspot from the same folks behind club Rumor, District Lounge, and Cure ... more

100 Warrenton Street
Boston, MA 02116

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Wired Puppy

All Ages / Alternative / Artsy

Reviewed by Sarah G.

"The Scene: Wired Puppy is a trendy coffee shop located on the always busy Newbury Street in Boston’s Back Bay. Newbury Street is the central lo ..." more

250 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02116

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Forum

Affluent / After Work / Ambient

Party Earth Review Right in the thick of always-booming Boylston Street, slick and trendy Forum provides a sexy respite from the hustle and bustle of one of Boston’s busiest thoroughfares. During the ... more

755 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116

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Towne Stove and Spirits

Bar / Brunch / Burgers / Couples

Party Earth Review The brainchild of famed Boston chefs Lydia Shire and Jasper White, Towne Stove and Spirits is a charming spot located in the Back Bay building of the Hynes Convention Center. The vast ... more

Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02199

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Kings

20s / 30s / 90s Music / Bar / Bar Food

Party Earth Review There's no shortage of entertainment at Kings, a 24,000-square-foot facility filled with bowling, billiards, and brews. Chatty couples on first dates and business types bowling ... more

50 Dalton Street
Boston, MA 02115

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Summer Shack

40s / 80s Music / Baseball Caps

Party Earth Review Boston is far from an island paradise, but unpretentious seafood joint Summer Shack brings a bit of the tropics – and a whole lot of shellfish – to Beantown. Located ... more

50 Dalton Street
Boston, MA 02115

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minibar

After Work / Ambient / Bar Food

Party Earth Review Despite the prevalent stereotype that hotel bars are soulless affairs only intended for temporary guests, the historic Copley Square Hotel’s minibar has become a go-to for ... more

Copley Square Hotel
51 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02116

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Back Bay Social Club

Bar / Beer / Blouses / Brunch / Dinner

Party Earth Review Styled to imitate the quiet, dim café’s that were popular in Manhattan in the 1960s, Back Bay Social Club draws a mix of creative college students looking for conversation and older ... more

867 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02199

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Sonsie

Affluent / Ambient / Bar / Brunch

Party Earth Review Popular with a diverse mix of successful young professionals, corporate executives, and cultured tourists, Sonsie serves up a menu of first class food and seasonal cocktails in a chic ... more

327 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02115

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