Earlier this month RISE – Boston’s only after hours dance club – announced they would close at the end of April. While I’ve not been in a long time, I’m sorry to see Boston’s only after hours club close.
When RISE initially opened in 1998, I remember going there and having fun. It proved to be a great alternative to Chinatown for “cold tea”. I hope another club will open for Boston’s 20-somethings, but with Boston’s anemic nightlife and the threat of late night MBTA service ending, it seems unlikely. Should you like to venture to RISE for one last hurrah, check out their Facebook page for details. They have lined up a series of “Final Parties”.
BosGuy 
That makes a lot of sense to me and I think as big as NYC is – many of the same things have happened here. Hell’s Kitchen has become the epicenter of gay life in Manhattan and many parties take place in Brooklyn warehouses. Many of those other same things have happened here – long standing restaurants, stores and sex shops have all closed up as well. I agree with you also – I am as likely to be found in hotel and non gay bars and there are many gay people in both. Integration has definitely progressed. For gay environments in Summer – Fire Island the Hamptons, Ptown, Asbury Park, Rehoboth Beach + Ogunquit have lots going on and I feel like people of all ages blend well in beach communities. (I have never been to Rehoboth but hope to make it there soon.
LikeLike
Can you please expound upon your comment about Boston nightlife? I am from NYC and club life here is nonexistent from 20 years ago (when I was 20). Nightlife in NYC is very different…bot a big fan of clubs anymore but enjoyed them so much when I was 25-30.
LikeLike
Hi Justin,
Thanks for stopping by to read my blog and take the time to comment. Here’s my two cents:
Boston’s gay community remains quite strong and vibrant but it doesn’t resemble what we think of traditionally as a community. Starting in the late 90s many gay men started to leave the traditional n’hood – South End – opting to move to other neighborhoods in Boston. This was directly a result of how perceptions from the majority of the population started to perceive the LGBT community – it wasn’t a mistake that MA legalized marriage in 2004 – our community was being celebrated locally here for a long time by then.
However, by men and women moving out of the gay neighborhood we started to see a lot of gay businesses start to close; not just clubs. There were gay coffee houses, bookstores, sex shops, clothing stores, etc… probably something 20-something gays in Boston would find hard to really appreciate or comprehend.
Boston still has gay clubs but a fraction of what it had just a decade ago. While this trend is happening everywhere; it is felt and noticed much more in a smaller city like Boston than it is in a place like NYC.
Like you, I rarely go to clubs but I do go out regularly and similar to the larger trend, I do go to gay bars, but I’m just as likely (maybe even more likely) to go to bars that are not designated as gay.
LikeLike