YOUR GUIDE TO SURVIVING SUMMER IN THE CITY
The heat is on, and perhaps
you’re panicking. After all, when the first hint of humidity arrives, this town
clears out faster than a Lauryn Hill concert. Are you foreseeing a July spent
fending off the sweaty advances of tourists at Tia’s and a sullen August of
sulking next to an inflatable pool? Fret not: Bostonians sticking around for
the season have no reason to envy those ribbon belt wearers bound for Newport,
the Vineyard, or Nantucket. There’s plenty of excitement right here to keep you
prowling the urban jungle during the steamy months ahead. We’ve come up with
pursuits for every persuasion, from extreme sports to extreme drinking. Of
course, we’ve also grilled some notable city dwellers on what they love about
Boston in the summer. So lose the number for that mosquito-infested summer
share, slap on some sunscreen, and read on.
EXPERIeNCE A STUDENT-FREE BOSTON
Hooray! Your pesky underage nemeses have fled to the suburbs that
spawned them. This means you can say adieu to double-parked Beamers on Newbury,
crowds at your favorite restaurants, and altercations with pubescent Miley
Cyrus groupies at any number of bars and nightclubs.
We have to agree with Michael Krupp: Charlie’s Kitchen in Harvard
Square rocks. It can get claustrophobic during chillier months — when school’s
in session, the meager prices lure too many hipster students. But come summer,
Charlie’s attracts a sophisticated breed of slummer. And it’s tough to argue
with the cheapest lobster rolls known to man. Who cares what’s in ’em? Snag a
sticky red leather booth and dig in. Plus, you’ll enjoy free rein over their
jukebox.
Down the street in Davis Square, you’ll discover shorter brunch
lines at places like Johnny D’s and Renee’s Cafe. Go to Johnny D’s for
swoon-worthy blintzes topped with strawberry sauce, or, if you’re looking for
something a bit healthier but still hearty, head to Renee’s for omelets stuffed
with fun seasonal veggies. Both are terrific spots for lingering over coffee
with a new amore or nursing a hangover; in summertime, you can actually converse
— or recover from last night’s festivities — in relative quiet.
Also, Johnny’s Monday night trivia attracts brainiacs when
school’s in session (our favorite team name: Grover Cleveland and the
Non-Consecutive Terms). Come summer though, all you need to win is a few beers
and a room-temperature IQ. Across town in Allston, everyone’s favorite karaoke
parlor of ill repute, Do Re Mi, has private rooms aplenty; smuggle in the
contraband of your choice, grab a tambourine, and croon passionately to “Sister
Christian.”
If you’re looking to enjoy the great outdoors, strolling along
the Charles River on either side of the water is pure pleasure; you’re no
longer vying for space alongside people younger, thinner, or hotter than you.
If that isn’t reason enough to make you want to stick close to home, we don’t
know what is.
BE
A SHAMELESS TOURIST
Restrain yourself: this doesn’t mean skipping down the Freedom
Trail with a fanny pack or groping a waitress at Durgin Park. But when we’re
scurrying to and fro during the chilly winter months, it’s easy to overlook
Boston’s hidden gems and quirky charm. Why not explore one of Boston’s ethnic
neighborhoods with a responsible guide? Take a Chinatown market tour with
neighborhood guru Jim Becker of Boston North End Market Tours. He’ll lead you
down alleys lined with herbalists and seafood markets, and then you’ll get
stuffed silly with dim sum.
For the limber and eco-minded, there’s a bike tour with the
crunchy folks at Urban AdvenTours, with whom you’ll see some of Boston’s finest
architecture via bicycle. (Word to your visiting friends: they also deliver
bikes to hotels with a vegetable-oil-powered truck.) Ride through Back Bay and
Beacon Hill, then stop for a pastry in the North End. Or, if those lazy days of
summer have made the prospect of sightseeing via pedal power unappealing, grab
a ferry from Long Wharf and set sail for Spectacle Island, where Jasper White’s
team hosts a clambake every Thursday evening. A cool $75 buys you mussels, steamers,
lobster, chowder, beer, wine, and a stellar sunset view of the city.
If you’re wondering whether a summer romance is in your stars,
make an appointment at the Tremont Tearoom. Yes, every city is brimming with
psychics, and some will swindle you faster than Miss Cleo. But this
otherworldly den is rightfully famous: this is the oldest astrology parlor in
the country, and it employs a bevy of well-trained stargazers. Get a tarot card
or palm reading, or test your “cosmic compatibility” with that new summer
fling.
Finally, detox on the waterfront lawn at the InterContinental
Hotel Boston with a free yoga class led by expert yogis from Boston’s Yoga
Power Studio. It takes place every Saturday from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., and you can
satisfy your post-workout hunger with a Power Yoga breakfast for 20 bucks at
the hotel’s Miel “Brasserie Provençale” restaurant. The Liberty Hotel has also
picked up on the free yoga trend, offering classes every Saturday at 10 a.m. on
their sunny terrace — so you late risers have a chance to work out those kinks
after a long Friday night on the Alibi patio.
IMBIBE DURING THE DAY
Boston’s roof decks and patios provide the perfect stage for
daytime drinking. As well they should. We live by the water, and the heat’s
never
too oppressive — plus, day drinking is our favorite sport.
Newbury Street and the South End, of course, present an abundance
of al fresco options. There’s people-watching aplenty at Stella, Picco, and
Cafeteria, where diva-ish debauchery unfolds on Sunday mornings. Grab a Bloody
Mary, sit back, and chortle. The Atlantic Beer Garden is a bit kitschy, but
there’s that great Seaport location. Plus, you’ll encounter everyone you ever
knew on their patio. Tempting or tragic? You decide. The Grand Canal and
Rattlesnake’s rooftop share the same appeal. Bonus: Rattlesnake just got a menu
overhaul, and Chef Brian Poe aims for an audience beyond ravenous frat boys.
At Eastern Standard, grab Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli’s drink of
choice, the Pimm’s Cup; he says this version was inspired by the libations at a
storied New Orleans bar, Napoleon House. Then watch the parade of rowdy Red Sox
fans prance by. Drinks and a show — nothing could be better.
Of course, sometimes we crave a respite from the concrete jungle.
Venture north eight miles to Swampscott, where Red Rock Bistro’s gorgeous deck
affords glamorous views of the city — and reduces your chances of running into
last night’s mistake. And when your sunburn chafes and you just want to hide
from the world, trek to Blarney Stone, a low-key place to drown your woes on a
hazy summer’s day. When a friskier mood strikes, hit up the brand-new Splash,
which brings a tropical twist to downtown, complete with a roof deck, cabanas,
and fountains. Finally, while Craigie on Main doesn’t open until sunset, we’re
huge fans of their new summer concoction, the Conquistador Collins, which
blends fresh rhubarb, lemon juice, and soda water with sherry. Nutty, yet
refreshing — just like a summer fling should be.
SWIM AND SUN — COSMOPOLITAN STYLE
If you’re lucky, you reside at the Somerset, Parris Landing, the
Macallen, or Harbor Towers — or you have managed to befriend or bed someone who
does. Their private pools and luscious views are among the best in the city. Of
course, the hoi polloi also deserves agua access, and there’s
plenty to be had without inhaling toxic fumes on the Bourne Bridge or snagging
a summertime sugar daddy.
If it’s glamour you crave, it doesn’t get much scene-ier than the
glittery pool at the Colonnade Hotel. It’s open to civilians Monday through
Friday for $30. Grab a cocktail, retreat to a cabana, and gawk at the sun-streaked
characters who prance past. (For prime people watching, call in sick on a
Monday and pull on your swimsuit. Just make sure your office doesn’t overlook
the pool.) In Newton, the Hotel Indigo’s BOKX Pool brings a splash of LA to the
proceedings; parking is easy, and the cubic cabanas call to mind a director’s
lair in the Hollywood Hills. Call the front desk and have yourself paged. The
pool is open to the public on weekdays for $20, as well as on Sundays for $25.
Or just stake out a patch of greenery on the BU Beach near Storrow Drive or the
Greenway, sheepishly apply Sevin Nyne, and recline by the Charles. Cost:
absolutely free.
TEST YOUR LIMITS
Summer tempts the daredevil in some of us. The sweaty climes make
us do things we ordinarily wouldn’t — rock climbing, skydiving, wooing underage
lifeguards.
Cycling is a healthy way to embrace the great outdoors with
minimal risk to your life or dignity, helmets and spandex notwithstanding. If
you’re feeling up for a long ride, make the trek out to Harvard, a bucolic town
with an adorable country store. Grab a croissant (Andy Levine recommends
almond) with coffee and mingle with the friendly locals. Then wend your way
back through Weston, home to that immortal monument to overpriced fried food:
Dairy Joy. Polishing off their (delectable) onion rings ranks as an extreme
sport in our book.
If you’re looking for a more intense experience, the Boston Derby
Dames are definitely hardcore, but don’t let that intimidate you; take in a
roller derby game (or sign up to ref or skate with them, if you’re a girl). A
race at F1 Boston is likewise an amazing adrenaline rush, and you’ll move
faster than you would on Route 95 heading north to the beach. And if you’re
looking for a good first-date option, try Boston Rock Gym or Rock Spot
Climbing, where you can forge a summer love connection while dangling from a
wall. You’ll avoid the need for small talk, since you’ll both be focused on
basic survival.
We also recommend taking dance lessons from one of Boston’s
numerous dance crews; the Jeannette Neill Dance Studio hosts an intense hip-hop
class with local crew Static Noyze every Thursday night. Beats your regular
evening treadmill routine, doesn’t it? Finally, if you’re ready to make waves
on the open water, take a class through Courageous Sailing. With the sun in
your eyes and the breeze at your back, you’ll feel like you’re summering on the
Vineyard. Except after all that hard work, you can grab an al fresco cocktail
downtown — without even having to wait in line.
