By Stephanie Cappuccio
Northeastern students can be found heading inbound on any weekend night, but how about a change and heading outbound to Allston and Brighton? For any student that has done it all in Faneuil Hall, and is tired of the same old rundown on Landsdowne, this area just west of Boston University can be a refreshing alternative to downtown night life. BU and Boston College students have already discovered Brighton Avenue in Allston, which is chock full of restaurants and clubs.
This street starts where Commonwealth Avenue veers to the left after the Fordham Road T stop, and within a few blocks, there is somewhere to go on almost every corner. Make sure to stop at the White Horse Tavern. Good food, good service, and a fun bar make this a popular stop for college students and twenty-something professionals looking for a place to watch the game or shoot some pool.
“This place has a younger crowd. There are a lot of BU students. It’s a great place to meet up with friends or meet new ones,” said Anna Petras, a middler nursing major, who recently celebrated a friend’s birthday there.
Saturday night, people packed the White Horse, just like every other bar in town, to watch the Red Sox vs. Oakland A’s in game three of the American League Division Series.
By 7:15 p.m. all music had stopped and every television was turned to ESPN2 as hopeful cowboy hat-wearing Boston fans rooted on the home team. Standing tirelessly for almost four hours with eyes glued to the screen, the whole bar watched in anticipation.
When Trot Nixon hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning to center field, everyone was on their feet. Complete strangers high-fived and hugged, showing any out-of-towner how much spirit this city has.
All over town the sense of hope every Red Sox fan felt was magnified when bars let out and patrons looked up at the Prudential Building to see the strategically lit office lights brilliantly spelling out a huge “GO SOX” on the side of the tower that faces Fenway ark.
For the 21 plus crowd, check out the Sunset Grill and Tap, next to the White Horse, which boasts 500 micro brews and 112 beers on tap. They also have “the best nachos in the city” according to junior journalism major, Leslie Henry, “plus all those different beers … there’s always something new to try.”
After all this partying, head next door to Rednecks Roast Beef and BBQ, which is open until 3 a.m. on weekends. Large pizzas are cut in thirds so ordering a slice is more than enough.
On the next corner is Harper’s Ferry, which has live music playing nightly. Pool and foosball tables keep patrons occupied between bands.
Other bars and restaurants in the area include the Kells, also on Brighton Ave., a popular traditional Irish bar. On Sundays it’s 18 plus admittance, so those underage can party without drinking.
Our House West is also here, the sister restaurant to NU’s Our House East. Boston is known to have an Irish restaurant on practically every corner, and the trend continues even out of the city.
Check out The Green Briar on Washington in Brighton. Rugby and European football matches are shown on the TVs as well as Red Sox games. DJs and live bands, which play modern and traditional Irish music (Saw Doctors, etc.), grace the stage almost every night.
“The Briar is much more relaxed than most bars in town. It’s an older crowd so it’s easier to sit and have a conversation with your friends,” said Petras.
The Briar also has an outdoor patio where diners can relax on hot summer nights. The patio is still open to accommodate smokers so they won’t have to leave the bar to have a cigarette. With all the places to go it’s no wonder many new college graduates seeking to live in the Boston area choose Allston/Brighton.
Larger apartments for cheaper rent keep students and graduates coming back year after year. This area offers residents more of a neighborhood atmosphere than downtown Boston, but still offers a view of the city’s skyline.
