Boston hasn't had a meetup in ages

May 3, 2006 7:19 AM

Our fair city...Boston hasn't had a meetup in ages, it seems, and I think we should. Super88 in Allston is the place; 6.30/7-ish is the start time (going to whenever). What's people's preferences between Friday, May 12 and Saturday, May 13?
posted by fuzzbean to MetaFilter Gatherings at 7:19 AM (54 comments total)

Holy crap! A meetup I can go to! Either night is good for me.
posted by knave at 7:38 AM on May 3, 2006

Why, why must this fall on a weekend I'm out of town? I've been dyin' for a Boston meetup for ages!
posted by Miko at 8:04 AM on May 3, 2006

Damnit! I'm starting a new job in the Boston area next Monday, but I'll be coming back to CT pretty much every weekend to pack until we close on the condo.
posted by Plutor at 8:07 AM on May 3, 2006

Ouch. I can do either weekend AFTER finals; the 20th or the 27th. I want to meet Fuzzbean!

(And I was going to post this thread, for reals, some time today).
posted by Eideteker at 8:21 AM on May 3, 2006

It's easier to come from out of town when it's on a Saturday.
posted by JanetLand at 8:37 AM on May 3, 2006

You guys want to have a meetup in a supermarket? Am I missing something?
posted by Saucy Intruder at 8:40 AM on May 3, 2006

(also, post-finals, pre-bar review would be ideal - so I vote for the 27th)
posted by Saucy Intruder at 8:42 AM on May 3, 2006

Hmmm. Okay, I'm getting preference vibes for Saturday rather than Friday. I was trying to steer clear of the 20th cause of Memorial Day, but might more people actually be in town then?

The 20th would work pretty well for me (and I'll be in a partyin' mood cause it's the day after my last day of work). Miko, Saucy, Janet, Plutor--how would that work for you? Knave, could you still make the 20th?

Saucy, Super88 has a food court with open seating, Indian/Thai/Chinese/Korean/etc. little stalls. I thought it'd be cool cause it's pretty spacious and has lots of different food options, and the eating space is pretty configurable. I've only been there once though, so can someone confirm that they sell alcohol? It also has both a parking lot and a T-station next door. Other suggestions are welcome, if you've got someplace in mind that combines food+beer+parking+T+lots of seating.
posted by fuzzbean at 8:52 AM on May 3, 2006

As far as I know, yeah! BTW Memorial Day is May 29th.
posted by knave at 8:56 AM on May 3, 2006

*facepalm*

I can never keep these silly govmint hollerdays straight...
posted by fuzzbean at 8:57 AM on May 3, 2006

I may be able to MBTA in from Worcester, but Allston is kind of a bitch. One vote here for something a bit more central, Boston proper/Cambridge.
posted by rollbiz at 9:02 AM on May 3, 2006

Boston proper or Cambridge would be great. The 20th might be OK for me.
posted by Miko at 9:22 AM on May 3, 2006

I'll be out of state on the 20th, but here are some suggestions that appeal to other people's requests:
The Living Room, Boston
Common Ground, Allston
Flat Top Johnny's, Cambridge

I think it's ambitious to find a place that has free-n-easy parking and is on the T.
posted by Sprout the Vulgarian at 9:22 AM on May 3, 2006

*sniffle*
posted by mr_crash_davis at 9:33 AM on May 3, 2006

Parking doesn't have to be free, but it ought to be easy. Somerville would be okay, Cambridge or Boston proper not so much. Someplace with a public lot nearby, at least.
posted by fuzzbean at 9:33 AM on May 3, 2006

Super88 doesn't serve alcohol, at least not as of a few months ago. I can do the 12th, but not the 20th. How about the 26th?
Common Ground is nice, but small and gets super busy on the weekend - a table may be a problem. How about the Sunset?
posted by darsh at 9:54 AM on May 3, 2006

Better link for the Sunset Grill and Tap
posted by darsh at 9:56 AM on May 3, 2006

My vote would be for the Publick House (formerly Anam Cara) in Washington Square, Brookline. It might be a little crowded, however.
posted by pombe at 10:19 AM on May 3, 2006

The Sunset is awesome in that they have an infinite number of beers to drink, but if eating is part of the plan I've walked out twice because the "hour and a half" I was told I would have to wait for a table turned into three hours.

Pho Pasture is right across the street though, if the wait at the Sunset turns out to be too long.
posted by bondcliff at 10:25 AM on May 3, 2006

If everything goes well, we'll be moved in on the 19th, so we'll probably be in the mood for a bit of forgetting-our-troubles on the 20th.
posted by Plutor at 10:28 AM on May 3, 2006

Super 88 does serve alcohol (beer and wine by the glass), has free parking in the adjacent lot, and is right next to the T.
posted by rxrfrx at 10:29 AM on May 3, 2006

bondcliff: "The Sunset is awesome in that they have an infinite number of beers to drink"

Does Felix Klein own that place?
posted by Plutor at 10:29 AM on May 3, 2006

The past Boston-area meetups I've been to have been in Somerville (The Burren), Cambridge (Grendel's), and Brookline (Publick House). Allston or Boston actual could be a nice change of pace!

Sunset works for me. There's also its sister place next door that has slightly less varieties of beer (only 40+ on tap) but more varieties of pool table.

I was in Kinvara this Saturday and, except for a pub crawl that moved in for one drink, it was nigh empty. They have darts too, if you're interested in losing a game of 'hurl pointy stuff at at target'.

Parking-wise, Allston may be tricky with the Sox in town on the 13th and 27th. They're away the 20th, which is good, but Banjo and I will be in New York that weekend, which is bad.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:45 AM on May 3, 2006

Does Felix Klein own that place?

Ha!
posted by cortex at 11:52 AM on May 3, 2006

I will not be attending but I may crash it.
posted by Ryvar at 12:28 PM on May 3, 2006

I will put on pants and attend this time. I promise.
posted by killdevil at 1:29 PM on May 3, 2006

Okay, executive decision: Super88 in Allston, 6.30 start and keep going until they kick us out. May 20.

If someone wants to set up something at another location on the 27th I'd be up for that too.

Pants on and party hats out, duckies!
posted by fuzzbean at 1:34 PM on May 3, 2006

Wow, I'm in NY that weekend, too!

Also, any place that has darts and an AT-AT target sounds like some good, nerdy fun.
posted by Sprout the Vulgarian at 1:34 PM on May 3, 2006

I'll be in Philadelphia watching our Boston Red Sox kick the crap out of the Phillies. Have fun!
posted by Mayor Curley at 2:07 PM on May 3, 2006

God damn! I am graduating on the 14th and will be leaving Boston for good and all. This means that I have made it to exactly zero MeFi meetups since I became a member.

FROWN FACE.
posted by jenovus at 2:26 PM on May 3, 2006

Hey! The Phillies... shit, yeah, we are going to lose. Nevermind.
posted by Loto at 2:45 PM on May 3, 2006

I'm in for Super88.

Also, Flat Top Johnny's that Sprout the Vulgarian mentioned is perfect. Pool, darts, seating, has never been either packed or loud any time I've been there, and it's just a few blocks from the T. We should keep it in mind for a future meetup.
posted by Plutor at 3:18 PM on May 3, 2006

I could be swayed to Flat Top Johnny's if it were easier for enough people...
posted by fuzzbean at 3:21 PM on May 3, 2006

I live in Allston, so the Super88 would be great for me -- it's about a 15 minute walk. Hopefully by then some higher power will get the message that it's already May, fer Pete's sake..
posted by Marit at 4:06 PM on May 3, 2006

Maybe those of us in Western, MA and northern CT should also meet up. Northampton is just begging to host a meet up. Any interest in doing something post five-college graduation, i.e. early June?

Here are some potential excuses to come to Northampton:

Concerts, clubs, and food.

It's too bad the Mass MoCa is literally in the middle of nowhere, by which I mean no ill will to North Adams or its residents, but it would make an excellent place to meet up.
posted by sequential at 9:04 PM on May 3, 2006

While it's a little farther from me, Flat-top Johnny's would be ideal, guys. Excellent pool tables, good atmosphere, expansive, uncrowded.

Super88 might have too much of a cafeteria vibe for my taste.
posted by killdevil at 7:05 AM on May 4, 2006

Flat-Top- Johnny's works best for me too, in terms of getting to and atmosphere as well.
posted by rollbiz at 8:05 AM on May 4, 2006

Man, I'd love to show up, but I've got a Yankees game to get to.
posted by horsewithnoname at 8:16 AM on May 4, 2006

Damn, I leave Allston and 19 years later they have a meetup.

Give Mr. Butch a dollar on my behalf, please....
posted by zaelic at 8:26 AM on May 4, 2006

I suggested meeting at the Super88 for food and then adjourning somewhere. I'd love to do pool, but I don't know how feasible it is to migrate a large crowd there. Are there any hang-outy places near the Super 88? (I know nothing about MA outside of Waltham, Watertown, and Weston. Oh, and Loveham, Wantham, and Needham.)
posted by Eideteker at 9:58 AM on May 4, 2006

Cool to see a Boston meetup! I prolly won't be able to swing the evening of the 20th because graduation is the next day and there are various festivities to be attending that night. I'd be up for the 27th, though. Or any other times throughout the summer.

I'm scared, though, that Eid is going to scream "APRIL FOOLS" at me and then run away and I'll be all alone. ;(
posted by heresiarch at 10:20 AM on May 4, 2006

Umm... it's not April anymore, dude.

Also, I wouldn't bust on you because heresiarch is a cool word, and I not-so-secretly wonder if you didn't take it from Borges.

Oops! I know, I know! Save the socializing for the actual meetup. I'll shut up now.
posted by Eideteker at 10:24 AM on May 4, 2006

MAY FOOLS!

It sounds to me like there's a sizeable Bostonianite-ican contingent. I'm surprised there aren't meetups more often. The New Yorkers seem to have one every 35 seconds or so.
posted by Plutor at 11:02 AM on May 4, 2006

Plutor: I'm looking to move to Boston, and I have promised (if elected) to make the meetups a regular thing until such time as I can think of a way to escape from New England. When they're more regular, they're not so much of a logistical headache because if you miss one, there's always another. Not so here because Fuzzbabe is moving to NZ.
posted by Eideteker at 1:35 PM on May 4, 2006

Zaelic: I gave Mr. Butch a dollar yesterday.

Wow, he's been the Allston ambassador for _20_ years?

I had no idea.
posted by killdevil at 2:30 PM on May 4, 2006

I like the idea of having a meetup at Flat-Top Johnnies. I also like Eideteker's idea of food at Super88 + planned migration up the street to a drinking and/or pool-playing establishment.

Big City is on the corner of Brighton Ave and Harvard St, has a mess of pool tables, and has lots of beer on tap. It's next door to the Sunset Grill but is slightly less hep and thus far, far less crowded. We could go there after exploring the cuisines of Southeast Asia at Super88 -- it's roughly a 7-10 minute walk away.

I for one enjoy the idea of walking to a meetup less than five minutes from my apartment. I volunteer to be the native guide and will protect all of you from roving bands of dangerously unwashed Allston hipster kids.
posted by killdevil at 2:37 PM on May 4, 2006

kd: I'm not familiar with the area, but that sounds cool. And if people really don't like that place for whatever reason, we can have a back-up place to go to planned in advance. It's close enough that we can just turn around and walk back to our cars (and if enough people drive, we should be able to carpool people who took the T to other places where parking may be scarce).
posted by Eideteker at 3:00 PM on May 4, 2006

Offhand, there are around 10 other good bar spots within three blocks of Big City, too, if we want to wander elsewhere. The Kells, Whitehorse (might be too BU-oriented, though), the Wonderbar (though that's less cool now that it's no longer a jazz bar). Then there's Silhouette, Allston's favorite dive bar with $3.50 PBR...
posted by killdevil at 4:32 PM on May 4, 2006

i'm listening...

I'm down for a meet up...
posted by beccaj at 6:02 PM on May 4, 2006

Okay, if killdevil's willing to be the native guide (I'll bring the feathered headdress), I'm going to go with meeting at Super 88 at 6.00 - 7.30.

So:
May 20
6.00-7.30: Meet/greet/dinner at Super88
7.30-7.45: Walk to Big City
8-doooooom: Big City, pool, beer, etc.

Hope to see everyone there!
posted by fuzzbean at 7:20 PM on May 4, 2006

Right, and if people don't want to eat at Super88, they can just come to Big City at 8 for PART DEUX of the meetup.
posted by Eideteker at 7:22 PM on May 4, 2006

I'm looking to move to Boston, and I have promised (if elected) to make the meetups a regular thing

You'll get my vote if you actually have the freakin' meetup IN Boston. Christ. Not Allston, not Cambridge, not Southy, not Worcester, not Rhode Island... BOSTON. City of.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 4:46 AM on May 5, 2006

Allston is the City of Boston.

So is Southie.
posted by rxrfrx at 5:21 AM on May 5, 2006

Wah, wah, wah, CD. If you're unwilling to travel more than three blocks from Boylston, you'll be pretty sad. Me, I don't (won't) mind driving/riding to anywhere within 128 for a meetup.

(And I'll be living in Southie, which, yeah, is technically in the city of Boston.)
posted by Plutor at 7:06 AM on May 5, 2006