In a region like this it’s especially important to stretch out and expand your Venn Diagram
Dear Reader,
I heard there’s not really that much to do in Boston.
As a native New Yorker who has lived in Mass for decades and who travels and frequently communicates with people who live in cities far bigger than this one like LA and London, I have heard ignorant shit of that nature on countless occasions. And every time I simply say something like, That may be the dumbest freaking thing I’ve ever heard; on any given day, whether you are into music, partying, or arts, or all of the above, you will find something to thrill you around here. Hold on, I can help …
As the editor of a newspaper, I obviously speak from the vantage point of filtering through hundreds of events every week to curate our coverage. Still, everybody has access to Facebook, Google, and public calendars, and should be able to see that, even with the impediment of a pandemic dragging on, there’s still plenty to keep us occupied in Greater Boston. I’m not simply talking to Hub haters in other places either; sadly, I’m constantly hearing nonsense from locals about how this or that scene has died out, and how some past party or residency can never be replaced. Basically, they’re giving excuses (beyond the acceptable ones, like a lack of funds or fear of COVID) for why they’d rather sit home watching Netflix than venture outside.
I hear what people are saying with some of those gripes, I really do, and of course I also miss countless food spots and club nights. But scenes change and evolve, even to the point of becoming unrecognizable. It’s myopic bordering on egomaniacal to assume that because something you’re looking for is no longer there that something else, perhaps even something better, isn’t happening in its place. We all live in a bubble to some extent, I’m guilty of it myself, but in a small city like Boston it’s especially important to stretch out and expand your Venn Diagram. You’ll be surprised to discover a remarkable new world beyond your immediate neighborhood and daily routine.
Am I saying Boston doesn’t have its limitations? Heck no. I am well aware of them, and, as Dig readers know well, I opine about them regularly. For example, the utter lack of late-night options. I shouldn’t have to know someone who knows someone who has a loft in Chinatown that hosts illegal parties just to get a drink at three in the morning. Thankfully I do know somebody like that, though, and I never would have met them in the first place if I stayed home whining that there isn’t anything to do in one of the greatest cities in the world.
No go on, get out there and have some fun. It’s almost spring.
Almost.
CHRIS FARAONE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
A Queens, NY native who came to New England in 2004 to earn his MA in journalism at Boston University, Chris Faraone is the editor and co-publisher of DigBoston and a co-founder of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. He has published several books including 99 Nights with the 99 Percent, and has written liner notes for hip-hop gods including Cypress Hill, Pete Rock, Nas, and various members of the Wu-Tang Clan.
