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I've been thinking about it, believe it or not. It's so hard to find the good stuff in this town. It takes longer than a short trip. So let's see.

If you Do decide to check out Newbury St., and it is sort of worth it, just to see, You can start at the Public Gardens and work your way up the street. The Public Gardens end is Tres Chic and Expensive. Hello Burberry. (Which by-the-way, is like this town's Team Color. Yes, the plaid. It's ridiculous. You will notice quiicky, on this street in particular, that people like to look alike. The girls are all wearing the exact same outfit of low jeans, some one-shoulder type top, those 1/2 wrap-around rimless sunglasses and a cell phone. It's fun people watching for a while, but it gets a little old.)

Anyway, work your way up the street and at the other end you will find the college end with the skateboarders and the punks and the Virgin music store. If you cross the street and keep going, you will find (I think it's still there) a juice and sandwich place called The Other Side. Staffed by hipper-than-you college students who will serve up the carrot juice.

If, however, you take a left on Newbury St. before you hit the Virgin store and walk over a block to Boylston, you've got a few bars to choose from.

1) The Cactus Club is a mexican college-age hang-out with outdoor seating and strong margaritas.

2) 1/2 a block up, right past the Fire House, there's a bar that used to be called Barcode and is now called Dillan's, I believe. They have a totally cool secret-ish outdoor-patio around the side (go in to get to it). It is special because it's one of like, two outdoor bars in the whole town. (The other being behind Fenway across the street from WBCN at a place called Sofia's that has a more International crowd, salsa dancing and a rooftop bar.)

3) If you're standing outside Dillan's and look across the street past the chain fence, you'll see a place called Bukowski's that's good for some drinking.

Then of course there is the North End (DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE IN THE NORTH END) that is wall-to-wall Italian restaurants I mean on top of each other.

And if you're into that Irish thing, well, then you're going to Davis Square (on the red line on the T.) Actually, Davis Square is a pretty cool place to check out even if you're not into the Irish. It used to be dead and buried but then the T brought out a stop there and all hell broke loose. Everyone who wanted to live in Harvard Square but could not afford it moved two T stops out and it was The Paris of the 90's. They've got the hippie coffee house (The Someday Cafe) run by, well, hippies from Seattle, the Lesbian coffee house (The Diesel something or other) and the Starbucks that went throught quite a few broken windows when they had the gall to move in. Then they've got The Burren which is probably the best Irish bar around. No kidding and not touristy. They've got a back room for bands as well. Basic barfare. Nothing to write home about. Then, THEN there is Redbones which is down the street you'd be staring down if you were standing outside with your back to The Burren. It's BBQ and I suggest you sit downstairs in the dark low room with the loud music and the weird neon art and eat some ribs. They will card you here even if you are 50 and have a beard. Ah, college town.


Edited to add that if you'll be wanting to see any theatre, like Blue Man Group, and are willing to do it last minute, there is a Kiosk on Boylston St. a little down from the Public Library towards the Public Gardens end of town that sells last minute cheap tickets to all the shows.