Giving very few details, Mayor Thomas Menino has drafted a plan that would incorporate alcohol-free “entertainment zones” in the city, to alleviate the alleged student concerns that Boston does not offer enough entertainment to those who don’t drink alcohol.
Reports have emerged that the plan might entail keeping businesses such as coffeehouses and music venues open during later hours in “zones” at Faneuil Hall and Lansdowne Street. But the mayor has declined to elaborate on the specifics of the plan, saying only that he would try to talk to businesses that operate in nightspots and to convince them to offer alcohol-free areas.
And the timing of his announcement comes just weeks before the mayoral election. Menino’s campaign for a fourth term in office has been criticized for the mayor’s putting forward only few and vague ideas, and if Menino really thinks “entertainment zones” are such a good alternative to other forms of nightlife, it wouldn’t have taken him 12 years in office to think of it. This is what his opponent, Councilor-At-Large Maura Hennigan, has said, and she is right.
These zones would be designated by signs, the mayor has said, though it remains unclear what the purpose of these signs would be, and what the signs would say.
The general idea of providing alcohol-free nightlife may seem like something most students and residents would support, but we should be cautious until the full details of the plan emerge. It seems the upcoming election is the only reason Menino has decided to have a plan in his agenda.
College students who choose not to drink or are under 21 have plenty of nightspots to choose from already. This diverse city is filled with restaurants of all types, and hosts several concerts on an almost daily basis, most of which are accessible to under-21-year-olds. Universities also provide their own entertainment spots for students who don’t go out drinking or are underage, such as the BU Central lounge, sporting events at the Agganis Arena and Nickerson Field and concerts and comedy shows.
It is doubtful that students would rush to alcohol-free “zones” on the weekends when a plethora of other entertainment spots already exist. And they also won’t magically convince students not to drink – in fact, students will probably just drink beforehand, as they have been known to do.
Menino’s plan is also not likely to convince students who regularly go bar-hopping to decide to lead an alcohol-free nightlife. He should understand that no city initiative will prevent students who enjoy drinking from going out to bars and attending house parties that serve alcohol. Students themselves could think of better ideas to improving Boston’s social environment; perhaps the mayor should listen to them.
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