Off-campus Boston The city: a crash course This annual guide aims to give the college crowd (and anyone else looking for fun) an intro to the Boston entertainment scene. It's in two parts: first a series of primers on everything from cheap dates to out-of-town escapes, then a guide to the clubs. Under-21 fun By Amy Graves and Carol Beggy Classes have only started, and already you're sick of the student center, the library, and most of all, your room (and roommate). But you're not 21 yet, so that rules out most of the hot clubs in town. Just because you can't drink doesn't mean you can't have fun. Every concert and sporting event at the FleetCenter is all ages, with IDs required only to purchase alcohol. You can dance right along with the Backstreet Boys, Celine Dion, Bruce Springsteen, or Elton John. Here are some of the clubs that put on 18+ events, and a laundry list of other places to hang out, read, watch people, wait for a movie, or enjoy the restorative benefits of coffee and junk food. DAVIS SQUARE A mecca for students, Davis Square in Somerville has a ton of cafes, pubs, pizza joints, at least one real diner, an ice cream place, a cheap movie theater, and benches galore for soaking in the sun. No wonder it's eclipsing Harvard Square. A low-key place to start is Mike's Restaurant for pizza and the usual fare, soda in cans, and beer (if you're legal or if you're taking your folks). Fill up fast in this no-nonsense self-service joint, which is across the street from the Somerville Theatre, where you can catch a $5 movie or an all-ages concert. A great place to spend a few hours - and a few bucks - is Disc Diggers used CD store, which is open until 9 p.m. (except Sunday until 7 p.m.) There's also the Someday Cafe, where the coffee is so strong they ought to card people, and the Diesel Cafe, with its funky, modern trappings. Or try the Blue Shirt Cafe, where you can have breakfast, a salad rollup, or a freshly made fruit drink. The perfect "nightcap" is Denise's for fresh ice cream and frozen yogurt. Dolly's is the place for a late (or is it very early) bite, whether you're craving burgers or breakfast. You can nurse a potential hangover, but can't add to it: Dolly's is non-alcoholic. It opens at 11 p.m., closes 4 or 5 a.m. (closed Sundays). CENTRAL SQUARE There's a wealth of choices in this emerging hangout scene in Cambridge, starting with 1369 Coffee House on Mass. Ave. and Carberry's around the corner on Prospect. Both are relaxing places to pull up a chair and plow through a book. Tables outside in nice weather are more social; Carberry's sandwiches are just as good as their muffins and pastries. Central Square doesn't stop when night comes: Phoenix Landing on Mass. Ave., The Middle East, and T.T. the Bear's Place have 18-plus shows and the music is live and in your face. The House of Blues in Harvard Square is generally 18-plus during the first half of the week. HARVARD SQUARE The problem here is that the options aren't what they used to be. The Tasty is gone, Grendel's has been closed for renovation for seemingly forever (but may reopen). College-age people already seem to know about Bartley's Burger Cottage, and for good reasons, namely the variety of burgers and excellent sweet potato fries. Otherwise it's hard to find a place to sit for hours, besides the Au Bon Pain - although many college students have honed their chess skills here. In cold months, the smell of fresh tea brewing may lure you into Tealuxe, a pretty spot with 140 varieties of tea, plus scones and pastries to go with them; it's open until midnight weekends, 11 p.m. weekdays. KENDALL SQUARE Cambridge's little old Kendall Square is all grown up now. Want proof, MIT? Besides the standby, the Kendall Cafe, now there's Beantown Coffee House, 1 Kendall Square, next to Flat Top Johnny's - expanding your options for before or after a movie at the Kendall Cinema. Beantown is a little hole in the wall. Johnny's has dining tables outside, pool tables inside, 10 beers on tap, and good nachos; it closes 1 a.m. BACK BAY Beacon Hill doesn't offer many cheap options. Good thing there's Curious Liquids, across from the State House, a comfy place to sip coffee late into the night. It's open until 2 a.m. The end of Newbury Street is as funky as ever, and at Trident Booksellers and Cafe you can drink cafe au lait, dine, read, and watch the daily parade; it's open until midnight. The Other Side (so named because it's on the overlooked end of Newbury past Mass. Ave.), has more than 40 varieties of fresh juice to go with your meal; it's open until midnight, too. KENMORE SQUARE For its variety of distractions sure to lure you off campus, Kenmore Square is to Boston what Davis Square is to Cambridge. It's hard to go wrong here. Check out Angora Cafe for their sandwiches and frozen yogurt. Espresso Royale is good for coffee and espresso bean candy before that long history lecture. Deli-Haus has good burgers, breakfast all day, and it's open until 3 a.m. Jillian's near Fenway Park morphs from all-ages game room to 19-plus billiards lounge. But there's always a mix of ages. Just up Lansdowne Street, Axis saves Thursdays and Fridays for 19-plus dancing on both floors, and both Bill's Bar and Karma Club set aside nights for those not yet 21. The music scenes ROCK When you're feeling noncommittal or just plain poverty-stricken, it's nice to know you can sample great music without opening the wallet. Many no-cover pubs have adopted "residencies," whereby a band will play on the same night each week for a month. These pubs tend to be small, 21+, and shaped like a narrow rectangle: Toad, the Plough and Stars, the Brendan Behan, Green Street Grill, to name a few. If you really want to see a band, not just hear it, plan to arrive early for a good seat. Toad in Cambridge's Porter Square has hosted everything from the rip-snortin' rock-and-R&B of Barrence Whitfield and the Savages to the African juju of Love Whip. Upcoming shows include the Tim Gearan Band, Li'l Memphis, and Juniper's Daughter. Travel down Mass. Ave. toward Central Square, and you'll stumble upon the Plough and Stars, which also routinely offers incredible freebies. Earlier this year, Cherry 2000, which specialize in Pixies-inflected melodics, did a Monday-night residency. So did Mr. Airplane Man, with their Howlin' Wolf-by-way-of-Gun Club furor. Claustrophobics beware: The Plough tends to get quite crowded. Same goes for the Green Street Grill, in Central Square. Bands start around 11 p.m. If the group's particularly popular, snag a table early by having dinner there. The Brendan Behan Pub in Jamaica Plain is another grand emporium of free music and limited floor space. Even on a Sunday (rockabilly night) you need to arrive by 9 p.m. to get a table. The Behan's long been a favorite to neighborhood folks, and what with hip newcomer Milky Way across the street, the Behan is likely to be pulling in some alien bodies. - Amy Finch LATIN You've got to keep your ear to the ground to learn about the Latin scene. Events aren't always well publicized, but here are clubs you can count on: The Roxy: Located just blocks from the Boylston stop on the Green Line, this elegant club has been presenting the "Latin Quarter" Thursdays for two years now. After winding your way up the marble stairs, you'll see people chatting away on plush couches or gathered in small groups by one of the six bars. DJs Willy D and Jorge Guerrero spin a combination of salsa, merengue, Latin House, and techno. Couples and friends dance in small groups on the 450-capacity dance floor. On a recent visit, the crowd was mostly Latino - the women in revealing dresses and guys looking cool in slacks and shirts. M-80: You'll know you're there by the long line of folks anxiously waiting to get in. On Fridays and Saturdays, dance to the beat of DJ JC's Latin remixes and techno in the 350-capacity front room. It's packed, mostly with chic international students. The 650-capacity back room booms with Eurohouse (mainstream house music in English). Doors open at 11:30 and close at 2 a.m.; the club is on the Green Line B train. It is 21+. Trattoria Il Panino: On Sunday's Euro International Night, you can immerse yourself in Latin music at this multi-level club from 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. On a recent Sunday night, people sat by the bar on the third floor and at tables with flickering candlelight drinking and talking. By midnight, the place was bursting with people dancing to DJ Zino's Latin remixes of salsa and pop music. DJ Roger spins in the roomier fourth floor, with its mirrored walls and strobe lights. The well-dressed dance crowd is a mix of international students, Anglos, and Asians (young and older). Head up to the fifth floor and look down at the dancers from the balcony. Take the Red Line to Downtown Crossing, then turn right at Franklin Street. It's 21+ and usually has no cover charge. Among other dance spots, try Ryles' Temporada Latina on Thursdays and (if you have a car) Vincent's Friday Latin night in Randolph (781-986-4000). On the Web, try http://www.salsaboston.com or http://web.mit.edu/tgriffin/necsem/worldrhythm.html. The latter site is of the World Rhythm Calendar, which can be found in print version at record stores and clubs. - Tanya Pérez-Brennan DJs Boston is being invaded. Once a quiet city known for its subdued nightlife, the Hub is now at the mercy of a string of foreigners, armed with two turntables and a mike, who are forcing crowds to stay up past midnight. Every weekend, clubs play host to some of the biggest names in spinning. The trend began more than a year ago at clubs like Hibernia, the Roxy, and Chaps. It has reached its apex at the mammoth Avalon and now everyone has gotten into the act. Even small clubs in Cambridge are now flying in DJs from Sweden. The best place to hear big-name DJs spinning is Avalon. This huge space has hosted Junior Vasquez, Frankie Knuckles, Sasha and Digweed, and Victor Calderone. In early October, master mixer Todd Terry is slated to spin there. Brace yourself for the steep $15 cover charge. Thursday nights at Axis are usually a good opportunity to hear international DJs. Karma hosts guests DJs every Friday night for "Sonic," and Friday night's "Life" party at the Lava Bar hosts garage and house DJs. Even small clubs, such as Irish bars Phoenix Landing and Tua Nua, are bringing in international DJs. Let's not forget the local DJ legends. Best known is John Debo, who spins Thursday nights at Axis and Friday nights at Avalon. His anthem-style mixing conjures up New York clubs. Tim Ryan spins progressive house and techno at Axis on Fridays and at Tua Nua on Sundays. While some clubs tend to be fairly consistent in musical style and crowd (M-80 and Joy generally play to an international crowd, Man Ray is goth), most clubs change dramatically from night to night. For instance, RiRa is progressive house on Sunday, but turns goth on Mondays. - Christopher Muther FOLK Greater Boston is home to more folk venues than anywhere else in the country, ranging from cozy cellar coffeehouses to ambitious concert series. Urban clubs like Passim in Harvard Square, and Johnny D's and the Burren Pub, both in Davis Square, get most of the attention. But many suburban coffeehouses offer folk music in the casual, neighborly ambience that many feel suits it best. In addition to the listings in Calendar, radio is the ideal place to begin exploring - and hearing - what the scene has to offer: WUMB-FM (91.9) plays acoustic music from dawn till dusk. The hosts are knowledgeable, offering regular concert listings and cuts of performers appearing in the area. WGBH-FM airs Brian O'Donovan's "Celtic Sojourn" Saturday noon-2 p.m., a cozy program of music from Ireland, Scotland, and Great Britain that is also a good source for concert updates. From 2 to 6 p.m. on WGBH, Dick Pleasants, who is also a WUMB regular, hosts his venerable "Folk Heritage" program. No one is better at offering lively explanations of who's who in the folk world. WERS-FM (88.9) presents "Coffeehouse" weekdays 6-9 a.m. If you want to get in on the act, open stages and jam sessions abound in the area. Perhaps the best places to start are the Tuesday open mike at Club Passim, and the Monday open mike and Tuesday bluegrass and old-time music jam at Central Square's Cantab Lounge. They are particularly known for being welcoming to newcomers. - Scott Alarik JAZZ While clubs provide a number of live-music options for jazz lovers, the budget-minded should also consider the concerts presented at local music schools. Jordan Hall (30 Gainsborough St., 617-536-2412) presents free concerts with New England Conservatory students and faculty Monday-Thursday at 8 p.m., with an emphasis on classical music and some jazz. Berklee College also calls upon its students and instructors for weeknight jazz and rock concerts at the Performance Center (136 Mass. Ave., 617-747-8820) - they start at 8:15 p.m. and have a nominal admission fee - as well as more intimate presentations in the David Friend Recital Hall (933 Boylston St.), a 150-seat, state-of-the-art performance space, where shows are free. And if you want a signature Boston jazz experience, go to the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge on Monday nights to hear The Fringe, the freeform trio of saxophonist George Garzone, bassist John Lockwood, and drummer Bob Gullotti; their weekly sessions have attained legendary status. - Bob Blumenthal Gay scene Boston's gay and lesbian population is one of the largest in the country, but its presence can be subtle. There are surprisingly few gay bars here, and there is no one-stop community center like in many other cities. But signs of a vital gay community are almost everywhere if you look closely. Boston is unrivaled when it comes to such gay indicators as rainbow stickers on store windows, pink triangles on car bumpers and backpacks, and campy humor on billboards and subway ads. So if you're new to Boston and want to know more about the gay scene, my first piece of advice is to pay attention. Once your gaydar is fully turned on, you may proceed to some of the most popular spots for young gays and lesbians. THE ARTS You can usually find a Whitman's sampler of gay Boston, sometimes both sexes, but usually one or the other, in one of the screening rooms at the Kendall Square Cinema in Cambridge. Most new gay- and lesbian-themed films play here (like the recent "Trick" and "Better Than Chocolate"), and there seem to be more every year. Arrive early enough to get a good seat and join in the pre-movie chatter. The atmosphere is friendler than in most bars and not as sleazy as the all-male audiences from the days when "gay" meant X-rated. Lesbian and gay cineasts can also find what they're looking for at the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square; their women's film fest is a big lesbian draw, and they show gay-themed films on an ongoing basis. Drama queens should head to the Boston Center for the Arts, a three-stage theater in the heart of gay Boston. Resident companies include the Theater Offensive (whose "Out on the Edge" festival runs through Oct. 2) and the SpeakEasy Stage Company (with frequent gay-themed plays). Even if none of the featured plays interest you, check out the lobby for notices about other gay arts events. STORES Glad Day Bookshop in Boston has all kinds of gay and lesbian volumes, plus a bulletin board of housing notices and meeting announcements. The store is also well-stocked with erotic videos and magazines, which gives it a cruisy feel in the late evenings. Over in the South End, the oddly named We Think the World of You Bookstore has a similar inventory but has rainbow-themed gifts instead of a porn section. New Words, in Cambridge's Inman Square, specializes in feminist and lesbian books. Keep your eye out for its book readings - often well-known women authors appear. The shop has an extensive bulletin board with postings for jobs, events, and housing. Grand Opening is not an event, but your first trip there just might be. It's a shop in the nondescript Arcade shopping mall on Harvard Street in Brookline that caters to women's sexuality: everything from sex toys, erotic books and magazines, to literature on safe sex. It's owned by a bisexual, but geared to women of all kinds. (Guys are welcome, too.) CAFE SOCIETY If you're not legally old enough to drink and you prefer a mixed crowd over an all-gay scene, try a coffeehouse. None are officially gay, but at most places in the South End, Jamaica Plain, and Davis Square, it's safe to flirt with strangers without worrying about what might happen if you guess wrong. The worst outcome is that you'll needlessly flatter a straight person. The most popular spot in the South End is Francesca's (564 Tremont St., 617-482-9026), a bright and cozy cafe that offers an inexpensive way to familiarize yourself with a neighborhood full of pricey condos and restaurants. A new hot spot on the collegiate Red Line is the Diesel Cafe in Somerville's Davis Square, which attracts more students and more lesbians than you'll find in the South End. THE BARS What if you want to skip the ambiguity and proceed to a designated cruising area? Club Cafe in the South End is a great introduction to the Boston bar scene, especially if you're a gay man, or part of a mixed group. The front part of Club Cafe is a fairly upscale restaurant and cocktail lounge with a pianist on weekends. Gays pack the back room, a louder and darker video bar where it's often impossible to move without bumping into someone (which is precisely the point). Club Cafe is also a reliable place to find copies of Boston's two gay and lesbian weekly newspapers, Bay Windows and In Newsweekly. Both publish comprehensive listings of gay and lesbian events, and lively coverage of relevant local and national news. There are plenty of gay men's nights at some of the area's largest dance clubs, but you can start with three. Man Ray, smack in between Harvard and MIT, hosts "Campus" (a 21-plus night "for gay men and their friends") on Thursdays and "Liquid" (a 19-plus night with a more eclectic crowd) on Saturdays. Both nights attract a crowd heavy on black clothing and leather. Make at least one visit to Boston's oldest and largest gay night, at Avalon (on Sundays). There isn't much as far as clubs for women. Try the Lava Bar in Kenmore Square on Saturday nights, the Midway Cafe in Jamaica Plain on Thursday nights, and Ryles, a jazz club in Cambridge where the upstairs is devoted to women, but not jazz, on Sunday nights. THE INTERNET Hanarchy Now Productions sponsors a ton of lesbian events around town; their web address is www.hanarchy.com. They also have an e-mail list you can subscribe to, which gives regular updates on local happenings. This is the first place for lesbians and bisexual women to look for worthwhile gay/lesbian/bi events. One of the better college sites is Gays at MIT, or GaMIT (http://web.mit.edu/gamit/www), which has links to college-oriented and other gay groups in the Boston area, plus a guide to bars and restaurants. - Robert Sullivan © Copyright 1999 Globe Newspaper Company.