<p>Hi guys. I just wanted some first-hand info on what the nightlife is like in Boston and the whole 21+ philosophy as far as drinking/clubbing, etc goes.</p>
<p>Basically, a friend and I are both going to college in Boston and we're pretty scared about the culture shock we're going to find as far as nightlife goes. We're coming from Spain where kids start drinking wine with their parents from the age of 14 and it's not a big deal at all. Basically when you turn 14 you get a fake ID to get into de 16+ "light" Clubs which run until midnight, when you hit 16 you get another fake ID which says you're 18 so you can get into the real clubs which usually go from midnight to 6 in the morning. So, obviously the scene is going to be radically different but, how strict are the Boston clubs (I've seen in cities like Vegas and NYC they're extremely strict and you can get into some serious trouble) as far as being 18+ or 21+ and fake ID's go? Quite honestly the prospect of three years of beer is scary...</p>
<p>any college towns or bars/clubs around colleges are strict. there are undercover "police" dedicated for busting underage drinkers or people who would let minors in to a location where they are not supposed to be. with that said, you can party it up in frat parties and house parties. you dont have to hit up the clubs or bars to drink. my friend from france got arrested the first day he arrived in america because he used a fake to drink. hes not in too much of a trouble but still not worth it. </p>
<p>but another interesting thing is that not all clubs have 21+ events. sometimes they do 18+ events and they just either stamp or not stamp your hand telling the bartender you can or cannot drink. some clubs do 21+ for guys and 18+ for girls.
hope that helps</p>
<p>The real culture shock is going to be when you walk into a Boston bar and get "Welcome to the Jungle" blasted into your ear at 400 decibels and then a severely drunk girl with blond highlights and a UMass Amherst sweatshirt throws up on your shoes. Just get a car and go up to Montreal on weekends like the cool kids.</p>
<p>ummm... I'm not sure if you know this or not, so I'm just going to throw it out there, just in case...</p>
<p>In America, it isn't 18 for beer and wine and 21 for hard liquor... it's 21 for everything. The only thing 18 is for is voting, smoking and the draft.</p>
<p>Your question seems to imply differently, so, sorry if it didn't.</p>
<p>Alcohol is easy to get no matter where you are.. don't worry about it. If you are going to school in Boston, that means it is not a college town, so you should be fine with a fake ID. Make sure it looks somewhat like you and it shouldn't really be a problem. No one is really that uptight here, when you go to clubs you will have to deal with idiots and drunkards just like you would at any other place in the world. It shouldn't be too much of a culture shock.</p>
<p>You always run the risk of being caught, and you could always get that cop who is an *******.. so just make sure you are always careful.</p>
<p>Boston is EXTREMELY puritanical when it comes to their drinking laws. Most clubs are 21+, they nearly always scan IDs, tons of places won't accept out of state IDs as forms of identification, and events that aren't 21+ (concerts, etc.) are over by 11pm. At such events, you're going to get a big fat black X on each hand telling the bartender that you're not legal. </p>
<p>Also, if you do manage to hook yourself up with a good enough fake, last call is at 2am. The only all-night parties are private, as in, at somebody's house. And the public transport system shuts down at 12:30, so you're taking a cab or walking drunk through the streets of Allston (but don't worry, you won't be alone in this).</p>