Sleepless in Boston: 24/7 in the City
Updated: September 01, 2009
Even if you don't gallivant about at 4am on a regularly basis, knowing which spots burn the midnight oil can bring some peace of mind when the city is otherwise shuttered. Whether you crave sugary sustenance or a crucial snail-mail postmark, these Boston businesses dependably save you at all hours of the day and night. You can certainly sleep well knowing these places exist--but actually doing that is up to you, night owl.
Yes, We Are Most Certainly Open
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Boston Bowl Family Fun Ctr
Read Reviews820 William T Morrissey Blvd, Dorchester, MA 02122 (map)
Boston Bowl positions itself as "Boston's best 24-hour bowling," but let's be honest, they're pretty much the only option around. But we're not complaining about the no-holds-barred accessibility to late-night tourneys among friends, or the errant 2am children's birthday party (ahem). The bowling alleys are Boston Bowl's only 24-hour offering, but during the generous "normal" operation hours, diversions include billiards, outdoor batting cages and arcade games. The Deadwood Cafe purveys beer "served wicked cold" and proper gaming fuel of pizza, nachos and calzones.
Bova's Bakery
Read Reviews134 Salem St, Boston, MA 02113 (map)
After a crawl around Faneuil Hall's pubs, a downtown show or an especially rousing dinner at one of the eateries dotting the North End, it's not a stretch to imagine meandering into this traditional, family-owned Italian bakery. The bright, loaf-teeming storefront glows on a corner, beckoning passersby inside to counters stacked with calzones, stuffed subs, flaky lobster tails, fresh fruit tarts and more cakes than the eye can see. Open 24/7 every day, it's a popular people-watching spot, provided you can make them out through bleary eyes.
Dunkin' Donuts
Write a review282 Somerville Ave, Somerville, MA 02143 (map)
America may run on Dunkin', but Beantown practically sprints crazily off it--and this location of the Boston-bred business doles carbolicious and caffeinated staples at all odd hours. On a sleepy corner of Somerville's Union Square, this beacon of brisk, fast-breakfast snackage attracts night workers, police officers and restless residents like moths to a flame. The familiar rounded-letter signage and pink-orange logo emblazoned perkily on Styrofoam coffee cups makes whatever darkness out there appear a little brighter.
Shaw's Supermarket
Read Reviews65 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02199 (map)
This sprawling supermarket, located in the hippocampus of the Back Bay (it is a nervous system, in a way), purveys every modern convenience America has to offer. Whatever you need, at whatever time, lives here: coconut, toothpaste with whitener, a bottle of Merlot, paper towels with extra absorbency, candy bars, eyedrops. An encapsulated 24-hour Dunkin' Donuts counter embedded in the front of the grocery even doles franchised coffee and crullers. Insomniacs can roam the aisles for endless white light-bathed comfort.
South Street Diner
Read Reviews178 Kneeland St, Boston, MA 02111 (map)
Due to customer demand, this renowned gritty, sassy, beer-pouring greasy-spoon of a restaurant slings its signature diner platters 24/7 every day. It's a rarity to meet anyone who hasn't ended the night at this downtown landmark, built in 1947 and walkable from pretty much anywhere downtown. The masses converge for the no-frills kitsch vibe and generous helpings of eggs, pancakes, toast and bacon or heartier fare like burgers, subs and milkshakes. Hipsters, clubbers, students, celebs: all eventually make a sojourn and mingle as one in a timeless daze.
Us Postal Inspection Svc
Write a review25 Dorchester Ave, Boston, MA 02205 (map)
Who knows how many school, job and by-deadline applications have been hand-rushed to this post office, the only one in the city with 24-hour operations. To see where all that nail biting goes down, follow the footpath right off the train depot at South Station to this saving grace of last-minute postmarks and urgent shipping emergencies (or, of course, a casual stopover for bubble wrap at 3:52am). There's not much else to this post office except its generous hours and a long hallway lined with cute posters of discontinued stamp designs, but it still shines bright with inherent butt-saving-ness.
Victoria's Diner
Read Reviews1024 Massachusetts Ave, Roxbury, MA 02118 (map)
Convenient to the nocturnal medical student, on-the-clock officer and relentless party-goer alike, sassy Marilyn-Monroe-esque Victoria's oozes the all-nighter charm from 11pm to 5am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Dishy waitresses ensure you don't go home hungry, certainly not from a menu that teems with gut-busters like corned beef hash, breakfast burritos and bacon-cheddar melt burgers. With homemade meatloaf, homemade mac and cheese and a "jumbo slice of cake for two" (really, you could feed four), you're about two fried butter balls away from comfort-food heaven.
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