More than a year ago, Corianne Reynolds became Boston's first director of nightlife economy.
Segun Idowu, the City of Boston’s Director of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, announced the appointment at a press conference, saying: About the city and how it's redefining nightlife beyond clubs, restaurants and bars. ”
This week, she shared her assessment of Boston's nightlife during her 13-month term and how she plans to help the city's social scene continue to grow.
Read excerpts from the interview below and watch the full interview above.
NBC10 Boston: You've been in this role for a little over a year now. How did you rate Boston?
Corianne Reynolds: Boston is a fun city. I want to make that very clear.
I decided that there are some hurdles and some stories when it comes to the problem of bringing people together in a unique way. There are several state issues that are barriers, including access to liquor licenses, changing happy hour laws, and expanding alcohol sales. Those are some issues. There are labor issues such as transportation. These are the main issues. We just want to make sure people see the path to City Hall, the path they may not have taken before.
Boston is a 2 a.m. city. What was the conversation like for you when it came to convincing establishments to stay open a little later and keep people outside?
I'd like to demystify this idea that you can't have fun in the city at 2am. In many major cities across America, bars close at 2am. For example, Los Angeles closes at 2am. Many bars in Chicago close at 2am. We try to encourage innovation. How can you get the most out of that metric while rethinking what you can change to drive growth in your night department?
For example, there are ordinances that prohibit things like entertainment and amplified noise between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. This is something that can be addressed at the municipal level.
Although the liquor business cannot be extended, if the contents of this ordinance are reconsidered, the business entertainment can be extended. The idea is that, if you wish, you can impose a “sober hour”, extending the entertainment until 3 a.m., which will not only slightly delay the opening hours of the establishments, but also increase the safety of the city as a whole. .
So this “sober time”. Is that something you're considering piloting?
yes.
What kind of conversations did you have at that level from a public transportation perspective?
Our transit system is a regional transit system, and Boston is one of the many markets served by the MBTA. Having Boston representation on the MBTA Board is critical.
What I've been working on over the last year is building a strong enough case for late-night expansion and having those conversations and raising the late-night workforce issue. This is also another equity issue in terms of who provides our transportation services. It shows that there is inequality. Compiling that and presenting that information to those in power that manage our transportation system has been part of this role for part of the last year. And behind the scenes, we are thinking about various innovations.
We developed a proposal for potential late-night travel independent of the MBTA. How do we extend that proposal? How can we make that proposal a reality? How do you find investment for that? That's going to be very important next year.
[Boston] It's truly a student town. [the lack of] Diversity does not necessarily mean racial diversity. Often it is due to age diversity. Has he ever talked to a crowd of 30 or more people, or even a crowd of 40 or more, about where he wants to go? But also think about people of color and find a space where they feel comfortable. Is it even possible?
You'd think a thriving nighttime economy and a thriving nightlife ecosystem would serve a lot of people, right? It's for people who don't want their nights to revolve around alcohol. We serve people of all ages, all generations, all ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, etc.
We're trying to think through how we can invest in these specific areas and beyond. We invested in Dani's Queer Bar, which will open soon. I'm looking forward to checking it out.
What we've seen is growth in businesses with diverse ownership. Grace by Nia is a new spot that just opened. Hue, Estela, The Pearl — the list goes on and on. These are businesses that didn't exist 10 years ago. This market is growing and so is the expression in nightlife.
I think the trend will be more towards more lounges. That's what I hear from the 30's, 40's and over crowd. They want more lounge than dance. We have a place to provide it. But I see people developing the concept in their work. I look forward to supporting the work of these entrepreneurs and establishing it in the city of Boston.
We invest in all kinds of spaces and reimagine the city, using it as a canvas to see what can actually happen in the city of Boston. We plan to make direct investments there. I'm very excited about that.
korian reynolds
Director of Nightlife Economics, City of Boston
What do you value most as you enter your second year?
Looking forward to investing in more nightlife activities. We invest in all kinds of spaces and reimagine the city, using it as a canvas to see what can actually happen in the city of Boston. We plan to make direct investments there.
It will be free and open to the public. What does it feel like when grandma and grandchild are partying in the same space? What happens when we host more cultural events during evening hours? What happens when we revitalize downtown during the week? What is life like on weekday nights?
Also invest in resources for night employees. I want my employees to feel empowered when they do their jobs. I want them to feel like they have professional development opportunities and I want them to feel heard. Investing in training for them and making sure they feel like they have the knowledge they need to create a safe environment for all patrons at the bar is also at the top of my list. is.
Is there a specific timeline for these investments or does it just happen over time?
This expansion is expected to take place over the next week or so.
