Tipsy at Gypsy
February 15, 2008
Hotung may have raging club nights, and Powderhouse Pub may have karaoke, but somehow, Boston still manages to draw the adventurous Jumbos from the comforts of Somerville into the big city. Responding to the cry for the lowdown on Boston’s bar scene, The Observer ventured to Boston Common to check it out and report. An easy walk from the Park Street T stop is Gypsy Bar. The bar’s convenient location is one of its selling points, though heel-clad Jumbos may prefer to take the Green Line one stop to Boylston. Steep drink prices and a cover charge may deter some, but for good dancing and classy décor, Gypsy Bar is top-notch, if a little repetitive.
Why Jellyfish? Why Not?
Like many clubs in downtown Boston, Gypsy Bar is huge. Comprised of several different rooms and corridors, the strategic setup of the bar enables moderate levels of intimacy despite its grand scale. After waiting in the line that often stretches halfway down Boylston St. and paying the $10 cover charge, we entered a narrow room with booths flanking one side and a bar stretching along the expanse of the other.
Setting the mood to this posh entrance hall are spineless globs of jellyfish. Clever backlighting gives these small, sinewy creatures a phosphorescent glow, and their red-orange forms reflect on the surface of the bar. Jellyfish may seem like an unusual decision for the occupants of a massive tank, but their shapeless grace effectively sets this unique bar apart from others.
At the end of the room stands a cube-shaped glass wine cellar. Rounded steel fixtures emit low lights with sleek austerity. With the speaker level set slightly lower than the rest of the bar, this entrance room is perfect for early-evening cocktails and schmoozing.
Set further back in the bar towards the main rooms is the VIP Lounge. Not actually exclusive, this chamber has large leather couches and faux fireplaces for cozy lounging, in addition to racks of Grey Goose vodka on display on either wall. A velvet partition breaks this room from the actual VIP bar and seating area, which is reserved for special guests and celebrities.
The DJs are positioned above the expansive dance floor, in an open bunker. Although this enables a clear view of the DJs as they spin, a downside is that club-goers are unable to make requests or interact with the DJs.
Artsy or Aristocratic?
Fitting with its name, Gypsy has a trendy but mysterious feel and attracts Bostonians from all walks of life. Groups of rhythm-hungry college girls dance alongside more frequent club-goers and even a few couples with salt-and-pepper hair. More Manhattan aristocratic than Cambridge artsy, the dress is clean and chic all-around, and whiffs of high-end perfume followed our footsteps.
Gypsy Bar is actually three bars in total, plus two others for VIPs. Because of all of the roped-off private areas, one feels importantly high-brow just being there — a neat contrast to the provincial feel of some of the more casual local places. Bouncers stand on guard at every corner and a few shady police officers in uniform watch from the shadows. This adds to an overall atmosphere that might be described as part-celebrity hangout, part-drug lord headquarters. There is nothing playful, like a pool table or karaoke lounge, to detract from this intense ambiance.
By midnight, the dance floor is packed and making it to one of the two bars conveniently positioned on either side takes some effort. Plastic cups of downed cocktails dot the floor and occasionally someone’s misplaced coat gets trampled on — not a bad alternative considering the $2 charge per item for the coat roam. Danced-out guests take a break by lounging on white love seats situated just off the dance-floor, many with an affectionate partner by his or her side. Those who aren’t so lucky might eye the plasma TVs hung over entranceways, each displaying sexy images of top pop artists.
To See or Be Seen
If your wallet can take the hit of a night out at Gypsy Bar, your taste buds will thank you. Though the lower, cheaper end of the spectrum starts at a disturbingly pricey $6 Bud Light, an extra few bucks will go a long way in drink quality. The Gypsy bartenders seemed able and competent, mixing strong rum-and-cokes and creative citrus cocktails in faux-glass tumblers for $9 each. The drink menu is standard club fare and its website claims to serve dinner until 10 p.m. on the weekends, though it’s not known as a dinner destination.
Like the scenery, Gypsy Bar’s music and clientele seems to be of a repetitive nature. The evening we attended, elusive DJs were mentioned in passing and were rumored to start spinning at midnight but failed to materialize until late in the night, if at all. Gypsy’s music selection, alternating almost exclusively between re-mixed Michael Jackson tracks and an abbreviated Top 40’s playlist, seemed to emerge from a laptop. The ethereal ability of the house music to emerge from hidden speakers throughout the club wouldn’t be a problem if it were interrupted by some human imposition on the standard, electronic beat. Looking ahead on Gypsy’s calendar there is little that is remarkable and the venue is light on substantial organized events.
Billed as “Boston’s place to see and be seen,” Gypsy bar should at least be commended for democratizing the “celebrity experience.” Unfortunately the effect can feel kitschy, like a Disney rendition of swankier lounges in New York and Los Angeles. The good thing is that no one at Gypsy seems to mind. The establishment’s not-so-strict dress code stipulates “No excessively baggy clothing” and “No athletic wear,” but the clientele is decidedly dressed and liquored up.
Compared to the many other things that Boston has to offer after hours, Gypsy Bar seems to float by with the predictable, mediocre gait of the jellyfish that dominate its main bar area. Ultimately, there’s nothing substantially wrong with Gypsy bar and its convenient location leaves little room for complaint. If you’re looking for the generic club experience and a place to dance you won’t be disappointed, but there is little to help the club truly stand out from its many rivals downtown.
Gypsy Bar is located at 116 Boylston Street in Boston. It is open from 10pm-2am on Wednesday and 5pm-2am Thursday-Saturday. It is accessible by either the Park Street or the Boylston T stop.