It was the final round of the Copa America and Central Square was desolate – the match between Argentina and Colombia had sucked the people from off the streets and into the bars. I was out looking to prove to a boyfriend visiting from New York that I was a savvy local guide and that Cambridge could be exciting at night. We were drawn in by a buzz of yellow-jerseyed Colombia fans swarming the outdoor patio at the nightclub Phoenix Landing, then blocked from entering by the bouncer. Stung but determined, we joined an UberEats rider parked in the bike lane. We leaned against the concrete barrier, lifting our feet as bikes whizzed past, to watch the game from the outskirts. The only thing more sad that July night was the losing Colombia fans.
This is the typical nighttime of an underage young adult in Cambridge: a search, a failure, finally a compromise. In the spirit of solidarity, I compiled some nighttime venues in Cambridge and Somerville for what Census data suggests is a population of roughly 10,208 residents between the ages of 18 and 20. For those arriving for the new school year and beginning to venture off campus to explore their new cities, this could be enough to get you started.
Bachata Night at Havana Club
Sundays 8 to 9:30 p.m., Mondays 8 p.m. to midnight, Tuesdays 8 to 11:30 p.m. $10 to $15, cash only
Although Havana Club’s 18-plus social dance nights are alcohol free and on weeknights, they still pack in dancers grooving to bachata and salsa beats. It surprised me how many people found this hole-in-the-wall tucked away beside the Greek American Political Club behind Central Square. The space – a large rectangular room with a DJ stage up front – would be reminiscent of a middle school dance if it weren’t for the talent of the participants. I stood along the ring of the floor with a couple of stiff-hipped grad students watching the quick feet and swinging hips of the regulars, too daunted to join in. I was whisked away eventually by older gentlemen eager to instruct, a couple of novice dancers studying mathematics and a woman who moved so quickly I kept stepping on her toes.
Havana Club, 288 Green St., Central Square, Cambridge
Karaoke and late-night eats at Orleans Restaurant and Bar
Saturdays 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. $20
An average sports bar with dark wood and glowing yellow lamps, Orleans was packed on a Karaoke night with college students and townies. The dining room lights were dimmed and a makeshift stage glowed purple and orange, adding a bit of mystery. Singers took to the mic, lit by projections on which a dot bounced over each word to keep them in time with an instrumental backing – often unsuccessfully. Some sang songs that droned on like personal soliloquies. The audience listened patiently. There was a rendition of the karaoke classic “I Will Survive” and maybe an entire album’s worth of Adele. Because we were underage, my table downed oysters like shots and the kitchen, which stayed open late, kept them coming for multiple rounds.
Orleans Restaurant, 65 Holland St., Somerville
Dance Party at ManRay
Wednesdays 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. $7 to $30
Each night ManRay, the historic Cambridge alternative club, hosts a different themed party. I went to “Heroes” Saturday, which was billed as “’80s new wave, electro and postpunk.” There, amid the purple light, glinting disco ball and projections of David Bowie on the walls, attendees indulged in a nostalgia-fueled dance party. I was too Gen Z to know most of the songs, but I recognized “There is a Light That Never Goes Out” by The Smiths – a ballad that got the whole club singing. I waved my hands (each marked with a giant X, a sign of my underage status) in the air alongside a Princess Leia and a man in metallic underwear. I spotted a couple other Xs across the floor – although the crowd, which ranged from just-off-work-looking dudes shuffling their toes to elaborately dressed drag queens, trended older. “It was better than the frats,” my friend Kayla said.
ManRay, 40 Prospect St., Central Square, Cambridge
Midnight Special at the Somerville Theatre
Saturdays. $15
With its dusty chandeliers, classic box office and velvet curtains, the Somerville Theatre’s vintage aura invites nostalgia. After buying stale popcorn at the concession stand, I passed through an ornate golden auditorium to my screening. In the dim light, the theater can feel a bit haunted – a feeling compounded by a repertory of classics and indie arthouse features that swings between the cult shlock that feels right for a buzzy late-night audience (“Terminator,” “Miami Connection”) and cultural artifacts that will come up at parties and in film crit essays (“Midnight Cowboy,” “Wigstock”). After my movie, I stepped outside into a cloud of cigarette smoke blown by a grungy couple lingering by the promo posters and wondered what it was about.
Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square
More suggestions
- Harvard Art Museums at Night: The last Thursday of every month (holidays permitting) from 5 to 9 p.m., centered around an Italian-inspired courtyard with music, food for sale and the chance to wander galleries and browse the museum shop. Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free.
- Rock at The Middle East and Sinclair: The rock venues have all-ages shows regularly usually ranging from $12 to $40, and The Middle East alone has three stages and a free cafe performance space. The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Harvard Square, Cambridge; The Middle East Upstairs, 472 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge, and Sonia, 10 Brookline St., Central Square, Cambridge.
- Jazz at The Lilypad; Get off the T and discover Inman Square and this clubhouse for the area’s best, including artists at the top of their game and restless students and instructors from the Berklee School of Music. For as little as $5 (and typically no more than $15) you can lose yourself in an intimate space among what might be just a handful of cognoscenti. You might still be talking about that show years later, and how the talent a few feet in front of you are open to a chat afterward. Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge.
- Dinner and folk music at Club Passim: The history of this place goes back to before Joan Baez (who played barefoot) and Bob Dylan (who jumped on stage in 1961 to play between sets just so he could say he performed there). It’s still where the world of folk comes to find their own folk, whether the players are famous or just embarking on a career. Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge Usually $20 to $35.
- Pool until 2 a.m. at Tasty Burger: Burgers and pool in a basement, few things better. There are more tables and an arcade, but an hour less to play, at Flat Top Johnny’s. Tasty Burger, 40 JFK St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Flat Top Johnny’s, 238 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge.
A stronger
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