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In addition to no masks
This is the first day of no more Covid-19 capacity restrictions at local businesses, including bars and restaurants - and no more prohibitions on lines to get into bars and restaurants.
Also, to answer the inevitable question: The Glass Slipper was planning on re-opening either tonight or tomorrow. Centerfolds is apparently re-opening by the end of June.
The Glass Slipper
Will now remove their signs that say Sorry We Are Clothed.
Too cold to stand outdoors without a mask today
I hadn't been wearing one outdoors for the last few days, but I sure did put one on today (along with a winter coat and a knit cap, scarf, and gloves)
duplicate comment removed
,
What's the occasion?
Bars and restaurants have been open for a year now. I just started going less often.
First time full capacity no restrictions
But I am guessing you know this.
A good prosecutor
Doesn't ask a question without knowing the answer.
I didn't see a line once during the pandemic, even with many places closed, and with reduced capacities. People could have gone to bars and restaurants, they didn't want to. Everyone is simply celebrating the changing of their own minds.
Amazing but true
I didn't go to open restaurants during the pandemic because there was a pandemic. Now that everyone I know is vaccinated, I enjoy going out with friends.
I'm still not going to Southie bars but I wasn't before the pandemic either.
libertarianism in a nutshell
.
changing minds?
Does changing one's behavior based on changes in the underlying situation count as changing one's mind? If I decide I don't want to drive in a blizzard, and then I go out driving in the spring when all the roads are clear and the snow is melted, does that count as changing my mind?
Uh, yeah?
You're as good at prosecution as I am.
Absolutely asinine....
This is absolutely and totally asinine, when we're in the middle of a dangerous ;pandemic.
Normal?
Enjoying a libation and good food with a loved one at home or stand in line for overpriced drinks and food to shout across the table to be heard? Retired "boomer" here. You know my choice.
My choice too
That's not my idea of fun either. But I sympathize with those whose idea of fun it is. I've been able to continue my favorite gatherings (small, close friends and family) largely unimpaired by the pandemic. These people haven't been able to enjoy the gatherings they desire. They are consequently much more pent-up than I am. I am happy for them that they get to go out and have the type of fun they seek once again.
On somebody else's block, naturally.
Also....
Service at limited capacity restaurants has been depleted/sub par for various reasons. This looks it’s gonna be like the opening night of a bar rescue episode where no one gets served and John Taffer “shuts it down”
Either way...no thanks.
Working out the bugs of full capacity
I went out to eat with friends that I haven't seen since the beforetimes. The restaurant was still running on reservations, but was full up and seating at full capacity.
The kitchen/server interface was keystone cops - they were working it out, but with more servers, more volume, and the bar seating full up, they were running into each other going to the kitchen for food and the bar for the drink and needed to sort things out again.
As I was leaving, they had had a quick group chat with the shift manager, who removed an empty bar stool and was taping off a clear area so the kitchen could set dishes there without the servers having to collide.
It is going to take some time to sort out the systems.
OK, Boomer.
Congrats on aging? I don't understand your post!
Maybe these folks don't have
Maybe these folks don't have a loved one at home as you do, and they just want to be around other people even if those people are merely strangers at a bar.
How true.
I count myself very fortunate to have a loving significant other to share life with.
We’re not there yet personally
Partner and I went to Newbury St yesterday and we’re pleased with how many people were still masked (probably north of 75%). All stores still required them, etc.
I like that we CAN go back to “normal” activities now, but we’re not ready for it yet, personally. We were hoping to finally eat outside this weekend (partner just cleared her 2 weeks post-second shot) but weather has put a damper on that. Oh well, maybe next week.
Yes, yes, vaccines are highly effective. But we’re at like 63% partly vaccinated in Mass, kids still aren’t vaccinated, and we don’t know enough about what happens yet when you mix large numbers of vaccinated and unvaccinated people. We’ve been waiting 15 months to go “back to normal”, will gladly wait a few more weeks to let those who want to run around in the Petri dish of the great reoppening before we dive in.
Good luck to all who are ready to brave it.
We have lots of data
Breakthrough cases are very rare. And breakthrough cases leading to other other breakthrough cases and/or hospitalization is extremely rare.
People can do what they want. But for me, having gotten my Pfizer shots I see my COVID risk level as lower than all the other bad things that can happen to me in daily life.
This is a refreshing comment
On this wacky site.
Respecting other people’s decisions.
Good to see other ration people out here.
Avoiding eating outside isn’t
Avoiding eating outside isn’t rational. Neither is being worried about being around unvaccinated people after you are vaccinated.
after the last 15 months
those things are perfectly rational.
that the whole state just happens to be "ready" to open right back up to 100%, so coincidentally on what is traditionally one of the biggest holiday weekends of the whole year would lead any right thinking person to hesitate just a bit.
nothing irrational with not jumping in with the crowds for just a bit.
Maybe. But the amount of time
Maybe. But the amount of time many of us spend commenting on this here website is also not rational. Oh well.
i’ll give all of us a pass
considering none had lived through a global pandemic that necessitated a year long lockdown while claiming ~3.4 million lives
I'm edging back into normalcy
Last weekend I had my first indoor meal -- in an uncrowded place with very high ceilings and large open doors, Night Shift Brewery in Everett. I had wanted to eat on their patio instead, after a hot 26 mile bike ride, but the patio was full and indoors was not. I wasn't and probably still am not ready for a more typical indoor restaurant setting just yet.
I took my first MBTA ride in five months yesterday, Red Line to Silver Line to Chelsea, because it was just too cold and dreary and wet to go there by bicycle, which would be my usual choice.
Shortly after I reached 'full vaccination' status, I visited a small local museum and an art gallery. On Friday, I ventured into the CambridgeSide ex-Galleria mall to visit two temporary pop-up art exhibits. Except for the Apple Store, the mall felt very empty.
In a couple of weeks, I'll take the train to Worcester for a WooSox game. That will be my first truly large public event since the pandemic began.
For the time being, I still intend to wear a mask in grocers, CVS, and other retail stores. I'd like to wait until all of the April 19-eligible people and now the teenagers finish their vaccinations before getting rid of the masks for the summer.
I see where you are coming from
Now, I'm taking a very different route than you are, but you can only do what you are comfortable doing.
When you are ready, you'll be ready. And hopefully we are all on the right path with this virus.
If you heard Todd Angilly's back up singers last night,
you know people are ready to experience large gatherings again.
Crowds? No thanks.
We've been eating outside at a couple of local places whenever outdoor seating was available and have just started eating indoors again. We won't be going to crowded places, though, partly for health reasons but mostly because we are boomers and don't like crowds and loud restaurants. :-)
Not a boomer
But not a fan of crowds and noise, either.
That was the case in the beforetimes, too - I'm just not concerned about crowds and noise when they might happen now that I have my cootie shots.
From a fellow Boomer...
"but mostly because we are boomers and don't like crowds"
It's a long way from Woodstock. :-)
Can’t have a circus
without clowns.
While I'm not ready to go to a restaurant yet,
I do plan on going with some friends on Sunday, November 28th, and on Wednesday, December 1st, to go see the 60th Anniversary screening of the original 1961 film version of---you guessed it....West Side Story, at the Regal Theatre here in Boston, to the 7:00 p. m. shows on both evenings. I'm excited about that, and I'll just wear masks, like I've been doing, anyhow. Movie theatres are what I miss going to the most. I've already bought tickets for me and my friends and I'm very excited.
Bars and restaurants are too risky. At least in movie theatres, people are looking straight at the screen, facing forward, and many, if not most movie theatres have stadium type seating.
I do see friends and family on zoom.us socials once a month. Fathomevents.com is where I obtained my tickets for WSS. It's easy to do.
Since I'm fully vaccinated, and so are my friends, we should be okay.
Plenty of outside events before then
You might want to partake of the many outdoor festivals and arts events that were planned for this summer before it became safe to open up.
*Shameless plug for West Medford Open Studios.
Movie theaters
Just one person's experience. Everyone needs to assess their own risk tolerance.
My husband has been going to them occasionally since they re-opened sometime last fall (I think that's when they reopened).
Order your ticket online and AMC would auto-block the adjacent seats on either side. He would select the seats toward the back so they were pretty spread out already. And he still wore his mask. The bonus until yesterday was that there were approx 5 or 10 people in the theater when he did go. Yesterday he said the theater had about 25 people in it and it appeared only the employees were wearing masks.