New Year’s Eve will look and feel a lot different this year, including in Boston’s Seaport District.
Boston’s up-and-coming waterfront neighborhood is loaded with new restaurants, all of them struggling to survive the economic ravages of COVID-19.
Many people are skipping the New Year's parties this year to stay safe, and that means restaurants will be missing out big-time -- even for people who do eat out, there's a 9:30 p.m. curfew for restaurants in Massachusetts.
“This year we’re just making the best of it. We still have beautiful views, great food and our igloos,” said Kristin Canty, the owner of Woods Hill.
The restaurant’s heated igloos will be discounted in January, with indoor dining restricted to 25% across the state and parties limited to 90-minute seatings.
Last year, Woods Hill was packed for its first New Year’s Eve celebration as people welcomed 2020 watching the fireworks show over Boston Harbor.
”We had a toast to 2020, which we thought was going to be the best year ever,” Canty said.
A couple of blocks over at Committee, things will be quieter, though some reservations remain. Take-out is an option, as is the case at most establishments.
To mark 2021, Committee has put together a special to-go champagne package.
”We just really focused on doing what we do to the best of our ability,” beverage manager Lou Charbonneu said.
Before the pandemic hit, the Seaport was fulfilling expectations as Boston’s new dining district. Now restaurants all over are doing everything they can to survive, but this New Year’s might be a hard sell for many people, and officials have strongly urged people to rein in their celebrations.
“If there’s any year when you shouldn’t go out, it’s probably this year,” one woman said.
If you are planning to go out, do it early. Most places are required to close long before the stroke of midnight.
