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So, you’re finally 21 and back at Boston College for the 2014-15 school year. As far as bars go, Boston has some of the very best. How are you supposed to decide which bar of the hundreds to choose? Well now, there’s an app that will make that decision a lot easier. Gone are the nights of aimlessly wandering around trying to find a decently crowded bar where you can spend your night.
Weekend nights are easy, because most Boston bars are packed Thursday-Saturday. But for those looking for a weeknight rager, it might be a little more difficult to pinpoint the most populated bar to visit. To avoid picking at random and ending up at an awkwardly empty bar, the new app, BarUp, tells users which bar is the place to be.
Photo courtesy of BarUp / App Store
BarUp had its origin with a few post-undergrad students who were in the same situation. “In college I used to go HAM on weeknights; being a fraternity brother at Bentley was a blast,” said Enzo Capasso, the team’s VP of Operations. “And then I moved to Boston and hated the weeknight bar scene.”
“The team was put together after realizing there were too many empty bars on the weeknights in Boston,” said James Aird, one of the co-creators. “We wanted to choose one and pack it as sort of a social experiment. The only real fun weeknight drinking I did was on Wednesdays at Mary Ann's. My BC friends used to drag me out that way.”
This social experiment is simple in nature, but could have a huge impact on Boston nightlife. As of right now, there are only three screens within the app because there’s no crazy logic to it: if enough users download the app and pick a bar, the party begins. It’s not an app that reads the current bar scene, but instead is looking to become the go-to decision maker for everyone going out to bars. It’s an innovative idea in that it virtually gathers all of Boston’s bar scene, and instead of waiting around to see where people go, makes the decision to lead people there.
Photo courtesy of BarUp / App Store
This app was first put to the test on Aug. 28 when BarUp threw its launch party at The Point, a bar in the North End. As promised, the bar was absolutely packed with eager app users, verifying that it has the potential to completely change the weeknight bar scene.
For BC students, the weeknight bar scene is mostly limited to Mary Ann’s or Cityside, both located just past the reservoir in Cleveland Circle. While those may be great BC bars, this app will come in handy for those who want the occasional change in pace. And these guys aren’t just some random people blindly picking bars, they’re guys who know the area and know the people who are going out.
“We realize that BarUp is a user based app - college students and young professionals are going to be the life blood of this BarUp community,” said Capasso. “BC students are the most fun in Boston... lets be real, if you haven't been to a rager at the Mods, then you haven't lived.” The creators of this app know Boston, and most importantly, they know Boston College.
Photo courtesy of BarUp / App Store
The app’s appealing focus on simplicity has some exciting features coming, including a virtual bar crawl in the fall. So, download the app and see for yourself what BarUp can do for you!
School, major and year: A&S, Economics, 2015
HometownRancho Cucamonga, California
What makes the Gavel so BANGin’? We keep it fresh. It’s drippin with swagger and is home to some of the coolest cats on campus. The Gavel is always fun and I’ve met nothing short of amazing people and writers here.
You have 24 hours to give prospective students a tour of BC and convince them to enroll. How do you spend the day? I’d start by getting some coffee and a personalized omelet at Mac. Then we’d go lose our voices at a football game and wear our super awesome Superfan shirts. We would then go see one of the amazing Acapella groups perform. We’d get some Mac N Cheese from the Rat for lunch. We would go see My Mother’s Fleabag for an awesome good time. Then we’d take a break and visit the dorms (i.e. sit in my room and watch Mean Girls…because Mean Girls.). We would then go to a hockey game, then to the Mods, and end the night at Late Night.
If you could go back in time and give yourself a pep talk the night before you moved into BC as a freshman, what is the most important piece of advice that you would give to your former self? Eat your vegetables and take a lot of pictures.
What is your favorite study spot on campus? The Rat
What is your go-to meal at Late Night? That delicious Simply Orange juice the dining halls always have stocked. This and a personal pizza topped with ketchup. Judge all you want, but ketchup on pizza is the best thing to happen since Game of Thrones.
What is the #1 most played song on your iTunes? “I Always Knew” by the Vaccines
What is the best Halloween costume that you have ever worn? I was Minnie Mouse as a kid. Not trying to brag, but I rocked the ears off that costume.
If you could only eat at one restaurant for the rest of your life, which would you choose? Del Taco
If you could befriend the main characters from any TV show or movie, who would you choose and why? Easy. Harry Potter. (I’m assuming) I’d get to go to Hogwarts, be a wizard AND be friends with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. It’s a win win, for me anyway. If I can’t be a wizard then i’d be friends with the main characters from This Is The End.
