The semester has mercifully drawn to a close and so has my
journey through the bars of Lowell. Obviously, I will continue to visit the
city’s bars in the future, but no longer with the eye of a critic bent on finds
pros and cons. This is a somewhat sad realization because I really did enjoy
the process of rating each different bar on my own criteria. As I stated in my initial post, I think you
can learn a lot about a city from its bars. Months later, I stand by that
statement and would add that you being a critic helps you learn more. It forced
me to pay attention to details rather than mindlessly chug beers (which I’ve
already done enough of in my life). This opened my senses to a diverse city where
the unexpected can often be expected.
Here are some highlights and lowlights as a recap:
Highlights
Even though New Orleans is far from Lowell, the pinnacle of
my semester of bar hopping was definitely Bourbon Street. Decadent and absurd,
this famous street was like nothing I’ve ever seen. It was almost a sensory
overload as I attempted to soak in all the ridiculousness in a three day span.
There were some highlights in Lowell as well, including Beer Works and the Back
Page. Beer Works had the best beer (hence the name), but I think the Back Page
was my favorite overall bar. The music scene and laid back vibe converge for a
cool atmosphere…I just wish it was a little cheaper.
Lowlights
The term “lowlights” may have a negative connotation, but I
mean it in an endearing way because these pathetic moments provided a lot of
humor. I still can’t get the image of Wednesday night karaoke at Finn’s Pub out
of my head. Listening to such blatantly terrible singers croon to a nearly
empty bar had me in stitched and I’ll have to make a return trip. While Finn’s
was bad, it was far from the worst. That honor goes to Charlie’s Pub without a
doubt.
It’s crazy to think that I barely scratched the surface of
Lowell’s bars with this blog. I can think of a least five other establishments
off the top of my head that I didn’t get to visit. Maybe I’ll have to independently
forge onward to complete a full review. I’ll have to take winter break to rest
up and regain resources before anything though.
