Mansion

A $ 20 cover in the Alley, for the place that used to the Big Sleazy!!!
Puh-​lease…
Go fuck yourself Mansion.

I am too old for places like this. I would have loved it if I was 20, 21, 22… oh those were good days.
But the crowd was having a good time, nice atmosphere and the drinks were easy to get. I would come here with a group of friends and dance the night away. It seems to be in a very hotspot of town as there were people everywhere. Especially nice were the girls wearing their summer outfits-​at least what parts they decided to wear that night.

Don’t be fooled!
The Mansion is the dressed up version of the dingy hellhole that was The Big Easy/​Cheesy/​Sleazy/​EZ/​Wheezy/​Skeezy, sort of like putting a tuxedo on a turd.
The old Big Easy had a certain charm — cover was always $ 7 or so, the crowd was always low-​brow, drunk as hell and looking to get it on, and the drinks were large and stiff. Ahem.
So what’s the new makeover like? Now they have «lingerie shows» and other useless events that disrupt the meat-​market. Now they upped cover to around $ 15. And now the drinks are far from the head-​smashers that they were before. Good luck getting drunk now buddy! Maybe you ought to lay off the ‘roids…
Sorry guys, making us pay more for less doesn’t make you «classy.» Better luck next renovation.
Like I said, don’t be fooled. If you want (somewhat) classy, head down to Gypsy Bar. If you want skeeze and meatheads, go across the way to Liquor Store. Whatever you do, don’t waste your time or money here.

So everybody knows what this place is right. It’s theatre district for ugly kids without money.
Ok, that’s ok, it is what it is.
So I know this, and I go to this club, and I know I’m going to hear Oasis «Wonderwall,» or maybe 50 Cent’s «In da Club.’ That’s all right.
But then, not only do I hear those songs. I hear them PLAYED AT THE SAME TIME!!! THAT’S RIGHT!!! GO SHORTY, YOU’RE MY WONDERWALLLLLLL!!! THIS DJ THEY HAVE ON THURSDAYS, DUDE, HE IS REVOLUTIONIZING MASH-​UPS. HE IS THE NEXT GIRL TALK. PLEASE DO NOT MISS OUT. GO TO MANSION NOW!!!

So last night I decided to bear the long line to give Mansion a shot. We got there about 10:15 and the line was already out the alley. It took us abut 45 minutes to get in, which makes your feet hurt in heels before you are even in the door. $ 15 cover, $ 3 coat check was pricey, but isn’t everything in Boston? The place looked fantastic! The DJ had some interesting mixes, but didn’t let a whole song play, which got rather annoying. What killed it for me was the crowd. It was one of the weirdest mixes of people I have ever seen out. We left early, and I don’t think I’ll be visiting again until some of the newness wears off. All in all. it has a lot of potential, we’ll have to see what becomes of it.

: UPDATED:
Back in March 07I rated this place as horrible — my only one star to date and I just want to point out that the place was so crappy, they had to rename it. I haven’t been to what they renamed it to, which is «The Estate» but I got a feeling its going to be packed with meatheads. Someone review the new Estate and tell me I am wrong.
I went to this place with two of my friends and we have been going to Boston bars for the past 7 years so I like to think I know what I am talking about. I guess I have a more cynical approach to this review than my reviewing predecessors, but I will explain why you should not even bother to go to this place.
It looks just like the Big Easy. They added a plaster mantel, closed one of the stairwells and opened up another stairwell, added a red velvet drape that came down from the balcony and now their a bunch of scantly clad females lip sinking to some horrible songs instead of a cover band that used to pump up the crowd.
At 11:30 on a Friday night, there was no line because there were no people. This should have been the sign for us to go somewhere else.
I paid the highest cover price I have ever paid in Boston. $ 15 dollars just to get in and $ 3 per coat at coat check. So basically $ 18 to give me the «privilege» of coming into your bar that has no people in it so I can pay for overpriced drinks in plastic cups.
The dance floor that used to take ten minutes just to cut through when it was the Big Easy now can be walked through with ease because there are so few people there.
Our tab came to $ 100 with tip for about two hours worth of drinks for three people. Normally this isn’t that bad but the atmosphere in the bar was that everyone was there seemed to be pissed at how bad this place actually was.
But some components to this place were pretty good. It was easy for me to get a drink. The bartenders were very nice and I think they could empathize with the crowd that the night was a general disappointment for all of the customers who showed up for the first time.
All in all, it was a disappointing end to my night. Unfortunately since its a new place, you are probably going to go regardless just to check it out, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

I was at Mansion for the official grand opening party even though they had really opened the week before… so keep in mind that is not at all indicative of what this club may be like on a «normal» night. The club is beautifully done and is actually fairly small, which I really like. (I hate cavernous rooms) The layout actually reminded me a lot of Body English in Vegas.
Its not top of the line, the quality of some of the décor is just a little above Urban Outfitters. I always say that the true test is in the details and, sad to say, the bathrooms were not just plain, they didn’t even have soap dispensers just bottles of dial! But the booths at the tables looked comfy. The DJ was decent, there were a few really interesting and creative mixes thrown in. Mansion has their own version of the Pussy Cat Dolls called Honey. That was kinda creepy… what made it creepy was the large number of older men there leering at the 4 girls while they danced. (The girls were very cute and I enjoyed watching them and they looked like they were having a good time) The big stage in the middle of the dance floor though is kinda strange.
Its so hard to tell what it will end up like… there is potential there but there is also potential for it to turn right back into what it was. Our bartender Stephanie was great– she was quick and her drinks were strong. They have tables right ON the dance floor that you don’t have to reserve which is cool because 3 or 4 people can’t meet a 2 bottle table minimum without death occurring.
I can see Mansion developing long lines but I wouldn’t fret if I were you. The coat check is located right inside the door so there is a tendency to bottleneck.
Would I go back? Yes. I feel that I need to see the club in full swing on a random Friday or Saturday night. I’m giving it a tentative 4 stars right now.

Great Venue. I wish the new partners all the best in converting the old Speak Easy to a great new Club. Sunday night was an event worthy of front page news. The floor show was great and the celebrities were all there. It was so cold waiting in line but once I was in, the music and Silk Vodka was flowing. As one who is not the best on the dance floor, I could be seen boogying away. Thanks to all the girls who made my night and one in particular who gave me a ride home. Looking forward to more great nights at the Mansion.

Sleazy Indeed… The Big Easy IS no more! Ding dong the witch is dead…
Now renovated as «Mansion» it is reminiscent of such carpeted Vegas luxuries as Foundation Room. Granted, for its launch party, the former Playboy Bunny turned Sexpert, Pussycat Dolls wannabes, and Lingerie Fashion Show dragged out of the suburbs all the to-​be-​expected partygoers who enjoy that sort of thing, however, set that aside, Mansion, like the newly renovated Suite, is transforming Boston’s formerly grungy Alley into a place I’m not so ashamed to be spotted.

Oh the stories the Big Easy has left me with to tell my grandchildren… a particular favorite of mine is when there was a band playing and I got pulled up on stage, handed a tambourine and I rocked out with them for the final 3 songs. Of course I had so many hurricanes in my system that it never occured to me that they were only loaning me said tambourine and to this day, it has a special place on my bookshelf. What can I say about this place. Really, we never ended up there because we had intentions of going to the «Big Sleazy.» Every time we found ourselves here it was because the line for the Liquor Store (a place I still have never been) was unmoving and quite frankly when it’s cold, you move to the next fastest moving line available. Lucky for us this place was right across the way… Every.Time. I mean I have no hate for this place. And while I don’t want to shine myself in a bad light or anything, let’s suffice it to say if you told me, «gee, I really want to hook up tonight in the most classless way possible,» I would send you here. And as you may have gathered from this intro, I enjoy collecting things when I’m drunk so any place where I can run around for the night and leave with 20 or so mardi gras beads I pull off posts, the floor or other people is fine by me. We’ve had our fun times there, but I think I may be a little to old for the place at this point. But to all of my younger followers, I pass the Big Sleazy on to you! Have fun!

I definitely had fun. I thought it was just a bar but it’s more of a night club. You can pretty much do what you want there. Sit at a bar, sit in a room of couches or dance your ass off.

I’m only a few months removed from being a sorority girl, so normally I can have fun at sleazy bars. But this place was too much even for me…
There were far too many guys around the perimeter of the dance floor watching like hawks, and maybe the drunkest crowd I have ever seen. I was excited because I’m always looking for new places to go dancing, but it was almost scary walking in and seeing the dance floor. As far as the music goes, the DJ was profoundly mediocre. If I had named 50 typical party songs off the top of my head, I would have had his set list.
One redeeming factor: a go-​go dancer who somehow ended up wearing the sunglasses and scarf of a guy who had been dancing on a table. Also, the bouncers seemed good at defusing altercations, but no altercations at all would have been preferable.
In sum: less fun and less classy than a frat party. So why would you wait in line and pay a $ 10 cover?

My friend was right when he joked about the «Big Sleazy.» If you don’t have to wait too long in line or don’t kill yourself walking down the cobblestones in your nice shoes it can be fun. You have to be in the mood for some bump and grind and willing to fend off the skeeze bags. It was PACKED when I was there, so make sure you have a change of clothes after cos you’re gonna get sweaty.
But hey, sometimes you just gotta dance…

Dance dance dance. That is what you do a lot of at the Big Easy. It’s got the feel of a nightclub and a chill bar at the same time. Be careful if you get a little too drunk. There are a lot of people to bump into, trip over. You can go upstairs and get a drink if you’d rather watch the action from above.

I’m going to rate the Big Easy highly — but my rating is biased because I always tend to end up there for some crazy event — for example, I’ve had friends rent out the VIP area for birthdays (which works out nice: $ 20/​person for unlimited drinks — top shelf liquors included for 4 hours — needless to say I’ve always ended up pretty hammered), for Halloween parties, for band openings, etc. I always have a good time with my big group.
The thing that makes me laugh the most about the Big Easy is the crowd. You’ll always find some sort of bachelorette party there with the uncomfortable-​until-​they-​are-​totally-​wasted aunts/mom’s/older women that are just trying their hardest to fit in with the college crowd. Funny.

Call it The Big Sleazy, the Big Cheesy… if you go there looking to have fun, you will. They often have a live band playing, and I’ve never been disappointed with that. If you’re on the clubsinboston listserve, you can win an open bar party at The Big Easy… definitely worth it, if you win it’s for 20 people for 2 hours. It’s not a typical Boston club… don’t go there expecting the atmosphere of Felt or Aria. It’s much more relaxed-​and more enjoyable, in my opinion!

The Big Sleazy is exactly what you would expect it to be — filled with lots of drunk bachelorettes and the guys who hope to get lucky. That being said, it is a good time if you go with a big group of girls or guys and pre-​game it at another, less expensive bar. The Big Sleazy is like Britney Spears — you pretend that you hate her music, but you secretly find yourself humming to the lyrics. So that said, don’t be embarassed about going — just go and have a good time.

I had a great experience at this bar when I went– good music, lots of dancing, but not too crowded. Drinks are overpriced– but they are everywhere.

My rating is a little harsh becuase I am older than 22. It was a fun spot when I was just out of college, but now I’d rather not have people step on my toes and spill drinks all over me. The second floor balcony can be a good place with room to make your own fun.