Boston Needs: 1) courthouse, 2) gamers, 3) car service

October 21, 2013 8:58 AM

My husband and I will be in Boston the first week of November. I am coming for a conference, the husband is coming along so we can get a federal government recognized marriage. I am originally from the Boston area, but have not be back in 15 years. We have a few questions.

First, is there a recommended courthouse for gay marriages? We are staying in the theater district and will arrive Nov. 1. Our goal is to get the license Friday so the 3 day waiting is over for a Monday or Tuesday wedding.

Second, I will be at my conference during the day on Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday (with a break for the actual wedding ceremony.) My husband is not very interested in the typical Boston touristy things (history, art, museums), and would like to explore any gamer culture in Boston. Do folks still go to internet cafes and play games? Is there DDR anywhere in Boston/Cambridge near the T? I have plans for the evenings handled, but need things for him to do during the day.

Third, I would like to go and visit my parents' graves on the North Shore on Saturday or Sunday. We could rent a car, but I have a feeling I am going to be an emotional wreck and don't want to inflict Boston driving on Mr. hworth. Is there a car service in Boston that could do 1 trip to Lynn and back for about the same as renting a car for a day?

posted by hworth to Travel & Transportation around Boston, MA (8 answers total)

You can go to any city or town clerk in MA, but there is a three day waiting period for the license. So, you'd have to have enough time to complete the license paperwork, then get it (three days later), then get married. Which I see you covered, but you should probably get married on Wednesday instead of Tuesday --- as in the three day waiting period I think begins the day after you submit the paperwork.

But you can do it any town. The Cambridge courthouse was opened at midnight the first day gay marriage was allowed in MA, so that one for sure would be a good one. But you shouldn't have any problems with a random one, either.
posted by zizzle at 9:14 AM on October 21, 2013

"Gamer" could mean a lot of things; if your husband is the sort of gamer that plays boardgames and tabletop RPGs, he could stop by Pandemonium in Central Square (easy to get to on the Red Line) to at least shop and possibly get a pickup game of his favorite CCG.
posted by jozxyqk at 9:19 AM on October 21, 2013

Pandemonium is a great time. I would definitely recommend he check it out. It's off the red line, as jozxygk mentions.

Also off of the red line is an arcade at MIT, and they have a DDR machine. At least they did when I was last there many years ago. I'm not sure if it's still open!

There is an internet cafe in Allston called Between Hours. I don't know that a lot of gamers hang out there, but they do have PCs for rent and tasty desserts.
posted by pazazygeek at 9:30 AM on October 21, 2013

Personally, I'd recommend getting the license in Brookline (the town clerk is very close to the Brookline Village T stop). My wife and I got our license there (despite being Boston residents)--there was literally no waiting in line, and we were in and out in ten minutes, top.

I don't know anything about gamer culture in Boston, but for car service, I'd recommend Boston Coach. Here's their page to get a quote. I don't know what the cost would be, but it's your standard Town Car service.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 9:40 AM on October 21, 2013 [1 favorite]

Either Cambridge or Brookline City Hall would be easy and T accessible. I went to Brookline when a good friend married his husband, and it was really nice. Cambridge City Hall is pretty... and right by Pandemonium, if you want to combine one of those trips.
posted by ldthomps at 10:58 AM on October 21, 2013

You can get to downtown Lynn on the Commuter rail out of North Station, or via bus from Haymarket station. You can get a cab to the cemetery from there.
posted by Gungho at 11:09 AM on October 21, 2013 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: 1) Gamer was probably too vague. A DDR or In the Groove machine would be great. I was thinking that he would also enjoy an internet cafe with online gaming like Counter Strike or Halo. (Again, I don't know if people even do this anymore. They don't in St. Louis, but I don't think they ever did here. I used to go to a place like this in Somerville, but that was 20 years ago when no one had fast internet at home and wifi was not omnipresent.)

2) Thanks for the city hall recommendations. I used to live in Cambridge and do love the City Hall there. No waiting in Brookline sounds very attractive as well. Online, it looked like the waiting period included the day of application and included weekends - so Friday license = Monday marriage. I will call tomorrow to make sure, but if anyone else has done quick turn around, please let me know.

3)Yes, I forgot that there was a commuter rail to downtown Lynn. That is probably the best option if we don't rent a car, thanks Gungho.
posted by hworth at 7:18 PM on October 21, 2013

I'm way late to this question, but I'm pretty sure the MIT student center arcade hasn't been there for a few years now. Sorry!
posted by melvinwang at 3:39 AM on November 1, 2013