Decline of the Dive Bar

A documentation of the decline in dive bar culture throughout Somerville:

From Miller Lite to ... mojitos

Once upon a time, $2 beers were everywhere in Somerville. Today some devotees worry, is it dive bars' last call?

By Danielle Dreilinger Globe Correspondent / September 28, 2008

As Somerville's fortunes have gone up, its dive bars seem to have taken a dive.

In the '70s and '80s, recalled East Somerville bar owner Michael Philpot, Davis Square was so down and out it didn't even have a McDonald's, but there were "all sorts of little pubs down there that are now gone." Now the square draws people for sushi, burritos, crêpes, and fancy cupcakes.

Belly up

Here's what some old haunts have morphed into:

O'Malley's became Thirsty Scholar

Irish Eyes became Cantina La Mexicana

Tabs became Sally O'Brien's

Canty's became Olde Magoun's

Virgie's Rendezvous Cafe became Highland Kitchen

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