Best of Boston

Scenesters flocked to the soaring lobby of this former prison seven years ago when it was transformed into a sleek hotel. While most assumed the jail-themed venue wouldn’t have staying power after the novelty wore off, strategic event programming—art, music, fashion, and so on—has continued to lure a coterie of on-the-pulse twenty- and thirtysomethings looking to eat, drink, and mingle, securing the Liberty’s status as the go-to gathering place for young professionals.