Suffolk Downs | Blue Line

Who needs Vegas when we've got our own viceland?

By LIGAYA TICHY

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Oh, the joys you can exchange for a ten-spot: 40 rounds of a 25-cent peep show, four banh mi at New Saigon [696 Washington St., Chinatown, Boston. 617.542.6296], a sleuthy bottle from Charles Street Liquors [143 Charles St., Beacon Hill, Boston. 617.523.5051. csliquors.com] -- or, for the eager, a day at Suffolk Downs [111 Waldemar Ave., East Boston. 617.567.3900. suffolkdowns.com], including roundtrip ride, entry fee, couple'a bets and a hot dog for the noshing!

While some complain about the track being rundown, inhumane or uncultured, Cara P is busy staking a pretty seat among the "mix of degenerates, elderly, gambling addicts and people like ME who are bored and like to try to make some dough."

The options here are (cheap) beer and whiskey, paired smashingly with chicken cordon bleu, a Will L favorite, plus all the concession stand staples. At nearby Jimmy Magg's [1233 Bennington St., East Boston. 617.567.4454], Meaghan B's been seen chowing on "the best pizza this side of Santarpio's." She also cites the "AMAZING people watching, as this was the place to be for 40+ locals to get drunk and grind sloppily on the dancefloor."

Walk off your hangover at Belle Isle Marsh [1284 Bennington St., East Boston. 617.727.5350]. As the last remaining salt marsh in the city, it's a haven for birds and other wildlife, with an incredible view from its observation tower. Chris B tells us "wildflowers are peaking," making it an excellent time for a romantic, vinorific picnic.

Gluttony, inebriation, gambling—as Sean E says, "So many vices, so little time."

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