Sleaze

In New York, you can take night classes in your free time which teach you how to type, take better photographs, get your son or daughter in the movies, or make money stuffing envelopes.

In Boston, you can take night classes in your free time which teach you about the seedy nightclubs and dives of the area.

That's exactly what you get when you sign up for "Learning Adventure 2090-Barhopping Boston's Sleaziest Bars." Twenty-five bucks covers school-bus transportation to and from the bars, as well as and cover charges. In addition, tour guide David Goldstein throws in a complimentary brew on your way to the bars.

The three-year-old adult education program publishes a new catalog of nearly 100 courses every six weeks Started by Boston University grad student Frank Pinto. Learning Adventure also offers course ranging from helicopter piloting to jingle writing.

A report in the B.U. free press lists the number of subscribers to learning Adventure at around 30,000. Their report added that the course description for "Boston's Sleaziest Bars" included a request; "No lightweights please."

The Free Press article included on the list of sleazy stops Somerville's six-month, old Choices, the Cantab Lounge, Ed Burke's, as well as The Channel, a Boston nightclub which had received advance notice as being the sleaziest part of the trip.