😫 Boston is about to be a MESS

It’s Tuesday, Boston.

🌌 Wonder what Boston looks like from 250 miles above? The International Space Station captured a stunning view of the city and Cape Cod on one of its recent orbits (which they apparently do every 90 minutes?!).

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Wu backs Pep

• LEGO’s new HQ

• A perfect day in Roxbury

Up first...

THE BIG MOVE

Time to pack it up

T-minus 10 days until Boston dissolves into disarray, a.k.a. Sept. 1. So we talked to a handful of professional and serial movers to get their hacks on making your big move slightly less painful.

Here’s what to know:

📦 “If you don’t think you need movers, you’re wrong.” At least, those were the words of one of our Twitter followers. Obviously, if you don’t have the means, the conversation ends here. And if you haven’t booked one yet, you’re likely SOL as most moving companies have either no or limited availability. But if movers aren’t in your future, Task Rabbits are the next best thing for setting up and building furniture (a worthy investment if you’re going the IKEA route).

📆 Start packing now. “A lot of people think it’s not that much stuff, but people tend to underestimate what they have,” said Chris Petrigno, the dispatch manager at Gentle Giant Moving Company. And even if you’re not ready to go the minute movers show up, they'll still charge you for the time you spend packing.

🛍️ T.J. Maxx bags > moving boxes. Those massive, 99 cent shopping totes you see in the checkout line are Hyde Park resident Shay Morris’ moving hack, as “they’re cheaper than boxes and you can carry like four to six on your arms at a time as opposed to one box.” A great hack if you’re mover-less. But if you do go the box route, hit up your local liquor store. They’ll usually give you theirs for free.

📦 Don’t overload your boxes. Every year, Petrigno sees people throwing heavy items like books into boxes designed for linens, which inevitably leads to needing more than one person to lift them, or boxes ripping open on Comm. Ave. to display your Harry Potter collection. That said, Petrigno makes sure every box is filled to the brim “so when you stack them, they don’t cave in on each other.”

👕 Use clothing as packing material. Unless you have an incredibly fragile item, stuff your glassware with socks, wrap your dishes with shirts, and use blankets as bubble wrap. And while we’re on the dishes thread, Petrigno suggests stacking them vertically to avoid chipping.

💻 Facebook will be your best friend. For once. Facebook Marketplace, “buy nothing,” and “everything is free” groups are a great way to unload your old space and furnish your new one on the cheap, according to Lena Thomas, of Medford. Those pages will be littered with postings in the days leading up to and after Sept. 1, so turn your push notifications on to see the latest finds.

🚨 This last one should be obvious but … If your vehicle is 10 feet or taller, STAY TF OFF OF STORROW DRIVE.

👀 Want more?This Reddit thread has some great moving tips from a local mover, e.g., don’t bother with getting a parking permit for your moving truck.

QUICK QUESTION!

📦 What’s your BEST moving hack?

TOGETHER WITH CITIZENS

Pickleball for a cause

🥇Lawn on D is hosting a first of its kind charity pickleball tournament. The Citizens Pickleball Open is taking place on August 25, and is pairing influencers, athletes, and pickleball professionals in a “World Cup” style tournament to benefit the Greater Boston Y. An evening of activities will accompany the event, with Move Studios hosting three free fitness classes (5 to 8:30 p.m.), and a post-tournament mixer taking place on the lawn. You can find more details on the event and the celebrity participants here.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

👀 Mayor Wu throws down the UNO reverse on Ricardo Arroyo. Wu endorsed Enrique Pepén, one of Arroyo’s opponents, in his race for the City Council’s District 5 seat. But this shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. Arroyo has recently been steeped in controversies spanning ethics violations, resurfaced allegations of sexual assault (which he denies), and bullying. Pepén was clearly thrilled, per his X post. It’ll likely be a tight, three-way race for the District 5 seat, which covers Hyde Park, Roslindale, and Mattapan.

🚂 An MBTA rail yard might be a short-term fix for Mass. and Cass. Boston businesses and neighborhood groups have proposed moving the open-air drug market and homeless encampment to Widett Circle, a plot of land the MBTA bought in April. The idea is 200 homeless individuals would be moved to a complex of pallet houses where they would get drug treatment and mental health support for three to four years (or at least until Boston reopens its treatment center on Long Island in Boston Harbor). What do you think of this idea? Weigh in here.

🧱 LEGO HQ is coming to the Back Bay. Earlier this year, the toy maker announced plans to move its Connecticut office to downtown Boston in 2026, and on Monday, the company chose 1001 Boylston St. for its new hub. But it technically doesn’t exist yet. The building is located in an ongoing development over the Pike called Parcel 12 that, once completed, will have loads of offices, retail space, and a hotel. All of LEGO’s 740-ish full-time employees in Connecticut will have a position waiting for them in Boston.

🚇 A low-income T fare program is on the horizon. And in government speak, “on the horizon” means around 12 months. Thanks to $5 million set aside in the state budget, T officials can get cracking on the design of the program, which could benefit an estimated 60,000 passengers. This kind of program has been in talks for years, and now with the money set aside, the next big hurdle will be the “means-testing” required to verify one’s income for eligibility, which may require extra support from state and municipal governments.

ONE LAST THING

A perfect day in Roxbury

After a brief hiatus (lmao 10 months), we’re back with our “perfect day in Boston” series.

Starting now, once a month, we’ll be sniffing out the best deals in every Boston neighborhood to create an afternoon itinerary for less than $30, giving you the chance to get to know your city on the cheap.

This month, Boston creator Ayanna Moise spent a day in Roxbury. She got lunch, enjoyed an outdoor workout class, hit up Boston’s only Black-owned bookstore, looked at public art, and capped off the day with a drink, all for only $26.

You can see what she did in our IG video here. Have fun!

🏃‍♀️💨 Thanks for reading! Brb, sprinting to get that jerk chicken and coconut rice.

💜 Special shoutout to today's sponsor, Citizens, for supporting local journalism and helping connect and strengthen the Boston community.

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected].