🤑🛍️ Hey Boston, can we go thrift shopping?

⛅ Mother Nature put on a SHOW Thursday night. We’re pretty sure the whole city was staring at the sky in awe as incredible orange-y thunderhead clouds rolled in, bringing some of the wildest lightning we’ve ever seen. 

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

If there’s one thing we know about B-Siders: They’re thrifty. Sunday marked National Thrift Shop day, so for this month’s small biz telephone tag, we asked Greater Boston’s best vintage stores where they shop when they’re off the clock.

Here’s what they said:

🛍️ FOUND Boston shops at The Attic. In a sea of Y2K-style vintage offerings, Original Markets CEO Megan Fehling-Singh said Harvard Square’s The Attic offers a more diverse collection of styles, especially in womenswear. “You and five friends could go and I feel like everyone can find something,” she said. Pro tip: Check out the $10-and-under room.

👖 The Attic shops at High Energy Vintage. The Attic’s Owner Jenna Cea-Curry is also out on Boston’s Y2K vintage craze, which is why she loves Somerville’s High Energy. Its curation is “different than any other vintage store in the area,” she said, with items straight out of the 80’s. Think: “Eclectic … colorful” clothing, DVDs (yes, DVDs!), and comic books. Cea-Curry’s favorite purchase? A Bruce Springsteen record. 

👗 High Energy Vintage shops at Chartreuse Microbus Collective. With over 40 vintage and artisan vendors selling everything from clothing to home goods to jewelry, High Energy owner Andrew Wiley thinks Chartreuse Microbus Collective in Porter Square has something for everyone. The variety of products makes it perfect for gift shopping. But when he’s looking for himself, Wiley gravitates toward the housewares, especially cocktail glasses.

👒 Chartreuse Microbus Collective shops at Raspberry Beret. Chartreuse Microbus Collective shopkeeper Jane Paradis has a looong history of vintage hauls from Raspberry Beret, where she’s always appreciated the size-inclusivity and well-priced designer offerings (see: these iconic sneak peeks of their inventory). Her favorite purchase to-date? A handmade, bright yellow 1950s flare skirt that she wears swing dancing. “It's brought a lot of joy … all thanks to that store,” she said. 

👚 Raspberry Beret shops at Groovy Thrifty. In Boston’s 90’s and Y2K vintage scene, “real recognizes real,” said Raspberry Beret’s Allston store lead Justine Leslie-Smith, which is why she loves Groovy Thrifty. “[Owner Sadie MacIver] built this entire business up by herself … and has genuinely created such a warm, welcoming and beautiful environment.” Leslie-Smith likes the selection of DIY clothes by local artists and menswear (which makes it a prime spot to shop for your BF). Bonus: There’s an ADORABLE shop dog.

💸 ☀️Your summer could get a serious upgrade with forgotten funds waiting to be rediscovered.  Dive into the Massachusetts State Treasury and unlock extra cash for Cape weekends, music festival tickets, and nights cheering on the Sox at Fenway. Don’t let high prices stop you from living your best life this summer — search your records online today (it’s free and takes less than 30 seconds) to find out if you have unclaimed property with your name on it. 

🏘️ 9/1 lease cycle, meet Trump’s immigration crackdown. Sept. 1 lease signings are slowing down in student-heavy neighborhoods as President Trump ramps up protocols on student visa apps, according to WBUR. See: Mission Hill’s apartment availability rate for Sept. 1 is up 88% compared to this time last year. Some local experts attribute the increase to Trump’s immigration crackdown (including tougher student visa protocols) which has created uncertainty and slowed things down, leaving students unable to enter the country — let alone sign a lease — by Sept. 1.

🚉 The good news train is leaving the station! First stop: Amtrak’s massive fall sale. Book by Aug. 20 to get up to 25% off tickets for travel between Sept. 3 and Nov. 13. See: $45 rides to NYC or $15 rides to Providence. Next stop: Amtrak’s Acela train from Boston to D.C. is getting a techy glow-up called NextGen Acela, with higher speeds, wider seats, better wifi, an *enhanced* dining experience, and more frequent service. It’s all coming Aug. 28, so stay tuned. Choo, choo!

🚲 Here’s another reason to break up with your car: CargoB, Boston’s first and only cargo e-bikeshare (remember them?) has arrived in the Seaport at the corner of Autumn Lane and Boston Wharf Road. That brings its total to nine stations around Greater Boston, from Arlington to JP to Rozzie to Allston. If you haven’t heard of them, picture the lovechild of an e-bike and a wheelbarrow … or a BlueBike with a giant bucket in the front. It’s perfect for groceries, FB Marketplace hauls, or even children. Here are our tips for first-timers. 

🍣 Sushi heads, consider yourself FED. Boston.com has been all over the sushi beat with its round up of five all-you-can-eat sushi spots in the city. Our personal pick: Brighton’s Yamato I and II for $25.99 to $36.99 a pop, depending when you go. And if you don’t need that much sushi, its readers also voted on Greater Boston’s best grocery store sushi, and surprise, surprise, our fave Maruichi Japanese Food & Deli made the cut. 

🥾 Hike Eastie under the stars. The guy behind Boston’s Walking City Trail is guiding a group night hike through Belle Isle Marsh TONIGHT at 6 p.m. Expect gorgeous skyline views and post-hike drinks.

🎨 Throw your junk in a journal. Calling all crafty gals: Found and Flowered is hosting a junk journaling night Aug. 19 (think: DIY-ing your own journal out of recycled goods). All materials are provided!

🍅 Celebrate the summer harvest. Summer’s Bounty Fest starts at Boston Public Market on Aug. 19, which = vendors going all out with free demos, tastings, and more. Brb sprinting to this cornbread latte tasting. 

🛍️ Make thirsty Thursday … thrifty Thursday. You’ve got TWO vintage markets to choose from on Aug. 21: The Brighton Bazaar’s classic Night Bazaar or Bow Market’s vintage night market.

💦 Cool off with your crew. There’s a free trans and gender-expansive pool party going down at the Gold Star Pool in Cambridge on Aug. 21. While technically trans-centered, everyone’s welcome!

🧶 Crochet with a cold one. You can live out your granny dreams at the pints and pearls beginner-friendly knitting class on the Greenway Aug. 21. Never knit a day in your life? Boston Fiber Company will provide materials and instructions.

👑 Pretend you’re a pop princess. Taylor, Sabrina, Tate, Chappell, Charli, Ariana, Billie. Hear the best of alllll of those gals at La Fabrica’s ”Uncruel Summer” girly pop dance night on Aug. 21.

✍️ Crack open a coloring book. Coloring Club is BACK on Cambridge Common Aug. 22. You bring a blanket and snacks, they bring the coloring supplies.

Sully’s food-stealing seagulls have met their match. Enter: Cecil the Seagull, who’s become infamous on Connecticut’s Waterford Beach Park for his issues with … sharing food.

And by that, we mean dropping out of the sky and taking food right out of people’s hands (sometimes mouths) so often that the town has posted official warnings about him both online and IRL. Here’s a terrifying video of him doing it. 

But despite the fact that Cecil has caused at least two minor injuries (and ruined more than a few beach picnics), animal control isn’t going to step in anytime soon. “It’s a wild animal, it’s causing no true harm, so there’s not much we can do,” Waterford animal control told NBC Connecticut. 

So at least for now, he’s free to continue his life of crime.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🥪 Thanks for reading! At some point, we’ve got to put down our beach sandwiches and give the bird a round of applause.

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, the Massachusetts State Treasury, for supporting local journalism and helping residents reclaim what’s rightfully theirs.

🏀 The results are in: 26% of B-Siders would name Boston’s (hypothetical) WNBA team the Boston Coven (which was secretly our favorite, too). One reader said: “Boston Dunks, easy to get advertising $ and freebies from Dunkin Donuts 🤪.” Genius!

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