🍦 Why ice cream might be good for you

☀️ And a happy summer solstice! Today is the longest day of the year with over 15 hours and 17 minutes of sunlight. Soak it up!

👀 What’s on tap today:

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Yes, gas prices are creeping up again and the average rent in Boston has officially surpassed $3,000 a month. But it isn’t ALL doom and gloom.

From ice cream, to pizza, to David Pastrnak, here are some feel-good news stories from June you may have missed:

🍦 Sooo … Ice cream might be good for you? Tufts cardiologist Dariush Mozaffarian recently told WBUR that in a handful of long-term studies, people who consume more ice cream have a lower risk of diabetes long-term. While the explanation behind this correlation is unclear, one thing is certain: “Compared to white bread, ice cream is healthier” thanks to its protein, medium-chain saturated fats, and some other nutrients. Even he often opts for a scoop for dessert. And ice cream isn’t the only dairy product with health benefits …

👶 David Pastrnak didn’t win the Stanley Cup, but he may have gotten something better. The Bruins star winger and his girlfriend Rebecca Rohlsson recently welcomed a new baby girl, Freya Ivy Pastrnak, to the family earlier this month. In Freya’s birth announcement on IG, Pastrnak wrote, “we’ve dreamt about this moment for a long time.” Like most babies, she’s adorable. Back in 2021, he and Rohlsson had a son, Viggo Rohl Pastrnak, who tragically died just six days after he was born.

🍕 A local pizzeria got some airtime on ESPN during the NBA Finals. Rock City Pizza in Allston and Randolph was one of four businesses selected to participate in ESPN’s Champion Black Businesses initiative, which showcases Black-owned businesses on their digital and social platforms during the NBA Finals. In addition to the boost on social, Rock City’s owner also got to meet the “Sharks” from “Shark Tank” for a one-on-one membership session on growing their business. You can see his interview with Mark Cuban here.

🦁 A Franklin Park lion’s brother helped him big time during surgery. 14-year-old lion Kamaia had a rough health year: First pneumonia, then anemia, then an enlarged spleen that needed to be removed. And that kind of surgery required a blood transfusion, which can be tricky at zoos. But lucky for Kamaia, his brother Dinari lived with him, and happened to be the perfect blood donor. Thanks to Dinari’s donation, the surgery was a success. And while Kamaia will take it easy for the next few weeks, he at least has a fighting chance.

🍪 Last, but certainly not least, Levain Bakery is launching a cookie club this month. Cookie Club members will get a pre-selected eight-pack box of cookies delivered straight to their door once a month (with a 10% discount). Plus, subscribers will get a first taste of the newest cookies before they’re available to the public. Also, the cult favorite Rocky Road cookie will be available again in stores and online on June 26. You’re welcome.

🏢 Consider this your reminder that your lease is about to expire — before you get into the back-and-forth with your landlord about re-upping your lease, remember there’s a new (and cheaper) way to find apartments this summer. Boston-based rental agency Nobee offers a ton of beautiful apartment options, and their business model allows you to save, on average, 50% on broker fees. Here are some of your top offerings:

📍 Got a family? Cambridge is the place to be. The city clocked in at No. 1 on Fortune magazine’s top 50 list of the best places to live for families, scoring high on being close to world-renowned educational institutions and great access to diverse restaurants, museums, and nightlife. But don’t let it get to their heads: Cities from all five New England states made it on the list, with Portsmouth N.H. as a sleeper hit, ranking at No. 2. But there’s a price to living in the No. 1 spot: The average one-bedroom apartment is nearly $3,000 a month.

👎 Mayor Wu gave the thumbs down to cutting Boston Police budget. And that wasn’t all. She vetoed the bulk of the City Council’s proposals for next year’s budget, including amendments that would have slashed nearly a million from Veterans Services and increased funding for participatory budgeting (a.k.a. letting residents decide how tax dollars are spent). The budget is now back in the council’s hands, and they can override her veto with a two-thirds majority vote. It originally passed 7 to 5, so they’d just need to flip one “no” to make it official. They’re meeting today, so stay tuned.

🍺 Does a Somerville dive bar’s closure mean that gentrification has won? It might. Sligo Pub was a Somerville staple for 75 years, but after closing its doors earlier this month, it might be a sign that the older version of Somerville has, too. Somerville used to be considered a working class city where, once upon a time, beers at Sligo were only $5 compared with $16 Boston cocktails. Now, more than 40% of the city’s households have incomes over $125,000 (it was only 15% 30 years ago). And more change is on the way.

🚴 A car-free bridge will connect Somerville and Everett. Break out your bike (in 2024). The new bridge connecting the two cities over the Mystic River is slated to begin construction next year, providing a direct link between the Encore Casino and the Northern Strand Trail to the Assembly Square neighborhood and its Orange Line station. The only downside is it looks like there won’t be a direct walking entrance from Assembly station to the bridge, but we’ll take what we can get.

If you feel like you’ve seen more rabbits than usual in Mass., you’re not alone.

While there’s no scientific proof that we’re having a bunny boom given that populations can fluctuate from year to year, local gardeners say it’s so.

Elnora Thompson has been the coordinator of the Nightingale Community Garden in Dorchester since the early 1980s, and said she’s seen a clear increase in rabbits over the past two years. And they’re enjoying all the fruits and veggies of her labor (even onions), causing her and her fellow gardeners to plant more seeds in anticipation that the bunnies will take their cut.

One woman visiting from Philly was surprised by how brazen the city’s rabbit population is, as they appeared to be everywhere. “I haven’t noticed that in other cities,” she said. Even I can personally attest that I’ve seen, on average, about six to 10 Peter Rabbits per day.

And while not everyone is happy with the bunnies' antics this season, Thompson doesn’t want you to get it twisted: “Even though they’re eating our food, we’re happy.”

🐰 Thanks for reading! Yes, they may eat your garden, but they’re so stinkin’ cute!

🏗️ How much of Allston does Harvard own? About 360 acres, roughly one third (33%) of the neighborhood. 60% of respondents got an A on that trivia Q.

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