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š® Local 2023 predictions
Plus: Mass. minimum wage = $15
It's Tuesday, Boston.
š„³ Happy New Year! And a happy belated birthday to Iraklis Kitas, Bostonās first baby of 2023. Clocking in at 9 pounds and 10 ounces, Kitas was born at Brigham and Womenās Hospital at 12:07 a.m. on New Yearās Day. And to no oneās surprise, he's adorable.
š Whatās on tap today:
New year, new MBTA service changes
Minimum wage = $15
A year in photos
Up firstā¦
ASK THE EXPERTS
Bostonās 2023 predictions
![](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/aef3cd89-177a-4d77-96bf-c3a3649eefa4/Big_Story__18_.png)
Images: Keith Bedford/Globe Staff, Lane Turner/ Globe Staff, Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff, Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff
While we canāt predict the future, these local experts are the closest thing we have to a crystal ball. So grab your 2023 Boston-area bingo cards, because hereās what they think weāll see in the new year:
š More T shutdowns. āIf you look at the data of where the slow zones are, for sure the Red line is going to have some sort of shutdown,ā said Stacy Thompson, the executive director of the LivableStreets Alliance. āDo I think itās going to be a whole line for 30 days? No. Do I think the public should be prepared for extended shutdowns that will impact their ability to get around? Yes.ā
š¢ Apartment hunting will be slim pickings. The availability and vacancy rates for Boston-area apartments are at all-time lows, according to BostonPads CEO Demetrios Salpoglou, and thatās likely not going to change anytime soon. So if youāre looking to rent this year, act quickly, otherwise āyouāre going to get stuck with your second pick,ā Salpoglou said.
ā” Mass. buildings will get a green upgrade. With housing and climate as top priorities for the Healey administration, Logan Malik, interim executive director of the Mass. Climate Action Network, thinks weāll be seeing more investment in decarbonizing, weatherizing, and electrifying existing buildings.
ā More college students will unionize. āStudents are very in tune with unionization ā¦ and very appreciative of a fair wage and fair representation,ā said Dr. Laura De Veau, a local higher education administration professor and consultant. As students around the country continue to unionize on-campus jobs and teach others how to do it, she thinks itās hard to imagine that momentum slowing.
š½ļø More friction between restaurants and guests about pricing. āA case of romaine used to be $32, itās now like $110,ā according to restaurateur Tiffani Faison. Thatās just a taste of how inflation has rocked the restaurant world. And diners are paying for it. āWeāre getting a lot of āthings are expensiveā right now ā¦ and thereās literally nothing we can do about it.ā
CITY
Quick & Dirty Headlines
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Image: Carlin Stiehl for The Boston Globe; Gif: Katie Cole
š New year, new MBTA service changes. Hereās what to expect this weekend: Orange and Green trains will bypass Haymarket station Jan. 7 and 8 (so youāll have to get off the station prior and walk), shuttle buses will replace Red Line service between Broadway and Ashmont and Broadway and North Quincy Jan. 7 and 8, and shuttles buses will replace the Green Line Medford Branch between Medford/Tufts and East Somerville all day Jan. 8. There will be more changes later this month, too, which you can find here.
šø The minimum wage in Mass. is officially $15 ā one of the highest in the nation. But is it enough? Probably not. Todayās $15 gets you only as far as $12.70 did in June 2018 according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The incremental increase was signed into law five years ago, when no one could have predicted that inflation would outpace many pay raises. Advocates are now deciding how to address the issue in the next legislative session. And Governor-elect Maura Healey seems open to adjusting the minimum wage to keep up with the cost of living.
š The Bruins won the Winter Classic 2-1, and they also scored a 10/10 on fashion. Itās tradition for teams participating in the NHL Winter Classic to make a fashion statement upon arrival, and the Bruins did not disappoint. The team rolled up to Fenway Park wearing old school Red Sox uniforms and spent part of the pregame playing catch. And donāt forget about their 2021 Winter Classic appearance where they wore retro skiing clothing, or in 2019 where they showed up in their āPeaky Blindersā best.
THINGS TO DO
Get out of the house
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š New year, new hobby. Take a flower arrangement class in the barrel room at Bully Boy Distillers. Tickets include two floral drinks, snacks, fresh stems, and a vase to take home. Tickets are $28. | Thursday, Jan. 5, 2 to 5 p.m.
š§ Put your brains to the test at a trivia pub crawl, where youāll use your smarts at four different pubs. Tickets are $15. | Thursday, Jan. 5, 7 to 10 p.m.
āļø Take a midday coffee break with a coffee tasting from Counter Culture Coffee. FREE | Friday, Jan. 6, 10 a.m.
š¶ Play musical bingo in the taproom at the Sam Adams Boston Brewery. FREE | Tuesday, Jan 3, 6 to 8 p.m.
š Feast completely gluten free at Capo in Southie, where you can get their whole menu without the allergens. | Starting every Tuesday on Jan. 3.
ONE LAST THING
The Globeās year in photos
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Images: David L. Ryan/Globe Staff, Jim Davis/Globe Staff, Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff, Carlin Stiehl for the Globe; Gif: Katie Cole
2022 has come and gone, but its pictures will last forever.
Every year, Boston Globe photographers look back at some of the most unforgettable shots they took, capturing hopes, triumphs and hardships of Bostonians and beyond.
Some of our favorites are the cheer of Jayson Tatum scoring a buzzer beater to lead the Celtics to a victory in the playoffs and the unofficial Harvard turkey mascots meeting a real Harvard Yard turkey. You can find all 23 of the best photos here.
š¹ Thanks for reading! If youāre doing Dry January, STOP READING. If youāre not, the Globe just released their list of Bostonās best speakeasies, so get out your bucket list.
š Keep up with other B-Side tomfoolery on IG, TikTok, and Twitter @BostonBSide. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected].