🎄📦 Make a list, check it twice

It’s Monday, Boston.

🚇 Red liners, we’re so sorry, but: Remember the shutdown between Kendall/MIT and JFK/UMass that’s supposed to be over? Well, it’s been extended through today due to a track maintenance vehicle accident. Hang in there!

👀 What’s on tap today:

• The Charles River report card

• A robot manicurist

• Noah Kahan’s new drop

Up first…

THE BIG MOVE

Merry (Allston) Christmas!

‘Tis the season to get free stuff, fa-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la. With less than a week until Sept. 1, it’s officially that time of year when the city’s sidewalks turn into a bona fide thrift shop, a.k.a. Allston Christmas.

In the last edition of our move-in series, we covered move-in day. This time, we’re tackling Allston Christmas shopping. 

Here’s what to know: 

🎄 Before you go, make a list, and check it twice. “If I didn't have a framework for myself, I would just take random junk up off the street,” said Libby Thomas, a B-Sider and Allston Christmas pro. So before she begins her hunt, Thomas looks around her apartment to figure out exactly what she needs, and makes a shopping list of items she wants. That’s a strategy co-signed by Adriana Lanza, co-president of Trash2Treasure Northeastern: “I go into thrifting knowing what I want the outcome to be,” Lanza said.

📲 Decide whether you’re hitting the streets or the apps. These days, Allston Christmas is as much an online phenomenon as it is IRL, with many people taking to Facebook Marketplace or local buy-nothing groups to shop for or sell their items. Online options can be better if you’re looking for bigger items, don’t have a car, or if you just want a little less spontaneity in your shopping experience. Plus, Facebook Marketplace can be a great way to get sweet deals on specific IKEA, Target, or Amazon items by using the search feature, Thomas said.

🛋️ For IRL shopping, bougie neighborhoods and colleges are the spots. Neighborhoods with a lot of students are going to have the most quantity, said Lanza, think: Allston (duh), Mission Hill, Fenway, and Roxbury. If you’re looking for a little more treasure and a little less trash, parts of Brookline or Back Bay “basically, wherever rent is expensive” can also be sneaky-great places to check out, Thomas said.

💡Here are some tips to remember:

• Avoid items with bedbug potential. a.k.a. mattresses, couches, pillows, or blankets. Trust us, just leave ‘em.

• Don’t be afraid to test things out. Try out the drawers, doors, handles, or anything else before you take an item home.

• Be honest with yourself about DIY projects. If you’re checking out an item that needs a little TLC, really consider whether you’re going to put in the work to refurbish it, and how soon, Thomas said. 

🎁 You don’t need to be shopping to join the fun. There are Allston Christmas parties on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 at Stop & Shop’s Allston and Mission Hill locations (with special themed reusable bags) and on Sept. 1 at The Sil, with $1 hot dogs and drinks like the “All I Got for XMAS is Storrowed.” Ho, ho, ho!

QUICK QUESTION

📦 What’s the best Allston Christmas treasure you’ve found?

TOGETHER WITH MASS GENERAL CANCER CENTER

Run like you’re saving lives

🏃❤️‍🩹 Because in many ways, you are! Every step you take at the Mass General Cancer Center Eversource 5k Run-Walk on Sept. 15 helps fund critical research and support for those affected by cancer. Start and finish the scenic route at the Hatch Shell, dig into a post-race breakfast and then enjoy fun activities all morning long. Whether you’re racing, walking or sprinting with the little ones (there’s a 100-yard dash for ages 8 and under!), register now and help drive change.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🌊 Just how dirty is that dirty water? The Charles River’s 2023 water quality report card just came out, and let’s just say, we wouldn't exactly hang it on the fridge. The river’s Lower Basin and Muddy River (a.k.a. the parts in and around Boston) earned a B- and C, a slight drop from 2022’s scores. And that’s pretty much the story throughout the whole river. Although two parts of the river earned an A-, overall, its recent improvements have stalled. And without expensive drainage system upgrades, better grades are unlikely.

📮 Another state primary deadline is upon us. If you’re planning on voting by mail in the Sept. 3 state primaries, the application has to be received by 5 p.m. today. So for all you type B registered voters, here’s how to get it done ASAP: The quickest way is to apply online. But, if you’d rather go analog, you can also fill out an application and email it in or drop it off at City Hall, just be sure to follow the guidelines. And once you’ve applied, you can track your ballot’s journey here.

👀 South Boston could be looking a little different. Gillette’s “World Shaving Headquarters,” its 31-acre Southie campus, is another step closer to transforming into a mixed-use, publicly accessible space. Last week the company filed plans for the transformation, which say that the campus will be reconfigured to include a public waterfront park, housing, labs, offices, and retail areas once Gillette officially moves its manufacturing operations to Andover. The only bad news: We probably won’t see the results for a while. 

💅 Need a quick manicure? There’s a robot for that. Getting a mani from a robot wasn’t on our 2024 bingo card, but at 125 High Street, anybody can do it. The machine is made by a company called Clockwork, and it can apparently paint your nails in 10 minutes for just $10 with near-perfect results. For now, the robot’s service is pretty bare-bones; it doesn’t cut cuticles, reshape nails, remove existing polish, or scold you for nail-biting (guilty), but all that could very well be next. Book an appointment here.

THINGS TO DO

Weekday checklist

👚 Find a hidden gem. Cambridge thrift store The Attic is offering a new 15% student discount on Mondays from now until December with a valid ID – use it or lose it!

🎥 Catch a movie under the stars. If you want a movie on the big screen without big prices, you’ve got it: For this installment of their Movie Monday series, Time Out Market is playing “10 Things I Hate About You.” Get there early for free popcorn!

🛼 See a concert on wheels. Cambridge roller rink Rollerama is back with another edition of their uncommon concert series, with cover band Turn It Up headlining this Wednesday.

💌 Meet “the one.” OK, we can’t guarantee it, but at this Matchbox party on Thursday, a science-backed algorithm will pair you with your optimal match. And if that doesn’t work out, your ticket will also get you a free drink.

👠 Watch the city’s hottest drag performers. This Wednesday is Aeronaut Somerville’s monthly drag night, where local Kings and Queens will perform while you sip on some grade-A brews.

🧘 Add some mindfulness to your day. Calling all yogis: This is the last week of YogaHub’s free weekly yoga series in Post Office Square with options in the morning or evening from Tuesday to Thursday. 

🖼️ Spend a night at the museum. The Harvard Art Museums, to be exact. Enjoy drinks, snacks, music, and fellow art lovers as you peruse the galleries, or hang in the courtyard this Thursday at their monthly nighttime series.

🐶 Yap the night away. And maybe your pup can, too. At The Anchor’s “yappy hour” on Wednesday, you and your furbaby can enjoy great views, free swag, music, giveaways, and vendors. Bonus: Stay later for their ceramic pet bowl making or movie night.

ONE LAST THING

Fenway forever 

If you missed Noah Kahan’s Fenway Park concerts, we have great news. And, actually, if you attended Noah Kahan’s Fenway Park concerts … we also have great news. 

Kahan is releasing a “Live from Fenway Park” album from his two concerts here in July, that’ll allow anyone to live (or relive) the experience of his magical Boston shows.

And if you need any convincing to give it a listen, just hear how he described the shows: “Every day I think about playing Fenway. I can’t even look at photos without crying. It is a permanent part of my soul, and I’m so proud to announce it will be a permanent part of my discography.” 

The album is dropping on Aug. 30, and trust us when we say … we’ll be counting down the days.

— Written by Gia Orsino

🌳 Thanks for reading! No, I didn’t get to see the concert live. Yes, I will be crying when I hear it anyway.

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, Mass General Cancer Center, for supporting local journalism and their commitment to defying cancer.

🍁 The results are in: 50% of B-Siders say they’ll get in the fall spirit eventually, but they aren’t ready to say bye to summer quite yet. One reader said: “Following my yoga teacher's advice, the only thing that’s real is right now.” 

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