✈️😳 Mentally, we’re HERE

Happy Friday, Boston!

👫 Got dating app fatigue? We got you: B-Side is hosting a speed dating night on April 28 at Castle Island Brewing for 25- to 34-years-olds! Tickets include one drink and up to 15 five-minute dates. Plus: B-Side members get $10 off tickets and a second drink on the house. Grab tickets here!

🎂 Also: FOUR B-Siders have birthdays this Saturday! So, a huge happy birthday weekend to Amanda O'Lear, Cassidy O'Lear, Kaitlyn Alimenti, and Rhonda Pollini. We need to get you guys in a group chat or something. Have an amazing day! <3 

👀 What’s on tap today:

• A local brain drain

• This year’s Cisco season 

• Ed Sheeran is here … AGAIN

Up first…

TRAVEL

Summer vacation? In this economy?

Planning a summer getaway can be stressful, not to mention expensive. 

So since it’s vacay planning season, we asked local travel experts to recommend New England destinations for young Bostonians on a budget:

BAR HARBOR, MAINE

⛰️ Bar Harbor has summer camp vibes. “Think ocean breezes, scenic hikes, and fresh lobster rolls,” said Sally Nguyen, a local travel content creator. Between the coastal energy, Acadia National Park, and a cute downtown, it’s “a perfect mix of adventure and relaxation,” plus only a 4.5 hour drive from Boston. Pro tip: Lodging is WAY cheaper in May or June.

• To eat: Jordan Pond House’s popovers with jam or Thurston’s Lobster Pound, for fresh seafood and ocean views.

• To do: Entrance to Acadia is $20/person a week, which includes free programming like guided hikes. Or, rent a bike for $39 a day and explore the park’s scenic Carriage Roads.

• To splurge: For $49 a pop, Nguyen thinks a sunset cruise is “100% worth it.” There are also similarly priced nature and wildlife cruises (with puffins!).

NEWBURYPORT, MASS.

⛴️ Newburyport is a costal staycation. It’s only 35 miles north of Boston, commuter rail accessible, and has perfect New England summer vibes — what’s not to love? Kristi Palma, Boston.com’s travel writer, highlighted the city’s “gorgeous architecture, charming and historic downtown full of unique shops, and Waterfront Park complete with a scenic boardwalk.” We’d add Plum Island Beach to that list.

• To eat: The Grog is a “can’t-miss” spot. Try the clam chowder and craft beers.

• To do: The Newburyport Art Association offers free art galleries and an outdoor sculpture garden. Also free this year: The Custom House Maritime Museum.

• To splurge: A meal on Sea Level Oyster Bar’s waterfront patio. Sip a cocktail, order oysters, and enjoy some prime people-watching.

NANTUCKET, MASS.

🏖️ Nantucket is boujee, even on a budget. Despite the island’s high-end rep, “if you plan strategically, it can be a fantastic getaway for young travelers on a budget,” said local travel writer JQ Louise. The key is to take advantage of cheaper prices during the “shoulder seasons” (May-June or September-October). Take the ferry from Hyannis and lounge on the beach, explore the town, and enjoy the natural beauty. 

• To eat: For reasonably priced bites, try sandwich shop Something Natural, seafood spots The Nantucket Lobster Trap and Sayle’s Seafood, or grab a beach picnic at Provisions (get the “Turkey Terrific”).

• To do: Jetties Beach is for lounging, and Steps Beach is for sunsets. Otherwise, rent a bike and head to Sankaty Head Lighthouse or Madaket Beach.

• To splurge: If you can stomach $175 per person, a BYOB sunset sail with Endeavor Sailing is “well worth” the price. Or, grab some oysters at Cru.

QUICK QUESTION!

✈️ If you’re going on vacation, are you more likely to:

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🧠 President Trump’s policies could cause a local brain drain. If there’s one thing Mass. can (usually) count on, it’s our stellar higher ed scene attracting smart people. But Gov. Maura Healey is warning that some Trump policies could drive academics away (think: slashing federal research funds and deporting students), which would be a devastating blow to the local ecosystem. She recently said that foreign governments are literally swooping into local college campuses to recruit defunded researchers. On top of that, seeing international students get deported doesn’t exactly send a welcoming message.

🚇 Red Liners, it’s happening again. Braintree branch riders already know what’s coming: This weekend, Red Line service will be replaced with shuttle buses between JFK/UMass and Braintree in order to perform some signal upgrades. Per usual, shuttle buses will hit every stop, but riders are encouraged to use the *free* commuter rail between Braintree, Quincy Center, JFK/UMass, and South Station. The good news: This is the line’s last March shutdown! The bad news: The next one begins April 1 … and it's nine days long. More on that soon.

🍻 T-3 weeks until Cisco season! Seaport’s iconic waterfront beer garden by Cisco Brewers has announced its 2025 season dates: April 18 to Oct. 13. Per usual, it’ll be open seven days a week, offering a selection of brews, cocktails, and live music every day. But this season, it’s shaking up its food truck lineup. We can expect beefed up offerings including pizza, seafood, and tacos. Plus, ICYMI: Soon, you might not need to schlep to Seaport for your Cisco fix. The company is working on opening a Fenway location.

🌔 We’re about to see the dark side of the … sun. It’s no April 2024, but on March 29, if you get up at sunrise and take a peek at the sun (with ISO-compliant sunglasses, of course!), you’ll catch a partial solar eclipse. A.k.a. when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, making the sun appear in a crescent shape. In Boston, we’ll see 43% sun coverage, but our neighbors in Downeast Maine will see up to 80%. So unless you want to wait until late 2026 for the next eclipse opportunity, we’d check it out.

THINGS TO DO

Weekend plans

🪩 In da clerb, we all fam. Especially at this hang out with the Making Friends After College FB group. They’re renting out the top floor of the Wild Rover club tonight, so consider your plans made (it’s free). 

🚶 Stroll with some new gals. The Boston Girls Who Walk walking group is kicking off its first walk of the year at the GAP store in Harvard Square on March 29 at 11:45 a.m. 

🧩 Put your puzzling skills to the test … with a literal speed-puzzling competition. That’s exactly what’s on the agenda on March 30 at Winter Hill Brewing, where your team will compete to build a puzzle the fastest. 

🪴 Get crackin’ on your green thumb. If starting a garden is on your spring bucket list, then this free gardening basics class at the Southie BPL branch on March 29 has your name written all over it. 

🍺 Stretch out with a stout. There are still some spots left in Lamplighter Brewing’s weekly yoga class on March 30! Your ticket includes a one-hour yoga session with a beer (or NA bev) to enjoy afterward. 

👗 Give you closet a groovy update. Roadrunner will be home to Retromania this weekend, an epic vintage market featuring over 120 vendors showcasing fashion, collectible classics, and nostalgic goods.

🤸 Have the ultimate Sunday Funday. Step 1: Grab a ticket to this Sunday sweat event at Loco that includes a 45-minute mat pilates class and complimentary patatas bravas for the table if you stick around for brunch. 

🖼️ Van GO to the MFA. To see 20 of Van Gogh's famous portraits, that is. The museum is opening a new exhibit of the artist’s works on March 30. Don’t forget your timed entry tickets!

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ONE LAST THING

Ed Sheeran’s pop-up pub

We’re getting the feeling Ed Sheeran is obsessed with us. And by “us,” we mean Boston. First, he headlined Boston Calling (great show, BTW). Then, he surprise-performed at the Dubliner for St. Paddy’s Day. Now, he’s opening a pop-up pub in Ipswich, The Old Phone. 

Before you get too excited, the spot is only “built to stand for two days” this weekend, and is seemingly a stunt for a new music video. That said, while it’s up, it’ll be a totally legit pub, serving drinks and bar bites.

As of Thursday evening, we don’t know much, but we do know that if you want entry, you need to text a special number 1-(917)-909-4498 a nostalgic picture, video, or screenshots to be used in a surprise later. 

We did it, and haven’t heard anything back yet … so we can only hope we’re on the guest list.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🎸 Thanks for reading! Crossing our fingers that our weekend plans are about to get way more interesting.

⚽ The results are in: 47% of B-Siders say “Boston Legacy FC” is more or less the same as BOS Nation, with the overwhelming sentiment of the write-ins being, it’s better, but equally as boring. One reader said: “Nothing like picking a safe boring name.”

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