🚚😭 Moving on 9/1 is SO last year

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⏰ We're dropping the code TOMORROW. You know the drill: Become a member here. <3

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

Getting off Boston’s vicious 9/1 lease cycle can be a life-changing, sanity-saving hack. Just ask Reddit or the B-Siders — one called it “the single best decision I ever made.” 

But is getting off a 9/1 lease more trouble than it’s worth? Here’s what to know:

🏘️ Interest in non-9/1 move-ins may be ticking up. At least, Kingston Real Estate & Management’s Emily Downs thinks so. She’s noticed a “really big shift” in interest toward alternative move-in dates. Case in point: Compared to an “overwhelming” preference for 9/1 move-ins in 2024, this year, about half her clients are looking for a different date. 

👨‍💼 But don’t expect landlords to follow suit, according to Douglas Quattrochi, executive director of MassLandlords. Though certifiably annoying, the 9/1 move-in date allows both tenants and landlords the best odds of getting what they want (a.k.a. “search and matching”), he said, so he doesn’t see an end to it anytime soon.

🔑 Wanna make the switch? Step one: Sweet talk your landlord. If they’ll let you, your best bet is going month-to-month or finding a subletter, Downs said. For these convos, Quattrochi said face-to-face interaction “goes a long way,” but ultimately, renters “don't have a lot of leverage or negotiation room” in this market. So unless it’s already in your lease, don’t get your hopes up. 

💸 Step two: Consider the downsides. There are two big ones: 1. Fewer available places = less chance you’ll find your dream spot. 2. If your landlord won’t bail you out, you’ll likely need to eat the cost of an extra rent payment for a month or two to make the switch. For Downs, the decision often comes down to one question: “Is that money worth it to me for the peace of mind?”

🍀 That said, an unconventional sitch can work to your advantage. After all, a lot of landlords who have units available outside of 9/1 are in a hurry to get a lease signed, Downs said. And a little desperation = more negotiating power for renters. In those situations, she’s helped clients negotiate away last month’s rent, broker fees, and more.

😅 If you pull it off, you may never go back. 23-year-old B-Sider Chloe Strandwold went through a breakup after signing a 9/1 lease that left her scrambling. After some frantic Facebook-group browsing, she found a place with an Aug. 15 move-in, and said the half month of extra rent has been well worth avoiding 9/1 chaos: “[Getting off 9/1] definitely has changed my opinion of Boston housing for the better.”

📚⚾ Or, at least, they could be (if you nominate them). Now is your last chance to give the outstanding educators in your life the recognition they deserve at this year’s Wasabi Fenway Bowl Honor Roll. Winners will receive a grant, a feature on BostonGlobe.com, and a Fenway Park shoutout that would make their entire homeroom cry. Take a couple minutes and send in a nomination. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s the kind of “thank you” they’ll never forget.

📈 Laid off federal workers are shipping up to Boston. In Q1 of 2025, the City of Boston saw an all-time high of 39,111 job applications, up 60% from Q1 in 2024. Why? Laid off federal workers are in the market for state and local government jobs, and Boston’s relatively solid job market and recent national spotlight (hi, Mayor Wu) are drawing them here like a moth to a flame. See: Of the 9,000 job seekers on Work for America’s Civic Match platform, 20% have narrowed their search to Mass. *flips hair.*

👋 Say hello to the newest B’s and C’s. After grim endings to their respective seasons, the Bruins and Celtics needed to slay last week’s NHL and NBA drafts. The B’s added seven new prospects, but the only name you need to know right now is James Hagens, the No. 7 pick out of Boston College(!). Meanwhile, the one to watch from the C’s draft is Hugo González, a 19-year-old guard/wing from Real Madrid. Both picks earned solid praise from sports analysts. We’re SO back. Right?

💃 Forget the club: We’re dancing at City Hall this summer. Last week, the city announced a series of summer dance parties on City Hall Plaza in the spirit of its annual Donna Summer disco party. This year, three additional dance nights will be added to the cal: An R&B night July 25, an island vibes night on Aug. 9, and an old-school night on Aug. 22. And if the deets for the R&B night are any indication, we can expect local DJs spinning tunes, plus food, photobooths, and more. 

🪲 Headed to the beach this week? So are these bugs. Good news: There’s some fabulous-looking beach weather on deck. Bad news: You’ll likely be sharing it with Greenhead flies, which tend to come out in late June. The notoriously vicious bugs are (quite literally) out for blood, tormenting New England beachgoers every summer. There are no foolproof methods of repelling them (trust us, this poor Globe reporter has tried), so this is really just a warning to hype yourself up for battle. Good luck.

🎨 Paint your own pottery. The Clayroom in Brookline is offering half-off studio fees on Mondays after 5 p.m., and free pizza every Tuesday after 5 p.m. Plus, it’s BYOB. Book a class here!

🍝 Have a “Lady and the Tramp” moment on the cheap. $10 for pasta? In Boston? Eastie’s newly renovated Pazza on Porter has it every single Tuesday. Grab a res here.

🎭 Indulge your inner theatre kid. Broadway Burn is a zumba-style class … with a playlist full of showtunes. Wiggle to “Wicked” and shimmy to “Chicago” every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at The Foundry. 

💬 Get deep with total strangers. It’s not as scary as it sounds! Skip the Small Talk is like speed dating for friends minus the awkward chitchat. It’s coming to Trident on July 2.

🧶 BYOC to a cozy cafe. Bring your own craft, duh! Every other Wednesday (including July 2), Somerville’s Diesel Cafe and The Cozy Artist collab for a free night of crafting and mingling.

👠 Have your wig snatched at … bingo? Absolutely. Local drag queen Rose Quartz will be hosting drag bingo night at the Honan-Allston BPL branch on July 2 with prizes and performances.

🏃 Make the Greenway your playground at this free intro to parkour class July 3! You’ll be guided by Parkour Generations, who will (safely!) take you through the basics of the discipline. 

🖼️ Spend a (free!) night at the museum. Friendly reminder: On Thursdays, the ICA is free to all from 5 to 9 p.m. Just make sure to grab advanced tickets when they drop at 10 a.m. that morning.

Our friends at Levitate want to give you a chance to Levitate Your Summer. Enter to win a pair of 2-day VIP Tickets to Levitate Music Festival ($898 value!) with Stick Figure, The Revivalists, Dispatch, and more! Don't miss this opportunity to get your ticket to summer and join in the Levitate lifestyle!

18+. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Limit one entry per person. See Official Rules & an additional entry option here.

Another year, another 45-foot long greasy pole in Gloucester. Let us explain. Every year, the town throws a celebration called St. Peter's Fiesta, where the greasy pole contest has become a viral tradition.

Here’s a visual: Tons of hopefuls crowd on a dock in the middle of the ocean and, one by one, try to run across a 45-foot greased telephone pole that’s suspended over the water. Unsurprisingly, 95% of these attempts end with folks wiping out hard — and it's not unusual to walk away with “scrapes, bruises, or even broken ribs," organizers told CBS News. 

But this year’s winner, Joey Klyce, made it across quite gracefully, if we do say so ourselves. Or at least, more gracefully than these guys from 2018.

You can watch the whole thing here.

— Written by Gia Orsino

🌊 Thanks for reading! Honestly, it’s a miracle broken ribs are the worst injury to come out of this.

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, Wasabi Fenway Bowl, for supporting local journalism and honoring the outstanding educators in our community. 

🏊 The results are in: 55% of B-Siders would choose only swimming in the Charles forever over never swimming again. One reader said: “I’ve been wanting some extra fingers and toes!”

🥳 🎟 Don't forget to grab your tickets to Best Day Ever, our Aug. 2 food, music, and shopping extravaganza at Artists for Humanity!

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