👗👀 This new job is taking Gen Z by storm

🫢 “Demure” might not be the first word we’d use to describe, say, City Hall. Or a shuttle bus … or a Storrowed truck. But since the word has been on the tip of the whole internet’s tongue lately, we figured we’d showcase the parts of Boston we think are not only very demure, but very cutesy … and very mindful.

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

It’s no secret that young people love to thrift. But these days, local Gen Z-ers aren’t just shopping, they’re running the local vintage industry, from brick-and-mortar thrift stores, to pop-up markets, to entire companies. 

But why now, and what’s the magic recipe that’s allowing this to happen? 

Here’s what to know:

🙋 Gen Z loves working for themselves. Nearly 70% of Gen Z is actively self-employed or plans to be in the future, according to a survey from Fiverr. Why? The job market is uncertain for many young people, and once you get a job, rigid hours, unforgiving bosses, and low pay often await. “A lot of people my age are not looking forward to working 9 to 5, five days a week in an office and not affording the cost of living … and we see the value in being our own boss," said Megan Fehling-Singh, the 22-year-old CEO of Original Markets. 

🛍️ And Boston (surprisingly) loves vintage. The city hasn’t exactly screamed “fashion capital” in the past. But that’s not the case these days. “I definitely have noticed a huge increase in [vintage] events” over the past year, said Sadie MacIver, 24, owner of Groovy Thrifty. When you take a city with a lackluster things-to-do scene and a ton of college kids, there’s actually “a big market fit” for events that showcase the city’s arts and culture scene without the financial or age-related barriers to entry, according to Joshua Mazes, 20, co-founder of Select Markets. 

📲 Social media makes it easier than ever to turn a passion into a paying job. After all, Gen Z has watched others do it over and over again right in the palm of their hand. On the vintage front, that’s made the pipeline — from selling clothing online or via social media, to vending at markets, to running a pop-up — easier to navigate than it used to be, according to Andrew Gifford, co-founder of the Brighton Bazaar. And with more markets looking for vendors to sell IRL, “all you need is a four-foot table and a dream” to get your foot in the door, he said.

🤷 And if all else fails, the 9-to-5 safety net will be there to catch you. MacIver, who quit her 9-to-5 job last year to open Groovy Thrifty, said she works “24/7” to keep up with the shop and its online presence. But she said the decision has been “totally worthwhile.” Her thought process? “I can keep … working a 9 to 5 and feel like I'm never fulfilled, or, like, I can take a risk and if it doesn't work out, I can go back.”

🏃❤️‍🩹 Together, you can make an impact. Join the Mass General Cancer Center Eversource 5k Run-Walk on Sept. 15 to support cancer research, honor loved ones and celebrate survivors. The route starts off at the Hatch Shell at 9 a.m. with a scenic route along the Esplanade, followed by a tasty breakfast and fun activities for the whole family. Participants can run or walk, and kids 8 and under can join the 100-yard dash. Register now and make a difference.

🛒 Grocery prices are giving us collective sticker shock. But thanks to the Globe’s grocery price index tracker, a collab with market research firm Datasembly, understanding the actual price changes across different categories of staple items is a little easier. The tracker, which is updated monthly, uses hyperlocal data to show price trends in categories like fruit, beef, or dairy, and compares them to those in other U.S. cities like NYC or Chicago. And it’s already coming in handy: After seeing those egg prices, we’re definitely switching to toast for breakfast next week.

🚗 Last week marked a huge milestone for rideshare drivers. Namely, their guaranteed $32.50 per hour minimum wage has officially kicked in. The wage change is thanks to a recently settled lawsuit from Attorney General Andrea Campbell against Uber and Lyft, plus a slew of other added benefits that’ll kick in over the next few months, like health care plans and sick time accrual. But drivers aren’t feeling the effects just yet: The added funds aren’t deposited until the end of each pay period — which, in Uber’s case, is 14 days long.

👭 Can’t afford Boston rent? Find a roommate. Or five. Given the option, not many people would live with four, five, or six roommates, but that’s the reality for many young Bostonians. And it’s one of the easiest ways to snag a better deal in any neighborhood. After all, Boston’s average one-bed price is $2,750/month (assuming just one person lives there), whereas the average three-bed evens out to $1,400 per person. But that doesn’t exactly make it a life hack. With more people (often strangers) in one home, also comes more seriously annoying living challenges like cleanliness, fridge space, or storage.

🏀 Boston is making WNBA history. You might’ve heard the Connecticut Sun are shipping up to Boston tonight for the city’s first-ever WNBA game at TD Garden. But what you might not have heard is that along with making history, tonight’s game broke some serious records. 19,156 tickets were sold, meaning that not only is the game sold-out (though you can still nab resale tix), but it’ll also mark the third highest WNBA game attendance this season, and the most tickets sold to a Sun game ever. 

If you want to make sure your child is a Masshole for life, cutting the umbilical cord at a Dunkin’ isn’t a bad way to start. Let us explain.

Picture this: Cape Cod couple Rebecca Mahota and her husband, Danya, are driving to the hospital where Rebecca will give birth to their daughter. Then her water broke. 

When it became clear they weren’t going to make it to the hospital, the pair delivered the baby behind some bushes off the highway’s shoulder. But they soon realized they’d have to find a safer place to wait for the ambulance. So naturally, they chose a Dunkin’ parking lot, which later became the place where Mahota cut the umbilical cord with a sterilized X-Acto knife, “like every Massachusetts father.” 

But despite the chaotic start, we’re happy to report that everyone is safe and healthy.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🍼 Thanks for reading! And no, they didn’t stop in for an iced medium regular after. But whether they thought about it … that’s another story.

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

❤️‍🔥 The results are in: 31% of polled B-Siders say that Gen Z can’t flirt, but another 27% think they flirt just fine. But we’ll leave it to you to decide which case this response helps: “Matched, ghosted him for 3 months, he scowled at me from across the room at a party, we've been dating for 2 months now.”

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