😵‍💫 Another T shutdown starts today

It’s Tuesday, Boston.

👋 Welcome back from the long weekend! We hope your first day back is just as joyful as these Bostonians during Chappell Roan’s performance of “Hot To Go” at Boston Calling. There wasn’t a shred of hater to be found. 

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Budget debates on deck

• New Boston dating app

• The cost of Boston Calling

Up first…

TRANSPORTATION

The Orange Line is OOO

Nothing says “welcome back from a long weekend” like a 10-day Orange Line shutdown. Starting today through Thursday, June 6, service between Wellington and Back Bay stations will be down for the count.

Here’s what to know: 

📣 Say it with us now: This shutdown is all part of the MBTA’s plan to eighty-six all subway slow zones by the end of 2024, which so far, appears to be working. As of Monday, there were 34 slow zones on the Orange Line, so we hope to see that number dip by the end of next week. We should also see some gussied-up stations post-shutdown, thanks to new lighting, painting, tiling, and power washing. 

🚧 But it’s not just slow zones we’re after. This shutdown will also allow crews to start chipping away at replacing the deteriorated bridge superstructures on the Maffa Way and Mystic Avenue Bridges near the Sullivan Square T stop, along with improving bicycle, pedestrian, and transit facilities. 

🚌 Your new best friends this week: Shuttle buses and the Green Line. A pair you prefer to keep at a distance finally has something to offer. Free, accessible shuttle buses will make stops at all stations between Wellington and North Station throughout the shutdown. But since said buses don’t always stop right at the station, be sure to check the stop addresses here.

🚃 If you’re already downtown … The MBTA recommends utilizing the Green Line between North Station and Copley, which is about a five-minute walk from the Back Bay stop. There will be free fares at Wellington, North Station, and Copley (inbound only). Plus, the Green Line should be running more frequently to accommodate increased ridership.

🚂 Heading into town from the north? Riders are encouraged to consider using the Haverhill commuter rail for stops to and from Oak Grove, Malden Center, and North Station — plus, there will be fare-free service to and from all three stations. Regular fares should be purchased beyond Oak Grove. Note: The Haverhill Line is still undergoing weekday construction; check the schedule here.

😵‍💫 Would it really be an MBTA shutdown with a wild T map? The MBTA keeps churning out these maze-like detour maps, which if Taylor Swift were from Boston, we think she’d feel this way about it.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🏀 The Celtics are heading to the NBA Finals. After sweeping the Indiana Pacers, the C’s are just four wins away from breaking Boston’s five-year duck boat parade drought. The series against the Pacers offered the perfect mix of play: a nail-biter in Game 1, a comfortable win in Game 2, a come-from-behind W in Game 3, and another down-to-the-wire win in Game 4. Series MVP Jaylen Brown may have scored a game-high 29 points in last night’s 105-102 victory, but perhaps the real star of the show was Derrick White, who drilled a clutch three-pointer with only 45 seconds left that my downstairs neighbor definitely heard (sorry!).

🔥 Memorial Day weekend traffic was on fire. Literally. Those with gephyrophobia were met with their worst nightmare Friday afternoon when a three-car wreck caused a blazing fire inside the Ted Williams Tunnel, burning cars to a crisp. Thankfully, only three of the six people involved sustained minor injuries. But many unaware drivers continued into the tunnel, with some eventually turning around or trying to back out as they saw the smoke and flames. As a result, several drivers were treated for smoke inhalation.

💰 The Mass. Senate finally got its budget act together. Despite an emergency alarm delaying the vote, Senate lawmakers unanimously passed a nearly $58 billion state budget last week. The star of the package is a $117.5 million investment that would make community college free to all Mass. residents (funded by the millionaires tax). Now the House and Senate need to hash out their differences before July 1 before passing it to Gov. Healey for her John Hancock. But as we’ve seen, Mass. has a reputation for missing the deadline. 

💏 A new Boston dating app launches today. If actually meeting your dating app matches IRL is one of your New Year’s resolutions, may we introduce Lola, a new Boston-based dating app that just started matching people today. Lola matches couples based on their mutual availability to go on a date that week. So once you enter your availability over the next five days, you’ll only be matched with someone who’s available to go out the same days as you (yes, you can only talk to up to five people at once!). The app is only available within a 75-mile radius of Boston for now. You can start building your profile here. 

QUICK QUESTION

💕 What’s your preferred dating app?

THINGS TO DO

Weekday plans

💅 See “Barbie” outside. Outdoor movie season is kicking off at The Loring Greenough House in JP with a showing of “Barbie” on Friday. Make sure to wear all the pink you can – there’s a costume contest!

😂 Make your Friday funnier. GrandTen Distilling is hosting a “Big Dumb Face” comedy night on Friday, where you can enjoy top-notch comedy from talented storytellers.

💗 Go deep ASAP. Cut to the chase with possible suitors Wednesday at this Skip The Small Talk event at Trident Booksellers. They’ll offer some "big talk" conversational prompts to get you started. 

💐 Build your own bouquet. Floral Baby is popping up Friday at Bully Boy Distillers with their signature bouquet bar. All flowers will be priced per stem, so you can make a bouquet as big or small as you’d like! 

🧠 Test your Boston trivia. Think you know this city? Let’s see if you can walk the walk at The West End Museum’s Boston trivia night on Thursday. There will be prizes!

🍦 Scream for ice cream (and new friends). The Make Friends After College group on Facebook is organizing an ice cream crawl in Cambridge for 20- and 30-somethings this Friday. And the lineup looks fire. 

📚 Cozy up with a book in a cafe. Brothers and Sisters Co. in Brookline is staying open late Wednesday for a quiet book night. Just bring your book and yourself!

GIVEAWAY!

Together with SoulCycle!

Enter to win a free ride for you and a guest for SoulCycle’s Pride Ride Event on Sunday, June 2 with Brando! To enter, just refer a friend and have them accept your invite by the end of the day on May 30, 2024. If you have already referred a friend to B-Side (and they’ve accepted), you're eligible! Full details below*

18+. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Limit one entry per person. See official rules and an additional entry option here.

ONE LAST THING

The cost of Boston Calling

The secret to saving money on food at Boston Calling? Your data. 

Everyone knows Boston Calling tickets aren’t cheap. Day passes start around $200 and go all the way up to $2,899. That said, you still can save a ton on the inflated festival food prices. It’ll just cost you something a little … different. 

Sure, you could spend $5 on water, or you could give the Liquid Death brand activation your phone number in return for a massive can of water. Sure, you could spend $20 on a sandwich, or you could download the Jersey Mike’s app and get a free sub at their pop-up. Sure, you could spend $15 on a beer, or sample tiny cups of Sam Adams and Twisted Tea in exchange for your name. 

We tried all these money-saving hacks and more at the festival this weekend, and spoiler: They totally worked. You can see how much we ended up spending on food in this video here.

— Written by Emily Schario

🥪 Thanks for reading! My data is worth at least TWO Jersey Mike’s subs if you ask me. 

🎓 The results are in: 57% of respondents in Friday’s poll thought that Harvard students should have walked out of their graduation ceremony, especially after 13 students who were involved in the pro-Palestinian encampments weren’t allowed to graduate. One reader wrote: “Harvard being pretty dumb lately imo.”

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