💐 The Pru looks ... different this week

It’s Wednesday, Boston.

👀 Ever wonder what $20 million gets you in Boston? Just take a peek inside this HUGE Beacon Hill home that just hit the market. *Cries in three roommates.*

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Mass. is throwing America a b-day party

• Are millionaires leaving Mass.?

• How to hack your Dunkin’ order

Up first…

OUT & ABOUT

The Pru is in bloom

Fall might be around the corner, but it certainly feels like spring in the Pru. Fleurs de Villes, a one-of-a-kind flower show, is back in the Prudential Center for the second year. The show runs today through Sept. 22 — but this time, there’s a local twist.

Here’s what to know:

💐 The show is made up of 15 mannequins dressed in flowers. Fleurs de Villes is a traveling flower showcase that includes works of art designed by local florists (you can get a taste for what we mean here). In this year’s exhibit, fittingly called ARTISTE, each mannequin will be inspired by a piece in the MFA’s collection.

🌼 The blooms will bring the MFA’s collection to life in a new way. According to Fleurs de Villes founder Tina Barkley, the florists were asked to “bring the works to life as literally as possible.” In some cases, like portraits, that’ll be relatively straightforward. In others, it’ll require a little interpretation, like for this brooch or this statue. But that’s all part of the fun: The show “gives [florists] something to do that's outside the box … It’s not just a wedding bouquet, it’s really exciting, incredibly creative, and it challenges them.”

🌷 But the real stars of the show might just be the florists. Erica Hartman Hogan, the owner of Restless Spirit Floral, is creating a piece inspired by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai’s “Woman Looking at Herself in a Mirror.” In planning her piece, she considered everything from which flowers bloom in Japan during the fall to how she could translate the piece’s medium (in this case, wood block print) into florals, leading her to use chrysanthemums and banana leaves. 

👗 After you’ve checked them all out, you can vote for your fave. Most of the pieces will be front and center in the Pru, but there will be a few bonuses just outside the building, and even one at the MFA’s Sharf Visitor Center. You can check out the exhibit map here, but if you grab one in-person at the Pru, you can also use it as a ballot to vote for your favorite piece, which will enter you to win a stay at Boston Marriott Copley Place.

🌸 Any other questions? Check out the show’s website here.

TOGETHER WITH BOSTON SEAPORT

Out: Shorts and sandals. In: Flannels and fuzzy socks. 

🍂 🛍️ Looking to refresh your closet for sweater season? Seaport’s got the goods to fit any fall fashion aesthetic. Shop brands like L.L.Bean, Filson, and Stio for the rugged explorer, Everlane, Faherty, and Rhone for the classic minimalist, and Rag & Bone or Staud for the bold trendsetter. And if you really want to channel those quintessential fall vibes, grab a cozy drink from one of Seaport’s cafes and sip while you shop the area. 

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

👋 Are millionaires really leaving Mass.? A new report from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center shed some light on the hot-button question, and on who else is coming and going. Its findings? Mass.’ population is growing ever-so-slightly despite high outmigration and the COVID-era exodus. But as for who’s leaving, the think tank said it's not so much high-income earners who are heading out, but regular working-age adults who are (relatably) likely finding it too expensive.

🥳 Mass. officials are taking America’s birthday very seriously. America’s 250th b-day is coming up, and the MA250 initiative has BIG plans, with a series of Revolution-themed events and attractions meant to reflect on Mass.’ history (and get some tourism $$$). If Tuesday’s kickoff event was any indication — Gov. Maura Healey rode in on a horse and robot dogs stood next to Revolutionary War reenactors — it’s going to be a wild ride. Check out upcoming events here. 

🌧️ Boston’s dry spell luck miiiight be running out. There’s a good chance today marks the end of Boston’s month-long rainless streak (tied for the city’s fifth-longest on record). Thanks to a low-pressure system bringing heavy rain to the mid-Atlantic, there’s a hit-or-miss chance tonight will bring some scattered showers to Boston, but it’s still too soon to say right now. Personally, we’re gunning for the streak to continue. That said, this dry stretch has been putting some stress on our trees, so you might already be seeing a few showing early color.

🤤 Somerville? More like Fluff-erville. Somerville’s iconic “What the Fluff?” Festival may not be till Saturday, but Fluff-related celebrations are already underway. See: This 163-square foot Fluff micro-museum that opens tonight through Sept. 30. It’s showcasing everything from Fluff facts, to Fluff fanart, to a screen-print-your-own souvenir station. Best of all: Admission is free. And you can keep the party going at Bow Market’s Fluff Festival Night Market tonight, equipped with Fluff merch, drag trivia, and Fluff-filled bites. 

QUICK QUESTION

☕ Be honest: How much money do spend on your daily caffeine fix?

ONE LAST THING

The cheapest Dunkin’ around

If you’ve ever been suspicious that the price of your Dunkin’ order changes depending where you’re buying … You’re probably right. 

But thanks to DunkinScout, a new tool developed by a Tufts undergrad, users can compare prices between locations on any Dunkin’ menu item. 

Here in Boston, the results are truly startling: There’s a 70-cent difference for a bacon, egg, and cheese between the Seaport and Allston, and a $1.16 difference for a small coffee between Maverick Square and Tremont Street. 

The bad news: DunkinScout isn’t particularly user-friendly yet, so unless you’re technically-inclined, it might not be too simple to use. But regardless, we gotta say, we love the chutzpah. 

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🍩 Thanks for reading! If somebody makes this into an app, I’d owe them everything.

📝 Correction: An earlier version of this newsletter incorrectly stated a high-pressure system would bring heavy rain to the mid-Atlantic. It is a low-pressure system. We regret the error.

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, @seaportbos, for supporting local businesses and community journalism. 

🚧 The results are (still not) in: Tragically, our polling software is still glitched. But thank you to those of you who wrote in to tell us about an error in yesterday’s poll: The pace a 18-34 year old man needs to run to qualify for Boston is a 6:40 minute mile, which wasn’t a response option. So by default, you all win!

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