😭 Renting in Boston? In THIS economy?

It’s Tuesday, Boston.

🌮 Actually, it’s *taco* Tuesday. At least it is at El Barco, where they’re serving up $2 tacos (which usually run two for ~$15) from 9 to 11 p.m. You’re welcome. <3

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Hide your kids! Hide your bikes!

• Treats that hit the sweet spot

• The JoBros in Boston

Up first…

HOUSING

The Boston rental blues

Buying a house in Greater Boston? Good luck. Between the state’s suffocating housing crisis and the current ~economic uncertainty ~, many young people are finding themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place: Stay in a never-ending doom loop of rentals and roommates, or get out of town and break up with a lifestyle you love.

Here’s what to know:

😭 The numbers (sadly) don’t lie. As of August, the average rental price in Boston was $3,524 with many Bostonians spending nearly half their income on just   housing. We’ve seen folks live with six roommates , move in with their partners early , and take on whole side hustles just to make ends meet. And when you’re dropping half your income on rent, good luck saving for a home with these prices .

🏘️ Which creates the dreaded rental doom loop — where every opportunity to level up your pad gets crushed by rising prices, ultimately keeping you stuck in the same shoe box. 28-year-old renter Chelsea Lauder wants to ditch her one bed in the North End as rent rises, but with upfront moving costs between $4,000 to $6,000, she can’t afford a better deal. “So I'm just gonna stay where I am, no longer feeling like it's the best value,” she said. Rinse and repeat.

🚚 And even if you do save up, it may not be enough. Tarah Balin, a 25-year-old renter in Quincy, saved up for a down payment while living at home during grad school, but was forced to rent when she couldn't afford anything close enough to work. “If I stay [renting] for another, like, two years, I'll be literally flushing $50,000 down the toilet,” she said. “I could be spending that exact same money on a mortgage.” 

📦 But many times, homeownership = a major lifestyle change. After a stint of house-hunting, 25-year-old Anna Cressman and her husband ended their journey when they couldn’t nail down an affordable place 40 minutes outside of Boston WITH her sister. But in retrospect, she’s happy. Moving would've meant giving up walking down the street for dinner, or seeing friends without a car. “Lifestyle-wise, we couldn’t have it all,” she said. Or, as Balin put it: “If you're miserable in a house that is way overpriced and not what you wanted … did you win at all?”

😬 So it’s no surprise that young people are leaving town. A survey last year showed that 25% of young professionals plan to leave the city within five years because of affordability. And if something doesn’t give soon, it seems like more will join them: “My [cost of living] raise doesn't cover my rent increase,” Lauder said. “That can't keep happening, or I'll get pushed out.”

QUICK QUESTION!

🏠 Do you plan to own a home in Mass.?

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🚴 Hide your kids! Hide your bikes! Because according to data from Boston Police, Boston is currently in peak bike stealing season . From July to mid-September, bike thefts seem to peak in the city, so the Globe ran the numbers to see where it was happening most. Spoiler: Back Bay, Downtown, Dorchester, Fenway, JP, and the South End are the hotspots , with over 100 reported thefts each since 2023. Meanwhile, eight of the top 10 intersections for bike theft are on or near Boylston Street. Here are some bike theft prevention tips .

☀️ Rain-free summers bring fall … droughts. On today’s episode of “You Can’t Have It All:” Between this summer’s hotter-than-average days and lack of rainfall, unless things get really wet in September, New England will likely face a fall drought for the second year in a row. In fact, 5% of Mass. is already in a “moderate” drought. And let’s just say, if last year’s drought is any indication (see: Mass.’ unprecedented wildfire season ), we’d take a few rainy Saturdays in a heartbeat.

🤖 The solution to higher ed’s struggles is … AI? You might get heat for using ChatGPT to write your essay, but AI is actually easing some local colleges’ burdens . Think: Filling out paperwork to basic math help. Roxbury Community College’s new “AskRoxie” AI tool has helped them support the influx of students from the state’s free community college program without adding new hires, and Babson’s MathBot is trained on the school’s textbooks to help freshmen with basic math. That said, not every college wants (or can afford) to hop on the bandwagon.

🍭 These two new shops are hitting the sweet spot. There’s Le Cafe & Bakery in Chinatown, serving these gorgina-looking dessert bagels in flavors like mango cream cheese (shaped like an orange!) and taro mochi. And Third Time Together , the ice cream shop that nabbed a Best of Boston nod for its gourmet, wacky flavors, officially found a home at the Speedway. Gia tried it and can safely say she’s never tasted anything like it.

ONE LAST THING

The JoBros in Boston

The Jonas Brothers brought some friends to their Fenway show this weekend. And by “some friends,” we mean the wildest (and longest) lineup of openers and guest appearances we’ve ever seen. Buckle up for some Fenway FOMO:

Special guests ranged from cult faves like Frankie Jonas (the fourth Jonas brother) and ex-bodyguard Big Rob, to epic heartthrob throwbacks like JoJo and Jesse McCartney, to an absolutely random cameo from Glen Powell. Even Wally the Green Monster got his twerk on to “Cake by the Ocean” . 

And that’s not even mentioning Kevin Jonas himself, who also took the opportunity to kick off his solo career . Awwwwww. Check out the whole wild roster here .

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🎤 Thanks for reading! These people got their MONEY’S worth.

🚇 The results are in: 57% of B-Siders are thrilled with the new late-night T service. One reader said: “Fantastic news for night owls, party girls, and service workers everywhere.” 

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