🌴😎 The harbor's giving ~island girl~

🍕 BIG NEWS: Regina Pizzeria is BLESSING new B-Side Members with a $50 gift card! The first 20 readers who sign up for the annual B-Side Membership HERE get one (Membership just so happens to be 50% off, so …). We’ll email you the redemption deets after you sign up!

🥳 And a big HBD to B-Side Member Char C. May your special day deliver (‘cause it’s hopefully not DiGiorno). 

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

Fun fact: There are 34 islands and peninsulas scattered across the harbor. But picking which one to visit can feel like swiping on Hinge — simply too many options. 

To help you find your perfect match, we called up former Harbor Islands park ranger and current Boston Harbor Now CEO Kathy Abbott for her ultimate island guide.

Here’s her advice:

⛴️ If you’re a Harbor Island newb, make Spectacle Island your first stop. For an island that used to be the city dump, she’s got everything you could ask for: beaches, hiking trails, a visitor center with food (!), and programming like summer concerts with Berklee students, Spectacle Summer Nights, and Camp Spectacle — really, a type B planner’s dream. It’s also the island with the BEST city views, according to Abbott. “There’s not a better place to watch the sunset over the city of Boston.” It’s also a primo spot to see the Tall Ships roll in. 

🇺🇸 If you’re a history nerd, Georges Island is your girl. There’s a solid chance you came here on a field trip if you grew up in Mass. And that’s because it’s the home of Fort Warren, a Civil War-era fort that housed Confederate prisoners. There are ranger-guided tours every day to give you the lowdown on its history, which definitely include the deets about the Lady in Black ghost story. “She is real,” Abbott said. “I haven’t seen her, but I’ve definitely felt her presence at night.” Spooky!

⛺ If outdoorsy is your middle name, try Peddocks Island. Camping is the name of the game on the second largest Harbor Island, making it a great option for a weekend trip (you can book camping sites — including yurt camping (!) — through the DCR’s camping system). This is “more of a make your own adventure” island, Abbott said, which can look like spotting wild deer and turkeys, checking out Fort Andrews, or hiking the perimeter of the island. Coming from Boston? Just take the ferry to Hingham, then grab the Peddocks ferry from there.

🏖 Are you ~not like other girls~? Try Cathleen Stone Island. Home to an outward bound school, Cathleen Stone Island isn’t usually top of mind for Harbor Island first-timers. It’s “the school island,” Abbott said. It feels like you stepped onto “the campus of small liberal arts school in New England.” You’re mostly coming here to walk the trails, the beach, the salt marshes, and if you’re a student, to learn about climate resiliency. They also host weddings if you’re in the market! Remember: Public ferry service is only available on weekends in the spring and summer! 

⛴️ Ready to set sail? Book your ferry tickets here.

📋✨ Always the person making the slide decks, scheduling the meetings, and carrying the presentation? The Civic Communication and Leadership Program from Tufts University’s Tisch College and the Professional Education program at Harvard Graduate School of Education helps turn that natural “in charge” energy into seasoned leadership. Learn how to communicate clearly, bring people together, and turn ideas into action when it actually matters. Spots are limited for the July 28–31 session, so consider this your sign to enroll today.

🤯 BREAKING: Day 1 of the World Cup actually went … well? You’d think we were manifesting disaster given all the unanswered prep questions and the ever-present fear of an MBTA meltdown. But the day mostly went off without a hitch. Kilt-cladden fans flooded the city (more on that later). Any major riff raff seemed largely under control. And the Fan Fest was a melting pot of good vibes. The only major complaint? Long lines outside South Station and the trains’ lack of AC. Our response: Welcome to Boston. 

🍸 Tired: Beer gardens. Wired: Espresso martini gardens. Your girl’s-night-out-drink of choice has officially reached its peak in Boston, as Alibi Bar & Lounge at the Liberty Hotel just opened Sentenced to Sip, the city’s first-ever espresso martini lounge. Unsurprisingly, it’s an IG baddie’s paradise. Imagine: An open-air patio with lush florals and greenery, twinkling string lights, and a line up of espresso martinis that look like they have a trust fund. And good news: We caught a glimpse of the menu, and it appears most espresso martinis are $14. Honestly, it could be worse. 

⛴️ Your Newport day trip now comes with a boat day. The popular Providence-Newport ferry route is officially back in action for the summer season, offering several daily trips between the two cities. The deets: It’s a one-hour ride with gorgeous views of lighthouses, Narragansett Bay, the Newport Pell Bridge. It’s only $24 round trip (or $12 one way). And it’s less than a 30-minute walk from the Providence MBTA station. Here’s everything we did on our day trip to Newport for some day-trip inspo.

🦪 Need a push to go out on Mondays? Just say shuck it. Enter: Puritan Oyster’s $25 “Martini Mondays” deal. Your order comes with a house martini (you can do vodka or gin; with olives or a twist), a half dozen oysters, and a piping-hot plate of fries. Also catch us adding their oyster shucking classes to our calendar. Can’t make Mondays? Here’s a list of where to find $1 oysters around Boston every day of the week.

✍️ Practice your “I like it, Picasso.” Seaport Sketch is back June 16, which = a free drawing lesson from a local artist and bumpin’ tunes from a DJ. Emily already signed up, so come say hi!

🧘 Stretch out on the Pru’s south garden. This free outdoor yoga class on June 16 is the midweek reset you didn’t know you needed. Just bring your own mat!

🛍️ Shop other Boston girlies’ closets. This Boston closet sale on June 16 is the upgrade your wardrobe has been asking for: secondhand clothes, accessories — all at a great price. 

🍹 Sip on a $1 spritz. PKL in Southie is making Thirsty Thursdays fun again with this $1 spritz deal (if you buy a sammie on their patio). 

⚽ Watch the World Cup go down. The Scots showed us how to party last week. Now it’s your turn to show up and show out on June 19 at this Brazil v. Haiti watch party on the Common. 

🥣 DIY your own tchotchke bowl. Come create a hand-painted bowl for your tiny treasures on June 18 at the Somerville Museum — tickets are under $20!

🍴Eat your way through Cambridge.* Taste of Cambridge is taking over University Park on June 17 from 5 to 8 p.m. — think bites from the city's best restaurants, good company, and zero cooking required. Tickets start at $68. Grab yours here.

💪 Pulse it out with B-Side pilates.* Our summer wellness series with Fit Scene Boston kicks off June 17 with a pilates class at EMBODI in Somerville. Tickets are $30 and include a complimentary Gracie’s ice cream cone after class!

*These listings are presented in partnership with Taste of Cambridge and Fit Scene Boston.

Watching men in kilts black out in a bar was not on our summer bucket list. But consider it checked. 

In case you threw your phone in a lake this weekend … thousands of Scottish soccer fans descended on Boston ahead of the World Cup match against Haiti (spoiler: they won). And honestly? We never want them to leave.

They played bagpipes down the Cop Slide. Took over boats in Boston Harbor. Drained airplanes dry of beer. And belted out a hilarious twist on the “Cheers” theme song as their unofficial World Cup anthem: "Getting a flight to Massachusetts sure did cost a lot ... Wouldn't you like to win a game …” 

But can you blame them? It’s the Scottish men's team's first World Cup appearance in decades, after all.  

So far, the Scots seem to have just one complaint about Boston: "The pubs are brilliant," one said. "But I don't think anybody knows there's a World Cup on." We’ll pull it together for Friday’s match. Promise!!!

— Written by Emily Schario

🥹 Thanks for reading! Mom, can we keep them?

💜 Special shoutout to today's sponsor, Tufts University’s Tisch College, for supporting local journalism and helping shape the next generation of leaders. 

🚇 The results are in: Fabric? Plastic? 57% of B-Siders don’t give a damn what material the new Red Line seats are made out of as long as the train comes on time. One member of team plastic seats gave their two cents: “activate your cores, people!” charges Train Daddy pilates membership

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