Itβs Monday, Boston.
πΊπΈ Itβs also Veterans Day. In celebration, vets can enjoy deals like free chowder at Legal Sea Foods, a discount at View Boston, free food at Flight Club, and a free drink at Aroma Joeβs today. You deserve them all!
π³οΈ Want to know how your city voted in the election? This map by WBUR shows the results of the major races town by town, and itβs pretty juicy (see: Boston voting βyesβ on every single ballot Q).
π Whatβs on tap today:
Mass. is on fireΒ
A very jolly Amtrak deal
Election anxiety: Want to talk about it?
Up firstβ¦
TRANSPORTATION
Itβs the final(?) shutdown

Image: David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe. Illustration: Gia Orsino.
We donβt want to jinx anything, but this might be one of the last major MBTA shutdowns of the year. And the lucky riders are β¦ Green Liners!Β
Starting today through Nov. 17, parts of the D and E branches will be shut down. And itβs gonna be a doozy.Β
Hereβs what to know:
π Service will be suspended between Union Square and Lechmere from Nov. 11 to 17. Notice how we didnβt mention shuttle buses? Yeah β¦ there wonβt be any. Instead, the MBTA recommends riders use the 86, 91, or CT2 buses between Union and East Somerville Station (the 91 will have increased service on weekday peak hours), or the 87 bus between Union Square and Lechmere. The agency said that riders traveling from Park Street to Union Square should budget an extra 10 minutes for travel time.
π¬ But come Nov. 15, things get a liiiittle more complicated. Starting at 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 15 through the 17th, the shutdown will extend to include all stops from Park Street to East Somerville. And the shuttle situation is, honestly, not great:
There will be shuttles between North Station and East Somerville. Theyβll make all the usual stops, plus an extra at Sullivan Square on the Orange Line for transfers.Β
There won't be shuttle service between Park Street and North Station. Instead, riders should use the Orange Line for service to North Station (the Winter Street concourse will take you between Park Street and Downtown Crossing), then hop on a shuttle.
Got all that? If not, check out the shutdown map, but it might give you a migraine.Β
πΈ The good news? The MBTA is throwing us a bone. A.k.a. fare-free trains between Medford/Tufts and East Somerville from Nov. 15 to 17. It might be the sneaky perfect time to try out our GLX food crawl.Β
π And the other good news β¦ As of now, there are just EIGHT slow zones across the entire T, two of which are on the Green Line. So if all goes to plan, we could be looking at a slow zone-free T by the end of the year. Keep that in mind when youβre fighting for your life on a packed 86 bus this week.Β
QUICK QUESTION
π Weβre taking bets. Do you think the T will be slow-zone-free by the end of the year?
Let us know below!
TOGETHER WITH SNOWBOUND EXPO
Ready to swap sneakers for ski boots?Β
βοΈ π The weather outside may not be frightful (yet), but your winter game is about to get seriously delightful. Shop the freshest ski and snowboard gear at the Snowbound Expo from Nov. 15-17 at the BCEC, where you can score up to 60% off on top brands! Hit the indoor mega slope, sip some chilled beers at apres ski, and maybe even brush shoulders with legendary athletes like Hannah Kearney and Donny Pelletier. Arrive early for the chance to win an IKON Pass, along with other giveaways and swag. Nowβs your last chance to snag tickets for just $8 using code: BSIDE!Β
CITY
Quick & dirty headlines

Image: Kayla Bartkowski for The Boston Globe
π₯ Mass. is on fire this week. No, seriously. If youβve noticed some smoky skies, itβs likely the over 50 ongoing wildfires and bushfires across the state, including some pretty big ones as close to Boston as Lynn and Salem. That number is just a fraction of last weekβs 155 total fires, which have burned 305 acres combined. Why? Thank the βcriticalβ drought facing most of Eastern and Central Mass. right now, which, paired with dry winds and low humidity, make for perfect fire starting (and spreading) conditions.
π Mass. State Police will βabsolutely notβ be helping with mass deportations. Thatβs according to Gov. Maura Healey, who also said the state will use βevery tool in the toolboxβ to protect its residents from them. Her thoughts were a response to a question about a Trump-admin plan to deport the nationβs roughly 11 million undocumented migrants, and drew some criticism from mostly local GOP figures. They argue Healey isn't doing enough to handle the stateβs expensive migrant crisis, but Healey places the blame on the fedsβ inactivity.
π£ A local congressman is going viral for talking about trans athletes. On Thursday, Salem Democrat Seth Moulton was quoted in The New York Times saying he wouldnβt want his two young daughters βgetting run overβ by a trans athlete on a sports field, βbut as a Democrat, [heβs] supposed to be afraid to say that.β His comments β part of a larger point about how identity politics are hurting his party β have since been blasted by local LGBTQ+ organizations, politicians, and even Salemβs mayor, which led him to release a clarification. Moulton also said he stands by his comments.
π Out: Flying home for the holidays. In: Training home for the holidays. Amtrak is offering an up-to 40% off flash deal on tickets for trips taken between Dec. 2, 2024, and March 15, 2025. The deal is good through Nov. 14 for trains on Monday through Thursdays and Saturdays, minus a few blackout dates. For Bostonians, that means you could get coach tickets to Providence, R.I., for as low as $13 one-way or to NYC for $34. The only catch: You have to book before the deal ends this Thursday, Nov. 14. So get moving! Check out the deals here.
THINGS TO DO
Weekday plans

Image: MGM/Associated Press
π Catch the greatest romcom ever. OK, we might be biased β¦ but βWhen Harry Met Sallyβ is playing at the Coolidge Corner Theatre tonight on 35MM for its big screen classics series.Β
π§ Level up your cheese and wine game. Your days of mindlessly buying Trader Joeβs pre-sliced manchego might be numbered after this wine and cheese pairing class at BRIX this Tuesday.
π― Turn strangers into besties. If youβre in your thirties, flirting, and thriving, but want some new pals, head to Trident Booksellers on Tuesday for its 30s speed-friending event hosted by Skip the Small Talk.
π³οΈβπ See the best new LGBTQ+ flicks in town. Bostonβs Wicked Queer: Doc Film Festival is here! You can catch the festβs lineup of films at venues across the city this week.Β
π€ Practice your tap tap βIs this thing on?β If the thought of βI should start a podcastβ has ever crossed your mind, this podcast workshop in Allston on Wednesday might be for you.Β
π See the king of loopholes. Weβre talking about Max Fosh, a YouTuber and comedian with 4+ million followers whose schtick is all about exploiting lifeβs loopholes. Heβll be at The Wilbur Wednesday night.Β
πΌ Take your Words With Friends game IRL. Nothing beats sitting around a table playing a game of Scrabble. And thatβs exactly whatβs on the agenda at the Roslindale BPL branchβs Scrabble club on Thursday.Β
πΆ Spend a night sipping sake at the MFA. The folks from The Koji Club are hosting a guided sake tasting Friday at the museum. Bonus: Stick around after to explore the galleries β theyβll be open till 10 p.m.!
MEDIA SPONSORSHIP
Biggest Boston Thrift Market Returns!
B-Side is a proud sponsor of Select Markets, the local vintage clothing pop-up team whoβs celebrating one year on Nov. 16 at the Reggie Lewis Center with one of the biggest thrift markets to ever grace the state! Expect over 90 vendors and 80 square feet of vintage clothing, $10 piles, food trucks, free drinks, and all the works. Grab your tickets fast!Β
ONE LAST THING
Election anxiety: Want to talk about it?

Image: Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe. Illustration: Gia Orsino.
Itβs no secret that a lot of folks had strong feelings about this election. But only two people set up a βpublic listeningβ station to talk about it (that we know of, anyway).Β
On Friday, friends Ben (who was only identified by his first name) and Alexander Kelly set up four plastic chairs near the boathouse by Jamaica Pond with a handmade sign reading simplyΒ βWant to talk about it?β And apparently, people did. Over the course of five hours, over 50 passersby sat down to chat about their post-election feelings.Β
According to the pair, the idea was to βshow up in a public space and make visible to the whole community that youβre not in this alone.β One person they spoke to said it was βreally valuable β¦ to have this moment in time, to be able to sit and talk with somebody, a stranger, no judgment.βΒ
β Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario
π₯² Thanks for reading! Sounds a lot healthier than our personal strategy of eating cookies with our phones turned off.
π Special shoutout to todayβs sponsor, Snowbound Expo, for supporting local journalism and already getting us hyped for winter 2024.Β
βοΈ The results are in: 38% of B-Siders go to Snowport for the vibes, just edging out folks who simply donβt go. One reader said βOnly weeknights tho! Lines aren't vibes.β
π Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] or [email protected].