🚇😭 This MBTA diva is DOWN!

Happy Friday, Boston!

📲 Remember when Ed Sheeran built a pub in Ipswich? Well, the music video it was all for is out NOW, and it has a healthy dose of Ipswich content. And no matter how you feel about Sheeran’s music … trust us, it’s a tear-jerker.

🐶🧘 Also: Something very cute is coming. On Friday, May 23, we’re going to announce a FREE event for B-Side members that involves puppies, yoga mats, and a whole lot of serotonin. Not a member yet? Now might be the time. 

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Porchfest looks … different

• Why you haven’t found a 9/1 apartment

• Cooking with the Celtics

Up first…

TRANSPORTATION

Another T headache, incoming!

The next nine days are NOT looking T-riffic, Orange Liners. Starting tonight at 8:30 p.m. through May 18, Orange Line service will be replaced with shuttle buses between North Station and Oak Grove. 

Here’s what to know:

🚇 All things considered, this shutdown is pretty straightforward. IYKYK. Shuttle buses will make all the usual stops between North Station and Oak Grove. And if you’re making a longer journey, there will also be *express* shuttles hitting Oak Grove, Malden Center, and North Station only. Here are the exact shuttle stop locations.

⏰ That said, you should still budget some extra commuting time. And by “some,” we mean the better part of an hour. The MBTA says this shutdown will add about 45 to 60 minutes to a typical trip from Oak Grove to Downtown Crossing.

🚉 The commuter rail could be your new bestie. If you’d rather not add an hour to your commute (can’t blame you), the Haverhill Line will be fare-free between Oak Grove, Malden Center, and North Station during the shutdown (and that trip takes just 20 minutes).

🌃 A note for night owls: Though shuttles will continue to run until 12:40 a.m., the midnight shuttle bus from Oak Grove will be the last one to connect to an outbound Orange Line train at North Station. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

🙏 The good news: This is one of the OL’s last major shutdowns this year. According to the MBTA’s master plan, after this, the Orange Line is scheduled for just one more weekday shutdown in 2025, from June 21 to 29. Other than that, you can expect weekend shutdowns only. 

🚧 And in case you need a reminder about why all of this is happening: This shutdown will allow crews to get to work on MassDOT’s Maffa Way/Mystic Avenue Bridge project, including replacing superstructures and improving bike, pedestrian, and transit facilities. Thoughts and prayers!

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🎸 There are new do’s and dont’s for Somerville Porchfest. ICYMI: After last year’s Guster-mainia, the city is beefing up safety and security measures during this year’s festival on May 10, including restricting performances on some “main connector” streets, stationing volunteers to answer Q’s and monitor safety, implementing a new day-of emergency alert system (text "SOMPORCHFEST" to 888777 for updates), and most importantly, more porta potties. You can find the full performance schedule here. 

🏘️ The secret to finding a 9/1 apartment ASAP? A cold email. Seriously! Property manager Tony DiMarsico told Boston.com that a quick email to a property management company can put you head and shoulders above the competition. Why? Most property managers know about listings well before they go on the market. A quick email asking for an inside scoop — with key info like your budget, move-in date, and area of choice — can get you in on a place before anyone else knows. He even shared a few secret listings. 

🏀 The C’s are giving us secondhand embarrassment. Remember when we called Game 2 of the Celtics-Knicks playoff series a “must-win”? Well, not only did we lose (again) after another night of exceptionally poor shooting, but we also blew another 20-point lead, losing by just one point. The Knicks are now up 2-0 in the series, which means the C’s are just two L’s away from ending their quest for Banner 19. They’ll head to NYC for Game 3 on Saturday. And you can expect us to be watching like this.

🧑‍🍳 Are you a “yes, chef!” type of guy? We have the role of a lifetime. “Tony,” an upcoming A24-produced movie about famed chef Anthony Bourdain’s early career in Provincetown, is holding an open casting call. The catch? You have to be a man, preferably with experience in a legit restaurant kitchen, with a “dynamic, unique” personality. If you fit the bill, they’re open to any age or ethnicity, and there’s no acting experience required, so you might as well throw your chef’s hat in the ring. Here are the deets!

QUICK QUESTION!

🏀 Place your bet: Are the C’s going to end the season with Banner 19? 

THINGS TO DO

Weekend plans

🍦 Scream for ice cream (and new pals). Grab your Lactaid and besties, ‘cause the Making Friends After College FB group is hosting an ice cream crawl through Cambridge and Somerville TONIGHT.

🎮 Trade doom scrolling for Donkey Kong. Calling all Atari titans: Castle Island Brewing is in its nostalgia era for its retro video game event tonight.  

📚 Start your summer reading list. The only thing better than the BPL is this BPL spring book sale on May 10. Get this: Hardcover books are only $2, and all others are just $1.

🛍️ We have your post-Porchfest plans: Head to Small Mart at Crystal Ballroom on May 10 to sift through 40+ local artists, makers, and vintage vendors.

💋 Talk about sex, baby! ‘Cause May 11 marks Boston’s first-ever Sex Week! There’s a smorgasbord of spicy events, from this All Smut, No Shame fan fiction talk to an intro to kink class to finding the G-spot. Check out the whole schedule here. 

⛵ Set sail for vintage shopping. A boat day + secondhand clothing = this pop up FOUND vintage market on Eastie’s Tall Ship on May 11. Bonus: Entry is free!

🪻 Stop and smell the flowers. No, really! Friendly reminder to pack up a picnic and head to the Arnold Arboretum’s annual Lilac Sunday on May 11 to take in 400+ lilac bushes in full bloom. 

🍺 Beer garden szn starts NOW. Sunday’s forecast is looking dreamy, which is the perfect excuse to camp out at one of Night Shift Brewing’s beer gardens that just opened this week.

ONE LAST THING

Cooking for the Celtics

Ever wonder what a 6-foot-something pro athlete eats? Answer: LOTS of beet juice, miso salmon, and well-cooked leafy greens. 

How do we know? Katie Draisen, the young private chef to a mystery star Celtics player and his fam, has been popping off on TikTok, where she shares the meals she makes for her swanky client. Spoiler: They look incredible.

And although it’s interesting to see what an NBA player eats day-to-day, Draisen’s vids are an equally good place to get healthy meal inspo — even the rare Brookline foodie rec. 

You can find out more about Draisen and how she plans her meals in this Globe story.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🥗 Thanks for reading! Katie, if you’re reading this: Double up on the beet juice for Saturday. He’s gonna need it.

📺 The results are in: And we’re shocked … 46% of B-Siders are not reality TV people. One reader said: “Real life has enough drama. I people watch instead.” Please drop your people-watching spots!

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