😅🚃 This T shutdown is looking ... wet

🍔 It’s also National Burger Day! Line up at BRED Gourmet at 2 p.m. for a one-hour burger giveaway. Trust us, they’re massive. Or head to your favorite fast food joint (think: Burger King or Shake Shack) for a free or discounted patty. 

🥳 And happy birthday to B-Side Member Liz Bowers! Maybe you can stick a candle in the top bun. 

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

E is for “excuse my French …” ‘Cause you might be rippin’ some curse words during this Green Line shutdown. The E branch will be OOO between Government Center and Heath Street from May 30 to June 5.

Here’s what to know:

🚌 The 39 bus will be your best friend. There won’t be ANY shuttle buses this time. Boo! But there will be additional service of the 39, which runs parallel to the E branch from Back Bay station, down Huntington Avenue, and into JP. 

⏰ Give yourself at least 10 minutes (at least). That’s the MBTA’s suggestion if you’re taking the 39 bus — even with enhanced service! 

🚫 Symphony Station will still be OOO … for years. Starting June 6, the Heath Street train will resume its normal service and squeals, but don’t forget, Symphony will still be on its three-year hiatus for major accessibility improvements. Luckily the Northeastern or Prudential stops are only a few minutes away on foot.

🤨 Wait, why is this happening again? The MBTA is adding a new guardian angel this summer: a protection system that will monitor the speed and location of every train. The goal? Avoid train crash outs and increase overall safety. Thanks, Train Daddy!

🌧️ Before you put on a bike helmet, check the forecast. All good weather must come to an end. As of right now, next week’s forecast is looking … wet. So bikers, be safe out there. Or bite the bullet and take the 39.

🙏 This commute chaos will be (mostly) over soon. Aside from some brief work on the Red Line this weekend and Blue Line in June, this is the last major shutdown for a while. Heads up though, there will be some commuter rail service changes (and extended T and bus hours!) for the World Cup coming soon. 

😎 Could a new tagline help Boston get its swagger back? “You Can’t Beat Boston” is apparently trying to be the Mass. equivalent of “I Love New York” (TBD if it’s working). This new slogan is part of a broader CEO-driven campaign for employers to recruit and retain workers (read: young people), and remind us why we’re proud to live here (see: world-class healthcare, fab universities, etc.). One CEO noted, “Boston doesn’t have a product problem,” it has “a marketing problem.” FWIW, after this playoff season, you definitely can beat Boston, sooo …

🌳 Copley Square’s glow up is officially complete. The square made its mayoral ribbon-cutting debut on Wednesday, and — despite the initial grumbles — new patches of lawn, trees, and shrubs have injected some much-needed green into the (very) concrete plaza. And while that open patch of concrete remains a serious pain point, it’s not for nothing. The older patch of grass was apparently a nightmare for setting up events like the Copley Square farmers market and Boston Marathon events. Its many empty off-hours are literally no picnic, but at least we know why.

😭 R.I.P. to the Citgo sign … for now. Boston’s unofficial North Star will sadly be going dark for the next six months as soon as Friday. ICYMI: Crews are planning to move it to a different spot (on the same rooftop lol), to basically preserve its visibility as developments rise. First, they’ll take off the Citgo logo, then take down the superstructure and white panels before putting up a new structure nearby. But thankfully, we should start seeing the panels and lettering again sometime in August.

🪦 But actually R.I.P. to Clover Food Labs for good. Deep breaths, vegetarians: All 11 locations of Clover Food Labs are shutting their doors starting May 28. Earlier this spring, Clover announced that it was looking for a new buyer — but unfortunately there were no takers … This comes after the fast-casual local chain filed for bankruptcy protections in 2023, facing rising costs, thin margins, and more competition from places like Sweetgreen and Life Alive. Pour one out for the chickpea fritter sandwich …

This month, B-Side Members can save more than $100 across our events, plus more monthly deals!

☀️June 4: Paddle Boston Meetup, $25. We're teaming up with Paddle Boston for our first-ever boat day on the Charles. Choose a kayak or paddleboard, then spend 90 minutes paddling from Kendall Square and back. It’s only $20 for Members! Book here.

🍴June 17: Taste of Cambridge, $68+. University Park transforms into a foodie's paradise from 5 to 8 p.m. as Cambridge's best restaurants come together for one delicious evening. Tickets start at $68. Get yours here.

👀 Want to feature your upcoming event above? Click here.

Girlfriends Boston, the city’s favorite social group, is teaming up with Find Your Groove for a dynamic Barre Groove class on June 6 from at 12:30 p.m., blending cardio, strength sculpting, and full-body movement into one workout. Come solo or bring a friend, and stay after to meet your new crew. Wear sneakers and bring water. Grab yours here!

Tired: The Dunkin’ bucket. Wired: The Dunkin’ tub.

If you couldn’t get your hands on Dunkin’s iconic 48-ounce bucket drinks last week, we might have found the next best thing.

Enter: The 640-ounce Dunkin’ bucket (yes, that’s a five-gallon tub) created by @rebasaurus_bex on Instagram. We’re pretty sure the straw is a PVC pipe. 

To be clear, this is not a real Dunkin’ product, but you could hypothetically make it yourself — at least that’s what it looks like @rebasaurus_bex did. 

Her mega bucket bit takes a few harmless digs at influencers who made said bucket drinks their personality, complete with a proper ASMR moment.  

And the comments were equally unhinged: “Us Americans eat and drink like we have Healthcare.” Real. But perhaps our favorite of the day: “I can’t imagine walking into a place that has NEVER made my coffee right and ordering 640 OUNCES?????” 

— Written by Emily Schario and Kelly Chan

🚽 Thanks for reading! Five gallons of the wrong shade of brown would ruin our month (and toilet).

⏰ The results are in: 50% of readers said they’d be willing to wait 45 minutes to an hour for their favorite meal in town. Only ~20 people said they’d wait over two hours, and one stood on business: “Literally love a line.” We want whatever you’re on. 

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