🥺🎁 We got you a present!

Happy Friday, Boston!

🚃 Except for Orange Liners … This weekend, service between North Station and Jackson Square will be OOO … but shuttle buses will only run between Jackson Square and Back Bay. You’ll have to hop on the Green Line at Copley for continued service. Thoughts and prayers!

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Mass. doubles down on DEI

• A sneak peek at Wu v. Kraft

• Boston's icy sidewalk breakdown

Up first…

CARE PACKAGE

Spring is about to … spring

We are this close to saying farewell to winter. So we’re back with another B-Side care package filled with our favorite media and IRL recs to get you through.

Here’s what we’re loving these days:

GIA’S RECS

🧶 The Sophie scarf. Reporting live from the knitting girlie circles: The Sophie scarf is IN. For knitting newbs and pros alike, this scarf is a relatively quick project and the perfect transition piece for spring. I’ve been wearing the hooded version I made all winter.

💬 The Sports Gossip Show. I like sports, but I love gossip. This pod has plenty of both and regularly covers Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson’s relationship. Bonus: One of the hosts is a Boston.com alumna!

🌸 Making spring and summer plans NOW. The best way to get excited about the new season? Make plans! So far, I’ve nabbed $75 Celtics tickets for March (after being officially priced out of this year’s WNBA showing) and am planning a camping trip to Peddocks Island. 

EMILY’S RECS

🌭 haley.henry’s Weiner Wednesday. This James Beard-nominated wine bar has a wacky Wednesday hot dog deal where you can order a weenie laden with funky toppings. Think: creamed corn and Goldfish crackers. Their spinach artichoke dog knocked my socks off. 

⚱️ Clay Lounge pottery class. My clay experience maxed out at crummy pinch pots till I gave this beginner’s pottery wheel workshop a go. For $90, you get a 2.5-hour class with tons of demos and hands-on help (thank god). And I’m picking up my new bowl babies today :’). 

📺 Telling the Bee’s TikTok account. Hot take: People who watch reality TV are modern-day anthropologists. And this TikToker covering the intersection of books, culture, and sociology 100% validates that. One of my favorite videos: The concept of American cheating, “Vanderpump Rules” edition.

Fun fact: If you’re a B-Side member, you already learned about all of Emily’s recs (and more!) in your Saturday member send. Sign up to be a B-Side member here.

BOSTON GLOBE MEDIA RECS

😋 The Dish. It’s probably no surprise that we love a good newsletter, and lately, we’ve been enjoying The Dish from Boston.com’s Katelyn Umholtz. It’s a free weekly send with restaurant recs, chef interviews, and local foodie trends.

📲 The liberating feeling of getting rid of my wifi. We’ve heard lots of stories and tips about limiting social media usage. But only one about getting rid of wifi altogether — and honestly, it’s pretty inspiring.

🏃 “Why I’m Running” series. While we’re spending our nights bingeing “Love Is Blind,” some heroes are about to hit their peak training for the Boston Marathon. This Boston.com series profiles some of the runners and their “whys.”

TOGETHER WITH THE BOSTON OUTDOOR EXPO AND THE BOSTON RUN SHOW

Soft launch your outdoor era 

🥾🏞️ It starts with a new pair of hiking boots — then before you know it, you’re scaling the White Mountains like a pro. Head to The Boston Outdoor Expo and The Boston Run Show March 1-2 (THIS WEEKEND) for the ultimate pregame to outdoor season. With 200+ top brands (think Patagonia, PUMA, and Salomon), exclusive gear deals, and epic activities like a climbing wall, Hyrox fitness challenges, and ice plunge, you’ll have everything you need to unlock your inner adventurer. Grab your tickets today! 

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🧑🏾‍🎓 Mass. officials have doubled down on DEI. Nearly two dozen elected officials are urging local schools to continue DEI work despite President Trump’s threats to cut off federal funding. Their message comes after Gov. Maura Healey and AG Andrea Campbell issued joint guidance on Wednesday arguing that DEI efforts in education are still well within the boundaries of the law — despite what Trump and his cabinet imply. Healey said the guidance is meant to send a clear message: “Massachusetts is going to stay true to who we are.”

🚇 Now arriving: The MBTA’s March service changes. Red, Orange, and Blue Line baddies can expect weekend shutdowns this month. The Orange Line will see significant shutdowns this weekend (see above) and next weekend between North Station and Oak Grove. Red Liners can expect shutdowns between JFK/UMass and Braintree three weekends this month, starting next week. And twice this month, Blue Line service will end at Government Center, and Bowdoin station will be closed from Friday evening through Monday. Don’t worry, we’ll be back to remind you.

👀 Want a sneak preview at this year’s mayoral race? A new poll from Emerson College offers a first glimpse at how Mayor Michelle Wu and philanthropist-slash-billionaire’s-son Josh Kraft are faring. 43% of voters said they’d vote for Wu to Kraft’s 29%, and 57% of voters said the city is moving in the right direction — a W for Wu. On the issues, 53% supported Wu’s White Stadium redevelopment while 22% opposed it. However, 48% think there are too many bike lanes. TL;DR: This is good news for Wu, but it’s still very early.

🙅‍♀️ At least one local biz is going dark today. And don’t be surprised if you see more! This weekend, a nationwide grassroots movement is calling for an “economic blackout,” where consumers refrain from making “unnecessary” purchases. The idea is to push back against the notion that big corporations control the economy, and put the power into consumers’ hands. Gather Here, a Cambridge craft store, is leading the local charge and shutting down for the day, while Lola’s Coffee and More in Medford will offer a 20% discount to cash-paying customers.

GIVEAWAY

Together with Harvard Bookstore

Enter to win two tickets to see Yung Pueblo at First Parish Church on March 10. To enter, just refer a friend and have them accept your invite by the end of the day on Feb. 28. If you have already referred a friend to B-Side (and they’ve accepted), you're eligible! Full details below*

18+. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Limit one entry per person. See Official Rules & an additional entry option here.

QUICK QUESTION!

🏙️ Finish this sentence: “I love to go shopping in …”

THINGS TO DO

Weekend plans

🏀 Upgrade your sports-watching wardrobe. Buying a ticket to see Harvard’s and Princeton’s women’s basketball teams face off tonight (Feb. 28) is $15. But the pink jersey every fan gets? Priceless.

🏙️ Spend your Saturday on top of the city. View Boston has two top-tier (lol) events on March 1: In the morning, a rooftop Barry's strength class. And in the evening, catch a Berklee student playing jazzy, soulful tunes at its weekly “sunset sound” series.

🍁 Tap into your sweet side. Literally, by making maple syrup. You can see the whole process from tap to sap to syrup at Somerville’s 26th annual maple boil down on March 1.

🛍️ Do some spring shopping. Start your Saturday (March 1) by making an Italian charm bracelet at The Attic during Charmed in SF’s one-day pop-up. Then, get an outfit and knick knacks to match at Time Out’s “Spring is Queer” LGBTQIA+ maker market.

🏆 Celebrate the biggest night in Hollywood. On March 2, Trident is hosting its annual Oscars watch party with themed games, food, and drink. Make sure you dress to impress!

🚺 Start Women’s History Month off STRONG. SIDE Presents’ “Estrogina” series continues on March 2 with a 007 theme. Think: A networking event for women that isn’t about work with music, conversation, and a women-owned marketplace.

🚶 Hot girl walk your way into March. Women’s networking group Mná Mheiriceá is hosting a wellness walk on March 2 at Castle Island. Sip on coffee, snack on a pastry, and connect with women from all walks of life.

💐 See some early spring blooms. The Franklin Park Zoo’s orchid adventure exhibit, where tons of orchids are displayed with animals that share their habitat, is closing up shop on March 9. Catch them while you can!

ONE LAST THING

Icy sidewalk breakdown

If you slipped on one too many icy sidewalks last week, you’re not alone. In fact, Boston’s 311 line received over 4,000 complaints about unshoveled sidewalks this season — and issued over 1,200 citations just between Feb. 16 and 19. So, Boston.com broke down the data to find the biggest culprits. 

Coming in on top: Dorchester, with a whopping 691 requests! Rounding out the top five, we have Southie and the Seaport with 521, Brighton with 517, JP with 426, and Eastie with 301. Shame!

On the other end of the spectrum, the ‘hoods with the fewest complaints include Fenway/Kenmore/Longwood with 83, Mission Hill with 70, the North End with 67, and Beacon Hill with 66. But the winner by a mile was Chinatown, with just six complaints. Slay!

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🧊 Thanks for reading! If you don’t regularly scroll through the 311 complaints just for fun … you’re missing out big time.

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, The Boston Outdoor Expo and The Boston Run Show, for supporting local journalism and helping us gear up for epic outdoor experiences. 

👋 See you on Monday … Except you, B-Side Members! Members get a special newsletter every Saturday with more things to do, paywall-less Globe links, and exclusive recs. Inside this week’s special send: The dirtiest club in town, Boston croissants > Paris croissants, and why you’ll never eat Sweetgreen again. Sign up here.

👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨 The results are in: It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for: 71% of B-Siders say it’s absolutely not OK to date a step-sibiling. That means 29% of you think it is OK, at least some of the time. As expected, the write-ins were unhinged, including: “It's thrilling to keep throwing out subtle innuendos for years and not have our parents suspect a thing.” OMG.

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