🚚😅 We’re crashing out and moving in

It’s Thursday, Boston.

🎆 PSA! Boston Harbor Now is putting on a free fireworks show tonight at 8:30 p.m.! Prime viewing spots include Christopher Columbus Park, Fan Pier Park, and Piers Park, but you can catch them anywhere along the inner harbor Harborwalk. 

👀 What’s on tap today:

• A test for Boston elections

• Secure your security deposit

• Tayvis engagement’s local angle

Up first…

THE BIG MOVE

It’s the final (move-in) countdown

We’ve officially entered peak move-in crash out territory. But doing a *little* work now will make your life a *lot* easier later, so we present you: The ultimate last-minute move-in checklist.

🚚 Treat your U-Haul right. I.e., get that girl a parking permit! It’s not required, but it is the only legal way to lay claim to your move-in parking spot. As for getting to said spot, make sure you skip Storrow Drive or risk “Storrowing” and being memed in this very newsletter (the DCR posted a very silly warning video). Also, heed the city’s parking restrictions around Allston, Fenway, Roxbury, and Mission Hill.

🛜 Have your utility guys on standby. There’s nothing worse than logging on to WFH on Sept. 2 and realizing you have no internet. So let your electric, gas, and wifi providers know what’s what before you arrive. Here’s how to set up National Grid (they ask for five to seven days notice), Eversource, and the wifi of your choice. 

🛏️ Dispose of your junk correctly. Allston Christmas ≠ turn your sidewalk into a dumpster. The city has instructions for disposing literally ANYTHING, but mattresses are a notable exception, which you legally have to recycle. For buildings with under seven units, pick ups can to be scheduled through the city. Otherwise, talk to your property manager.

🚗 Get your parking permit situated. Unless you like your housewarming gifts in the form of $40 parking tickets, you should apply for your sticker online here. Note: You have to have all your parking tickets paid off and have a Mass. license plate to get one.

📦 Pack a “first day” box. Think first day essentials, including PJs, a towel, a phone charger, TP, and even coffee — anything you need to survive day one — and save yourself the trouble of digging through 20 boxes.

🔑 Schedule your key pick-up. One way to ruin your move-in day: Arriving at your new pad and realizing you have no way to get in (not speaking from experience or anything). So check in with your new property manager pre-move about when and where to rendezvous.

🍕 Need to fuel up for the big day? Taskrabbit is picking up the tab for Capo's first 250 pizza orders from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 while supplies last (dine-in and take-out only, no DoorDash!). Now THAT’s a pre-move meal. 

🙋 Any other questions? Boston’s moving portal probably has an answer. Thoughts and prayers, soldiers.

QUICK QUESTION!

🛍️🥯 If B-Side were to hypothetically team up with Pop Up Bagels for a free fall event at an ICONIC landmark with free hot bagels and schmear (plus a clothing swap AND live music) … would you come?

TOGETHER WITH INDY PASS

Ski more, spend less

⛷️❄️ Remember when skiing meant fresh tracks, cheap tickets, and a mountain that felt like yours? Indy Pass is basically a love letter to that vibe. For $149/down, you get two days each at 250+ independent resorts across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan, and even South America. That’s way more runs, way fewer crowds, and potentially your best winter yet. The best part? It costs about what some mega resorts charge for a single day of skiing. Passes are capped to keep the slopes uncrowded — so grab one before they sell out! 

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🏘️ Worried about getting your security deposit back? Read this. On Aug. 1, Mass.’ Supreme Judicial Court clarified that a landlord can’t charge tenants for “reasonable” wear-and-tear, meaning it’s on them to pay for things like painting rooms and repairing carpets. That said, if you believe your landlord is in the wrong, the burden is on you to get that money back. Pro tip: To avoid these kinds of scuffles, take time-stamped photos of any damages and tell your landlord about them in writing ASAP when you move in to your new spot.

🗳️ Primary szn will be a *big* test for Boston’s election department. Despite last year’s high-profile flops, state and city officials say voters should feel confident in the department to handle the Sept. 9 primary. Why? Since last year, the state has taken over and revamped the department, bringing a slew of changes. Think: Insulating it from Wu’s office during her re-election bid, and adding support for poll workers like a new, separate phone line and “poll pads,” allowing them to call or message the department and troubleshoot more easily.

🧑🏾‍🎓 Could Boston be getting an HBCU? That’s a Historically Black College and University, BTW. On Tuesday, city councilor Brian Worrell held a hearing about bringing a satellite HBCU campus to Boston as a way to invest in Black students and bring diversity to Boston’s major industries. And while most folks in attendance agreed, others (including Roxbury Community College president Jonathan Jefferson) wondered if it might be a better use of resources to invest in the students and institutions that are already here.

📦 Labor Day sales = cheap move-in essentials. Need some fancy new sheets? A mattress? A vacuum? Cute new clothes? There’s a Labor Day sale for that. We’ll rattle off a few of our faves: 25% off everything at Brooklinen, up to 60% off at Crate & Barrel tons of Dyson deals on vacuums (also their iconic hair wrap), up to 40% off Anthropologie Home, and more mattress sales than we can count (here’s a great roundup). And that’s not even counting the clothes. We’d hit Reformation, Madewell, and J. Crew. Happy shopping!

THINGS TO DO

Mid-week check in

⛵ Sofar at Sea | Friday, Sept. 5 | 7:30 p.m. | Denis Sullivan Tall Ship | We’re throwing a concert on a boat featuring three local indie folk artists. B-Side members get 20% off and a free drink aboard.

🍝 B-Side Supper Club | Tuesday, Sept. 16 | 6:30 p.m. | Tony & Elaine’s | $30 | Become a member to get a ticket to our first-ever Supper Club at Tony & Elaine’s. Get three courses for a sweet deal, meet other foodies, and hear from the chef about the food. Details and menu here! Register via your perks page.

💋Ladies Night at D16 | Thursday, Aug. 28 | 9 p.m. | D16 | Imagine: A classy end-of-week hangout for the girls. At Ladies Night, you’ll choose from a selection of $7 specialty martinis and dance (or unwind) to a lineup of live female DJs. RSVP here (it's free!).

At B-Side events, members get perks like discounted entry, free drinks, B-Side swag, and more. Stay tuned for more meetups, and become a member to get your perks! 

ONE LAST THING

The engagement heard ‘round the world

Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know we’re talking about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, whose engagement is now IG-official. 

And while this has pretty much nothing to do with Boston, it hasn’t stopped local news outlets, politicians, and, well, us, from trying to find the local angle. 

See: The Globe has posted an in-depth Tayvis relationship timeline, the Celtics used it as an opportunity to count down the days ‘til NBA season, The Boston Calendar posted a list of places around Mass. that look like the proposal spot, the Warwick Police took the day off, and Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee even floated the idea of local nuptials.

That said, in our totally unbiased opinion, our take on the engagement might be the best of them all. But you’ll have to judge that for yourself.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

💍 Thanks for reading! Please feel free to send us all of your best half-baked clown theories. We’ll start: This 100% means she's playing the Super Bowl. Right?

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, Indy Pass, for supporting local journalism and giving independent ski resorts the spotlight they deserve. 

🎄 The results are in: 51% of B-Siders say that Allston Christmas is not worth the hype. One reader said: “For every brand-new 76-inch flatscreen an international student is throwing out, there are a hundred cracked blenders and broken bed frames.” 

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