🙋🏻‍♀️📱 Why Mayor Wu LOVES influencers

🔥 It’s also that time of year again, hotties! Early voting is officially underway for Boston’s general election through Oct. 31. Bonus: You don’t have to vote at your assigned polling location during early voting. Here’s where you can cast your ballot.

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

Real talk: You can’t ignore the influencer industry anymore. Analysts say the broader creator economy is worth $250 billion a year and is expected to double by 2027. Your favorite follows are (quite literally) influencing everything from politics to news to commerce.

And according to Boston magazine’s latest story, the question isn’t whether creators belong in the mainstream media, it’s how the mainstream media can learn from them — and if traditional (and more accountable) journalistic outlets can pivot fast enough to survive.

Here’s what to know:

🗞️ News flash: The feed is the front page. It’s no secret young people get their news from their FYP. But that experience is increasingly happening to all of us (ask yourself: how did you find out about the Louvre heist?!). So when Mayor Michelle Wu’s “Commute with Me” TikTok videos started blowing up, City Hall realized a cell phone could reach people in a way a press release could never. Simply put: attention = capital and infrastructure.

🤳 So City Hall doubled down on a new communications resource: Influencers. Enter: Boston’s first-ever Content Creator Summit, bringing together some of the city’s biggest follows (think: @bucketlistboston’s Kate Weiser and Matt Shearer @reportermatt). But it wasn’t just a photo op; it was a deliberate strategy to fold creators into Boston’s narrative (and court them to amplify Mayor Wu’s message) — proof that creators are now a major factor in the civic story. 

📝 But not everyone is ready to hop on the influencer bandwagon. Legacy media’s reflex is to treat creators as unserious or dangerous: After all, algorithms reward outrage and the quality can be uneven — and many unassuming influencer endorsements are actually pay-to-play. True! But creators are showing us what it takes to meet audiences where they are. For the next gen of news consumers, “it doesn’t matter to them anymore whether you’re defined as a journalist or a news source,” according to Liz Kelly Nelson, a Vox and Washington Post alum.

📲 The good news: It might be possible to have it all. Look no further than the iconic Matt Shearer, a beloved Boston creator covering everything from Chuck E. Cheese weddings to a town being named Dunkin’. He’s got the personality of an influencer and the journalistic standards (and financial backing) of a mainstream news reporter.

❓ Long story short: As newspapers continue to shutter, we’re not staring at news deserts, we’re living among news jungles, and they’re alive with species the old guides never accounted for: TikTok explainers, Instagram diarists, Substack gadflies. The question: Will the institutions that once mapped the terrain survive, or be swallowed whole?

👀 Want more? Read the full article from Boston magazine (including a TON of bonus dishy local influencer gossip) here.

🍎 Over a million Mass. residents could start going hungry next week. On this week’s episode of “The Government Shutdown Saga:” The U.S. Department of Agriculture (which runs SNAP) instructed states not to process federal food benefits starting in November (unless funding is restored). Translation: If the shutdown drags on another week, over 1.1 million state residents could lose said benefits come Nov. 1. So in case things don’t get resolved, local United Way orgs are launching a United Response Fund to help residents in need. You can donate to the fund here.

🏙️ Things are looking up for housing in Boston … literally. Your new apartment could come with a view: The Boston Zoning Commission unanimously greenlit new rules allowing taller buildings downtown (think: up to 300-, 500,- and 700-feet tall in some pockets). It’s big news for the neighborhood that’s been looking to boost housing, especially since residential projects will have to have *20%* affordable housing. But it didn’t go down without some grumbles: Some local orgs are worried taller buildings = more shadows on historic parks = dampened character.

😡 Your days of self-checkout rage might be numbered. We’ve all been there: You accidentally double scan toilet paper, only to wait five minutes for a sales clerk to help. So Beacon Hill is hoping to fix those frustrations with a bill limiting grocery stores to eight self-checkout stations, requiring a staffed lane for every two self-checkout machines, and requiring one dedicated employee to monitor every two self-checkout stations. And while it seems like a no-brainer (even the grocery store union approves), some argue it would raise costs for customers. 

☔ A big ol’ storm might wash out your Halloweekend plans. It’s still early, but we’re keeping our eyes on an(other) early-season storm brewing. The jury is still out on when exactly it’ll hit (right now, it looks like heavy rain will enter the chat starting Thursday), but it’s fair to say New England can expect at least some rainfall and gusty winds toward the end of the week. And if Hurricane Melissa gets close enough to the system, things could get even wetter … The good news? The end of the month features astronomically low tides, making coastal flooding unlikely.

🍷 Cheers to this happy hour deal. OK, it’s *technically* called “Otsumami Hour.” Order a bottle of wine at Mimi’s Chuka Diner on Tuesday through Friday from 5 to 6 p.m., and you’ll get a full spread of snacks on the house.

👻 Find your costume at the Speedway. Or a cute outfit — whatever! The Brighton Bazaar is turning into the BOOzaar on Oct. 30 for a night of shopping from 100+ small businesses, vinyl DJ beats, and tons of bites from Boston faves. 

🎃 Take in Beacon Hill’s spooky stoops. Grab your bestie (or prepare to make a new one) during the Make Friends After College group walk around the neighborhood on Oct. 29 to check out the best Halloween decor.

🧘 Down dog into Halloweekend. Boston Public Market is celebrating on a ~chill~ note with this yoga class and mini sound bath with Soma Yoga on Oct. 30. Bonus: Everyone leaves with a free smoothie and a class pass to Soma for a later date.

🇺🇸 Celebrate 250 years of art and activism. The BPL’s just debuted “Revolution!”, a free exhibition showcasing art inspired by protest, change, and civic action. It’s now open through April 2026.

🥲 Throw yourself a pity party. No really, Dani’s Queer Bar is literally throwing a “Pity Party” on Oct. 30 where they’re only playing emo music all night long (costumes encouraged!). 

🧙 Cast your witchiest spell. On Bow Market’s witchiest night of the year, no less! Head to the market’s Moon Over Bow event on Oct. 30 for a night of tarot and astrology readers, spell-making, and Halloweeney drinks. 

🔦 Grab your flashlight. ‘Cause we’re heading to Harvard Bookstore on Oct. 30 for its special bookstore after dark night where you can browse the stacks with the lights out.

Riddle us this: Boston doesn’t have happy hour. But we DO have 30% beer?!

That’s right, our very own Sam Adams just rolled out this year’s edition of “Utopias,” a barrel-aged “extreme” beer with a whopping 30% ABV. For context, a typical beer is around 5%. In fact, it’s so strong, it’s illegal in 15 states, including Vermont and New Hampshire (the latter of which feels very off-brand imo). 

But this drink isn’t some frat boy science experiment, it’s meant to be enjoyed like a fine spirit. Think: One-ounce pours in a Cognac glass at room temp. And if you’re feeling fancy, pair it with clam chowder, fish and chips, or a pineapple upside down cake, according to Sam Adams’ website.

Of course, it’s not exactly on a frat boy budget either — a 24.5-ounce bottle of this bad boy will run you $240 and can only be found at specialty liquor stores.

— Written by Emily Schario

🍺 Thanks for reading! TBH, having a beer that costs as much as your car insurance might be the most Massachusetts thing ever. 

🤸 The results are in: B-Siders clearly can’t get enough of our things to do content — 26% of you would love to see more! Though, it seems like many of you love us just the way we are. One reader wrote: “thank you for being you and keeping Boston fun for the broke girlies.” We got you. <3

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