😅 How young Bostonians are getting by

👊 If you want to know who pulls the strings in this city … Boston magazine just dropped its list of the 150 most influential Bostonians. And some of the names might just surprise you.

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

It seems that young Bostonians are getting ready to pack it up. According to a recent survey by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, one quarter of the region’s 20- to 30-year-olds are likely to leave in the next five years due to renting costs, job availability, home ownership, and other factors. 

But what about the folks who are sticking around and trying to make it work?

Here’s what they told us:

🤑 The little sacrifices truly add up … including having a door. For 25-year-old Allison Scharmann, of Somerville, that’s looked like regularly hitting up the Dollar Tree, entering into an exclusive relationship with Market Basket, and even forgoing a bedroom door to avoid a broker’s fee. She slept in a makeshift bedroom — a term she described as “generous” — for 18 months, which was essentially her living room’s alcove divided by a curtain.

💸 Having multiple jobs or side hustles is the norm. Lilli Nelson, a 26-year-old working in PR, has created what she calls a “babysitting empire” in Southie to supplement the paycheck from her full-time gig: “When I saw how little I would be making … I was like, ‘I can't afford to not keep babysitting,’” she said. While working in publishing, Scharmann decided to take on part-time work as a server and writer to afford her rent in a house with four roommates — an upgrade from her previous apartment, which she shared with five others. 

🔄 Some are making major career changes just to get by. Finances were the “number one” factor in 32-year-old Alysha Elliard’s career change from teaching to marketing and communications. “I was like, this is not tenable, like I’m gonna be drowning in credit card debt to be able to afford this life,” the Arlington resident said. As a result, she was able to afford living on her own for the first time in her life. “If I had stayed in my teaching job, there's no way I could have done it,” she said.

👫 While for others, community is the only reason they’re not hitting the road. Another interesting point in the survey: 39% of those planning to leave the area cite troubles building community. But for those who already have one, it’s often the bottom line. “I think if I didn't have roots here, I might be more likely to move specifically, like money-wise,” Scharmann said. Elliard agreed: “Our life is here,” she said, “My friends, my family … and it's really hard to like be able to say, ‘oh yeah, I would completely leave everything behind for the almighty dollar.’” 

🌷🎵 Get ready for a season of live music that will have you shouting "I'm having such a good time, I'm having a ball" (and actually mean it). The Boston Pops spring season returns May 10 through June 8 with a lineup of concerts perfect for a date night or outing with friends. From fan favorites like Jurassic Park in Concert to exciting new shows including Pride Night with Thorgy Thor and One Vision of Queen (featuring Marc Martel, the voice behind Freddie Mercury in the 2018 Oscar-winning film Bohemian Rhapsody), there’s something for everyone. Grab your tickets online today before they sell out!

🇵🇸 Harvard suspended a pro-Palestinian campus group. According to campus officials, Harvard’s Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee has been suspended by the university through the spring semester amid tensions on college campuses — including several here in Boston — over the Israel-Hamas War. The suspension, which follows the group’s involvement in several controversies since October, comes after the group was one of several to stage an (apparently unregistered) pro-Palestine rally in Harvard Yard last week.

🌎 Climate activists aren’t messing around this Earth Week. Over the past few days, climate activists have shaken things up with several Earth Day protests around Greater Boston. On Saturday, 20 people were arrested for protesting an expansion of Mass.’ largest private jet carrier — Hanscom Field —- on its tarmac. Meanwhile, another protest by activist group Extinction Rebellion blocked rush-hour traffic Monday on Moakley Bridge in Southie, and the group pledged to continue causing local disruptions until Gov. Maura Healey bans new fossil fuel infrastructure.

🏘️ Milton’s NIMBY trendsetter status just got a little too real. In a 289 to 169 vote on Monday, Marshfield became the second Mass. town to reject the MBTA Communities Act, which requires towns served by the MBTA to zone for affordable and multifamily housing. This news comes after Milton’s refusal last month put them squarely on AG Andrea Campbell’s bad side; that case is working through the courts as other communities mull the issue. 

🚭 Mass. is saying no to Gen Z using tobacco. Since last month’s Supreme Judicial Court ruling that upheld Brookline’s ban on tobacco and vape sales to anyone born this century, several communities have rapidly followed suit. Just a few weeks later, over half a dozen other communities approved similar bans, with more coming down the pike. Although proponents say that the widespread movement ensures that the bans are effective, some retailers aren’t too hot on the idea, especially coming off of the recent bans on nips and online lotto opportunities.

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When Gerry Brown and his friends decided to row the entire Charles River, most of them had never even sat in a kayak before. Let alone covered 80+ miles in one.

It ultimately took little encouragement for them to dive headfirst (literally, once) into the journey, breaking it up into sizable pieces and then … just going for it. Along the way, the group had some close calls, gained some serious nautical abilities, and even had a near-miss with an angry swan. 

Although the excursion might sound like a pretty extreme undertaking, in Brown’s (quite poignant) words, the months-long project actually sounds totally delightful. 

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🛶 Thanks for reading! You still couldn’t pay us to put a toe in that dirty water.

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, for supporting local journalism and bringing unforgettable musical experiences to our community.

🚗 The results are in: 43% of B-Siders are vehemently anti-tolls at Mass. borders. Another 40% said that, although it’s annoying, they wouldn’t make a big fuss about it. One of those readers said: “What am I gonna do, walk to NH?”

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