🚶‍♀️💅 Your hot girl walk just got better

Happy Friday, Boston!

🌚 We hate to say it, but this weekend, we’re turning back the clocks. Enjoy finishing work while it’s light out today, because on Sunday night, Daylight Saving Time ends. And after that, we’ll officially be in our 4:30 p.m. sunset era *sobs*. 

👀 What’s on tap today:

• MBTA service changes

• Dunkin’s holiday menu

• Zendaya is back in Boston

Up first…

NOVEMBER FREEBIES

This month, we’re thankful for freebies

Welcome to November, B-Siders. We’re trading bats for ballots, Halloween for holiday lights, and mums for Mariah Carey (no wonder she’s all thawed; it was 80 degrees yesterday).

So to ease the seasonal whiplash, we rounded up the best freebies to look forward to this month. 

Here’s what to add to your social calendar:

🗳️ Beat the Election Day blues. Whether you’re voting red or blue, there’s one cause we can all agree on: Free ping pong. And SPIN in the Seaport is leading the charge by offering a free hour of ping pong on Election Day (Nov. 5) to anyone who votes. Just flash your “I voted” sticker or any other confirmation you did the deed, and you’re in. 

🎄 Catch the first of Boston’s holiday light ceremonies. Which somehow feels too soon. First up is the iconic ​​Columbus Park Trellis on Nov. 25. Then head to Faneuil Hall on Nov. 26 for its annual tree-lighting ceremony. Rounding out the month is the Martin's Park Annual Ship Lighting in the Seaport on Nov. 30. 

👠 See Boston’s hottest fashion hit the catwalk. And no, we’re not being snarky … We’re talking about Fashionably Late Thursdays at The Liberty Hotel. This jail-turned-hotel transforms into the coolest backdrop for local designers showcasing their work. Imagine: Models strutting through the catwalk and lobby, posing on tables, riding escalators, and weaving through the crowd.

☕ Grab a nightcap at City Hall. Remember this Wake Up The Night Program all about making Boston’s nightlife cooler? Next up on the calendar: Night Cap Cafe. This eight-night pop-up kicks off Nov. 6 at Boston City Hall, where you’ll find speed-dating, comedy nights, a listening lounge, and even an IRL slumber party. Check out the full event line-up here.

🏆 Get a glimpse of the Larry O’Brien trophy IRL. The C’s may be gunning for Banner 19, but you can see their NBA championship trophy from last season in person at the Tip Tap Room on Nov. 8 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

👯 Level up your hot girl walk with new pals. Layer up, ‘cause the Make Friends After College FB group is hitting Mount Auburn Cemetery on Nov. 10 for end-of-season leaf-peeping and this sweet view of Boston. Prefer a traditional hot girl walk? The Boston Girls Who Walk group has plans for a jaunt around Southie on Nov. 9 and the South End on Nov. 17.

❤️ Remember the best freebie: Your time. Here’s a friendly reminder that these local non-profits are always looking for volunteers during the holiday season. Short on time? Drop off unopened spices and dried herbs to the Boston Public Library’s spice bank, which provides local families with access to spices to help maintain a sense of cultural identity and family traditions.

TOGETHER WITH MFA BOSTON

Step into Salvador Dalí’s dreamscape 

🎨 🕰️ But hurry — the clock is ticking (or should we say, melting)! Head to “Dalí: Disruption and Devotion” at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) before it closes Dec. 1 and get lost in iconic works like “Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory” (yes, the famous melting clocks) alongside other European classics from art legends like El Greco and Velázquez. It's the museum's first-ever Dalí exhibition, and you won't want to miss it. Let the surreal adventure begin — grab your tickets now!

POP QUIZ!

🐢 How many slow zones are left across the entire T?

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🚇 New month, new MBTA service changes. And, this time, the Red and Green lines are going to see some shutdowns. It’s giving … Christmas. Red Line: You’ll have a two-part shutdown, first between Broadway and North Quincy, and then Harvard and Broadway. And Green Line, mentally prepare for a week-long shutdown between Union Square and Lechmere, plus a weekend-er between Park Street and Union Square as well as East Somerville. The good news? This could be our last big round of shutdowns. Just look at this slow zone tracker!

💸 Mayor Michelle Wu’s property tax plan, meet Beacon Hill. After seven months of drama, the City Council has officially approved Mayor Wu’s revised plan to shift Boston’s property tax problem onto commercial real estate instead of homeowners (you can read more deets here). The plan, which got a thumbs up from the city’s business leaders, passed 12-1, with Councilor Ed Flynn doling out the sole “no.” Now, state legislators and Gov. Healey have until the end of the month to approve it. Good thing they’re known for speed … 

🪧 Another local strike has come to an end. This time, we’re talking about the Hilton workers strike. The workers’ union voted to ratify the promising tentative contract they reached earlier this week with Hilton after over three weeks on the picket line. According to the union, all of its “core demands” were met in the new contract, including wage increases, benefit retention, and improved hiring/severance language. About 600 workers should return to work today.

😋 It’s time for another round of Boston food news. And it’s gonna be a good one. First: Yelp’s most elite reviewers helped the site round up their fave 50 restaurants in and around Boston. Spots range from classics like Neptune Oyster and Pauli’s to B-Side faves Gufo, Rubato, and Sarma. And in arguably even better news, Dunkin’ dropped its holiday menu (don’t worry, PSLs are still around). Expect classics like the peppermint mocha and white chocolate latte, plus newbies like the cookie butter latte and almond croissants(!). 

THINGS TO DO

(Even more) weekend plans

💀 Celebrate Día de Muertos in style. A.k.a. Day of the Dead. On Saturday, you can head to either Bow Market’s or the Foundry’s celebrations. Both include traditional bites, sips, and a vendor market. Or, you can head to Eastie on Sunday for an all-day celebration with a festival, parade, and altar exhibition.

🎤 See some spooky stand-up. Who says Halloween is a one weekend event? If you’re still in the mood for a spook, Duck Duck Goofs is putting on a Halloween standup show tonight with $4 (yes, seriously!) drink specials. 

🛍️ Have a double-dose of vintage shopping. On Saturday, start off at Select Market’s vintage after dark event at Time Out with signature cocktails and a charm bar, and then head to Cambridge Crossing for a fall vintage market with a scavenger hunt where you can find gift cards to the vendors (including a $500 grand prize).

📚 Sip a brew, read a book. Remember those Scholastic Book Fairs back in school? Well, this Saturday’s book fair event at Dorchester Brewing Company is basically that … but with beer, and books from Bookworm, a local, women-owned bookshop. 

😂 Leave your negativity behind. Be-In Joy is a gathering where participants are encouraged to foster joy, connection, and practice being in the present. There will be conversation prompts, dancing, and absolutely no bad vibes. Check it out on the Common this Saturday.

MEDIA SPONSORSHIP

This week’s dining news sponsored by The Fenway Foodies Club

Get excited, because MIDA has officially arrived in The Fenway! Indulge in mouthwatering seasonal Italian dishes featuring handmade pastas and creative antipasti. Stay tuned—this is just the beginning of something delicious. And that’s not all, to discover all The Fenway Foodies Club latest dining deals and secrets, sign up for their newsletter or check out their blog.

ONE LAST THING

Boston celeb sightings

Boston’s celeb status just went up about a million percent. Because Zendaya and Robert Pattinson are in the house. 

The pair are in Boston to shoot a movie called “The Drama,” and if you work or live anywhere near Downtown, you’ve probably already bumped into the shoot this week. Or maybe you’ve seen Zendaya at Tatte in Beacon Hill, where she’s been seen since filming kicked off.

And if you haven’t seen them yet, don’t worry, it’s not going to be a quick visit. They're going to be filming around the city and in Cambridge all the way through December. 

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🤩 Thanks for reading! Between “Challengers” and this … can Massholes … claim Zendaya?

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, MFA Boston, for supporting local journalism and bringing culturally rich experiences to our city. 

🚌 The results are in: 69% of B-Siders say that being stuck in a Red Line tunnel with no service is scarier than taking an hour-long shuttle bus home after work. One reader had a pretty solid counterargument, though: “The shuttle bus is less likely to catch on fire.”

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