If Porchfest and a cat had a baby …
Plus: 💉 Get your flu shots!
Happy Friday, Boston!
💰 Well, this list just called us poor … Meet the seven Mass. billionaires who made Forbes’ list of the 400 richest people in the U.S. Shocker: One of them is Robert Kraft.
💪 Celebrate Friday with a free workout! We’re teaming up with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts for another free feel-good wellness event you won’t want to miss. Think: A sweat sesh, refreshments, and self-care activations you SO deserve. Mark your calendars for Oct. 13 at Big Night Live. More soon!
🤑 And a v special happy b-day to Members Maryanne Chessey and Jordan Z! You’re one in a billion(aire).
👀 What’s on tap today:
- T shutdowns this weekend
- Flu shot clinics
- Maple creemee-pedia
Up first…
OUT & ABOUT
The cat stroll’s out of the bag
Illustration: Kelly Chan.
Tired: Porchfest. Wired: Porchfest … for cats. Yep, the rumors are true. The first-ever Lower Allston Cat Stroll is happening TOMORROW, Sept. 19, when tons of kitty lovers will take to the streets for a parade-style neighborhood walk to show off their favorite felines.
Here’s what to know:
✨ It all started with a cat lover and a ~dream~. But like, kinda. Lower Allston resident Ashley Lesperance noticed a few cats perched in her neighbor’s windows while walking home one day … and the wheels started turning: She remembered Minneapolis’ wildly popular cat tour. “It looks like Somerville’s Porchfest for cats,” she said. She longed for more third spaces and community-driven events. And obviously, she loves cats (meet her furbaby Daphne).
😬 Plus, she thinks Lower Allston can get lost in the sauce. While folks might think of the neighborhood as a bunch of transient college kids, “Lower Allston, in particular, has a lot of people who’ve lived there for years,” Ashley said. And as Harvard continues to expand into the neighborhood, “there is a desire for Lower Allston to sort of hold on to what makes us Allston.”
And thus, the Lower Allston Cat Stroll was born …
📆 The day will go something like this: Everyone will gather at Smith Playground at 2 p.m. to visit local businesses like MSPCA-Angell and Molly’s Bookstore, enjoy some bevvies, and mingle with neighbors and kitties. Then, the 90-minute stroll kicks off at 2:30 p.m., when you’ll parade through the neighborhood, catching local kitties from windows, porches, and in yards. Fifty cats registered for the event, with 27 on the actual route.
🍹 And the grand finale? A Cat Stroll afterparty at Sloane’s restaurant — with cat-themed cocktails (obv) and a raffle for a $400 MSPCA cat adoption fee (aw!).
🤔 Now, let’s answer some burning Qs:
- Yes, it’s free. Just show up, grab a map, and stroll!
- Important: This is a dog-free event. Yes, they still love dogs, but they just want to create a safe environment for the kitties along the route. Their FAQ page politely states: “Dogs are honorary allies of the Cat Stroll and we thank them for their understanding.”
☕ Bonus: Park Bagelry, a community sponsor and partner, is offering a FREE hot or iced drip coffee with any bagel purchase now through Sept. 19. Just mention the Cat Stroll or show them this IG post at the register.
❓ Got questions? Their FAQ page lays it all out here. And you can keep up with the latest on IG here.
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CITY
Quick & dirty headlines
Image: Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe.
🚇 Hello darkness MBTA shutdowns, my old friend. We’re in for two OOO days across *several* lines this weekend. First up: the Red Line will be down from JFK/UMass and Ashmont, so Braintree service will be amped up. The Green Line will also be out from Gov. Center to Babcock Street (B) and Kenmore (C), and from North Station to Kenmore (D) and Heath Street (E). Consider it a teaser of a fat GL shutdown soon (stay tuned). Oh and don’t forget about all the commuter rail disruptions …
💉 We’re not throwing away our (flu) shot! Yup, it’s that time of year again. The City of Boston is hosting *tons* of free flu and COVID-19 vaccine clinics across neighborhoods starting Sept. 23. See the full schedule here. Bonus: You don’t need an appointment, insurance, or ID (but if you have a health insurance card, bring it!). ICYMI, a bunch of medical groups just updated their own recommendations on who should receive these vaccines (spoiler: it’s pretty much everyone).
🤝 Here’s a glimpse at Gov. Maura Healey’s track record. The Globe looked at how Gov. Healey did on six specific promises. She followed through on cutting taxes and providing free community college to residents >25. She’s still working on creating safe, affordable housing (goal: 220K homes by 2035) and getting 1 million heat pumps + 1 million EVs in use by 2030. The broken promise? Tripling the Mass. Clean Energy Center budget (to be fair, there were big federal cuts). And whether she ended working with federal immigration is … debatable.
🍽️ The ONLY Boston restaurant that made the NYT’s top 50 is … Dalia. Yup, that gorg new Spanish spot in Southie with vibes that swept us off our feet … but left us feeling a lil’ hungry after a $180+ bill. ICYMI, it opened in April and people were *obsessed*, saying they felt like they were “being transported to Spain.” TBH, the classic tapas didn’t really hit for us, BUT we’d go back for the bevs (our rec: Daliamoxto), the charred snap pea salad, and the pan frito.
THINGS TO DO
Weekend plans
Image: Charles Krupa/AP.
🦪 Order $1 oysters and shrimp cocktail. Get in all the goodness with Publico’s Friday happy hour deals from 3-6 p.m.: $3 fish tacos, $5 truffle parm tots, $8 glasses of wine, and more.
📚 Snag a free ticket to the Athenaeum. Explore 12 floors of stacks at the Community Day open house on Sept. 19. There’ll also be live music, crafts, and a giveaway for a free annual membership.
😛 Get a lil’ … sticky. The Fluff Festival is BACK on Sept. 19 in Union Square. Expect all kinds of marshmellowy creations, like Fluff affogatos and baked Oreos with Fluff, along with boardwalk games, parkour, and even robot-made s’mores.
☘️ Say happy halfway to St. Paddy’s Day! Get an Irish brunch at Lansdowne Pub on Sept. 19 with festive bites, bevs, and Irish step dancers. Then head to Quincy’s big Halfway party in Kilroy Square for live music, traditional food, and more.
🍕 Join Boston’s biggest pizza party.* City Hall Plaza is transforming into the Boston Pizza Festival from Sept. 19-20, loading in over 30 pizzerias to sling slices for 20,000+ guests. Advance tickets are still $10 for entry plus two slices, but that price climbs to $15 once the festival kicks off at 11 a.m. Save $5 HERE with code BSIDE5.
🎮 Find your Player Two. Head to The Jungle for Touch Grass + Play Games IRL on Sept. 19 to meet eligible singles over arcade and old-school video games. Note: Wear green if you’re single and red if you’re a wingperson!
🛍️ Shop the markets after dark. Take your pick on Sept. 19: 1. Central Square Night Market with DJs, a beer garden, and games, or 2. Mass Art Night Market, for an artist demo booth, performances, and more.
🍽️ Eat your way through New England. Browse and chow down at the Boston Local Food Festival on Sept. 20 on the Greenway, ft. ~100 food vendors, chef demos, and a seafood cooking competition.
*This listing was presented in partnership with Boston Pizza Festival.
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ONE LAST THING
Maple creemee-pedia
Image: Christian Kantosky for The Boston Globe. Illustration: Kelly Chan.
Let’s set the record straight: Maple creemees > PSLs. Yes, this silky soft-serve treat flavored with maple syrup might be a Vermont staple, but it’s been having quite the moment in Boston lately.
But, B-Side … isn’t it just soft serve??? WRONG!
The biggest difference between a creemee and classic soft serve? It has higher milkfat content AND is served a few degrees warmer, both of which give it that *extra* soft and creamy texture.
Maple creemees have been a Vermont mainstay since the 80s, but they’ve slowly made their way to Boston (finally).
You can find them at Vinal General Store, Madeleine’s Candy Shop, and Momma’s Grocery + Wine (which sells them year-round!).
But if you’re ever driving up to Vermont … Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks in Montpelier is ELITE.
— Written by Kelly Chan and Emily Schario
🍁 Thanks for reading! They should just call it stick-y season (sorry).
💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, the Malden Gaming District, for supporting local journalism and keeping Boston nights out easy and affordable.
🚌 The results are in: 75% of B-Siders would rather be on a slooooooow bus than to wait for the next one. One reader wrote, “Too real today. Option 3, just walk.” Make it a jog and you’ll probably beat it!
💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and X. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] and [email protected].
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