Life hacks every Bostonian should know

Life hacks for living in Boston

Aerial view of Boston highway and Zakim bridge

Be a good neighbor and share these tips with fellow Bostonians. | Photo by @journeys.of.a.bostonerd

Living in Boston is generally a grand time, but that doesn’t mean we’re immune to parking and transit woes, less-than-ideal weather, and other day-to-day hassles.

Enter: These five life hacks from our neighbors on the R/Boston Reddit community to help make life a little easier.

1. “If you’re transferring from the Red Line to go towards Forest Hills, get off at Park Street on the center platform and walk across the Winter Street Concourse. It gets directly to the southbound Orange Line platform at Downtown Crossing.” — u/urbanwhat

2. “You can go up to the Custom House building and check out the internals of the clock and also go to the observation deck. The clock is a genius mechanical design and the view is priceless! Go to the hotel after 9:30 a.m. and ask to go up.” — u/88mcinor88

3. “In the broader Boston/Massachusetts area: MassSave for energy savings. Free LED bulbs and power strips; 75% discount on blown in insulation, rebates on appliances, smart thermostats, and HVAC and water heating systems.” — u/dyqik

4. “If you grocery shop on weekends, go during Pats games when it’s football season. Stores are empty.” — u/achipdrivermystery

5. “Local colleges and universities regularly offer events that are open to the public for free or low cost. Music, theater, dance, lectures. Many of them offer mailing lists.” — u/baddspellar

The BOStoday team’s life hacks:

Here are a few more pro tips for navigating life in Boston:

Make sure you have cash on hand if you’re going anywhere near the North End (especially if you plan to grab a cannoli).
Want to admire Fenway without a Sox ticket? Take a seat at Bleacher Bar for a view of centerfield.
Use “Track the T” for real-time updates on local bus routes.

Have another life hack to share? Submit your idea here.

Click here to have your event featured.

Thursday, March 2

Tech Runs Boston | Thursday, Mar. 2 | 4:30-7:30 p.m. | Venture Cafe, 1 Broadway, Cambridge | Free | Join MassTLC for a panel + workshop on how to grow within your current tech role or build a startup from scratch.
Malden Writers’ Collaborative | Thursday, March 2 | 7-8:30 p.m. | Malden Public Library, 36 Salem St., Malden | Free | Join this regular creative writing group meeting, run through the local library.

Friday, March 3

SoWa First Friday | Friday, Mar. 3 | 5-9 p.m. | SoWa Art + Design District, 450 Harrison Ave., Boston | Free | Explore the open galleries and exhibits in the SoWa neighborhood.
Boston University Men’s Hockey vs. Providence | Friday, Mar. 3 | 7 p.m. | Agganis Arena, 925 Commonwealth Ave., Boston | $21-$23 | Cheer on the Terriers as they take on the Friars at this home game.

Saturday, March 4

Small Business Meet and Greet | Saturday, Mar. 4 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Connexion, 149 Broadway, Somerville | Free | Meet small business owners from local East Somerville stores like All She Wrote Books, CultureHouse, and Michette.
Nobody Wants My Stuff! | Saturday, Mar. 4 | 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. | Wenham Museum, 132 Main St., Wenham | $25-$35 | The local museum’s panel-style program will explore options for donating and reselling collectibles and family heirlooms.
André Raphel conducts Coleridge-Taylor, Still, and Caine | Saturday, Mar. 4-Sunday, Mar. 5 | Times vary | Symphony Hall Boston, 301 Massachusetts Ave., Boston | $25-$50 | American conductor André Raphel leads this first program in a series exploring complex social issues.*

Sunday, March 12

Dine Out Boston | Sun., Mar. 12 - Sat., Mar. 25 | Various locations, Boston | Enjoy the city’s premier dining showcase featuring exclusive menus and unbeatable prices at participating restaurants citywide.*

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

Weather

47º | Rain | 100% chance of precipitation

State

Governor Healey’s first state budget proposal is roughly 4% higher than last year’s budget + would increase spending toward environmental initiatives, higher education, and child care. The $55.5 billion spending plan is now headed to the state legislature for review. (Boston Globe)

Closed

PlantPub’s Fenway location has closed its doors after eight months of service. The vegan restaurant’s Cambridge location is still open in the Kendall Square neighborhood. (Eater Boston)

Arts

Broadway in Boston has announced its 2023-2024 season, which will begin at the end of October. The nine performances include a stage adaptation of “Clue” at the Emerson Colonial Theater + the musical “Frozen” at the Citizens Bank Opera House. 🎭 (Boston Globe)

Edu

Harvard Medical School is teaming up with YouTube to help clinicians earn education credits through a series of nine video courses. The new channel will allow doctors and nurses to stay licensed without needing to attend conferences and industry meetings. (Boston Business Journal)

Biz

The Bay State Banner, Boston’s Black-owned weekly newspaper, has been sold to two new owners. Former WBZ-TV photojournalist Ron Mitchell + filmmaker Andre Stark plan to expand the paper’s coverage area across New England. 🗞️

Number

54. That’s how many saves Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark made in Monday night’s game, setting a new regular-season record for the B’s. The only other Bruins goalie to notch 50+ saves in a regular-season game was Tim Thomas in 2007. 🏒 (Boston.com)

Ranked

No. 3. That’s where Boston landed on a list of top cities for Gen Z. Our city ranked just behind our friends at COLAtoday and saw a net migration of 10,271 Gen Z residents, according to 2021 census data. (USA Today)

Regional

Ogunquit Beach in Maine was named one of the 10 best beaches in the US by TripAdvisor. Pro tip: Oqunquit is roughly an hour drive from Boston — keep this in your back pocket for summer vacation planning. 🏖️

Active

Thanks to suggestions from readers, we’re sharing more local workout options in our recent fitness guide. Be sure to add The Handle Bar, Soma Yoga Center, PJ Trains + November Project to your wellness bucket list. 💪

Wellness

Our go-to product to relieve tension and decrease under eye puffiness: an ice roller. Not to mention, it’s the perfect way to cool off your face after an intense workout or morning run. These ice globes are also a great skincare addition to help soothe and depuff. *

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

Let’s toast to Bay State breweries 🍻

Cheers to the return of Mass Beer Week

Side by side image of two beer glasses for Mass Beer Week

Three cheers for Mass-made beers. | Photo via @massbrewbros

While we love supporting local breweries any time of year, March 4-11 is an especially exciting time for beer lovers.

We’re raising a glass to the return of Mass Beer Week, a community celebration of local craft beer.

Though you might not be able to check each of the 50+ participating breweries off your beer bucket list in one week, here are three spots for sipping located just outside of Boston.

🍺 Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company, Framingham
🍺 Mighty Squirrel Brewing, Waltham
🍺 Idle Hands Craft Ales, Malden

If you’d prefer to stick closer to the city, stop by one of Aeronaut Brewing‘s three Boston-area locations or visit Castle Island Brewing in South Boston.

Visitors can snag a limited-edition pint glass at member breweries while supplies last, design courtesy of Westborough resident Shawnna Lyons-Dambeck.

Follow @massbeerweek + @massbrewbros on social media and bookmark the events calendar to stay up to date with additional brewery programming.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Sara.

Editor’s pick: My list of live music venues to visit is growing by the day, and I’ve got a new addition: Lizard Lounge in Cambridge. 🎵

Check out this story about the music club’s Poetry Jams, a 25-year-long tradition that allows local poets to perform alongside jazz musicians.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Dig into the history of Boston’s record-breaking snowstorms.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Jessica Burton, Sara Frazier, Josh Kranzberg, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Peter Baldassare | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

ADVERTISE | SHOP | CAREERS | ETHICS

Did a friend forward this free newsletter to you?

Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | THE BUY