Choose your location
Axios Boston
Boston concerts this week
The Dropkick Murphys take over Boston's concert scene every St. Patrick's Day with a string of shows and this year's no different.They're playing a four-night stint at the House of Blues and Fenway Music Hall.Things will also get heavy with Between The Buried And Me at the Paradise and Chelsea Wolfe at Royale.Matisyahu, Jon Batiste, Ministry, Gary Numan and Sleater-Kinney will also be in town.Check out some of the best concerts around town:WednesdayWaterparks is at MGM Music Hall at Fenway.Mason Ramsey plays at Brighton Music Hall.The Drowns, Michael Kane And The Morning Afters are on the bill at Deep Cuts.ThursdayThe...
Boston concerts this week
The Dropkick Murphys take over Boston's concert scene every St. Patrick's Day with a string of shows and this year's no different.They're playing a four-night stint at the House of Blues and Fenway Music Hall.Things will also get heavy with Between The Buried And Me at the Paradise and Chelsea Wolfe at Royale.Matisyahu, Jon Batiste, Ministry, Gary Numan and Sleater-Kinney will also be in town.Check out some of the best concerts around town:WednesdayWaterparks is at MGM Music Hall at Fenway.Mason Ramsey plays at Brighton Music Hall.The Drowns, Michael Kane And The Morning Afters are on the bill at Deep Cuts.ThursdayThe...
Oscar-winner wanted to show the Black sides of Boston
Writer and director Cord Jefferson, who won the best adapted screenplay Oscar Sunday for his film "American Fiction," wanted to portray a more diverse side of Massachusetts than what typically comes out of Hollywood.Why it matters: When the wider American movie-going audience thinks of Boston as a film setting, they're apt to identify the city with Irish gangsters, academic institutions or sports victories.Jefferson's script about a Black writer and his family of doctors defies the stereotype.What they're saying: "I said no pictures of Fenway Park, no pictures of duck boats on the Charles. ... I wanted to explore a different...
How long it takes to save for a house in Boston
It takes single people in Boston 31 more years to save for a starter home than couples, per a recent Point2 study.Why it matters: Dual-income partners earn over twice what singles do, according to the data.Boston is one of the least affordable markets in the country for anyone, regardless of their marriage status.Renting is still cheaper month-to-month than paying a mortgage.Zoom in: The median income for singles is $48,338, compared to $101,265 for couples, per Point2 data.The study assumes people are saving 20% of their income for a downpayment.A starter home is defined as the median price of the cheaper...
How long it takes to save for a house in Boston
It takes single people in Boston 31 more years to save for a starter home than couples, per a recent Point2 study.Why it matters: Dual-income partners earn over twice what singles do, according to the data.Boston is one of the least affordable markets in the country for anyone, regardless of their marriage status.Renting is still cheaper month-to-month than paying a mortgage.Zoom in: The median income for singles is $48,338, compared to $101,265 for couples, per Point2 data.The study assumes people are saving 20% of their income for a downpayment.A starter home is defined as the median price of the cheaper...
Boston's favorite coffee, according to Axios Boston readers
Giant chains, neighborhood cafes and everything in between: We asked who our readers think has the best coffee around Boston.And after four rounds of voting, readers chose Thinking Cup, the small local chain with locations in the Back Bay, North End and by the Common was your pick for the best cup of joe in the city.Thinking Cup beat out a much larger chain for the top spot: second-place finalist Tatte.Bracket: Axios Visuals A bigger surprise came in round 2, when Pavement Coffeehouse took out the 800lbs. elephant in the tournament: Dunkin' itself. Congratulations to the staff and regulars at Thinking Cup and thanks to everyone who voted in our weeklong survey.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Boston.
Boston St. Patrick's Day parade guide: The route, the best views and more
Bostonians are bringing the bagpipes to Southie next Sunday for the annual St. Patrick's Day parade.Why it matters: The parade, one of the city's oldest Irish traditions, celebrates both the Patron Saint of Ireland and the evacuation of British troops from Boston on March 17, 1776.The intrigue: The South Boston parade returned in full force last year, bringing an estimated 1 million people from around the world to the Irish neighborhood.State of play: The 2024 route begins at 1pm Sunday near Broadway Station.The parade heads down West and East Broadway before coming back around and ending at Andrew Station.The parade...
South Boston's St. Patrick's Day parade through the years
South Boston has been ground zero for Boston's annual celebration of Irish heritage since 1901.Here's a look at some standout moments from the last 123 years.In the photo above, Sen. Edward Kennedy broke away from the snowy 1964 parade to greet children along the route. In 1974, eight Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales pulled a red beer wagon, which can be seen at the top of the frame, through the streets of South Boston accompanied by local mounted police in the foreground. The 1993 parade had to be postponed for two weeks, finally taking to Southie's streets March 28.It was the second year a group of gay Irish Americans marched in the parade against organizers' wishes and under the protection of a court order.Onlooker Brandon Krapes supported gay marchers with a pro-peace sign while some parade attendees shouted obscenities and slurs. In 2015, parade organizers allowed the LGBTQ veterans group OutVets to march for the first time.Politicians who had boycotted the parade for years because of organizers' anti-LGBTQ stance returned to the route and the parade resumed its role as the city's highest-profile St. Patrick's Day event.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Boston.
Things to do in Boston for St. Patrick's Day
You could squeeze into the St. Patrick's Day parade route or pay a $20 cover to a bar — or you could skip the parade entirely and celebrate at one of these spots.Joe's on Newbury is kicking off the festivities on Thursday with live music by Brother Seamus.Like most restaurants, Joe's is serving themed whiskey cocktails and special entrees, including a Guinness beef stew.It wouldn't be St. Patrick's Day without a Dropkick Murphys concert, or several.The band first performs Thursday at 6pm at the House of Blues.The band also plays Friday and Sunday at MGM Music Hall at Fenway.Aeronaut Brewing...
Massachusetts among nation's leaders in where Irish Americans live
As of 2022, the United States had an average Irish ancestry of 9.5%.New England and New York have significantly higher numbers.Southern states are the least Irish, with places like El Paso County, Texas, with 2.2%.Deehan's thought bubble: Of course Plymouth County is the most Irish place in Massachusetts, with 28.4%.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Boston.
Prepare to "spring ahead" for daylight saving time
On Sunday at 2am we "spring ahead" to daylight saving time, even though many sleep experts wish we wouldn't.Why it matters: Members of health groups favor standard time over daylight saving time, because they say it's more aligned with our body clocks.Yes, but: Lawmakers have pushed to make daylight saving time permanent.Zoom in: That means sunrise in Boston will go from happening at 6:05am to 7:03am, and sunset will move from 5:44pm to 6:45pm ET.What they're saying: "Research shows that the abrupt seasonal shift in time disrupts circadian rhythms, leading to sleep disturbances, increased fatigue and even a heightened risk...
Where to watch Boston's Oscar-nominated movies
Before the golden statuettes are handed out at the 2024 Academy Awards, here's where you can stream films nominated for best picture that were filmed in Massachusetts.State of play: The Oscars air 7pm ET Sunday on ABC."Maestro" on NetflixBradley Cooper is the fourth person to receive more than one Oscar nomination for acting in a film they directed. The other three were Laurence Olivier, Warren Beatty and Clint Eastwood.Subject Leonard Bernstein spent many, many summers conducting and teaching at Tanglewood in the Berkshires, where Cooper filmed some scenes."American Fiction" on demandNominated for five Oscars, the film is still playing in...
Karen Read case hits small-town Canton hard
The stress brought on by a controversial murder case is starting to show in the town of Canton, where neighbors and families are taking sides in a debate over homicide, institutional corruption and free speech.Why it matters: Canton residents who say defendant Karen Read is being framed for the murder of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, have claimed the local police and other town institutions are behind a giant cover-up, according to the Boston Globe.What they're saying: "The Karen Read case lit a match and started a wildfire, and that fire spread quickly," Congregational Church of Canton Rev....
Trump and Biden cruise to Super Tuesday wins in Massachusetts
As was widely expected, President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump easily won their primaries in Massachusetts.Why it matters: The election results in Massachusetts and 15 other states solidify Trump's advantage over former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, whose chances of securing the GOP nomination have all but evaporated.State of play: Trump had secured nearly 60% of Massachusetts Republican voters, compared to Haley's nearly 37%, as of this morning per the Associated Press.Trump secured all 40 delegates in Massachusetts, the MassGOP announced last night.Biden had nearly 83% of the vote in the Democratic primary.Data: Associated Press; Table: Axios VisualsBetween the lines: Thousands of Massachusetts voters wrote "no preference" on their ballots, mostly in the Democratic primary.Early returns showed "no preference" coming in a distant second behind Biden. "No preference" was third behind Trump and Haley.On the Democratic side, the "no preference" vote was seen as a protest against Biden's support for Israel despite the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Boston.
Appeals court sides with wine bar owner in legal fight over candles.
Massachusetts appellate judges sided with the former owners of a Cambridge bar who fought efforts to enforce a nonexistent candle law only to be accused of intimidation and hindering an investigation.Why it matters: The ruling issued this week upholds the business owners' First Amendment rights to file a complaint against efforts to enforce a law that didn't exist at the time.Catch up quick: The feud started six years ago when fire inspectors threatened to shut down UpperWest, a Cambridge wine bar owned by Kimberly Courtney and Xavier Dietrich, for setting out tea light candles.The inspectors claimed it violated a local...
Appeals court sides with wine bar owner in legal fight over candles.
Massachusetts appellate judges sided with the former owners of a Cambridge bar who fought efforts to enforce a nonexistent candle law only to be accused of intimidation and hindering an investigation.Why it matters: The ruling issued this week upholds the business owners' First Amendment rights to file a complaint against efforts to enforce a law that didn't exist at the time.Catch up quick: The feud started six years ago when fire inspectors threatened to shut down UpperWest, a Cambridge wine bar owned by Kimberly Courtney and Xavier Dietrich, for setting out tea light candles.The inspectors claimed it violated a local...
Massachusetts House Democrats take up shelter limits
Massachusetts House Democrats on Wednesday plan to take up a spending bill that limits how long migrants can stay in state-funded family shelters.The big picture: Several U.S. cities have imposed shelter limits as they struggle to meet the needs of recently arrived asylum seekers and others.Massachusetts has spent more than $395 million this fiscal year on the emergency family shelter program and foresees needing more than $900 million to cover costs in fiscal 2025.Zoom in: The budget bill would set aside another $245 million for the family shelter system but also limit a family with children or pregnant woman's shelter...
Boston concerts this week: Porno for Pyros, the Dandy Warhols and more
Porno for Pyros and the Dandy Warhols are busting out their '90s hits this week, Bachman-Turner Overdrive is bringing soem '70s flare and a bunch of newer acts are ready to impress.Check out some of the best concerts around town:TuesdayPorno For Pyros are at House of Blues.Singer Maddie Zahm comes to the SinclairThe Dandy Warhols rock Royale.WednesdayThe One Hallelujah tour - a collection of top gospel artists - is at MGM Music Hall at Fenway.Indie/Americana band Hurray For The Riff Raff are at The Sinclair.ThursdayChill out with the band behind the best part of the Garden State soundtrack, Thievery...
Why rent is still high for many in Boston
Rent increases for mid-level apartments in Boston outpaced increases for higher-end units at the end of 2023, according to real estate firm CoStar Group, which rates buildings based on design, amenities, location and certifications.Why it matters: High-rent apartments let developers earn back their construction investment faster than lower-rent spaces. This means more luxury apartments and fewer cheaper places are being built.That fuels the housing crunch for middle-class renters.If anyone was expecting the apartment market to cool off this year, we have bad news. Bostonians are unlikely to catch a break.Zoom in: Middle tier rents went up 3.5% in Boston last...
Warming winters mean shorter Boston cold streaks
Cold weather streaks in Boston have been getting five days shorter on average since 1970, according to a new Climate Central analysis.Why it matters: Few people love chilled-to-the-bone cold snaps — but extended periods of chilly weather are key for some farmers and for winter sports lovers, building essential snowpack and more.Zoom in: Prolonged cold snaps still happen — Boston's longest of 2023 lasted 6 days.Yes, but: The city's longest cold streak between 1970 and 2023 lasted 40 days — in 1985.The big picture: Cold streaks are largely getting shorter on average nationwide, per the report from Climate Central, a...
Axios Boston
1K+
Posts
8M+
Views
Axios Boston is here to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news and developments unfolding in their own backyard.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.