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Axios Boston
Boston's hot summers are here to stay
Data: Climate Central; Chart: Tory Lysik/Axios VisualsIt’s not just you. Boston’s summers are getting hotter.Driving the news: The city’s average summer temperatures increased by 2.4°F between 1970 and 2022, per a new analysis by climate research group Climate Central.Average temperatures were 74.1°F in 2022, compared to 71.7°F in 1970.Why it matters: Extreme heat is a serious health risk, leading to both immediate acute effects (such as exhaustion and heat stroke) as well as longer-term complications due to reduced air quality.A particularly deadly "heat dome" phenomenon was linked to dozens of deaths across the Pacific Northwest and beyond back in 2021,...
Boston's hot summers are here to stay
It’s not just you. Boston’s summers are getting hotter. Driving the news: The city’s average summer temperatures increased by 2.4°F between 1970 and 2022, per a new analysis by climate research group Climate Central. Average temperatures were 74.1°F in 2022, compared to 71.7°F in 1970....
Ask Axios: Why Boston has no Happy Hours
Newcomers to Boston are often gobsmacked when they find out that, to us, "happy hour" just means discounted appetizers at bars and restaurants.That's because Massachusetts became the first state in the country to ban low-price promotions for alcohol in 1984 as a way to deter drunk driving."We've had promotions in this state that advertise, 'Drink Until You Drown,''' Greater Boston Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving president Carol Lawler told the New York Times in 1984.What it means: The 1984 law prohibited bars and restaurants from offering free or discounted drinks, unlimited drink specials, "jumbo" drinks for the same price...
Ask Axios: Why Boston has no Happy Hours
Newcomers to Boston are often gobsmacked when they find out that, to us, "happy hour" just means discounted appetizers at bars and restaurants. That's because Massachusetts became the first state in the country to ban low-price promotions for alcohol in 1984 as a way to deter drunk driving. "We've had...
How to celebrate Juneteenth in Boston
Boston has embraced Juneteenth since its commemoration as a state holiday in 2020 and this third year of acknowledging Black emancipation is no exception.What’s happening: The biggest Juneteenth event in Boston — the three-day Embrace Ideas Festival — wraps up Friday with a block party and discussion on Black cuisine and food culture titled "Who Made the Potato Salad?”Local chefs will compete at noon to cook the best soul food and creole staples.The festival's Embrace Honor Awards will be handed out Friday at 1pm before a block party at Roxbury Community College at 2pm.Plus: Parades will take place on Monday,...
How to celebrate Juneteenth in Boston
Boston has embraced Juneteenth since its commemoration as a state holiday in 2020 and this third year of acknowledging Black emancipation is no exception.What’s happening: The biggest Juneteenth event in Boston — the three-day Embrace Ideas Festival — wraps up Friday with a block party and discussion on Black cuisine and food culture titled "Who Made the Potato Salad?”Local chefs will compete at noon to cook the best soul food and creole staples.The festival's Embrace Honor Awards will be handed out Friday at 1pm before a block party at Roxbury Community College at 2pm.Plus: Parades will take place on Monday,...
Seaport lands a big Greek-food get
Yes, it's a lobby. But a lobby with gyros! Photo: Courtesy PembrokeSome of the best Mediterranean food in town is expanding to the Seaport this fall.What's happening: Zo Greek is opening a spot at the corner of Congress Street and Seaport Lane inside the Seaport East building near the Commonwealth Pier, which is under renovations.Why it matters: Zo has the best gyros and dolmadakia anywhere downtown. Legions of Suffolk students, City Hall workers and State House aides still lament the closure of the Center Plaza location.Be smart: The chain's State Street spot is still going strong, and Zo's let Somerville in on the secret in 2018 with an Assembly Row location.The new lobby cafe in the Seaport will serve the full Somerville menu and breakfast favorites.Deehan's thought bubble: I never thought I'd see the day when the Seaport became in any way desirable, let alone a casual foodie destination.
How Bostonians can spend the mayor's money
City Hall will let ordinary Bostonians, not elected officials or bureaucrats, decide how to spend a portion of the city budget next year.Why it matters: It's the first time residents will have a say in how to spend their tax dollars through a process known as "participatory budgeting" that's gaining popularity in progressive cities.How it works: Cambridge has used a similar system for nearly a decade and Somerville is conducting its first cycle now. During Cambridge's budgeting process, residents are encouraged to submit ideas for how to disperse a total of $1 million in one-time grants for improvements to the...
New book on the real Dropkick Murphy drops
Image: Courtesy of Emily SweeneyAn unsung local hero with a famous nickname is finally getting his due in a new biography.What's happening: Dropkick Murphy – A Legendary Life, by Emily Sweeney, tracks Dr. John "Dropkick" Murphy's astonishing path from the wrestling ring to the sanatorium he ran until the 1970s through archival records and interviews with family, former employees and patients.Catch up quick: Murphy was an osteopath by training, but earned his nickname putting himself through a Massachusetts medical school as a professional wrestler in the 1930s and '40s.Long before alcohol addiction was treated as a disease instead of...
New book on the real Dropkick Murphy drops
Image: Courtesy of Emily SweeneyAn unsung local hero with a famous nickname is finally getting his due in a new biography.What's happening: Dropkick Murphy – A Legendary Life, by Emily Sweeney, tracks Dr. John "Dropkick" Murphy's astonishing path from the wrestling ring to the sanatorium he ran until the 1970s through archival records and interviews with family, former employees and patients.Catch up quick: Murphy was an osteopath by training, but earned his nickname putting himself through a Massachusetts medical school as a professional wrestler in the 1930s and '40s.Long before alcohol addiction was treated as a disease instead of a moral failure, he founded Bellows Farm in Acton, a rural sanatorium where men could sober up.The facility doubled as a gym and training center for elite athletes of the day.What they're saying: "Basically, guys would go out there and dry out, so to speak, and do it in a medically supervised environment," Sweeney tells Axios.Fun fact: The term "going to Dropkick Murphy's" was shorthand for substance abuse treatment in Massachusetts for decades before musician Ken Casey borrowed the name for his Celtic punk band in the 1990s.Casey wrote the foreword for Sweeney's book, which is available now.
Celtics co-owner is selling his Weston mega-mansion for $8.99 million
Got plans for your lunch break Thursday? How about checking out the Celtics co-owner's mansion in Weston?What's happening: There's an open house for Steve Pagliuca's $8,999,000 Webster Road home from 11:30am to 1:30pm, according to realtor Douglas Elliman.It's 15,000 square feet over 4 acres with an indoor basketball court, home theater and seven bedrooms.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Boston.
Celtics co-owner is selling his Weston mega-mansion for $8.99 million
Got plans for your lunch break Thursday? How about checking out the Celtics co-owner's mansion in Weston?What's happening: There's an open house for Steve Pagliuca's $8,999,000 Webster Road home from 11:30am to 1:30pm, according to realtor Douglas Elliman.It's 15,000 square feet over 4 acres with an indoor basketball court, home theater and seven bedrooms.
Pro-abortion rights advocates want Massachusetts to ban the sale of certain cellphone data
There's a new effort afoot to restrict cellphone data-sharing, in order to protect the privacy of patients seeking abortions and gender-affirming care in the state.Driving the news: A coalition of advocacy groups, led by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, launched a campaign today to push for a state law banning the sale and trade of cellphone-based location data.Why it matters: Massachusetts is a safe haven for abortion and gender-affirming care as other states limit access to care, but gaps in health privacy laws enable sensitive health information to land in the hands of prosecutors enforcing those bans, advocates...
Lawyer accused of sex assaults in Charlestown cold cases free on bail
Boston native and Manhattan corporate attorney Matthew Nilo, who is charged with sexually assaulting four women in Charlestown 15 years ago, is free on bail.Driving the news: Nilo's defense team agreed Monday to $500,000 bail and to have him surrender his passport, wear a GPS tracker and stay away from the victims.The 35-year-old North End native and Boston Latin grad pleaded not guilty last week in Suffolk Superior Court to:Three counts of aggravated rape.Two counts of kidnapping.One count of indecent assault and battery.And one count of assault with intent to rape.What they're saying: “This is [expletive] B.S. — you think...
Lawyer accused of sex assaults in Charlestown cold cases free on bail
Boston native and Manhattan corporate attorney Matthew Nilo, who is charged with sexually assaulting four women in Charlestown 15 years ago, is free on bail.Driving the news: Nilo's defense team agreed Monday to $500,000 bail and to have him surrender his passport, wear a GPS tracker and stay away from the victims.The 35-year-old North End native and Boston Latin grad pleaded not guilty last week in Suffolk Superior Court to:Three counts of aggravated rape.Two counts of kidnapping.One count of indecent assault and battery.And one count of assault with intent to rape.What they're saying: “This is [expletive] B.S. — you think...
What size apartment $1,500 a month buys you in Massachusetts cities
Data: RentCafe analysis of Yardi Matrix data; Chart: Axios VisualsA monthly rent of $1,500 can get you an 825-square-foot apartment in Springfield. That's larger than the national average of 782 square feet, per a new report from listing service RentCafe.Worcester has 700-square-foot apartments for the same price.But in Boston, fifteen-hundred bucks gets you a measly 320 square feet.Reality check: Springfield is a great town! Wouldn't love the two-to-three-hour one-way commute to Boston, though.The big picture: Rent is rising faster than income nationwide.The median U.S. renter is spending close to 30% of their monthly income on an average rent, per the latest report from Moody's Analytics, an economic research firm.
What's happening at this week's Embrace Ideas Festival for Juneteenth
Boston’s Embrace Ideas Festival kicks off this week with a Juneteenth Concert at The Embrace memorial.Why it matters: The festival is meant to be a blueprint for how the city — and the rest of the country — should observe Juneteenth.Zoom in: People know how to celebrate Father’s Day and the Fourth of July, but they don’t necessarily know how to observe the holiday commemorating Black emancipation from enslavement, says Imari Paris Jeffries, head of the nonprofit Embrace Boston.“If Boston can redefine and reimagine itself as a place of equity, I think it gives America permission to do the...
Rethink that base tan with summer coming
Data: CDC; Chart: Jared Whalen/AxiosYou might have heard that you should get a "protective" base tan before your beach vacation, but that advice isn't science-backed.Why it matters: Nearly 1 in 4 adults think getting a base tan will prevent sunburn, according to a new American Academy of Dermatology survey shared with Axios, writes Axios’ Carly Mallenbaum. And that myth can exacerbate skin cancer risks.Zoom in: The volume of melanoma cases in Massachusetts fluctuated between 2009 and 2019, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.They peaked with nearly 27 cases per 100,000 people in 2017 and fell...
Pride is back in Boston and more inclusive than ever
Boston’s Pride parade is fully back for the first time in three years, and the organizers aim to set a new standard for inclusivity.Driving the news: The parade starts at 11am tomorrow at Copley Square. It ends at the Boston Common, where locals can enjoy a festival or a block party at City Hall Plaza from 12-6pm for ages 21 and up.Gov. Maura Healey — the state’s first openly lesbian governor— will be among those marching.The nearly 2-mile-long parade route is shorter than in previous years and there are no hills to make it as accessible as possible, says Jo...
Massachusetts' love for LGBTQ-owned businesses
The state's LGBTQ+ business community is a big deal: Around 20,000 queer-owned businesses generate almost $50 billion for the economy each year, according to the LGBT Chamber of Commerce for Massachusetts.Why it matters: We have a better track record for embracing inclusion than much of the country and that's reflected in how we spend money.What they're saying: "The demand is pushing the supply of inclusion in our community," chamber executive director Grace Moreno told Axios.Young people in particular are more willing to go out of their way to support LGBTQ-owned stores, bars, restaurants and other businesses.By the numbers: Millis-based Commonwealth Cannabis Co. was the largest LGBTQ-owned business in the state last year, according to a review by the Boston Business Journal.Chef Tiffani Faison's Big Heart Hospitality, which owns Sweet Cheeks Q, Fool's Errand, Bubble Bath and other restaurants was the second largest.Another restaurant group, Boston Urban Hospitality, was the third largest, with locations including dBar, Boston Chops and Deuxave.🍺 1 beer thing: Dorchester Brewing Company co-founder Matt Malloy told Axios building a safe space for LGBTQ+ people is part of the brewery's mission.DBCo. hosts events for the bear community, queer women and other communities.
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