Long Reads

A silver ring with a large round diamond, attached to a red price tag displaying "$70,000" in white text, set against a dark blue background.
City Life

The Engagement Ring Is Having an Identity Crisis

The old script went like this: A lovestruck fellow would save his paycheck—for months, maybe years—to afford an engagement ring. Or a lucky heir would […]

A large, dark, textured spherical object hovers low over a cityscape at sunset, with tall buildings and a body of water visible in the distance under a clear blue sky.
City Life

Is the Massachusetts Economy About to Get Wrecked?

Here’s the thing about Cape Cod potato chips: They were always about much more than the chips. They were about that low-slung building in Hyannis […]

The Michelin Man mascot wearing a white chef's hat and a blue sash with the word "MICHELIN" in white letters, holding a golden flower-shaped object in his hand, with a city skyline and a colorful sunset in the background.
Restaurants

The Real Cost of One Michelin Star

In the weeks before Michelin announced its first-ever Boston selections, whispers among dining insiders spread across town faster than whipped butter. The first question—“Did you […]

A cartoon-style illustration of a woman with bright red hair and green eyes, looking surprised or shocked. She has rosy cheeks and red lips, and is wearing a green top. Surrounding her are grayscale figures of people, emphasizing her colorful and expressive appearance.
City Life

When Did It Become So Hard to Make Friends?

I was on the T headed to one of my favorite restaurants in Boston when I found myself thinking about the last time I ate […]

Three cross-country skiers wearing red bibs are skiing on a snowy trail at night. The skier in the foreground is dressed in a yellow and black outfit with a striped beanie, while the two skiers behind wear darker clothing and hats. Blue markers are visible on the snow along the trail.
City Life

The Beer-League Ski Race That Became My Unlikely Salvation

We were in the bland hinterlands of Greater Boston, skiing along the ho-hum Leo J. Martin Golf Course—otherwise known as the worst golf course in […]

A person in camouflage military gear and helmet is sitting on the edge of a helicopter door, looking down at a snowy forest below. Several people in bright jackets are on the ground near a red object, possibly involved in a rescue or search operation. The forest is densely covered with snow.
City Life

Stranded in New Hampshire: A Rescue Mission at Franconia Ridge

A single beam of light bobbed in the darkness as Patrick Bittman, cold and winded from hours of hiking, hauled himself up the last stretch […]

Restaurants

How to Fix the Restaurant Industry

The city’s restaurant scene has never looked better from the dining room, but behind kitchen doors, the industry is struggling with thin margins, labor shortages, […]

City Life

The Crypto Con Woman and the Charlestown Houseboat Murder

It was nearing 11 o’clock on a February night when two Boston police officers stepped from their patrol car into the Charlestown Navy Yard. Biting […]

City Life

Welcome to the News Jungle: Why Influencers Matter to Boston

Boston’s mayor threw a Content Creator summit, a radio reporter became a TikTok star, and a songwriter realized her social posts pay better than her […]

City Life

How to Win Friends and Lose Millions: The Aaron Sells Story

The man sitting across from me at lunch has been sued for millions by former business partners, among them some of Boston society’s more notable […]

City Life

How to Grab the Golden Egg: Seven Rules for Winning Negotiations in the Trump Era

One morning this summer, I burst through the doors of the Tesla showroom at the Prudential Center, announcing my arrival with authority. “Hello!” I said. […]

City Life

What Really Happened to Tom O’Brien’s Mayoral Run?

On a Monday morning this past March, Tom O’Brien was in his office at HYM Investment Group checking his emails when his phone rang. It […]

City Life

The ChatGPT Generation: How Students Are Actually Using AI (And What Educators Are Learning)

This cover story is part of our annual September “Top Schools” package. On the penultimate day of school just before summer break, I’m standing in […]

City Life

The Rise of ‘Elite Speak’: Why Do Smart People Sound So Dumb?

  The realization that a large number of well-educated, well-meaning Bostonians had lost the ability to talk like regular people crystallized for me recently, after […]

City Life

Does Boston Still Drink?

It’s Saturday night, 7 p.m. to be precise, and the temperature is going down faster than the $1 oysters at Vialé. Wind whips through my […]