I am not enough of a foodie to truly care about “avocado-oil-seared crusts” or “certified-humane” pizza ingredients or whatever that crazy salt & herb sprinkle they put on the pizza at the end is. What I care about is that this pizza is damn tasty. And at $6 for a half-pizza (they make 11″ pies), $11 for a full, it’s not even expensive compared to anything in the area other than Mike’s dough & cheese grease triangles.

All it takes to keep me going back time and again is their pepperoni, but there are a few other highlights worth mentioning:

• they serve beer & wine as well. There’s not a ton of seating in the Davis location, but the table space they have + the casual atmosphere makes this a pretty good hang out space when you want drinks + pizza but don’t want to go as upscale as Foundry or deal with the usual wait at Flatbread / Sacco’s.
• they have dessert pizza. This was a common thing where I’m from in Georgia but I don’t think I’ve seen even a handful of places in Boston that offer it. They also have breakfast pizzas, and a signature ‘Shrimpwrecked’ chili-spiced shrimp, black-bean, cilantro, & guacomole-drizzle pizza. So, some real variety for more-foodie types that don’t order the same thing constantly like me. 

The only thing that’s missing here is WiFi. They’ve got this great front-window bar seating area, and if they had WiFi it would be my go-to bite & beer, work & people-watching place. But other than that, 9/10 would recommend. If you’re looking for great pizza, check this place out.

His situation wasn’t far off from my own when I moved here. 20 years old, wanting to move here for the startup scene, knew only one person (a student) in the city. Many of the others who replied to this young man talked about the challenges: the high cost of living, the time it takes to find a job, the logistics of moving… but none of those mean you can’t do it. Here’s how to move to Boston if you’re young, with limited resources, and doing it on your own.

#1) Save.

In this, the young man I was giving advice to was ahead of the game: he planned on having $15k saved up by the end of the summer. I think I moved up here with less than $4k, giving me a little under 3 months to find a job. I was counting on the retail experience I had to make me an easy hire at a store somewhere if I couldn’t find a job in tech right away.

If you’re planning on making a big move from far away, you’re doing great on guts and ambition. Just exercise a little patience & preparation before pulling the trigger, so you can make sure you land on your feet. Create a budget with all your monthly expenses, figure out exactly how much it’s going to cost you to move in the first place, budget some ‘move-in cash’ for your initial expenses upon arriving, and make sure to budget a little extra. Think about what you don’t need to move that you could sell instead. Figure out what it all adds up to, and start saving.

#2) Find an affordable place by sacrificing just a little accessibility.

First of all, accept that you’re going to have roommates (housemates, technically). For the vast majority of young people in Boston, living with others in a shared apartment is a fact of life — necessary for affordability, and so commonplace that it’s totally normal (this can stand out as unusual if you’re moving from a more rural area).

Craigslist will be your best friend when searching for apartments, but first you’ll want to learn where to look by studying where public transit will get you, and where rent prices are lower from being close enough that bus lines are still accessible, but not so close that you’re steps from the subway.

Even if you bring a car to Boston (more on that later), you’ll find it much more affordable if you use public transit instead of driving everywhere. So plan around that. I recommend Medford, Arlington, Malden, or Everett as more affordable areas accessible by bus but not quite by the subway, but there are others that fit the bill.

If you’re wondering how to find a place in Boston when you don’t live here yet, there are a couple of tips you may find helpful:

1. You’ll probably have the best luck finding an available room in an apartment that already has others living in it. When there are people already there, it should be much easier to get photos of the place (everyone has a cameraphone).
2. Ask potential housemates if you can video chat with them through Skype or Gchat. This will give you both a better sense of each other, and you can ask if they could give you a quick tour of the place.
3. Don’t try and make the place you’re moving to initially the place you’re going to stay long-term. Find a short-term sublet or a place with a month-to-month lease. Once you’re here, you’ll have an easier time adjusting your feel for which part of town you want to live, and be able to tour places in person.

#3) Do what you can to prepare for the job search.

Don’t waste precious time paying Boston’s rent during your job search doing things that you could have done where you are now. Get your resume in order, and your LinkedIn profile setup or updated. If you’re a professional, get some basic business cards.

Find out if anyone in your extended family has a friend who lives here, if people who graduated from your high school went to any of the (huge number of) colleges here, etc. Figure out who’s will make a good reference for you when applying to jobs and make sure they’re willing. If you’re leaving a job to move here, make sure you’re finishing on a good note.

#4) Make the move.

If you’re moving from far away, it may be cheaper to simply buy a plane ticket (or a bus ticket) and bring only a few bags of essentials with you. You can pack up what doesn’t fit in boxes, and ship them before you go. Any big items you need (like a bed), buy once you arrive.

#5) Network, network, network.

Once you’re in town with a local address you’ll have a much easier time applying for jobs. But keep in mind that many people get hired through someone they know — not by being a random applicant. If you’re a professional you should be going to meetups, checking eventbrite for relevant events, reaching out to people on LinkedIn to see if they’ll meet you for coffee, etc. from the first week on.

If you’re not applying for office jobs, you need to pound the pavement and show your face at whatever businesses you’d like to work for — ask them if they’re hiring, ask them if they know anyone who is.

Make the most of “I just moved here from _____” — people want to help. I hope this post helped you.

Just over the next month there are half a dozen awesome things I’m looking forward to:

• PAX East (April 22nd – 24th) – This awesome gaming expo takes over the Boston Convention Center for a weekend. I bought a pass for the first time last year but a family emergency kept me from attending. This year I’ve got a Saturday pass and I am psyched to check it out.

• Somerville Open Studios (April 30th – May 1st) – Across Somerville, a ton of artists with home studios, plus all the collectives and creative workspace studios, open their doors to the public for self-guided exploration. You’ll find stands with a map and directory of all the different artists and what kind of art they make, and free shuttles do a regular loop through Somerville to make exploring studios spread around the city much easier.

• Harvard Square Mayfair (May 3rd) – All the intersecting roads in Harvard Square are shut down to traffic for this sprawling street festival, filled with entertainers, music, craft tents, face-painting, fair food, and more. If you don’t mind crowds, this is a great event to wander through for a concentrated dose of Cambridge awesomeness.

• Somerville Porchfest (May 21st) – Bands across Somerville perform live from porches across the city. The organizers have the city divided into three sections, with each section’s bands performing for a different two-hour shift. You can listen to all kinds of different sounds & styles in your neighborhood, or turn it into a city-crawl.

• Dancing – not a specific event I can point you to, but I’ve heard that The Sinclair may be a worthy addition to my list of go-to live music + dancing venues, so I’m hoping to round up some friends for a night out sometime soon.

• Earthfest (May 21st) – the same day as Somerville Porchfest, but it should be easy to do both. Earthfest is an annual festival along the Esplanade, the beautiful riverside area along the Charles, just outside the Charles / MGH T-stop. Lots of vendors giving away free samples of new products, good music, and a great atmosphere to enjoy the area in.

Anything coming up you’re looking forward to, or want to see if I have recommendations for something you’re interested in? Tweet me @JayNBoston.

I’m also sharing a lot of Boston / Somerville sights on Snapchat, if you’d like to follow me there:

For the first time I checked out the Nave Gallery Annex, an art gallery space in Davis Square, just a few rooms in a house just behind Redbones. They’re showing their 2016 Sketchbook Show there until March 3rd. I rounded up some friends to take a look before grabbing drinks.

We went on Saturday, the day after the opening reception, because I guessed (correctly, yay!) it would be less crowded, and for me bringing a group in it was better for us to be able to talk freely while we checked out the art. But I do want to say if you’re looking for something fun to do with just a couple of friends or a date or by yourself, check out an opening reception for an exhibit at one of the galleries in the area. It’s almost always a good little crowd with a thoughtful, fun atmosphere.

The art was cool, especially seeing a few sketches of things I recognized from around Davis Square. (And yes, drinks afterwards with friends was excellent — did you know there’s a secret back way up from the Saloon to the Foundry?) But I have to admit, my favorite art takeaway from the evening was a business card from Somerville designer Meagan O’Brien.

I’ve never met her or heard of her before, but her business card was the perfect first addition of 2016 to the little art wall in my room. I’ve slowly pieced it together over the past couple of years, but this year I’m determined to really grow it. I’d love to have found art clips and little pieces from local artists spreading all across the wall.

I guess I better get out to some more galleries. =)

By T (the subway): the easiest beaches in Boston to reach by T are Revere Beach, from the Wonderland stop on the Blue Line, and Carson Beach, from the JFK / UMass stop on the Red Line.  Revere Beach is a very large beach, with a big stretch of covered picnic tables that make it good for group outings. Unfortunately, I’m still not a fan of either beach. They’re just less maintained than other beaches (more trash, debris), and don’t really have a boardwalk of businesses nearby that might make it worth it to still be so close to the city.

By commuter rail, nearby: I’m glad to have discovered Singing Beach through a friend. It’s a private beach you pay a small admission fee to walk onto, a short walk away from Manchester Station on the commuter rail. It’s Zone 7, so $18 round trip fare to get out there, but if you’re looking to get away from the city and enjoy the beach, it’s a nice option. There’s a small plaza of shops right outside the station if you want to grab food or drinks just before the beach, and other options if you walk into town first.

I was surprised to see that this is one of the only beaches accessible by commuter rail. King’s Beach, in Lynn, is another option, but it’s unfortunately ranked as the dirtiest beach in the state, with high bacteria counts coming from storm drain overflow leaking into the water.

By commuter rail + a short bus: Recently I learned that one of my favorite beaches, Crane Beach, has a $5 weekend shuttle connecting it to the commuter rail stop at Ipswich. This is a great deal. Even factoring in the cost of a commuter rail ticket, it’s less expensive than gas / Zipcar rental plus the $22 parking fee for non-members. Just take the commuter rail from North Station to Ipswich, then catch the CATA Bus to Crane Beach. Highly recommended.

By ferry: There are also ferries leading to Provincetown and Spectacle Island (one of the Boston Harbor Islands). The ferries to Provincetown can be expensive, but they have beautiful beaches and the city itself is an experience. The ferry to Spectacle Island, which leaves hourly from Boston’s Long Wharf, takes only 20 minutes and cost $15 round trip. Spectacle island has lots of beach, lots of walking trails, and great views of the city.

By complicated: If you’re willing to go the distance, the commuter rail also runs to Providence, Rhode Island, where between ferries and the state public transport system, RIPTA, you can get trolley rides to beaches including Easton’s Beach, Narragansett Town Beach, and Sachuest Beach.

So, if you’re eager to hit the beach, I’d encourage you to check out Singing Beach, Crane Beach, or make friends with people who have cars. =)

Yelp’s events calendar – Yelp actually has an events section, in addition to all those reviews. And because it shows events that are popular with Boston Yelpers (generally a pretty nightlife savvy crowd), it can be a quick way to find the good stuff, instead of sorting through every event happening in the area. If you want to see what things other people are going to in Boston tonight, this is a good resource.

Songkick – Has a city page for the Boston area that lists what live music is happening tonight (and are coming up). They also have a pretty cool feature where if you’re on a band’s page, you can see upcoming shows in the area by similar bands, which is great for finding local bands / musicians who are similar to nationally-known music you like. If you’re looking for some live music, check this out.

Your Facebook Events – If you’re living here, your Facebook events section often has “suggested events” – typically open events your friends have RSVPed to. This can actually be a great way to find fun open parties, good art shows, or festivals, depending on what your friends are into.

Meetup.com’s Boston section – If you want to meet people, this has a big list of meetups happening today. Just scroll down to the current time and see what’s coming up. It’s a great resource for finding talks, workshops, and group outings.

/r/BostonSocialClub – a subreddit for Boston social events, this is a community of Bostonians planning get-togethers and sharing fun events. Just check for today’s date on link titles, plus the sidebar typically has a quick roundup of things to do today.

Hope you find these event resources as helpful as I have! Good luck finding something fun to do today.

SocialBostonSports.com – It’s not just sports! If you are up for some athletics, you’ll find everything from dodgeball to soccer, with short leagues sorted by skill level. But in addition to that, SBS hosts fun social events like beach parties and bar nights, plus adventure trips (mainly whitewater rafting and skiing). This is a go-to group for active, social people open to new friends.

Meetup.com – Whether you’re interested in roleplaying games, knitting, history, art, or urban exploration, Meetup is a great resource for finding friends who share a niche interest. There are also a bunch of general social groups, and many aimed at specific age ranges to help you meet people in Boston at the same life stage.

/r/BostonSocialClub – This is a great spot to find board game nights, movie outings (with a social dinner beforehand or drinks after),  cool events with a group gathering to attend, and impromptu fun. If you’re looking for friends in Boston, this is a fun, open, often geeky-in-the-best-way community to find them in. They also have a Facebook group (but do spend some time on reddit if you’re going to join this, otherwise what’s your point of connection?), and for the power-social-ers, an always-running Messenger chat for checking who’s around for a beer or a bite.

Take a class – There are cheap, quick (single evenings, once a weeks), and interesting classes that can be a great way to meet people. Check out General Assembly, browse the classes section on Craigslist, and check the Boston Center for Adult Education. Look for something where you’ll want to trade tips with people, where you’ll need to practice with others, or where you’ll be working on group projects. It’s easy to make friends when you’re working together.

Volunteer – I have a whole other post on places to volunteer in Boston — check it out, and use those resources to find social volunteering opportunities. Organizations that use volunteers want to help you find friends because it keeps you coming back, so ask their organizer to introduce you to people.

Be a regular – With any of the above, try to do them repeatedly. Regular members of a group don’t always open up to new people right away because hey, they might never see them again. If you’re a familiar face, people are much more likely to make an effort to include you.

Take the lead – One of the very best options is to organize something yourself! Whether it’s an event or a tour or a night out or frisbee in the park, create a Facebook event or Craigslist post or Meetup group and spread the word: tweet, put up flyers, post on local mailing lists, and post on /r/BostonSocialClub (linked above). You’ll be doing something you like (I hope; you’re the one choosing it after all!) and being the host is a guaranteed way to make connections.

And if you’re looking for ideas on things to do with your new friends, I hope you’ll check out some of the ideas featured on What To Do Boston.

Banditos Misteriosos

The organizers of International Pillow Fight Day, scavenger hunts, gift swaps, and watergun fights, these guys host free open-to-all events in public spaces where hundreds gather to participate. These are particularly great events to get an existing group of friends out to. The Banditos have a mailing list that announces some new fun every other month or so, and check out their Facebook group for photos of previous events.

Social Boston Sports (It’s not just sports!)

One of the best ways to make new friends in the area is through SBS. They organize parties, sports leagues, trips (rafting, to the beach, etc.), and more. Every month they have a free ‘Welcome Wednesday’ mixer at a local bar that’s a nice way to meet new people and get info about who’s up to what, but the real value of SBS is in finding a group of people that enjoy an active, social lifestyle.

/r/Boston

You’ve hopefully heard of reddit, the “front page of the internet” social news site. The Boston sub-reddit is filled with local news, jokes, interesting questions, etc. And /r/BostonSocialClub is a sister-subreddit where you can find a geeky crowd that’s up for everything from drinks to snowball fights to D&D groups.

Skip the Small Talk’s public events

Twice a month at Aeronaut Brewery in Somerville, Skip the Small Talk organizes these $10 events where you can come out, meet people, and chat about “big talk” conversational questions they provide for you to choose from. It’s a pretty fun way to actually get to know people (and enjoy some of Boston’s best beer).

These same organizers are also behind the Work Your Dreams events, lightly social coworking every other Saturday, for folks with creative or ambitious side-projects.

The Welcoming Committee

If you’re LGBTQ, you’ll find a large, fun crowd here doing group meetups at popular Boston events (sports, museums, concerts), bar gatherings, and free monthly mingles.

/r/BostonBoardGames & Board Game Night.iO

Another great subreddit with a real community of regulars, /r/BostonBoardGames has both weekly events and ad-hoc community postings. This is a great way to meet 4-6 other people without having to walk in feeling like the only stranger at the local board game cafes or gaming stores. And if you have a favorite game you like to play, you can easily gather a group to meet up and play at a bar or cafe in your area.

If you’re in the tech / innovation scene, BGN.io is a monthly board game night specifically for that crowd.

Boston Societies of Spontaneity

Remember those crazy flash mob videos you’ve seen on YouTube? Boston SOS actually does that kind of stuff, along with outdoor adventures, street art, and spontaneous support of good causes. If you’re looking for a crowd of spontaneous, fun-focused people, this is the crowd to join. Their website is not always the most up-to-date, but their twitter account is usually more reliable and shares other fun events happening around the city.

Awesome Foundation

Started in Boston, the Awesome Foundation provides a $1000 grant each month to awesome projects in each of its local chapters. What’s ‘awesome’? Everything from a giant hammock in the Common  to a cotton candy cannon to a mobile kitchen teaching kids about organic farming and healthy eating. The Awesome Foundation supports and celebrates people doing interesting things in the area, and frequently hosts parties to award the grants and provide a great social mixer.

Hope these groups help you have some fun / make some new friends. Maybe you’ll even see me there!

The Boston Marathon – The world’s oldest annual marathon, this is New England’s most widely viewed sporting event (yep, even surpassing Red Sox games). If you’re not a runner, this might not seem like an exciting event, but you only have to take a short trip to where the race runs along Beacon Street or Commonwealth Avenue to find a spectacle worthy of attendance. Enjoy the energetic atmosphere, the many specials restaurants and bars along the course run, and the hilarious costumes many runners wear for the race.

Independent Film Festival Boston – A multi-day event with films showing in several theatres around Boston, this is great entertainment mixed with parties, panels, and educational events. Must-attend for movie lovers, and a good time for everyone else.

Mayfair – Every year in Harvard Square, the streets are shut down and filled with vendors selling everything from art to jewelry to bonsai trees. Five performance stages are setup for a variety of music and dance acts, all your favorite fair food is on sale, artists decorate the streets with chalk art, and performers wander the streets on stilts or surprise you with stillness as living statues. Harvard Square is a great place to explore anytime of year, but Mayfair makes it 10x so.

Somerville & Cambridge Open Studios – Organized by the local art councils in each city, artists in every neighborhood open up their studios for residents and visitors to see their work, how its made, and what a real artist’s working space is like. This is often an experience better than any gallery, and it’s free!

Somerville Porchfest – A more recently started event, Somerville Porchfest is like open studios for music instead of art. Bands across town perform from their porches in shifts, so all day you can walk from neighborhood to neighborhood and find a band who’s sound you like.

Honorable mention: SoWa Open Market opening day – The South-of-Washington Open Market is an every-Sunday crafts, vintage, and farmers market that runs from spring until the start of the winter. The first day is especially worth going to for the extra energy and full inventories of all the vendors.

Enjoy the spring!

After a two week visit home (north Georgia, and a bit of visiting family in Florida), it’s great to be back in Boston. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of things the south has that our area doesn’t:

• Waffle House (and other 24/7 diners).
• Sane drivers.
• Good barbecue.
• Yards.

It’s interesting that Boston is very much a city of people who have chosen to live here. That may sound strange, but think about how many people live no further than 50 miles from where they grew up. We may have more colleges than anywhere else in the country, but the majority of students don’t stay here. The ones who do, they’re choosing to. The people who move here, like me, like you, have found in this place something we truly like. Like New York, Boston is a place people are coming to because it’s an active, vital city with opportunity and diversity.

That’s worth the winter, right?