Longform

A man wearing a brown blazer over a blue shirt and a green kilt is standing indoors, holding a yellow and black soccer ball. Behind him, people are seated at tables, raising their hands and holding drinks, watching a soccer game projected on a screen. The setting has exposed brick walls and a casual, lively atmosphere.
City Life

The World Is Coming to Boston This Summer. Now What?

If you’re wondering who’s responsible for bringing the FIFA World Cup to Boston, it isn’t Robert Kraft, or the Healey administration, or the mayor’s office, […]

By Joe Keohane
Silhouette of a person holding a large knife, standing in a dimly lit room with wooden panel walls, a staircase, and dark furniture. Light casts the shadow on the floor, creating a tense and ominous atmosphere.
City Life

The Oldest Cold Case Murder Ever Solved in Massachusetts

The blue-and-white Chevy Impala was missing. Raymond Scheublin noticed it the moment he pulled up to his home on Pine Hill Road—a quiet street in […]

By John H. Tucker
A group of men are engaged in a physical confrontation on a street in front of a building with a sign that reads "THE BOARDING HOUSE." Several people are watching the scene from the sidewalk, and a white vehicle is parked nearby. The men involved are wearing casual winter clothing, including jackets and hats.
Travel

Why Is Everyone So Obsessed with Nantucket?

Was it the first fight ever to break out at Nantucket’s annual Christmas Stroll? That we don’t know. But what we do know is this: […]

By Tom McGrath
An elderly man with white hair wearing a teal button-up shirt and black pants is sitting on a dark purple couch. Behind him is a large bookshelf filled with numerous books, and a tall wooden ladder leans against the shelves. To the right, there is a metallic door with two round knobs.
Education

Can Steven Pinker Save Harvard?

Steven Pinker is one of the most famous—and divisive—academics in America. A cognitive psychologist at Harvard, he’s spent five decades writing about how we think, […]

By Robert Huber
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 […]

By Kara Baskin
A man wearing a dark, patterned suit stands indoors in front of large windows overlooking a cityscape with water, buildings, and boats. The sky is partly cloudy, and the overall lighting is natural.
City Life

The Rise and “Tragic!” Fall of Boston’s Most Powerful Stylist

Moments before it all fell apart, Suhail Kwatra—the most coveted stylist in Boston—was entirely in his element. It was already dark, just after 5 p.m. […]

By Susan Zalkind
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 […]

By Erika Adams
A large orange shovel partially buried in sand next to a small sand sculpture of a car, set against a background of sand sculptures resembling classical buildings and a fountain.
Travel

The Gilded Identity Crisis of Boston’s Favorite Winter Escape

The Palm Beach Daily News is called the “Shiny Sheet” by locals because of the thick, glossy paper it is printed on. It has all […]

By John D. Spooner
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 […]

By Catherine Elton
A collage of six images: a woman sitting in a circular frame against a brown background wearing a white top and floral skirt; a table with a seafood meal including lobster, clams, fries, corn, and onion rings; a man sitting in a booth at a restaurant with a reflective mirror behind him; a man with a beard looking out from a vehicle window; a tall modern glass skyscraper against a blue sky; a young man in a suit and tie smiling outdoors with trees and a clear sky in the background.
City Life

Our Most-Read Stories of 2025

Below you’ll find the 10 most-viewed longform stories we published this year, a handy list of things to (re-)read that includes Boston’s in-depth coverage of […]

By Camille Dodero
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, […]

By Erika Adams
City Life

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey Is Playing to Win

The interview is coming to an end, but Maura Healey is not quite finished delivering her message. And that message is clear: Massachusetts is winning. […]

By Tom McGrath
City Life

Squeezed to Death: Inside Boston’s Sandwich Generation Crisis

They’re planning birthday parties while moving their parents across the country. They’re fielding calls from their kids’ daycare in the morning and their parents’ assisted-living […]

By Wyndham Lewis
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 […]

By Susan Zalkind
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. […]

By Tom McGrath