September 2023 Issue
Are Massachusetts’ Teachers Unions Allowing Students to Fail?
They fight against charter schools, MCAS testing, and state oversight while seeking more taxpayer money than ever before. Meanwhile, public school students’ reading and math scores are worse than they have been in 20 years. Just a coincidence?
The Best Public High Schools in Greater Boston, Ranked for 2023
We crunched the numbers to come up with our annual guide to the top-performing schools in the region. How does your child’s school stack up?
Feature
An Intensive A-to-Z Guide to Apples, New England’s Most Iconic Fall Fruit
From Johnny Appleseed to East Boston’s Downeast Cider guys to Matt Damon’s famous line in Good Will Hunting, here’s everything you need to know (and probably a whole lot more) about our region’s most quintessentially autumn fruit.
It’s Time to Get to Know Sam Slater
The Boston-area developer, Seattle sports team owner, and Hollywood film producer is a man on a mission: to make the company bearing his family’s name the most successful it can be—and make a name for himself in the process.
Department
No, Corey Thomas Will Not Tell You His Mother’s Maiden Name
The head of local cybersecurity firm Rapid7 talks espionage, the corrosiveness of TikTok, and the failed promise of Back to the Future: “I still want my hoverboard.”
Can the Edward M. Kennedy Institute Save Democracy?
It sure is going to try. And in the meantime, this institution on the rise is making an impact on the national stage.
Meet Noah Kahan, the Voice of an Emotionally Evolved Generation
How did a native New Englander who writes anthemic pop-folk songs about small towns, his parents, and dogs become mainstream music’s Next Big Thing? TikTok, talent, and lots of honest therapy.
Home Design
How Do You Turn an 1800s Dairy Barn into a 21st-Century Great Room?
For TV personality Tanya McQueen’s Nantucket home, the solution was improved lighting and rustic flourishes.
So You Want to Live in Concord, Massachusetts?
One-of-a-kind shops, grand old Colonials, and history galore: Here are five things to know if you’re considering a move to this quintessential New England town.
Real Estate Showdown: A J.P. Victorian vs. a Waterfront Home in Rhode Island
It’s amazing what a few miles can to the market. This month, we compare a historical mansard in Boston with an elaborate beach house in Bristol.
Beacon
Fall Arts Preview: Haute Couture and John Singer Sargent
The Museum of Fine Arts presents a fashion show as seen through the brushwork of a 19th-century great.
The Huntington Theatre Company Starts Its First Full Season under a New Leader
Four exuberantly thoughtful productions open this autumn, courtesy of artistic director Loretta Greco.
Fall Arts Preview: 18 Things We Can’t Wait to Do This Season
It’s time for a fresh slate of music, theater, and museum exhibitions.
Fashion + Style
Long’s Jewelers Moves to a New South Shore Location
After decades in the South Shore Plaza, the 145-year-old local luxury chain expands into a jaw-dropping, 11,000-square-foot Braintree emporium.
Five Fall 2023 Style Essentials, According to Boston Shopkeepers
The city’s fashion experts dish on the autumn season’s hottest looks.
Party Pics: Here’s to the Ladies Who Lunch!
Dispatches from the city’s swankiest fundraisers, including the Emerald Necklace Conservancy’s “hat luncheon” and more.
Five Spa Treatments for Fall 2023
As the leaves change color, now is the ideal time to pamper yourself.
A Weekend Traveler’s Guide to Baltimore
An early-autumn trip to Charm City comes complete with culture, crabs, and five-star hospitality.