Ember Flynne | What My Boston Looks Like

Age: 27
Job: Independent Circus Performer
Income: $22,000
Relationship Status: Single, no kids
Lives in: Brighton

“I’m currently in Boston because there is an amazing circus community here that’s a little bit under the radar. I’m a fire dancer and an aerial acrobat. The number of gigs I have really depends on the time of year. I could be doing zero for several weeks, or during the holiday season I could have three gigs a week. The gig economy is definitely stressful, and Boston is definitely expensive. Saving is really important for those months or years that you make less. I try to economize, especially on big expenses like rent. I live in Brighton with four other people, which cuts down on rent quite a bit, and I’ve been very lucky to find a landlord who has good relationships with the people who live in her spaces and isn’t just going to raise the rent year after year. As a city, I think later public transportation would be really great. If I have a gig that I’ll be coming home from at 3 a.m., I know I’ll have to drive, and I could save some money if I didn’t have to use a car locally.”