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Planning to spend Thanksgiving in Boston? You’re in one of the best cities in the country to do it, according to a new report from WalletHub.
The study ranked the 100 best U.S. cities for Thanksgiving based on factors like volunteer rates, weather, safety, and Thanksgiving celebrations and traditions. Boston came in 18th overall — and was the only New England city to make the list.
Boston’s vibrant restaurant scene helped secure its spot in the top 20. The city ranked No. 1 in the country for the number of restaurants with Yelp ratings of at least 4.5 stars or higher, giving those spending the holiday in the city plenty of dining options for a Thanksgiving meal or weekend outing.
Boston also scored well for “Giving Thanks,” a measure which included volunteer hours per capita, charities per capita, and income donated to charities.
Cities in Texas and California cities dominated the top of WalletHub’s list, with San Antonio, Texas taking first place overall.
“The best cities for celebrating Thanksgiving all have an abundance of high-quality restaurants and places to buy festive decorations, and their residents get very excited for the holiday based on their Google search history. Other features make individual cities stand out; for example, San Antonio has great weather, Atlanta has a fantastic track record for on-time flights and Virginia Beach has surprisingly affordable accommodations,” said WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo.
The report also shared that the average American spends $235 over the five-day Thanksgiving period — and 71% aim to avoid talking politics at the dinner table.
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Sometime in the early-morning hours on Thursday, Logan Airport finally reached 32 degrees for the first time this season. This marks the 17th latest first freeze on record and is a trend of later frost starts that continues to occur. For the Boston area, the average date is Nov. 5, according to National Weather Service records.
Overall, the weather over the next several days is looking sunny and dry. But the good news is the brief warmup New England will get on Friday.
When you get up Friday morning, temperatures will be in the 30s east of I-495 and in the mid- to upper 20s west and over the higher elevations, not quite as cold as the past couple of mornings due to some high cloudiness and a southerly flow of air. The day will warm up, getting near or even a little above 50 degrees, especially along the coastal plain. This little boost in mild weather will also feature a blend of clouds and sunshine.
A weak weather system crosses the area Friday night Friday night into early Saturday, with the chance of some shower activity, but this is minimal at best. The clouds will tend to thicken, and there is the chance of a couple of hours of showers. The data that I used to determine rainfall doesn’t show much in the way of precipitation, and some models even have it completely dry.


When you get up Saturday morning, if there is an early shower, it’s quickly out of the picture and we go back to sunshine. Temperatures will start above freezing everywhere Saturday morning, so if you have any field games, the ground will not be frozen. In the afternoon, readings will be between 43 and 48 across most of the region.
Clear skies Saturday night allow temperatures to once again fall back to typical levels in the 20s and 30s, and then it’s a gorgeous Sunday with temperatures in the mid-40s in the afternoon and light wind.


The lack of wind this weekend will make it great for leaf-raking and other fall cleanup since the leaves won’t be blowing around. Remember, if you can leave the leaves in your garden beds, it does act as a protection for many perennials, but I do recommend removing the leaves from the lawn.
With the nice weather across all of New England this weekend, it’s actually an opportunity to take advantage of the early snow that has fallen across Vermont, New Hampshire, and portions of Maine. Northern Vermont, in particular, as well as the mountains of New Hampshire, have done particularly well in terms of November snowfall. This means you can expect almost mid-winter conditions on a few trails for those areas that received the bulk of the snowfall.

Next week looks dry until we get to around Wednesday. A weather system may bring a few showers sometime on Wednesday, but it doesn’t look significant. This means great travel weather starts the work week. I don’t see any major storms nationwide to create travel delays. Thanksgiving also looks dry as of now.

Greater Boston: Look for a blend of clouds and sunshine on Friday with temperatures starting in the low to mid-30s and reaching near 50 in the afternoon. An early shower gives way to sunshine on Saturday with highs in the 40s.
Central/Western Mass.: Look for temperatures starting in the 20s on Friday, reaching the upper 40s in the afternoon, along with a blend of clouds and sun. Clearing takes place Saturday morning with highs in the 40s along with sunshine.
Southeastern Mass.: Plenty of sunshine mixed with clouds on Friday with temperatures near 50. An early shower Saturday leads to clearing in the afternoon. Highs will be in the 40s with lows back in the 20s. Sunday features sunshine with temperatures back into the mid-40s.
Cape and Islands: Look for a blend of sunshine and a few clouds on Friday with temperatures in the mid-40s. The weekend starts on a cloudy note with clearing developing in the afternoon on Saturday and highs near 50. It’s cold Saturday night with temperatures near 30 and in the 40s with sunshine on Sunday.
Rhode Island: Sunshine is abundant on Friday with temperatures near 50. Look for clearing from north to south on Saturday morning after an early sprinkle across the south coast. Temperatures will be near 50 in the afternoon sunshine, with temperatures in the 40s for Sunday.
New Hampshire: You can expect sunshine on Friday with temperatures near 40. Look for a dry weekend ahead with temperatures within a few degrees of 40 on Saturday and just under 40 on Sunday. Both days will feature sunshine; it’s a bit breezy on Saturday.
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Boston finally has its first Michelin star.
311 Omakase in the South End received one star at Michelin’s Northeast Cities ceremony in Philadelphia Tuesday night. The 10-seat restaurant is tucked away in a basement, and the price starts at $250 per person. It was the only restaurant to receive a star in Boston’s inaugural year with the Michelin Guide.
“It’s a starting point. It’s going to build momentum for us,” said David O’Donnell, vice president of communications for Meet Boston.
Meet Boston was influential in bringing the Michelin Guide to Boston, but would not disclose how much the organization paid for it.
“Any recognition you get from Michelin is a game-changer, not only for those restaurants and chefs, but for the destination,” O’Donnell said.
The legendary recognition goes to 311 Omakase on Tremont Street in the city’s South End.
Six restaurants received Bib Gourmand awards recognizing high-quality food at a reasonable price, including Bar Volpe and Fox & the Knife in South Boston, both owned by Karen Akunowicz.
“I want to cry. I mean, I was shocked, and I still am,” said Akunowicz. “For me, that was like getting three stars. Our teams work tirelessly to bring excellent food and amazing hospitality experiences to the folks in Boston and beyond.”
In Cambridge, three restaurants — Jahunger, Pagu, and Sumiao Hunan Kitchen — also earned Bib Gourmands, along with Mahaniyom in Brookline.
On top of that, 20 eateries were named Recommended Restaurants, including Select Oyster Bar in Boston’s Back Bay.
“We try and serve the best seafood we can get our hands on, and if it’s not top-shelf, A+ grade, we don’t let it in the door,” said Benjamin Sandrof, a bartender at Select Oyster Bar.
Toro in the South End also earned the honor of Recommended Restaurant after two decades in the neighborhood.
“This long in, we’re like, ‘Who would ever even recognize us for what we’re doing?’ Because there’s so many new, great chefs in Boston, and we’re not the new kid on the block anymore, and it’s just so nice that people still notice the effort,” said Ken Oringer, the chef and owner.
See the full list of Boston-area restaurants recognized in the Michelin Guide.
By Aaron Parseghian, WBZ-TV
Nearly 200 people from more than 50 countries became America’s newest citizens Tuesday, raising their right hands and reciting the oath of allegiance during an emotional naturalization ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.
“By your hard work, patience, and commitment to this long process, you have all earned the right to be citizens of the United States of America,” said U.S. District Court Judge Allison Burroughs, who presided over the naturalization ceremony. “I think that John F. Kennedy, if he could see us now, would love knowing that his library is one of the places where people become citizens.”
For some, the day marked the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Gaison Brumaire, who came to the U.S. from Haiti in 2016, said the ceremony opened the door to new possibilities.
“I’m just excited. I mean, there’s a lot of opportunity. Like, you know, we can vote now,” Brumaire said.
“I’ve long been hearing about America. America has been a great country, so it’s everybody’s dream. And I’m happy to be a part of it,” added Beatrice Gray, a new U.S. citizen from Liberia. “I’ve long been wanting this forever, and I decided to just abide by the rules and laws of this country and being in America, being so great. I mean, I’m so happy.”
Others described a mix of joy and relief. João Oliveira moved from Brazil to Milford as a teenager and spent nearly a decade waiting for this moment.
“Having all the responsibilities and rights that only you can get when you are a citizen, it’s awesome. It’s a thing that I always wanted to have,” Oliveira said.
Despite living in the country legally, he said recent national debates and crackdowns on immigration left him feeling uneasy.
“You know we see a lot of political talk about immigration and everything and laws changing every time. You never feel safe,” Olivera said. “Someone could sign a law that makes you not part of this country anymore. So you always feel anxious about it. And being a citizen says, like, nobody can take this right away from me anymore.”
For Tibet native Yeshi Nyizing, becoming an American was the culmination of hard work and sacrifice.
“I work day and night and I pay a lot of taxes and then I made it,” she said. “I feel so proud to be an American citizen. I love America.”
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