Living Large

Pahk the Cah — For $350K
Life just keeps getting tougher for Back Bay die-hards, as ex-suburbanites pour into the city with their pedigreed dogs and black BMWs. So when circling the block for three hours after a hard day’s work loses its charm, it’s time to invest in some asphalt. But with only a handful of parking spots listed on the MLS, the Back Bay’s alleys are precious property, indeed. Case in point: Though a two-vehicle tandem space between Commonwealth Avenue and Newbury Street is exposed to all the elements — snow (BYO shovel), inebriated students — it costs about $1,000 a square foot, making it some of the priciest pavement in the world. Get a Zipcar account, you say? That’s part of the problem—the car-sharing powerhouse has already gobbled up 107 spots around the neighborhood. Where’s teleportation when you need it?  >> Address: 132 Commonwealth Ave., #5/6, Boston, Listing price: $350,000, Listing agent: Shelagh Brennan, Cabot & Company, 617-896-5002, cabotandcompany.com, Stats: One big, expensive slab of pavement in the Back Bay.

Local Color
If you can’t live through January looking like Morticia Addams, either order a home spray-tan system from Million Dollar Tan ($849), or call Jennifer DeMarco Gregory. She’ll come to your house with her mobile spray unit and bring you to a golden brown in less than 10 minutes. $65 per visit, 781-363-3565, luminositytan.com.

Fashion Plates
Hounds, airplanes, plastic dolls, and house plans have all appeared on dinner dishes at one time or another (in the pattern, that is). The surprising and vivid history of tableware design is explained in this extensively researched volume by Shax Riegler. Dish: 813 Colorful, Wonderful Dinner Plates, $35, artisanbooks.com.

Illustration  by  John  Ueland