Ski Market
Year after year, we find new winter gear we can't live without. So year after year, we revisit Ski Market. The store caters to everyone from bunny slopers to the black-diamond crowd with snowboards, snowshoes, and skis from A-list manufacturers like Salomon and Rossignol. It also carries sleek wear from the North Face, Burton, and Nordica that will keep enthusiasts looking cool—no matter how often or hard they fall. 860 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 2213, skimarket.com.
Waterworks
Essentially a shrine to all things bath-related, Waterworks stocks handcut crystal sink accessories, refreshing grapefruit and ginger soaps, seductively quilted robes, and chrome faucet spouts so shiny you can see yourself in the reflection. With everything from cast-iron claw foot tubs to matte nickel toilet-paper holders, it's little wonder this temple of clean calls its tempting contents "jewelry for the bath." 103 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
David Vendetti,
Aching for downward dog? Eager for a sun salutation? Stop by this frills-free Boylston Street studio. Yogi David Vendetti transforms himself from teacher to comedian to storyteller to motivator, all while delivering precise, clear instructions. His 90-minute classes cater to both beginners and advanced students. Every body leaves Back Bay Yoga in balance. 1112 Boylston St., Third Floor, Boston, MA backbayyoga.com.
Wine Galley
Wine stores tend to cater to either experts or idiots. If, like most of us, you're somewhere in between, head to the Wine Gallery, a shop as welcoming to neophytes as it is to Robert Parker wannabes. The knowledgeable staff will happily guide you to a hard-to-find amarone or the best 10-buck malbec. And if you still can't decide, try before you buy at the store's 'wine jukebox,' which dispenses free half-ounce samples of 32 reds and 16 whites. 375 Boylston St. (Rte. 9), Brookline, MA 02445-6007, wine-gallery.com.
Picture Perfect Pets
More kindergarten teacher than drill sergeant, Bette Yip can teach pooches to do anything—sit; stay; scoop their own poop (we can dream, can't we?). If Rover can't make group classes—or hasn't yet learned to play well with others—sign him up in advance for private lessons. After a few one-on-one sessions with Yip, he'll be ready to fetch the paper and roll over like a pro. 9C Dudley Street Pl., Arlington, MA 2476, betteyip.com.
Met Back Bay
In a sea of nondescript restaurants catering to shoppers and office workers, Met Back Bay consistently impresses with its comfort-food-with-a-twist fare (think: rotisserie jerk chicken and head-on trout with shaved zucchini). Then there's the ham-and-cheese bar, where a multitude of potential pairings—prosciutto with Great Hill Blue, or hickory-smoked ham with Cabot clothbound cheddar?—support lingering at the bar with a glass of rosé. 279 Dartmouth St., Boston, MA 2116, metbackbay.com.
Wolfers Lighting
Lighting makes a room, and the selection at Wolfers can give any home a welcoming glow. The Allston gallery has fixtures for every space—indoor and out. It caters to a variety of styles and budgets with fixtures including ornate chandeliers and funky kitchen pendants. The savvy salespeople can always shed light on any illumination problem, whether you need help changing a bulb or lighting an antique barn. 103 N. Beacon St., Allston, MA wolfers.com.
Boston Public Library
The gurgle of the cast-bronze fountain in the Italianate open-air courtyard. The glow of the green glass lamps on Bates Hall’s long reading tables. Set the scene for your own epic love story at the BPL. With an array of dramatic party spaces and creative, personalized cuisine from the Catered Affair, the Renaissance Revival treasure is less library and more fairy-tale romance in the making. bpl.org; thecateredaffair.com/bpl. 700 Boylston St., Boston, MA .
Sault New England
Owner Philip Saul (pictured) will bring sartorially salty New England cred to your closet. Pick up a button-down, available in a variety of fabrics, from the store's eponymous label, made in Fall River. Or go for a trusty selection of familiar brands like Jack Purcell, Penfield, and Jack Spade—with surprising twists, like vintage leather brogues to pair with Unbranded Japanese selvage tapered denim jeans. Naturally, you'll want to grab some beer soap or beard oil on your way out. 577 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02118, saultne.com.
Pastoral
Fort Point Italian restaurant Pastoral gets points for a prime location (blocks from the Boston Children's Museum) and an excellent parking situation (get a $5 validation for the nearby Farnsworth Garage). There's ample stroller parking in the takeout area, and tables are widely spaced so antsy children can roam free. The kids' menu, meanwhile, offers thoughtful touches like gluten-free pizza; paper and crayons arrive while you wait. 345 Congress St., Boston, MA 02210, pastoralfortpoint.com.
Winnetu
This beachfront resort is located just a short bike ride away from Edgartown. Not that you'll ever need to trek into town. The family-friendly property offers myriad accommodation options to suit everyone from couples to cousins, and has a bevy of amenities—tennis, yoga, pools—to keep the crew happy all day long. The Dunes, the Winnetu's restaurant, caters to a diverse crowd, including the kiddos. 31 Dunes Rd., Edgartown, MA 02539, winnetu.com.
Jamaica Mi Hungry
The fiery, hearty, soulful fare of Jamaica has a cozy home in Jackson Square, where chef Ernie Campbell uses skills honed as a caterer and food-truck operator to serve heaping helpings of jerk chicken, coconut shrimp, oxtail, and curry goat. Bonus points for the prime location next to an MBTA Orange Line stop and bus hub, which makes these good eats accessible to a broad, underserved swath of the city, notably a nearby section of Roxbury with few sit-down or takeout restaurants. 225 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, jamaicamihungry.com.
Gracenote
Warning: This is not the type of corner café you can turn into a makeshift office. Instead, the dual-use space, shared with Downtown Crossing’s Graffito SP, caters to serious coffee fiends. Presiding over the Modbar espresso machine are former Coffee Trike barista San Bellino and his team, who dole out the best cortados around using nuanced beans from partner Patrick Barter’s central Massachusetts roastery. That attention to detail also extends to the eats, with cheddar-chive-bacon biscuits and molasses scones prepared daily by Townsman pastry wiz Meghan Thompson. 108 Lincoln St., Boston, MA 02111, gracenotecoffee.com.
Wish
You'll wish you had more occasions to wear girlie dresses after you visit this starry-eyed Beacon Hill boutique. The small space is filled to the brim with trendy threads and accessories, but the collection of flirty dresses, skirts, and petal-soft cotton Ts merits special attention. The selection is comfortably eclectic—think Trina Turk, Ella Moss, Tibi, Susana Monaco, Paper Denim & Cloth, Velvet, How & Wen, and Shoshanna, just for starters. You're bound to find yourself circling the racks, spying new must-haves with every pass. 49 Charles St., Boston, MA wishboston.wordpress.com.
Gregg D'Andrea
After teaching spinning at workout meccas like Equinox and Crunch, D'Andrea opened his own 5,000-square-foot fitness studio last year to cater to his considerable following. (He claims a 70 percent retention rate among his clients.) Free advice: "For weight training, dumbbells give far better results than machines. And forget weight belts. Last I heard, cavemen didn't wear weight belts, and they were in better shape than some of the people working out now." 55 Charles St., Needham, MA 2494, .