Schumacher Landscaping
Schumacher has been the grad Poo-Bah of flora for the past 31 years, and is largely responsible for bringing a healthy dose of green to Boston's asphalt avenues. Its creative ingenuity can be appreciated throughout the city at the Fraser Courtyard in the Museum of Fine Arts, the Snell Library Plaza at Northeastern University, and Post Office Square Par. But don't be intimidated if your yard is more like a foot. These doctors of the green thumb are equally adept at smaller residential projects— say, planting pansies around the porch, installing sod over that crabgrass, or mowing your lawn when you just don't feel like it. 17 Electric Ave., Brighton, MA .
Stellabella
Kid alert: This well-laid-out shop in Inman Square has lots of room for wandering feet, plus fun and interactive on-site activities for curious minds. There's a play area with a crawl-through tunnel; a plastic structure holding more than 200 balls for jumping around in; a large-piece floor puzzle; a plastic house for climbing in and out of; and, most important, a storyteller the first Wednesday of every month at 4 p.m. And those things aren't even on sale! Stelabella has top-notch goods, including the usual suspects, like Radio Flyers and Lincoln Logs, as well as an impressive selection of arts and crafts kids. Open seven days a week. 1360 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA stellabellatoys.com.
Beauty by Nelse
Who do Boston’s movers and shakers call when they need to look their best for a big event? That’d be this cosmetics queen, whose 18 years of experience doing makeup for runway fashion shows and beauty pageants (not to mention Real Housewives such as Sonja Morgan and Teresa Giudice) have refined her craft into an art form. Using top-tier products from Chanel, Dior, and Armani, Nelse Karini delivers memorable, effortlessly glam looks with acute attention to detail and infectious passion. Just be sure to book early, as her schedule tends to fill up fast. beautybynelse.com.
The Spa at Encore Boston Harbor
If you think Encore is all bright lights and spinning reels, you’d be right … unless, that is, you’ve taken the elevator up to its state-of-the-art spa, a 19,000-square-foot oasis that feels both ultra-extravagant and profoundly Zen. Before your treatment, unwind in the sauna, relax in the eucalyptus-infused steam room, or take a soak in the hot tub. For the full experience — and a welcome shot of endorphins — alternate between any of these hot options and the cold plunge pool. Your body, and your soul, will thank you. One Broadway, Everett, MA 02149, encorebostonharbor.com.
Tiina Smith
Sporting a piece from Tiina Smith’s jaw-dropping collection of vintage sparklers feels like being transported back in time. Art deco rings, dripping with sapphires and diamonds, recall Gatsby-esque cocktail parties, while beaded Marina B cuffs celebrate the boldness of ’80s style. Worried about taking care of your new heirloom? Don’t be: Smith’s lengthy roster of concierge services ensures you’ll know just how to clean and store your precious bling when you’re not showing it off. 33 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, tiinasmithjewelry.com.
HausWitch Home + Healing
Erica Feldmann’s spellbinding boutique blends the metaphysical (spell kits and tarot decks) with the sort of good taste even the devoutly unspiritual can appreciate (art by indie makers, naturally dyed meditation pillows). The shopkeeper draws on her background in design and feminist theory to help people spark some interior magic while encouraging self-care through reiki and tarot readings at the shop’s nearby “healing space”—this is Salem, after all. hauswitchstore.com.
Jeremy Ogusky
You get a CSA box from your local farm and you’re on a first-name basis with your butcher, but what about the plates and bowls you set the table with every day? A worthy addition to any Boston cabinet, potter Jeremy Ogusky’s durable, unpretentious pieces can be purchased on Etsy; biannual open-studio days at his J.P. workspace, meanwhile, welcome all to come learn the art of pottery. claycrocks.com.
Sinesia Karol
Sinesia Karol’s playful yet sophisticated bikinis, one-pieces (pictured), and cover-ups were born out of her desire to help buttoned-up New Englanders feel as comfortable and confident in swimwear as the women she knew growing up in her native Brazil. Her eponymous brand’s signature style? Artful prints and unexpected cutouts guaranteed to have you strutting in the sand like it’s your personal runway. sinesiakarol.com.
Bodega
Is it uncool to call this store cool? Regardless, it’s hard not to get excited once you open the door camouflaged as a vending machine and step inside the sleek, well-lit space, where the latest and greatest styles from Nike, Adidas, and Puma are lined up like artifacts in a museum. And just to ensure Bodega continues its reign of cool, the brand opened Series, a constantly evolving micro art space just a couple of doors down that offers buzzy limited releases and serves as a mecca for local sneakerheads. 6 Clearway St., Boston, MA 02115, shop.bdgastore.com.
Walter Hill, Social Club Barbers
Walter Hill’s Downtown Crossing shop is perpetually buzzing. It’s no wonder: Once the traveling groomer for boxer Floyd Mayweather, he claims to have cut his first head of hair at age 11. His dedication to the art of men’s grooming extends to his luxuriously close shaves as well as his minty and citrusy lotions that he crafts himself. Now that’s what we call a cut above. 333 Washington St., Boston, MA 02108, socialclubbarbers.com.
Benedetto
Grape-juice stewardship is an art, not a science. But it’s empirically proven that a well-informed beverage team increases your odds of success. Sommelier Robert Taylor manages arguably the city’s loveliest Italian lineup—showcasing gorgeous bottles in the two-digit range and exhilarating nebbiolo depth—and GM Megan McKinnon is a seasoned vino vet herself. A deep bench helps: On a recent visit, a clued-in server whisked us away on an impromptu Friulano mini tour. Charles Hotel, One Bennett St., Cambridge, MA 02138, benedettocambridge.com.
Boston Modern Orchestra Project
Boston is touted as a top arts town, and it lives up to that ideal when its institutions are constantly refreshing their canons. Well, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project has been doing just that since 1996: Its adventurous approach to contemporary classical music includes works by locals such as John Harbison and world premieres by international artists such as this year’s season finale of contemporary Chinese composers. MA bmop.org.
Jill Rosenwald, Jill Rosenwald Studio
Jill Rosenwald's groovy patterned pottery and accessories are pure bold technicolor, and so is her personality: Chatty and effusive, Rosenwald considers her clients and colleagues old friends. When you call her studio, it's actually her on the other end, always game to kibitz about your latest design needs. She's a big supporter of our arts scene, too, as a cofounder of the Design Salon, a networking organization for creative women to swap ideas and advice. 369 Congress St., Boston, MA 02210, jillrosenwald.com.
Urbanity Dance
In seven years, founder and director (and former Boston Ballet teacher) Betsi Graves has grown Urbanity Dance into a thrilling, whimsical, acrobatic beast. Last year, the company collaborated twice with local chamber orchestra A Far Cry, leaping and weaving with the violinists in Jordan Hall. At the Institute of Contemporary Art in February, they performed "Bend," an orgy of strobe lights and corporeal geometry. Whether twisting into one another to form a human skirt or wrestling with their shadows, Urbanity's dancers fulfill their mission to "elevate physical intelligence." 1180 Washington St., Boston, MA 02118, urbanitydance.org.
M. F. Dulock
Walk into this shop on a Saturday and you’re likely to run into dining-scene bigwigs like Shepard co-owner René Becker probing for tips on aging steaks or working with off cuts. That’s because owner Michael Dulock and his staff are experts in the art of butchery, specializing in pasture-raised animals reared on farms less than 250 miles away. 201A Highland Ave., Somerville, MA 02143, mfdulock.com.