Brattle Theatre
You can catch an Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu flick at any multiplex nowadays, but you won't see Boston Underground Film Festival highlights or a repertory series of World War II movies—or, for that matter, a weeklong Muppets marathon—anywhere else but the Brattle. The Harvard Square institution has been screening foreign, art house, and classic films for over 50 years, but it's much more than a sleepy civic treasure: It's holy ground for Boston's cineastes, budding film auteurs, and anyone who just likes to watch Casablanca on the big screen. 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA brattlefilm.org.
The Jeff Galindo-Marc Phaneuf Sextet
A smokin' supergroup of Boston-based jazz all-stars: Galindo (trombone), Phaneuf (sax), and Ken Cervenka (trumpet) front the hottest rhythm section in New England. Pianist Tim Ray, bassist John Lockwood, and drummer Bob Gullotti round off the group. As individuals, these guys have played with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Lyle Lovett to the Boston Pops. After three years gigging around Boston, the band has just issued its first CD, Locking Horns. Cadence Magazine notes that on the album Galindo "uses his lip and slide to twist squeeze notes like warm putty from a tube."
Susan Regis, cochef at Biba
Lydia Shire gets a lot of praise, and she should, but her sidekick deserves much credit for Boston's most creative cuisine. 272 Boylston Street, Boston, MA .
WBCN
Boston's own WBCN, which now airs syndicated New York shows during both the morning and afternoon drive times.
Ed Burke's
Soul, blues, and R&B keep this cozy club cranking in Mission Hill—Boston's most maligned neighborhood. 808 Huntingtone Ave., Boston, MA .
The MBTA's #1 Bus (Harvard Square to Dudley Station)
A glimpse at the true, uncensored soul of Boston is found on a roundtrip ride on the MBTA's #1 bus. It bisects the city by running the length of Mass. Ave. from Harvard to Roxbury; along the way it picks up an array of characters from all walks of life, professions, and strata. Harvard Square intellectuals are joined by the eccentrics of Central Square, followed by the tech/science types from M.I.T. After crossing the river, the #1 glides through posh Back Bay and past Newbury Street, skirts Fenway, and then moves into the heart of Boston's music epicenter—Berklee, the Symphony, New England Conservatory, and Wally's. It then cruises through the South End and finally makes its way through the environs of Roxbury to Dudley Station.
Charles Pierce
His Boston Phoenix coverage of the Heckler-Frank race had both depth and wit. His reward? Writing sports for the Boston Herald.
The ICA Theater
The Regattabar occasionally offers avant-garde performers like Don Byron or Michael Marcus, but no one would ever confuse with New York's Knitting Factory. The Institute for Contemporary Art, on the other hand, in cahoots with the recently revived Boston Creative Music Alliance (brainchild of the Pheonix's Ed Hazel and onetime ICA affiliate Gillian Levine), has hosted some cutting-edge jazz in the last year. Boston's fringe fans were treated to acts like John Zorn's Masada and Henry Threadgill and the Far East Side Band, who came into town in conjunction with the "New Histories" exhibit, up-and-coming pianist Myra Melford, and free jazz masters Matthew Shipp and William Parker. New shows are in the works for the fall. It may be wishful thinking, but we're calling this a trend. 955 Boylston St., Boston, MA .
Lamont Price
Even if you’re more familiar with his droll presence on Twitter, where he weighs in on everything from the latest trials of the Celtics to Saved by the Bell, it’s not hard to catch this funnyman around town. He’s performed on Boston Calling’s comedy stage and seems to pop up at nearly every local showcase. If Boston has a surging comedy scene right now, Price might just be the face of it: unapologetically Boston, unafraid to take big swings. MA lamontpricelive.com.
If we could dream up a 2020 all-star squad of heroes, champions, and advocates, it would look a lot like this: Community organizer Gladys Vega (1) of the Chelsea Collaborative, who has spent the past two decades fighting for social justice but swiveled her focus to feeding 11,000 residents each week as the coronavirus ravaged her city. Public health advocate and Harvard professor of epidemiology Marc Lipsitch (2) would also make the team, in no small part due to his consistent and clear message, whether speaking to us in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, or the Boston Globe: Never underestimate COVID-19. Our best city politician is Julia Mejia (3), the first immigrant and Latina on the Boston City Council, who fought back against racist harassment after taking office in early 2020. She has also worked to improve bilingual communications in Boston and even made a series of TikTok videos with her daughter to liven up the mood at City Hall during the early days of the pandemic. Ibram X. Kendi (4), meanwhile, is the man of the hour and our hope for humanity. A bestselling author, the 2019 Guggenheim Fellow recently became a history professor and the founding director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research, where he’ll lead many of the country’s brightest minds to solve problems of racial inequity. His books, including How to Be an Antiracist, are already required reading among those in the know around town. As for the best social justice advocate in Boston? That’s Monica Cannon-Grant (5), a Roxbury mother of six adopted children who rallied tens of thousands of residents to Franklin Park to peacefully protest police brutality. She also runs a victim-assistance program and free-meal delivery service through her organizations Violence in Boston and Food for the Soul. And though he’s best known for his moves on the court, Celtics star Jaylen Brown (6) is our clear choice for celebrity ambassador—he’s peacefully protested, regularly speaks about race in America, and was honored at the State House this year for his charity work with children. We’re proud to have him on our home team.
Circle Furniture
There are plenty of high-end shops in town to satisfy sophisticated tastes, but we keep coming back to Circle, Boston's source for New England-built beds, chairs, and more. You can furnish your entire home here. Just remember: This is custom stuff. It takes time to build, but it's worth the wait. 31 St. James Ave., Boston, MA 2116, circlefurniture.com.
The number 1 bus
The number 1 bus (Dudley) takes you through a cross section of the Hub from Harvard Yard to Dudley Square, and offers breathtaking views of the Charles Basin. It's a social experience, too: Boston's neighborhoods may be segregated, but on the number 1, everyone's in the same bus.
Sultan's Kitchen
Why single out what is already probably Boston's only Turkish restaurant? Because there are some who work downtown and still haven't had one of their kebab sandwiches for lunch. Give 'em a shot: only your breath will suffer. 72 Broad St., Boston, MA .
Sultan's Kitchen
With such a powerfully aromatic taste of the Mediterranean, you'll find it hard to believe you're still in Boston's hectic financial district. Try the Patlican Imam Bayildi or Chicken Durum, a heavenly mixture of spiced grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, and deliciously tender roasted eggplant. Major drawback: Open for lunch only. 72 Broad St., Boston, MA .
Rachel Graham, the Loft Salon
Trained by color superstar Michael Albor, Rachel Graham has earned her stripes through intensive off-site workshops and time spent crafting the proper hues for Boston's graying glitterati. She understands the delicate balance between highlights and lowlights required to achieve a head of rich, luscious locks without brassy overtones. 253 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, theloftsalonboston.com.