Safest area: East Boston and Charlestown. Most unsafe: Back Bay-South End, Downtown, North End, Beacon Hill and Chinatown.
Wulf's Fish Market
Boston Magazine's test, conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service, confirmed what we've known all along. Wulf's—still the best! 407 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA .
Lava Bar, Saturday Night Tabu
With an amazing penthouse view of Boston and Cambridge, this intimate club attracts the most adorable girls, who dance to DJ Fran and languish on velvet sofas. 575 Commonwealth Ave., 8th Floor, Boston, MA .
The return of the real live swans to the lagoon at the Public Garden
Last May the Boston Parks Department and the Park Plaza Hotel released cygnets Castor and Polux, the first swans to swim in the lagoon in 23 years. Boston, MA
French Modernist Pierre Boulez and His Ensemble Inter-Contemporaine
Boulez dazzled Symphony Hall audiences with futuristic compositions and effects, then he dazzled even jaded members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra with his conducting.
Bloomingdale's
Good source of designer anythings, and one of the first greater Boston stores to hire a personal shopper for men. Chestnut Hill Mall, Chestnut Hill, MA .
The Hampshire House
They've changed the name, but the drink remains the same—the finest in Boston, with just a hint of horseradish and garlic. 84 Beacon St., Boston, MA .
Lisa Hughes
WBZ-TV, Channel 4 anchor Lisa Hughes, for injecting some energy into the tired Boston TV market.
WBUR
The Boston University-based station has eclectic programming, informed deejay, and National Public Radio.
Safest area: Charlestown and East Boston. Most unsafe: Back Bay-South End and Roxbury.
Dairy Fresh Candies
Nothing fancy—just fireballs, Mexican Hats, Boston Baked Beans, and Gummi bears at fair prices. 57 Salem Street, Boston, MA .
Miracle of Science
Now, if only they could clone themselves all around Boston—that would be a real miracle of science. 321 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA .
Sally Ling's
While the Boston Waterfront location is fancier, the Newton outpost of Ling's gives better overall value. 10 Langley Rd., Newton, MA .