A Room with a Vieux Antiques
Proprietor Jeff Diamond is an unabashed Francophile who even acquired his sheep dog, Aramis, in the Pyrenees. Although a few provincial antiques find their way into the five or six jumbo containers he ships each year from France, most pieces look as if Diamond had plucked them from a Paris drawing room. The Charles Street store emphasizes art deco classics, popular these days on Beacon Hill. The Brookline branch has both deco and more formal items with marquetry and intricate decoration—and a huge assortment of antique beds, most of them cleverly altered to king or queen size. 200 Washington St., Brookline, MA aroomwithavieux.com.
Provincetown Theater
Considered influential by everyone from Tennessee Williams and Eugene O'Neill to Richard Gere, and known as nothing less than the birthplace of American drama, Provincetown has given its heady thespian spirit a high-voltage jolt with this new, year-round playhouse. The classic black box setup has flexible seating, state-of-the-art lighting, and a killer sound system so it can accommodate its two resident companies (the Provincetown Repertory Theatre and Provincetown Theatre Company) as easily as its high-profile productions by writers such as Eve Ensler, Douglas Carter Beane, and Terrence McNally. 238 Bradford St., Provincetown, MA provincetowntheater.org.
Flat Top Johnny's
There are some places where you feel cooler just by walking in. Such is the case with this funky pool hall, which sets the right mood with red-felt tables, an alternative-music soundtrack and Roy Lichtenstein-esque mural on one wall. The crowd seems to consist of Cambridge's hipper denizens who have taken time off from the art studio or recording hall to rack a few. It's a fresh change from the meat-market pool halls downtown. The only downside: Pool tables here are a bit close for comfort—though depending on who's at the next table, that's not necessarily a bad thing. One Kendall Square, Building 200, Cambridge, MA flattopjohnnys.com.
Airi Jewelry & Gallery
We all have go-to ensembles, the ones we pull from the closet at least once a week because they make us feel good. But when you need just a little something extra to make yours special enough for [insert occasion here], a pair of statement earrings goes a long way. Enter the wearable art from Boston-based Airi. Crafted from stainless steel and tarnish-resistant brass, founder Maya Alia’s geometric wired pieces — we especially love the golden arches and the floral-shaped “ear jackets” — make even the simplest outfit look chic. shopairi.com.
The Catered Affair
This culinary juggernaut is the in-house caterer for a slew of the city’s high-end venues, including the Boston Public Library, Harvard Art Museums, and the Boston Athenaeum (where it also runs a brand-new café open to the public). Which begs the question: If they trust the Catered Affair to handle their cuisine, shouldn’t you? The answer: Yes, you absolutely should. With the goal of creating unforgettable dining experiences, the team here can curate a personalized menu for your big day — think king-crab tostadas and broiled oysters with sea urchin and black lime — that looks as good as it tastes. thecateredaffair.com.
Bonde Fine Wine Shop
This wine shop in Harvard Square sells more than world-class bottles. It sells art: from handcrafted contemporary glassware to silver corkscrew cufflinks and other “sommelier jewelry.” It sells education: Grape expert Bertil Jean-Chronberg regularly leads ticketed tastings and private experiences around Bonde’s gathering table. It proffers a sense of community, too: The shelves include eco-conscious bottles from Jean-Chronberg’s Black Donkey Project — dry whites and fruity reds produced in collaboration with top wine- makers to support nonprofits like No Kid Hungry. We’ll drink to that. 54 Church St., Cambridge, MA 02138, bondewines.com.
Black Market Nubian
For husband-and-wife team Chris and Kai Grant, founding this Roxbury-based market in 2017 wasn’t just about giving local Black- owned businesses a much-needed platform; it was about revitalizing the neighborhood. It’s no surprise, then, that Black Market has since evolved to include a public-art initiative, designed to support area artists in the creation of community-centric murals throughout Nubian Square. And as for the pop-ups? They’re still going strong, with events featuring vendors hawking bath products, handmade jewelry, sweet treats, and more. 2136 Washington St., Boston, MA 02119, blackmarketnubian.com.
Underground at Ink Block
Take a stroll underneath the I-93 overpass between the South End and Southie, and you’ll discover the city’s most exhilarating art exhibit. Sprawled over 8 acres, the once-desolate zone now features 18 murals, nine of which were added last summer. Highlighting local artists such as Silvia López Chavez, national ones like Def Jam’s founding creative director Cey Adams, and international ones including Spain’s Muro, the concrete, metal, and asphalt burst with color and forward-thinking vision 90 Traveler St., Boston, MA 02118, undergroundinkblock.com.
Petrova Chocolates
When the pandemic sidelined her pastry gig at the Back Bay’s iconic Uni, Betty Petrova didn’t sit on her couch eating bonbons; instead, she took to the kitchen to start making them. Handpainted with colorful, glossy brushstrokes of cocoa butter, the bite-size works of art quickly caught the eye of fans — so much so that now she’s focused full time on crafting delicate Valrhona chocolate shells generously filled with exquisite, inventive flavors like honey elderflower, rose pistachio, and rosemary caramel, many using ingredients plucked from local gardens. petrovachocolates.com.
Douglass Williams, Mida
What makes a great chef? Great food, of course, such as Mida’s bowls of lovingly crafted carbonara, soft bricks of super-buttery, garlicky focaccia, and other Italian comforts. More than that, though, Williams has mastered every little detail in the holistic art of hospitality: Setting the scene with soothing (and flattering!) soft lighting, he shares unforced charm with guests at Mida’s original South End enoteca and a new, twice-sized sibling in Newton, which adds New Haven–style pizza — a preview of Williams’s soon-to-launch pie project, Apizza — to this Renaissance man’s repertoire. 782 Tremont St., South End, MA 02118, midarestaurant.com.
Juniko
This Hanover workout center is less a gym and more a lifestyle dojo. Named for Japan’s "Twelve Lakes" and cofounded by jujitsu world champ Daniel Gracie, Juniko takes a fitness-academy approach to wellness, offering adult- and child-level formats to suburbanites investing in their whole family’s health. Held in a sleek studio, the classes—including Brazilian jujitsu and aerial yoga—feel more like performance art than exercise. But you’ll still want to reward yourself with a visit to the on-site juice bar for kale smoothies, avocado toast, and take-home cleanses. 1376 Washington St., Hanover, MA 02339, juniko.com.
Lunette Optic
An eyewear shop needs two things to be successful: an ample selection of designer brands and a sales staff that’s willing to tell it to you straight. In the case of the fine folks at Lunette Optic, that meant stopping one tester from splurging on a pair of Chanel frames that made him look like an art-school dropout. Instead, they pointed the way toward face-flattering specs from a diverse lineup that includes hard-to-find international labels such as Anne et Valentin, from France, and Eyevan, from Japan. Perfect vision, indeed. Multiple locations. 121 High St., Boston, MA 02110, lunetteoptic.com.
NETA
Shopping at NETA’s Brookline outpost is as far from buying pot off your cousin’s dog walker in a 7-Eleven parking lot as you can get. The vast selection of buds, pre-rolled joints, vape pens, and gummies is housed behind wood-trimmed glass cases in a historical bank complete with a well-styled mini lounge to wait in. And unlike in dubious parking-lot rendezvous, you can be sure that whatever you buy, the product will be top-tier, thanks to NETA’s state-of-the-art indoor cultivation center in Franklin. 160 Washington St., Brookline, MA netacare.org.
The Blue Bunny
Once in a blue moon, you get a Blue Bunny. Cofounded by children's author-illustrator Peter H. Reynolds (The Dot, The North Star) five years ago, the magical little bookshop has grown into an area hub of reading and imagination. In scarcely more than 1,000 square feet it offers classic kids' books, young-adult novels (some for grownups, too), and lots of low-tech, high-fun games. But more than that, it provides a genuine springboard for creativity. There's always an art or writing workshop planned, and this spring the store launched a magazine created by and for youngsters called The Hutch—underscoring how rare this Bunny truly is. 577 High St., Dedham, MA 2026, .
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.