Jay Gordon, Oliver Mak, and Dan Natola, Bodega
Drawing on their unmatched knowledge of urban art and fashion, the owners of this hidden sneaker boutique have quietly amassed a collection of über-hip pieces from up-and-coming streetwear designers around the world. Think: colorblocked windbreakers from the Dutch artist Parra and striped denim pants from Grind London. 6 Clearway St., Boston, MA 02115, shop.bdgastore.com.
Genevieve Demanio
Demanio takes the cheese out of wedding photos, adopting a photojournalistic style that's more candid than controlled, catching those moments nobody notices. She shoots fine art wedding photographs in both black and white and color, and displays them in custom handmade albums.
Thos. Moser
You know you're a true New Englander when you begin recognizing the work of Thos. Moser. Built in Maine and designed in-house, each artful chair and table is crafted from decades-old cherry and walnut trees, which ensures pieces both elegantly thin and impossibly strong. 19 Arlington St., Boston, MA thosmoser.com.
Clio
Soothing taupe walls, oversize art and leopard print carpet make for a swanky ambiance perfect for a night on the town with visiting urbanites from elsewhere. Ken Oringer works magic with bold flavors and unique combinations, and intimate tables allow as much attention to companions as to food. If you feel underdressed for the restaurant, the bar beckons. The Eliot Hotel, 370A Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA .
House of Blues
Live gospel music in a mini-museum of folk art, and a Southern-style buffet that includes eggs, fried catfish, breakfast meats, biscuits, fruit salad, and bread pudding. It's a revival meeting cum dining experience that simultaneously satisfies body and soul. 96 Winthrop St., Cambridge, MA .
Emporio Armani Express
Armani has refined the alfresco lunch to high art. Simple but very good food served with panache, at prices that are astonishingly reasonable. So grab your Armani sunglasses (they're de reguteur), and get yourself there. This spot is too good to waste on the tourists. 214 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
The Laundry-Galleria
Lillian Bloom's North End hybrid features brand-new machines (Maytag, fifty cents), free coffee and tea, twenty-four-hour drop-off service, and inexpensive art on the walls. There's usually an artist in residence too. Buy a painting, and perhaps he'll fold your undies. 256 North St., Boston, MA .
Ellen Rothenberg
Ellen Rothenberg, 42, of Cambridge, whose profoundly moving installation drawing on Anne Frank's diary was a major attraction of this year's "Boston Now 10" show at the ICA. Her works are ephemeral (she does performance art as well as making installations), but the MFA has a work on paper and others have bought objects from installations.
Fourth-Floor Apartment
The Combat Zone has a number of good ones, but the best is to be seen on Newbury Street. Each afternoon, the occupant of a fourth-floor apartment near the Ritz disrobes, then cleans house. We applaud her lack of inhibition . . . and shades. Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Jeffrey Lyle, Emerge
A savior for those dying to have born-with-it blond locks, Lyle mixes up a shade so natural and places it so artfully that your roots will be ashamed to show themselves. 275 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, .
<em>Skinhead Hamlet</em>
In the riotously irreverent Skinhead Hamlet in the ART "Month of Mondays" series, a bunch of Harvard kids turned the Melancholy Dane into a beer-swilling punker with a mouth as rotten as anything in the state of Denmark.
Jeffrey Lyle, Emerge
A savior for those dying to have born-with-it blond locks, Lyle mixes up a shade so natural and places it so artfully that your roots will be ashamed to show themselves. 275 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, emergespasalon.com.
Ricky Jay
In the David Mamet-directed show Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants at the Market Theater, Ricky Jay had his titular assistants—a pack of cards—slicing melons and appearing in unexpected places. Spinning a monologue about magic made even more mystical by his mellifluous voice, the card-carrying clairvoyant could keep us entertained without lifting a finger.
David Wax Museum
Have you ever seen someone play a quijada—that is, a donkey jawbone with the rattling teeth still in place? That's the kind of surprise you can expect from the raucously entertaining David Wax Museum, a Boston Music Award-winning band that plays an infectious, knee-slapping blend of Americana, folk, and Mexican son rhythms. The group is poised to hit the bigtime (especially after the release of their superb fourth album, Knock Knock Get Up, last fall), but for now you can still catch them at intimate venues when they roll through New England. Dancing shoes recommended. davidwaxmuseum.com.
Brian Hemming, Regeneration Tattoo
Whether you’re looking for a nonjudgmental consult for your very first tat or finishing off a sleeve with a portrait of a beloved pet, Brian Hemming’s attention to detail and years of experience soothe. He’s justifiably popular, so book early and be prepared to wait for your permanent work of art. 155 Harvard Ave., Allston, 02134, regenerationtattoo.com.