Problems with the Harbor Tunnel
Yeah, we know it isn't sexy. Heed us now or don't call us on your cellular phone when your Volvo starts filling with water during rush hour.
Reggie Macamaux, Rollins Protective Services
Rollins is, of course, a nationwide outfit; you wouldn't want a fly-by-night local protecting your home, would you? Macamaux's been with the firm for three years, and as the greater Boston branch manager, he supervises eight others. He's high on the wireless alarm system these days, a device that hooks into a central station manned 24 hours a day. "We have 'preventive' maintenance checks, 24-hour service, and 24-hour communications with the wireless," he boasts. It's not cheap—$1,900 to $2,400, depending upon the number of doors, windows, and other vulnerable areas—but it's sure a good night's sleep. Burlington, MA
Brian Rand, Trephin
There are stylists whose names are plastered on salon windows. There are stylists who charge $400 a cut. And then there's the quietly brilliant Rand, who takes a good, long look at your face, runs his fingers through your tresses, and begins coaxing your hair into the shape it's always wanted to be. After an hour of snipping and razor-cutting, curly-haired lasses walk out with tamed, bouncy 'dos; straight-haired ladies marvel at the life in their locks. 25 Temple Place, Boston, MA 2111, trephin.com.
Allston Car Wash
Roll into this 'cah spa' and let a team painstakingly shampoo, buff, and wax your begrimed automobile back into the gleaming ride it once was. Nimble, speedy attendants can complete most jobs—from conditioning your leather to glazing your acrylic—in less than an hour. For a quick fix, the five-minute, $8.95 drive-through starts with a wash and ends with a hand-dry toweling. You won't find a deal like that at the day spa. 434 Cambridge St., Allston, MA 2134, allstoncarwash.com.
Fini Concierge
If there are more items on your to-do list than there are hours in a day—shopping for groceries, picking up prescriptions, scheduling appointments, waiting for the repairman—simply summon Fini Concierge. The company’s personal assistants on demand can even organize your home, take your car in for service, or string up lights for the holidays. No job is too small or too taxing. 665 Beacon St., Boston, 02215, finiconcierge.com.
Thursdays on the Lawn, Loring-Greenough House
Everyone from the neighborhood gathers to feast at this weekly outdoor picnic featuring a farmers' market, food trucks such as Clover, roving musicians, and occasional outdoor movies after dark. All you need is a blanket. 12 South St., Boston, MA 02130, loring-greenough.org/thursdays-on-the-lawn.
Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar
The lauded whiskey list is reason enough for a visit, but the real draw is the “Pappy Meal,” a western-themed box with a 2-ounce pour of Pappy Van Winkle, the coveted Kentucky hooch. 1310 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02215, citizenpub.com.
Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar
The cocktails at this funky-meets-casual spot hit it out of the park—order the mezcal-based "No More Parties in Fenway" to channel your inner ’Ye before weaving through Sox traffic on your way home. 1310 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02215, citizenpub.com.
The Bristol Lounge, Four Seasons Hotel
The foie gras of hamburgers is thick, juicy, and perfectly seared. Served on fine china and squeezed between a poppyseed bun with just the right amount of lettuce, onion, and tomato, this ground beef patty is actually worth its steep price of $15.50. Kick back in an armchair in the clubby room and enjoy a sloppy but oh-so-civilized lunch. 200 Boylston Street, Boston, MA fourseasons.com/boston/dining/the_bristol_lounge.
Geraldine Cole, Style Your Threads
When your wardrobe starts to feel like the by-the-pound pile at the Garment District, it’s time to give Geraldine Cole a call. The fashion maven began her career working in the costume departments of various theaters, eventually starting Style Your Threads when friends kept asking her for outfit advice. She’ll organize and cull your closet (or "archives" as she calls it), put together the ultimate special-occasion ensemble, or even pick out the perfect gift. MA styleyourthreads.com.
Bristol Lounge, Four Seasons Hotel
The Bristol is a refreshing respite from the cigar-chompin' clubbier bars around town, yet it still manages—with its white-coated waitstaff, marble bar tops, and Vose Galleries art—to maintain a stately feel. Maybe that's why visiting celebrities (Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jordan, Billy Joel) flock to its sofas and armchairs. Or maybe it's the signature martinis (stiff and serious, even in the more frivolous forms such as the green apple) and warm nut mix that keeps them coming back for more. 200 Boylston St., Boston, MA fourseasons.com/boston/dining/the_bristol_lounge.
The Bristol Lounge at the Four Seasons Hotel
Finger sandwiches, Scottish cones, Viennese pastries, English tea breads, pots of preserves, genuine tea caddies, and service stops at 4:30 p.m. on the dot. Hotel GM Robin Brown's standards are strict—as befits a bloke from Grantham, Lincolnshire. 200 Boylston St., Boston, MA .
<em>The Housing Project</em>, at the Boston Shakespeare Company
Choreographer Yoshiko Chuma presented one of the best constructions of the year.
Midnight Marathon Bike Ride
Any long group bike ride is going to offer plenty of opportunities for bonding with your fellow cyclists, but the thrill of a moonlit journey through car-free streets on a path you know will be filled with determined marathoners in just a few short hours? That’s something special. There are glow sticks and dance music. Challenging inclines and exhilarating downhills. And a buzz like you’ve never felt before as you cross the finish line in the wee hours of the morning. crw.org.
Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar
Citizen Pub is still pouring the same vertiginously deep rosters of rye, bourbon, scotch and Irish whiskey with the same precise connoisseurship, ambassadorial exuberance, and jaunty Japanese ice spheres as it did when it opened four years ago, back when vodka swilling still held sway. Welcome to the dark side. 1310 Boylston St., Boston, MA 2215, citizenpub.com.