The Art Store
Yeah, we know it's a chain. But it's got all the accessories a starving artist—or, at least, an aspiring one—could ever need. And in this case, bigger is better. The warehouse-like space is stocked with brushes, paints, pens, easels, sketchpads, and practically every doodad imaginable. From acrylics to oils, origami to crafts, most of the inventory is organized supermarket-fashion and is reasonably easy to find. Even if you're not a budding artist, there are plenty of other goodies to tempt the creative shopper: photo albums, notebooks, colorful bins, design books. Who knows? You might even find some inspiration. 401 Park Dr., Landmark Center, Boston, MA .
Kitchen Arts
Next time you need a hard-to-find imported baking pan, follow your inner Escoffier to Kitchen Arts. From culinary esoterica (a one-inch funnel or a rolling mincer) to basics (need your knives sharpened?), these kitchen wizards have it all, including five lines of high-performance cookware. There are good old American brands alongside fancy European makes, and no fewer than 20 types of coffeemakers (stovetop percolators, French presses, and filter drips). Don't worry if your cooking skills extend little beyond boiling water. The employees know of what they speak and want you to enjoy the time you spend in your kitchen. 161 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Kitchen Arts
A good sharp knife makes the difference between sawing through cooking chores and slicing through them. Don't get sucked into the manufacturer's preselected set of top quality knives. Kitchen Arts discounts all the top brands (up to 30 percent off three or more knives). Best prices around for Wusthof, the BMW of cutlery. Knowledgeable salespeople help you assemble your at-home arsenal. 161 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Old Cambridge Company
Museum-quality framing (they actually work for local museums), but expensive. 45 First St., Cambridge, MA .
Commonweatlh Shakespeare Company
Even before Leonardo DiCaprio's Romeo and Gwyneth Paltrow's Shakespeare in Love, the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's free outdoor performances showed Boston just how sexy the Bard can be. Under the brilliant direction of Steven Maler, the young, enthusiastic, multicultural cast of players brings Shakespeare to the Boston Common, using the recently renovated neoclassical Parkmand Bandstand—and all the world—as a stage.
The Wang Center's Young at Arts program
Its stated mission is to "inspire the imagination of children," but it makes adults wish they were back in school. Backstage workshops, art and essay contests, and exhibitions for Massachusetts students, plus workshops for teachers. Our state needs it.
<em>Art New England</em>
A good little publication has the field to itself.
Wally's Café
Nowhere else in this town are you more apt to find pink Izods and gangsta colors in such proximity. This joint, nestled between the gentrified South End and Roxbury and opened in 1947 by Joseph "Wally" Walcott, is a classic treasure. And nowhere else in New England will you find finer jazz in a venue with more soul. Bands gather in the corner of the bar each night—from national acts to aspiring stars still studying at Berklee. The music is played loud enough that you can hear every seductive note, but not too loud for conversation. Don't like jazz? Check out an Afro-Cuban band. If you don't find yourself tapping your foot, it's time to check your pulse. 427 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA wallycafe.com.
The Weston-Concord-Carlisle Loop
This ride has everything: shade, scenery, and history. It even has—for the most part—good pavement. Start at Weston Center. Take Conant Road into Lincoln, turn right on Silver Street and left on Weston Road to the traffic circle. Continue straight on Sandy Pond Road past the DeCordova Museum. Turn left on Baker Bridge and right on Route 126, which takes you past Walden Pond, across Route 2, and into Concord Center. Head north on Monument Street past the Concord Battleground and the Old North Bridge. Keep going until you hit Route 225 (Bedford Street). Turn left and ride into Carlisle Center, where the hungry can stop at Daisy's for sports drinks and homemade muffins. Head back toward Concord on Concord Street, which turns into Lowell Road and leads to the Concord Green. Retrace steps back to Weston. It's 30 miles, 14 if you drive to Concord.
John F. Kennedy Library and Museum
A marvelous collection, including both Robert Kennedy's and Ernest Hemingway's papers. Columbia Point, Dorchester, MA .
Piano Craft Guild (Piano Factory)
Good exhibition space, decent studios, lively inhabitants. 791 Tremont St., Boston, MA .
Harcus/Krakow
Can stand up to any New York City gallery in terms of ability to get artists and specific works. 7 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Paul Gauguin's <em>D'ouvenons-nous-Que sommesnous-Ou allons-nous?</em>
From the French postimpressionist's Tahitian days, this MFA painting asks Important Questions (Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?) in an exotic, colorful, and haunting context.
The scultpures on MIT's campus
Including Henry Moore's 1976 Three-Piece Reclining Figure, Draped; Alexander Calder's 1965 Big Sail; Louise Nevelson's 1975 Transparent Horizon; and Pablo Picasso's 1963 Figure Decoupee. Take a walk.
Douzo
Where to go when you're craving fantastic raw creations on a burned-out budget: Douzo, near Back Bay Station, which serves up little sushi treasures that are every bit as pristine (if a tad less transcendent) as those at the city's big-price bars. The loungey space is hopping on weekends, but don't let that distract from the kitchen's deft flavor-texture balancing act, as displayed in the torched toro maki wrapped with asparagus and paper-thin raw jalapeño. 131 Dartmouth St., Boston, MA 2116, douzosushi.com.