Mandarin Oriental, Boston
With several high-end hotels peppered across the city, Boston is becoming a crowded field for event space. But due in part to its can’t-be-beat location in the heart of the Back Bay, this recently renovated ballroom is a win for the party circuit. The main venue hosts some 600 people, the hotel staff make valet parking a cinch, and you can always sneak downstairs to check out chef Gordon Ramsay’s exclusive Boston outpost, one of the hottest spots in town. 776 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02199, mandarinoriental.com.
Independent Film Festival Boston
With a growing list of celebrity attendees and a painstakingly selected roster of movies each year, IFFBoston is your best chance, and sometimes your only chance, to see rare indie movies at theaters across the city. Sometimes it’s a big name trying something new; other times it’s a breakout film from a new director. Either way, it’s comforting to know that big screens aren’t just for Avengers movies. iffboston.org.
Mandarin Oriental, Boston
At this point, it’s no secret that the Mandarin is the place for a spa getaway (we could spend a whole night, in fact, in the plungepool-equipped relaxation area). But there are plenty of other ways this opulent hotel makes you feel well cared for during a stay here, from the thoughtful nightly turndown service in the surprisingly large rooms to the 24-hour room service from the buzzy Ramsay’s Kitchen downstairs. 776 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02199, mandarinoriental.com.
Soleil at Boston Public Market
We’d travel miles and miles for chef Cheryl Straughter’s heavenly banana pudding — but thankfully, we don’t have to. In addition to Soleil’s Roxbury location, the dessert is now available at the restaurant’s new Boston Public Market stall. Stop by for irresistible soul food on the go, from ultra-cheesy mac ’n’ cheese to a brisket sandwich on a red velvet bun. (Sure, you can get a plain bun, but why would you?) 100 Hanover St., Downtown, MA 02108, soleilboston.com.
Julia Mejia, Boston City Councilor
See the People Who Gave Us Hope for more. boston.gov/departments/city-council/julia-mejia.
Mass Audubon's Boston Nature Center
What kid doesn’t love learning about slugs, snails, raccoons, and opossums? Start your morning in the great outdoors at Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center, which offers hundreds of weekend classes on topics like these year-round. 500 Walk Hill St., Mattapan, MA 02126, massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/boston-nature-center.
Coach Mike MIlbury of Boston College
He never got to leave his unique personal stamp on the place. The poor guy wasn't there long enough even to hit somebody in the head with his shoe.
Boston College Student Sports Complex
New and clean and complete—if you want better, you'll have to go to Jyväskylä, Finland. off Beacon St., Newton, MA .
"Boston Romance Package" at The Bostonian Hotel
Canopy beds, Jacuzzis for two, fireplaces in many of the rooms, lush bathrobes, a continental breakfast, champagne, and a horse-drawn-carriage ride through the city make a weekend here a perfect way to celebrate a new relationship—or toast an old one. North and Blackstone streets, Boston, MA .
Cate McQuaid, <em>Boston Globe</em>
Covering both the galleries and the small exhibition spaces, McQuaid's reviews are insightful, enthusiastic, and deeply serious. Boston artists know she's out there, and they know she cares.
Boston Nature Center & Wildlife Sanctuary
A summer camp for kids and a natural oasis for everyone else, this 67-acre property boasts miles of trails and boardwalks, as well as the Clark-Cooper Community Gardens. massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/boston-nature-center.
AMC Loews Boston Common 19
This centrally located mega-multiplex is chock full of big-budget luxuries. The semireclining seats are roomy enough for even the most ample popcorn-fed tushes. The monstrous screens do justice to even the most audacious CGI effects. The sound systems pump more decibels at audiences than Logan's runways do at Eastie residents. And if one show is sold out, there'll be another screening starting down the hall in five minutes. 175 Tremont St., Boston, MA amctheaters.com.
John Aloysius Farrell, <em>Boston Globe</em>
Despite the pompous triple-barreled byline (does anybody at the Globe not have a middle name?), Farrell has written some of the smartest, sharpest, and most stylish stuff on the presidential campaign trail.