Boston Fire Museum
This museum and working firehouse has become a hot tot birthday spot, and for good reason: Festivities begin on the spacious second floor, where kids can burn excess energy, then move to an exhibit hall, where they can climb, "steer," ring bells, and wind sirens on old-time engines. 344 Congress St., Boston, MA 02210, bostonfiremuseum.com.
Boston Harbor Hotel
Meet your sweetheart under the enormous American flag swaying in the breeze, then stroll hand in hand into this waterfront hotel, which has been setting the standard for luxury in Boston since 1987. Romance packages include sweet touches such as champagne, chocolates, and breakfast beneath the silky Frette sheets, but if you really want to wow your SO, book one of the stunning suites with a terrace overlooking the harbor. 70 Rowes Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, bostonharborhotel.com.
Boston JerkFest
The annual gathering celebrating Boston’s Caribbean food scene is on the move, taking over bigger digs at the Harvard Athletic Complex and adding a hot-sauce fest to this month’s event. Visitors can vibe to live reggae music and browse craft vendors while chowing down on a vast array of expertly spiced foods and sipping libations from the Rum & Brew Tasting. And speaking of rum, you can raise a glass to the talented mixologists competing to craft Boston’s best Caribbean Rum Cocktail. Ready to take on a recipe of your own? Don’t miss the chef demos. 65 N Harvard St., Allston, MA 02134, bostonjerkfest.com.
Boston Closet Company
After calling many top closet companies throughout the area without a response, it was a relief to get immediate help from Boston Closet Company, where staffers sympathized with the space issues plaguing our Colonial and set up a design consultation for the next day. Also reassuring: The Somerville firm works with all sorts of rooms — whether they be man caves, laundry nooks, or nurseries — offering custom shelving and storage crafted by a team of carpenters. bostoncloset.com.
Boston Children's Museum
This sprawling three-level temple of fun and learning has always been a place where tiny humans can go to play, touch, build, measure, and create. It’s also a place that’s constantly growing and evolving itself: After shutting down the beloved “Boston Black” exhibit this spring, it’s preparing to launch “You, Me, We”later this summer, exploring the concepts of bias, race, and belonging through a kid-friendly lens. Always kid-friendly, of course, is the gigantic climbing tower in the lobby for your budding Spider-Man (or Woman). 308 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210, bostonchildrensmuseum.org.
The Boston Pops' “Summon the Heroes”
How does an orchestra honor medical personnel, first responders, and essential workers in the middle of a pandemic? It puts together an astonishing eight-minute YouTube performance of composer John Williams’s Summon the Heroes, that’s how. With 86 musicians’ audio and video feeds edited and synched together by Boston Symphony Orchestra engineers—not to mention an introduction by conductor Keith Lockhart and Williams himself—this virtual performance was moving, mesmerizing, and surprisingly educational—ah, that’s where the bassoons come in! bso.org.
Mandarin Oriental, Boston
Ah, to kick back with a strawberry-infused water in the Mandarin’s lounge again. After months of quarantine cooking, cleaning, and homeschooling, the Himalayan-salt-stone massages and hydrating body wraps at this 16,000-square-foot temple to relaxation promise to be even more restorative—especially if they’re in one of three new treatment rooms the hotel is unveiling as part of its multimillion-dollar renovation. 776 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02199, mandarinoriental.com/boston.
Boston Children's Museum
Sure, it’s dominated by rowdy little ones most days, but keep an eye out for nights when the place rebrands as the “Grown-Ups Museum” and the spiked slushies start flowing. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.
Best Handyman Boston
Home-improvement vet Ryaan Tuttle runs the finest mister-fixit operation in town, tackling jobs from furniture assembly to gutter repair with nary a loose screw in sight. 68 Saint Andrew Rd., East Boston, MA besthandymanboston.com.
Boston General Store
April Gabriel opened the permanent location of Boston General Store three years ago with the goal of bringing back the type of shop she remembers from her childhood: one that sells simple items made to last. In today’s ever-cheaper, disposable retail landscape, Gabriel’s old-fashioned vision is a welcome change. Pass along the nostalgia with high-quality, well-made gifts crafted by artisans both near and far—think pocket knives from Japan, a wool picnic blanket from the U.K., and shave oil made just down the street. 305 Harvard St., Brookline, MA 02446, bostongeneralstore.com.
Boston Public Market
The Boston Public Market debuted on Hanover Street just three years ago, and already we can’t remember a time without it. The 28,000-square-foot indoor food hall is the ultimate one-stop shop for all things local and scrumptious, from the perennially sweet-smelling cider doughnuts of Phillipston’s Red Apple Farm to the artisanal homemade sausages at Hardwick’s Stillman Quality Meats. The market’s 35-plus vendors make it tough to choose what to buy, so take an investigatory loop around first, then fill a few reusable bags right up to the brim. 100 Hanover St., Boston, MA 02108, bostonpublicmarket.org.
Boston Modern Orchestra Project
Boston is touted as a top arts town, and it lives up to that ideal when its institutions are constantly refreshing their canons. Well, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project has been doing just that since 1996: Its adventurous approach to contemporary classical music includes works by locals such as John Harbison and world premieres by international artists such as this year’s season finale of contemporary Chinese composers. MA bmop.org.
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
See the People Who Gave Us Hope for more. nba.com/celtics.
Mandarin Oriental, Boston
Slippers on, phone off, Zen ahead: Simply arriving at Boston’s grand dame of day spas is a treat for the soul. And once you’re checked in, your massage, body scrub, or facial is just the beginning: The facility’s peaceful thermal amenities, including a warm plunge pool and quartz-crystal steam room, are more than worth carving out a little extra time for. Still craving a few more hours (ahem, days) of pampering? Settle in for one of the hotel’s new three- or five-night wellness retreats with luxuries such as butlered bath service, yoga, daily organic meals, and, of course, plenty of spa time. 776 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02199, mandarinoriental.com/boston/back-bay/luxury-hotel.
Encore Boston Harbor
Even if you’re not a gambler, odds are good you’ll have a memorable night at Massachusetts’ very own Vegas-style resort. How could you not, with a 19,000-square-foot mega-spa, nearly a dozen dining options, and a bumping nightclub from the Grand team right at your fingertips? And we haven’t even mentioned the luxe rooms and suites with voice-activated controls (keep the curtains closed until checkout time, please!). One Broadway, Everett, MA 02149, encorebostonharbor.com.