Paws to Consider
Even the bad pun can't keep us away from a pet service this efficient, loving, and dependable. Owner Scot Jones clearly cares for his four-legged commissions with the same passion he does his business, keeping an organized staff of five fully briefed in everything from pet first aid to the fundamentals of TLC. Whether it's cat sitting (litter changes included) or dog walking (rain or shine, 365 days a year), Paws to Consider makes as many visits as you want—and will even care for plants, collect mail, and make veterinarian or grooming runs. 24 Halifax St., Jamaica Plain, MA pawstoconsider.com.
Maria Madrid
First she stares, then she brushes, then she cuts. Maria is an aesthetic genius who spends time studying the planes of your face and the way your hair curves and curls around it before she makes the first cut. The result: haircuts that work regardless of weather condition (ie. no more bad hair days). Spanish-born and very energetic, Maria's a delightful contrast to the laid-back, classical-music ambience of the salon. Snip snip, chat, chat— her topics of choice range from the problems of urban school systems to the nature of true friendship. Le Pli Salon & Day Spa, The Charles Hotel, 5 Bennett St., Cambridge, MA .
The Estate
For anyone over 30, the mere mention of 'the Alley' might evoke bad memories of sweaty, oversexed undergrads. Indeed, that scene lives on—but not at the Estate, a two-story nightclub a cut above the rest. It offers upscale bottle service in its six VIP areas overlooking the dance floor; the ultraexclusive Kiki and Shag rooms also come with private servers, cushy seating, and guest appearances by Paris Hilton, The Hills star Audrina, and assorted other celebutantes, Wahlbergs, and Red Sox. To get in, you'll have to either reserve ahead (an AmEx black card comes in handy) or catch the eye of the discerning bouncers. A tip: Leave the tank tops and ripped jeans at home. 1 Boylston Pl., Boston, MA 2116, theestateboston.com.
The Market Theater
The Market Theater clamored onto the local scene pledging edgy, experimental works. And it made good with creative programming like Frederick Wiseman's The Last Letter and Biljana Srbljanovic's Family Stories. Now that the company is vacating its Harvard Square location and founder Greg Carr has parted ways with director Tom Cole, the first crop of Market devotees may find themselves back at the A.R.T.
Kristen D. Murray, No. 9 Park
Some desserts are among life's sweetest rewards precisely because they aren't too sweet. Kristen D. Murray understands this. Consider her walnut pain perdu, a soft and almost custardy bread laden with tart red currants, rich, nutty crunch, and tangy water-buffalo-milk yogurt sorbet. Or feast your eyes—and stomach—on her black pepper cheesecake, a masterpiece of smooth cheese jolted with black pepper and cut with the soothing sweetness of caramelized pineapple and tart-as-can-be-green apple compote. 9 Park St., Boston, MA no9park.com.
Paradise Rock Club
The Police and U2 are tough acts to follow. But night after night at the Paradise, musicians take the very same stage where those greats once played. The three-level venue hosts both nationally recognized acts (Kings of Leon, Jack Johnson) and local up-and-comers (the Slip, Apollo Sunshine) piping their performances through a booming, second-to-none sound system made for big bass, pounding percussion, and fierce vocals. 969 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 2215, .
Flour Bakery + Cafe
Let the cupcake lovers revel in their frosting-induced myopia; those of us who truly love pastry still embrace tarts, cakes, and cookies. Particularly when they're made the way Joanne Chang's crew bakes them: carefully (à la the sharp-flavored lemon lust tart), creatively (like the hazelnut-almond dacquoise with coffee buttercream and dark chocolate ganache), and with the best ingredients around (as in, everything they sell). 1595 Washington St., Boston, MA 2118, flourbakery.com.
Mahoney's Garden Centers
Need some inspiration to kickstart that rooftop garden you've always wanted? You'll find it here. Part hardware store, part botanical garden, Mahoney's has countless spades and shears, plus all the soil, fertilizer, and pots you'll ever need. The selection of seeds, hanging plants, flower trays, vegetable plants, herbs, cacti, and even bonsai trees, makes this the most fertile corner of Cambridge. 889 Memorial Dr., Cambridge, MA mahoneysgarden.com.
China Pearl
Once again, China Pearl has proven itself the gem in an otherwise lackluster world of Hub dim sum. Quite simply, this Chinatown eatery has more seating, more circulating food carts, tastier morsels on the carts and fresher ingredients in the morsels. Don't underestimate the value of freshness in the sea of warmed-over Chinese-food impersonations. 9 Tyler St., Boston, MA .
Ryan Wading Pool
With turtle, snake, and alligator spray fountains in the splash pad and a fully loaded playground nearby, it’s a mere attraction or two away from being a water park. 350 River St., Mattapan, MA 02126, mass.gov/locations/ryan-wading-pool.
Stanza Dei Sigari
What once was a 1920s speakeasy now hosts a pleasure that’s practically as forbidden as Prohibition-era booze: the cigar. This cozy subterranean bar is one of the city’s last refuges for the epicurean whose idea of the perfect nightcap is a 30-year tawny paired with a well-aged Macanudo. 292 Hanover St., Boston, MA 02113, stanzadeisigari.com.
The Alley
You won’t find interloping bachelorette parties at this veteran watering hole, secreted away downtown. What you will find are refreshing vestiges of a time before gay bars got gentrified: cheap drinks, little pretense, and dancing throngs—not to mention an abundance of pheromones—during recurring parties like “Fuzz” and “Casual Fridays.” Recent cosmetic updates and the addition of popular local DJs, whose eclectic soundtracks span Top 40 to artsy indie pop, have made the place feel hipper—but here, it’s still unabashedly queer. 14 Pi Alley, Boston, MA thealleybar.com.
Local 149
Ditch the army of bros in button-downs on Broadway: Local 149 offers a warm atmosphere and unique bar food, such as burrata with lardo toast and salsa verde. 149 P St., South Boston, MA 2127, local149.com.
West Bridge
Amid all the egg-in-a-jar brouhaha, the bar has gotten short shrift. Five words: beet-infused mezcal, Cynar, citrus. One Kendall Sq., Kendall Square, MA 2139, westbridgerestaurant.com.
Drink
After six years spent whipping the city into a craft-cocktail frenzy with its pitch-perfect Manhattan variations and handcarved ice cubes, Barbara Lynch and John Gertsen's tippler's haven has, thankfully, loosened up a bit. Once-monthly tiki-themed soirees keep things festive, and groups can now make bar-section reservations during off-peak hours. 348 Congress St., Boston, MA 2210, drinkforpoint.com.