Taylor Davis
There's a good reason Museum School grad and MassArt prof Taylor Davis captured the ICA's Artist Prize: her minimalist plywood installations deconstruct spaces and myriad truths with beautiful simplicity.
Downtown Cafe
Set up in the lobby of an old theater, this place radiates history, stays open most nights until 4 a.m., serves homemade-tasting food, and sponsors poetry readings, jazz performances, and art exhibits. 610 Washington Street, Boston, MA .
An opening at the Institute of Contemporary Art, which hasn't succumbed yet to the need to attract suburban hordes a la the Metropolitan Center.
Rosine Green Associates
This team of masters—including a metalsmith, a furniture restorer, and a wood-carver—can restore anything antique: furniture, metals, paintings, and objets d'art. 45 Bartlett Crescent, Brookline, MA .
Julie Michaud, Michaud Cosmetics
The team at Michaud Cosmetics has brow shaping down to a fine art. Errant strays are whisked away, and the brow is coaxed into movie star-perfect arches. Though the artists here prefer to pluck, they will wax on request. Just make sure to allow some time. Eyebrows this good take at least a half hour. 297 Newbury St., Suite 21, Boston, MA .
Rugg Road Paper Company
For custom wedding invitations, stationery, and an excellent if overwhelming selection of fine papers from across the globe, this Beacon Hill shop is unparalleled. There are more than 600 papers to choose from and a savvy, helpful staff that gives each customer special attention. Classes are offered seasonally in the arts of bookbinding, origami, and candlemaking, to name a few. 105 Charles St., Boston, MA .
Brimfield Flea Market
Early American, Victorian, and Art Deco furnishings, oak, wicker, and rattan pieces, arcade and slot machines, antique books, dolls, china, jewelry, glassware, oriental rugs, silverware, telephones . . . Make a junket out to Brimfield September 15-16 for the last of three fairs this season. MA
Lynda Hartigan, Peabody Essex Museum
What was once a stuffy North Shore institution has become a must-visit attraction. From a comprehensive look at Joseph Cornell to the unveiling of one of the greatest private collections of 17th-century Dutch art, the shows under chief curator Lynda Hartigan's direction have solidly positioned the PEM on the world stage. East India Square, Salem, MA pem.org.
Michela's
New-wave pizzas, pan-blackened shark, goat-cheese lasagna—these dishes are a far cry from the usual linguine with red sauce or stuffed manicotti. And they'll make you feel as though you've rediscovered the art of eating. 245 First St., Cambridge, MA .
Waterworks
Waterworks boasts a gorgeous catalog of responsibly made and stylishly designed bathroom fixtures and accessories, from freestanding copper bathtubs and Carrara-marble vessel sinks to graceful accessories like art deco inspired soap trays and braided organic jute bath rugs.
Boston Design Center, One Design Center Place, Ste. 147, Boston, MA 02210, waterworks.com.Bow Market
The steady stream of folks coming, going, and hanging at this outdoor haven isn’t an accident: It’s because there is truly something here for everyone—from trendy street-level cafés and indie boutiques to a brewery, a comedy studio, and an art gallery. Bow Market Way, Somerville, MA bowmarketsomerville.com.
Papercuts J.P.
Browsing in this shop feels less like shopping and more like snooping though a stylish friend’s library—if said friend happened to stock the city’s best collection of art monographs, emerging authors, and stories penned by kids at 826 Boston, that is. 5 Green St., Boston, MA 02130, papercutsjp.com.
Punch Bar
Points off for being a dark cavern in the corner of one of the city's ugliest hotels (the Back Bay Sheraton). But the cushy chairs and cozy nooks lend a decadent air to the art of cigaring. The selection is immense— 100 by our last count— and the bar staff is adept at guiding even novices to a satisfying stogie. Sheraton Boston Hotel & Towers, 39 Dalton St., Boston, MA .
<em>Je suis le cahier</em>, Picasso's Sketchbooks
If you missed it, you missed a rare chance to see the master's movement from idea to art, as well as, of course, Picasso's undying appreciation of the female form—or, if you believe Arianna Stassinopoulos Huffington's hot new biography, Picasso's undying misogyny. The ICA, Boston, MA .
Corinna Raznikov Photography
The love in this fine-art photographer’s wedding shots is palpable—here, a groom dips and kisses his bride on a snowy rooftop; there, a pair holds hands as they traipse through the ferns at a backyard reception. The occasion helps, of course, but it’s also Raznikov’s innate ability to capture couples’ natural beauty and spirit with ease. 638 Delano Rd., Marion, MA 2738, corinnaraznikov.com.