Somerville Car Wash and Detail Center
You care about your car. Somerville Car Wash and Detail Center does, too. With tons of affordable options, from hand wheel-polishing to an odor-control treatment (we’re looking at you, pet owners), this is the perfect place to get your ride looking like new. Bonus: The guys here are so well trained in the art of customer service that you’ll never feel judged, no matter how dirty your car was when you pulled up. 680 Somerville Ave., Somerville, MA 2143, seeyoushine.com.
Backbar
Discerning boozehounds have long since perfected the art of snaking into this legitimately industrial hideaway, but Backbar’s drink artistry also extends to its deceptively potent non-alcoholic offerings. The unexpected-in-one-glass flavors are what pack a punch. An "avocado piña colada" is at once hot and cold, with familiar coconut milk and pineapple spiked with throat-warming curry and unctuous avocado. A fennel-saffron " absinthe lemonade without any absinthe" is a brighter, more brilliant spin on Death in the Afternoon—without, you know, the impending death. 7 Sanborn Ct., Somerville, MA 2143, backbarunion.com.
Bricco Panetteria
The rustic mite loaves and prosciutto-and-Parmesan-studded ciabattas at this North End bakery, located down an alley off Hanover Street, are a reminder that bread-baking is not only a precise science, but also an art form. Across from the bakery you’ll find Bricco’s new salumeria and pasta shop, which offers another must-have: hearty, spongy focaccia topped with everything from artichokes to arugula. 241 Hanover St., Boston, MA 2113, bricco.com/panetteria.
Bella Sante
Unlike the various do-everything McSpas around town, Bella Sante succeeds with a focused approach: extremely well-trained aestheticians; European-made products; a clean, comfortable space; and a changing slate of seasonal treatments. The friendly, unobtrusive staff excels in the art of paying attention, and will have you blissfully self-absorbed (what meetings? what kids?) in no time. 38 Newbury St., Boston, MA bellasante.com.
The Centerpiece Flower Shop
Nothing cheers up a space like a gorgeous bouquet of fresh flowers. And these days, no one’s spreading more flower-powered joy than ángel Diaz. With an eye for design, the Venezuela native and owner of the Centerpiece Flower Shop — founded in 2020 — uses seasonal blooms and greenery to create artful arrangements bursting with color and texture. Bonus points for his monthly subscription service, which promises mood-boosting handtied bouquets delivered on your date of choice. 2051 Centre St., West Roxbury, MA 02132, thecenterpieceflowershop.com.
Michele Mercaldo Jewelry
Michele Mercaldo must have aced geometry — after all, this jewelry artist can sculpt the perfect rectangle and circle like no other. A MassArt alum, Mercaldo has devoted the past 30 years to creating ruby rings, brown-diamond necklaces, and prehnite druzy cufflinks, to name just a few. Browse the cases at her sparkling Shawmut Avenue studio, or make an appointment to have her custom-design something just for you in whatever shape you dream of. 276 Shawmut Ave., Boston, MA 02118, michelemercaldojewelry.com.
Big Night Live
THE SCENE: The Hub on Causeway’s nightlife destination boasts state-of-the-art LEDs and luxe trappings — and not just for VIPs (did someone say champagne bottle service?). THE LINEUP: Globetrotting DJs like Steve Aoki and Slander, plus an eclectic menagerie of big names in pop-punk, death metal, old- and new-school rap, and everything in between. 110 Causeway St., Boston, MA 02114, bignightlive.com.
Underground at Ink Block
Take a stroll underneath the I-93 overpass between the South End and Southie, and you’ll discover the city’s most exhilarating art exhibit. Sprawled over 8 acres, the once-desolate zone now features 18 murals, nine of which were added last summer. Highlighting local artists such as Silvia López Chavez, national ones like Def Jam’s founding creative director Cey Adams, and international ones including Spain’s Muro, the concrete, metal, and asphalt burst with color and forward-thinking vision 90 Traveler St., Boston, MA 02118, undergroundinkblock.com.
Petrova Chocolates
When the pandemic sidelined her pastry gig at the Back Bay’s iconic Uni, Betty Petrova didn’t sit on her couch eating bonbons; instead, she took to the kitchen to start making them. Handpainted with colorful, glossy brushstrokes of cocoa butter, the bite-size works of art quickly caught the eye of fans — so much so that now she’s focused full time on crafting delicate Valrhona chocolate shells generously filled with exquisite, inventive flavors like honey elderflower, rose pistachio, and rosemary caramel, many using ingredients plucked from local gardens. petrovachocolates.com.
Douglass Williams, Mida
What makes a great chef? Great food, of course, such as Mida’s bowls of lovingly crafted carbonara, soft bricks of super-buttery, garlicky focaccia, and other Italian comforts. More than that, though, Williams has mastered every little detail in the holistic art of hospitality: Setting the scene with soothing (and flattering!) soft lighting, he shares unforced charm with guests at Mida’s original South End enoteca and a new, twice-sized sibling in Newton, which adds New Haven–style pizza — a preview of Williams’s soon-to-launch pie project, Apizza — to this Renaissance man’s repertoire. 782 Tremont St., South End, MA 02118, midarestaurant.com.
Juniko
This Hanover workout center is less a gym and more a lifestyle dojo. Named for Japan’s "Twelve Lakes" and cofounded by jujitsu world champ Daniel Gracie, Juniko takes a fitness-academy approach to wellness, offering adult- and child-level formats to suburbanites investing in their whole family’s health. Held in a sleek studio, the classes—including Brazilian jujitsu and aerial yoga—feel more like performance art than exercise. But you’ll still want to reward yourself with a visit to the on-site juice bar for kale smoothies, avocado toast, and take-home cleanses. 1376 Washington St., Hanover, MA 02339, juniko.com.
Lunette Optic
An eyewear shop needs two things to be successful: an ample selection of designer brands and a sales staff that’s willing to tell it to you straight. In the case of the fine folks at Lunette Optic, that meant stopping one tester from splurging on a pair of Chanel frames that made him look like an art-school dropout. Instead, they pointed the way toward face-flattering specs from a diverse lineup that includes hard-to-find international labels such as Anne et Valentin, from France, and Eyevan, from Japan. Perfect vision, indeed. Multiple locations. 121 High St., Boston, MA 02110, lunetteoptic.com.
NETA
Shopping at NETA’s Brookline outpost is as far from buying pot off your cousin’s dog walker in a 7-Eleven parking lot as you can get. The vast selection of buds, pre-rolled joints, vape pens, and gummies is housed behind wood-trimmed glass cases in a historical bank complete with a well-styled mini lounge to wait in. And unlike in dubious parking-lot rendezvous, you can be sure that whatever you buy, the product will be top-tier, thanks to NETA’s state-of-the-art indoor cultivation center in Franklin. 160 Washington St., Brookline, MA netacare.org.
The Blue Bunny
Once in a blue moon, you get a Blue Bunny. Cofounded by children's author-illustrator Peter H. Reynolds (The Dot, The North Star) five years ago, the magical little bookshop has grown into an area hub of reading and imagination. In scarcely more than 1,000 square feet it offers classic kids' books, young-adult novels (some for grownups, too), and lots of low-tech, high-fun games. But more than that, it provides a genuine springboard for creativity. There's always an art or writing workshop planned, and this spring the store launched a magazine created by and for youngsters called The Hutch—underscoring how rare this Bunny truly is. 577 High St., Dedham, MA 2026, .
Brattle Theatre
You can catch an Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu flick at any multiplex nowadays, but you won't see Boston Underground Film Festival highlights or a repertory series of World War II movies—or, for that matter, a weeklong Muppets marathon—anywhere else but the Brattle. The Harvard Square institution has been screening foreign, art house, and classic films for over 50 years, but it's much more than a sleepy civic treasure: It's holy ground for Boston's cineastes, budding film auteurs, and anyone who just likes to watch Casablanca on the big screen. 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA brattlefilm.org.