Brookline Booksmith
Its slogan, "Dedicated to the fine art of browsing," is no mere hype: There are few better ways to spend a lazy Sunday morning than puttering around the Booksmith. Whether you're in need of a new beach read or an offbeat gift, you'll find it here. 279 Harvard St., Brookline, MA 02446, brooklinebooksmith.com.
The Boston Children's Museum
Why choose a theme for your child's birthday party when she can have it all? Bashes at the Boston Children's Museum come with daylong admission, so guests can have a ball in the art studio, the land of the dinosaurs, and everywhere in between. 308 Congress St., Boston, MA 02210, bostonchildrensmuseum.org.
Saks Fifth Avenue
Finding the perfect sole match can be tough, but the selection at Saks will keep you on sure footing. Like works of art displayed on pedestals, the range of couture styles makes this destination a regular stop among fashion addicts for delicate Jimmy Choos, tropical-hued Prada slings, and Tods flats. 800 Boylston St., Boston, MA saksfifthavenue.com.
Jacob Kulin
Using reclaimed wood to create mixed-material tables, benches, and shelves with a '60s-era Scandinavian feel, Jacob Kulin produces furnishings that pull double duty as functional art. No wonder homeowners go gaga for his clean, modern, and eco-friendly work. By appointment only. kulinmodern.com.
Zareh
You might not find any copies of Sun Tzu's The Art of War, but Zareh has an extensive selection of custom shirts and made-to-measure and custom shirts and made-to-measure and custom suits for the power brokers among us—that is if you're looking for classic American suits from Oxxford, Norman Hilton, Hickey-Freeman, and Southwick. 1 Liberty Square, Boston, MA .
Alan Ginsberg
Need help quitting smoking, easing back pain, or getting rid of those migraines? Ginsberg has been teaching and practicing at Acupuncture Health Services in Brookline for more than a decade and is known for his intuitive understanding of the healing arts and his abiding personal interest in his patients. 209 Harvard St., Suite 302, Brookline, MA .
Sonsie
Forget everything you've heard about "the scene" and zero in on the dessert menu. Art Welch is the new pastry chef and he does wonders with the good 'ol chocolate bread pudding that's been on the menu for years. The portion is large and super-rich—but miraculously light enough to eat in its entirety. 327 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Elizabeth Murray
The 10-year retrospective of New York artist Elizabeth Murray at MIT's List Visual Arts Center, 20 Ames Street, Cambridge. The paintings were there, the drawings at the MFA. Murray kicked off her career at the Whitney and has been represented in hundreds of important shows. But Boston gave her her first retrospective. MIT's List Visual Arts Center, 20 Ames St., Cambridge, MA .
Seaport x Black Owned Bos. Market
Shopping online is fine, but isn’t it more fun to know where your favorite new sweater actually came from? After a successful launch last year, the 2021 installation of this collaboration between WS Development and the website Black Owned Bos. returns to Seaport Common one Sunday a month through October 17, letting Bostonians discover art, skin-care lines, house plants, adult and children’s clothing, and more exclusively sold by local Black entrepreneurs. Ready, set, shop! bostonseaport.xyz.
Company One Theatre
Whether it’s tackling stories about immigration or staging resident playwright Kirsten Greenidge’s vision in a Back Bay school, Company One will take you places you never expected, but are better for having been. Think, for example, of this season’s rom-com Vietgone: A collaboration with Pao Arts Center, the perspective-shifting, often hilarious look at the Vietnamese refugee experience from Marvel Studios writer Qui Nguyen skewered, subverted, and surprised the whole way through. 539 Tremont St., Boston, MA companyone.org.
Hotel Pippa
Opened in 2018, this Nantucket newcomer first charmed us with its well-designed guest rooms, complete with local artwork, smart pops of color, and beds dressed with Fall River–made Matouk linens. But Hotel Pippa, the brainchild of longtime islanders Christopher and Asta Skehel, is much more than a pretty face: Set on the cobblestones of downtown Chestnut Street, it’s also an undeniably lush home base for a weekend spent exploring nearby restaurants, art galleries, and (of course) miles and miles of pristine beaches. hotelpippa.com.
The Handel and Haydn Society
The august ensemble approaches its bicentennial season in peak shape, with an artistic director, Harry Christophers, who understands that early music should be not just "authentic" but also, you know, musical. With excellent guest conductors like Scott Metcalfe and Richard Egarr—and programming that last year ranged from Purcell’s The Indian Queen to Beethoven’s Seventh to Christmas music by four different Bachs—it’s not only the oldest continuously performing arts group in America, it’s also one of the best. handelandhaydn.org.
Franklin Cafe
No need to consult with a wardrobe stylist when prepping for a classy date night at the Franklin. Just come as you are, slide into a black leather booth, and let the low lighting, art-covered walls, and excellent wine list loosen you up. From there, the food—spicy marinated cucumbers, cornmeal-crusted catfish, and smoky spareribs—will put anyone in the mood. 278 Shawmut Ave., Boston, MA franklincafe.com.
Louis Boston
The Northern Avenue store is half the size of the old Newbury digs, but it's a far better representation of Debi Greenberg's style vision. Eveningwear by Peter Pilotto, Roland Mouret, and Jason Wu doubles as art, though just as impressive are casual offerings from Jeffrey Monteiro, the Row, and Opening Ceremony. Irresistible shoes and accessories bear names of favorites both old (Marni, Balenciaga) and new (Melissa Odabash, Georgina Goodman). 60 Northern Ave., Boston, MA 2110, louisboston.com.
Jean Therapy
Its stock of denim is unrivaled: 7 for All Mankind, Kasil, 1921, we could go on—and on—but we don't want to turn the rest of this write-up into a laundry list. Suffice it to say Jean Therapy has a fit for every man, with honest opinions about what he's lacking (in our case, a butt) and how best to deal with it. The only other place where the art of accentuating the positive is so consistently taught is the shrink's office. 524 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 2215, jean-therapy.com.