Lavinia Borcau Skin Care
Lavinia and her assistant, Janet, work magic with their facial massages. Spend an hour or so in this immaculate, calming refuge and you will emerge relaxed and refreshed. 29 Harvard St., Brookline, MA .
Inn Square Men's Bar
A perrenial favorite. Great music, extended happy hour, cheap drinks. Not what you'd expect describe as the last word in comfort, however. 1350 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA .
Stereo Lab
Henry Nikals and his team of crack technicians can fix anything. He even offers a 24-hour emergency service, for a small extra fee. 16 Eliot St., Cambridge, MA .
Alan Bilzerian
Yes, it's too dark to see anything. Yes, it will take you an hour to tie yourself up in these clothes. But no one will say you're not au courant. 12 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Axis
Gives new meaning to the word multicultural. Punks, metal heads, straights, gays, Euros, students, and even a few yuppies peacefully coexist for hours at a time. 13 Landsdowne St., Boston, MA .
Mills Gallery
Open until 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, the Mills Gallery is the perfect excuse to extend a cocktail-hour date, and a great way to check out local artists after dark. 551 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02116, bcaonline.org.
Bloomingdale's
A tough call, but a survey of well-dressed local career women said they liked the range of prices—from moderate to Armani—the stylish merchandise, the well-stocked petite department, the frequent and substantial sales (love that 40 percent off!), the easy parking, and the evening hours. The Mall at Chestnut Hill, 199 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, MA .
Blissful Monkey
Get a dose of flexibility and strength from owner and instructor Terri Holler. Her Sunday evening mixed-level class relaxes and recharges—the perfect way to start a new week. On the go? Take a time-out with Lunchtime Yoga, an hour of midday instruction to help keep that inner peace flowing from 9 to 5. 663 Centre St., Boston, MA 2130, blissfulmonkey.com.
Healthworks
Tons of equipment, two aerobics studios in Cambridge and three studios in Brookline, each offering more than 100 classes per week, early and late hours, tight security, and a friendly, noncompetitive atmosphere. Regardless of age or body type, nobody has a problem walking around naked in the cushy Healthworks locker room. Porter Square Shopping Center, Cambridge, MA .
Roland Tumble
With a restless slide on a molted guitar, Roland Tumble, who frequently perches in the Park Street Red Line station, plays rubbery melodies with all the melancholy of a heavy-hearted Boston evening rush hour— and just enough bounce to snap us out of the drone of commuting.
Bill Weld
Redhead is no Reagan republican, but his work habits are reminiscent of the Gipper. Regular squash games, Grateful Dead concerts, and a generally drowsy appearance suggest that Bill might be happier at home playing Nintendo. However, rumor that a 30-hour workweek will be a major plank of his campaign is apparently unfounded.
Moon Villa
Regardless of the Globe Spotlight Team's investigation into after-hours clubs and unlicensed premises serving alcohol, Moon Villa is a superlative restaurant. The waiters aren't surly anymore, either. But know that when you order "cold tea" you may not get a beer anymore. Just cold tea. 23 Edinboro St., Boston, MA .
Backworks Therapeutic Back Center
There's nothing more disappointing than a bad backrub. Go to Backworks, a clean, professional, and distinctly non-New Age storefront in the financial district. Ask for Renee, and spring for the hour-long full-body massage. 34 Batterymarch St., Boston, MA .
Back Bay Laundry Emporium
The heel of your shoe is falling off. There's marinara sauce on your tie. Your rug smells like Chinese takeout. You've been going to CVS in the morning—to buy socks. Enough. It's time to clean up your life, but the problem with your life is that you have no time to clean up. Luckily there's the Emporium, the only place where you can pick up your dry cleaning, drop off your laundry, have your shoes repaired, store your winter coats, and get your rug cleaned at 10:45 on a weeknight. If your shirts have ever been trapped for a month at a laundry that closes before you get out of work, this is the place for you. 409-A Marlborough Street, Boston, MA .
Bova's Bakery
In a city that sleeps early, this 24/7 spot is a beacon of light in the middle of a sweets-hankering night. That said, the crunchy, Florentine cannoli and huge, flaky lobster tails are among the best reasons to visit the North End, no matter the hour. 134 Salem St., Boston, MA bovabakeryboston.net.