Michael Schlow of Cafe Louis
Schlow put the newly renovated restaurant at Louis, Boston on the culinary map just a few weeks after his arrival from New York. A protege of Manhattan restaurateur Pino Luongo, Schlow and pastry chef Paul Connors, who worked at Aurora, in New York, and the four-star Ryland Inn, in New Jersey, have brought simply prepared but elegant and sometimes surprising cuisine to Boston, featuring notably fresh produce and other ingredients. Try the tasting menu.
Lynn Woods
Scenic and easy to find, Lynn Woods covers 2,200 acres with a maze of single-track and fire roads for bicyclists—all easy to intermediate—plus advanced trails such as Steel Tower, which has great views of Boston's skyline and the vast Atlantic. For new visitors, the park has easy-to-read grid-coordinated trail markings that match the map, making it a breeze to bike off-road without fear of getting lost. 106 Pennybrook Rd., Lynn, MA flw.org.
Great Scott
A terrific core of rock clubs anchors Boston's music scene, places like T. T. the Bear's, the Middle East, and the Midway Café. But if you're into discovering emerging bands, Great Scott is the finest; it's been booking the best new talent for years (including early concerts from Of Montreal and MGMT). What's more, the sound is exceptional, and the place is so tiny there's no backstage area, leaving musicians little choice but to mingle with the crowd. 1222 Commonwealth Ave., Allston, MA 2134, greatscottboston.com.
Courageous Sailing
One way to minimize your exposure to E. coli is to sail on Boston Harbor instead of the Charles River, and Courageous Sailing is the best way to go for the bucolic-urban experience. Courageous offers easy access to Harbor Islands State Park, where with a little advanced planning you can even go camping. The only year-round sailing center in Boston, it merits its name because of its iceboating events and other cold-weather adventures. 1 First Ave., Charlestown, MA .
Machine Age
Okay, so 20th-century goods aren't exactly antique. But if you're simply seeking exquisite items with a storied past, you'll find them at South Boston's Machine Age, a 9,000-square-foot warehouselike store overflowing with the most iconic furniture and lighting from the past century, plus rare Danish modern pieces that have never been stateside until now. 645 Summer St., Boston, MA 2210, machine-age.com.
Bernard Toale
Toale wins this year not just for his keen eye but for his moxie. When all five gallery owners at 11 Newbury Street were forced to leave in April because of an outrageous rent hike, all but Toale went across the street to 14 Newbury Street. He boldly chose to move to the South End, adding his adventurous style to a handful of galleries that are trying to turn this area into Boston's version of SoHo. 450 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA .
Get Konnected!
In a town where the power to convene is more valuable than gold, public relations pro Colette Phillips’s cross-cultural networking group is priceless. And with some of the biggest-name partners around, including Eastern Bank, Wayfair, State Street, and the Boston Foundation, plus a business or multicultural celebratory event offered nearly every month, there’s no one in Boston who helps busy professionals make meaningful connections like Get Konnected! 529 Main St., Boston, MA 02109, getkonnected.com.
Orchard
In the epicenter of Boston's skateboard scene, this Allston hangout takes things way beyond your typical shoes and decks purveyor. The profusion of brands (hats and tees from Somerville-bred Raw sit alongside national names like Nixon) is reason enough to make it your go-to, but Orchard also has cultural cred to spare: After taking a run or catching a demo on the store's mini ramp, pop upstairs to its Extension Gallery and check out works by local artists. 156 Harvard Ave., Allston, MA 2134, orchardshop.com.
Webster & Company
Boston's interior designers don't want you to know about Webster & Company: It's their secret trove of the classic American furnishings that picky New Englanders crave. David Webster and his son Peter have the area's exclusives on labels like Holly Hunt, Dakota Jackson, and Vaughan. One caveat: They only sell to the trade, so you'll need to hire an interior designer to get the goods. One Design Center Place-Suite 242, Boston, MA 2210, webstercompany.com.
Barbara Cole Lee + Company
As the longtime chair of the MFA museum school art sale, Boston's other Barbara Lee—the art consultant, not the gazillionaire—has built it into the largest event of its kind in the country. She brings that same passion to the needs of her high-powered customers, for whom she'll travel to the Venice Biennale and Art Forum Berlin in search of just the right piece. Lee is also an expert on the local scene, comfortable with both established stars such as Ellsworth Kelly and hotshots like George Rosa. 35 Fisher Ave., Brookline, MA 2445, barbaracolelee.com.
Shreve, Crump & Low
Boston's Breakfast at Tiffany's; press your nose to the glass and dream. This is the place to go with your honey when you want to browse without paying mind to price tags, to decide whether the bar-set or the channel-set band looks better with your solitaire. The staff gives everyone an upmarket education in ideal-cut diamonds. This is where you got schooled, and everyone respects the professor. 330 Boylston St., Boston, MA .
Beacon Hill Chocolates
As Boston's artisanal confectioners trend toward ever-weirder flavor combinations (poblano pepper truffles, bonbons oozing with olive oil), Beacon Hill Chocolates has us falling back in love with the classics: fillings like salted caramel and hazelnut praline delivered in beautifully tempered shells. The competition can just eat their quirky-candy hearts out. 92B Pinckney St., Boston, MA 2114, .
Mark Sardina
He's guided the East Boston Yankees and All-Stars to eighteen championships during the past eleven years with a humane style of managing that clearly pays off. Sardina founded the East Boston Athletic Association, coaches football in the off-season and T-ball (modified baseball for little kids) on weekends, and is a policeman, husband, and father of five (in his spare time). East Boston, MA
Menton
Barbara Lynch's haute-cuisine mecca was an instant sensation when it opened in 2010. The parade of tiny, striking dishes! The feather-light glassware! The prices! And the place has only improved over time, from the stunning prix-fixe menus to the staffers who anticipate your every need. We're not alone in noticing. In February the restaurant became Boston's first Relais & Châteaux property, a distinction reserved for the likes of Eleven Madison Park and the French Laundry. 354 Congress St., Boston, MA 2210, mentonboston.com.
Eco Centrix
Two floors of hair stylists, with better music and architecture than many Boston dance clubs. Ask for Mark or Steve, South Boston tough guys who'll talk to you about basketball, hockey, and baldness. Eco Centrix provides all the usual coffee, tea, and funny robes to change into, as well as some interesting people-watching: startling tattooed women with little round glasses alongside guys from Southie talking about the playoffs. 30 Newbury Street, Boston, MA .