December 2007 Issue

The Holiday Survival Guide

209 stress-free ways for Bostonians to survive and enjoy the most hectic time of year.

Feature

Winter Fashion: Raising the Stakes

All this chatter about casinos is enough to put a person in a risk-taking mood. While the governor plays his cards with the legislature, we break free from the tailored looks of fall and try our luck at Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods in this season’s bend-the-rules resort wear.

Charlie in Charge

The Red Sox just won another title, the Patriots look poised for their fourth of the decade, and even the Celtics have the swagger of champs again. Which leaves the hapless Bruins fighting to rescue themselves from obscurity. That’s where Charlie Jacobs—son of the team’s notoriously aloof and tightfisted owner—comes in. Poor guy.

Road Rage

The full, gobsmacking truth about how our state’s crumbling infrastructure got this bad. And why there’s so little hope of fixing the problem.

A Stranger In the House of Ayer

To those who met him, Jack Doorly was every bit the Brahmin scion. That he wasn’t didn’t stop him from indulging in a fabulous life allegedly financed by siphoning nearly $60 million from the North Shore fortune he was entrusted to protect. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you’re in charge of the money.

Department

The Rise of the Outsourced Admissions Essay

Boston is headquarters to a growing workforce of admissions essay editors who will hone (if not write) college applicants’ personal statements for a fee. But the parents and kids lining up for their services have no idea what they’re really getting themselves into.

Urban Legends

Karmaloop’s Greg and Dina Selkoe have gone from selling sneakers out of his parents’ basement to running a multimillion-dollar global business and hosting Kanye West at their downtown Boston headquarters. Um, what?

Fate of the Unions

With a string of recent organized-labor outrages, what was once a fairy-tale notion in Massachusetts—hard-core union-busting—may become a reality in today’s dire fiscal times. All we need is the right demagogue.

Restaurants

Restaurants

Dining Out: Liberté! Egalité! Familiarity!

Gaslight offers affordable food, friendly service, and a strong sense of déjà vu.