This fall is about longer hemlines, mixed prints, sophisticated silhouettes…and, above all, the season’s hottest hue: Red.

In this era of celebrity chefs and restaurant empires, culinary powerhouse Jody Adams has dodged the spotlight for decades. But with a new Boston restaurant about to open, she’s finally embracing her personal brand. The question is: what took her so long?

New York real estate mogul Steven Roth wowed Boston in 2006 with plans for a gleaming skyscraper that would replace the old Filene’s and spark a Renaissance of downtown crossing. Five years later, the project is on indefinite hold, and the only thing Roth has delivered is a mammoth crater in the heart of the city.

The American system of higher education, long the envy of the world—and a profound influence on this city’s landscape—is under siege. New books and reports raise questions about the staggering dropout rates, sky-high costs, and lack of evidence that anybody is actually learning anything on our university campuses. Suddenly, some very smart people are asking whether the temple of learning is anything more than a shady facade.