Roadrunner
Photo by Ben Stas “Allston Rock City” is thrumming louder than ever thanks to the 3,500-capacity general-admission club from the Bowery Presents, the same folks who brought us the beloved Sinclair in Cambridge. Boasting a massive standing-room floor and a seven-row balcony, the venue’s world-class design ensures there isn’t a bad viewing spot in the house. Its impeccable sound, meanwhile, guarantees you’ll hear every lyric, instrument, and pin-drop from the stage. Pro tip: The line for the upstairs bathrooms is almost always shorter. 89 Guest St., Boston, MA 02135, roadrunnerboston.com.
Topgolf Boston-Canton
You don’t have to know the difference between a flop shot and a stinger to have a blast at this golf-entertainment complex. Opened last November, Massachusetts’ first Topgolf location boasts 90 high-tech hitting bays and a full-service restaurant across 60,000 square feet and three floors — all reasons the gamified driving range has quickly become a reliably popular destination for family outings and birthday parties. Best of all, the spacious bays are climate-controlled, so parents can chaperone restless kids here year round, bad-weather days be damned. 777 Dedham St., Canton, MA 02021, topgolf.com/us/canton.
Scarlet Roots Photography
Kiley Sullivan and Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy at the Boston Public Library. / Photo by Scarlet Roots With a background in photography for well-known commercial brands, Julianne Meyers has an intuitive feel for creating magical shots. Her wedding images capture authentic moments: a couple running hand in hand down a deserted beach, sharing a secret on a crowded dance floor, or sitting behind the wheel of a vintage roadster like they’re in a scene from a 1950s movie. You’ll feel instantly at ease in front of the camera — in fact, you’ll probably laugh hysterically about something funny Meyers says at least twice — and the shots she gets will capture you and your betrothed’s most authentic selves. scarletroots.com.
Greydon House
Nantucket’s chic Greydon House. / Photo provided by Greydon House The talk of Nantucket since its debut in 2016, Greydon House continues to impress with its design-forward common spaces and guest rooms, to say nothing of its small-but-mighty restaurant and bar, helmed by Michelin-starred executive chef Marcus Gleadow-Ware. Settle into your new digs—decked out with reclaimed-chestnut floors, antique furniture, and maritime-inspired artwork—then head out to explore the town: The inn conveniently stands just a short bike ride away from many island destinations, including the ferry terminal. 17 Broad St., Nantucket, MA 02554, greydonhouse.com.
Misselwood
Imagine, if you will, an emerald-green lawn overlooking the ocean. Rows of white chairs face the water, flanking an aisle dusted with flower petals. It’s here that you’ll say, “I do,” reciting the vows you worked so hard on while waves ripple gently behind you. Afterward, you’ll reunite with loved ones in a soaring white tent, pitched atop a stone floor studded with sea glass. Can you see it? Now, head to Misselwood—a grand seaside estate in Beverly—to book the real thing. Complete with a French chateaux-style manse for smaller affairs, this formidable venue will far exceed your wildest dreams. 407 Hale St., Beverly, Massachusetts 01951, misselwood.com.
Magic Beans
Photograph by Mariel Tenney Restless kids? No problem. Multiple locations of this locally owned emporium have on-site play spaces, and all encourage tykes to take for-sale scooters for trial spins around the floor. Toilet trainer? Spacious restrooms are stocked with seats, stools, and wipes. But the real draw is the childhood-spanning selection that's heavy on educational items—Hape wooden toddler toys, Hexbug sets, and tween-girl-inspired Goldieblox and Roominate engineering kits—but never short on reliable crowd-pleasers, like Bruder trucks and Alex craft supplies. (Multiple locations.) 312 Harvard St., Brookline, MA 02446, mbeans.com.
Knight Moves Café
Not technically a bar (it's BYOB), New England's only board-game café offers gamers the opportunity to hang out in a comfier version of their living room while kicking their friends' asses in rounds of Settlers of Catan. A $5 or $10 drop-in cover is all you need to play any of the nearly 1,000 games neatly stacked from floor to ceiling, from Cards Against Humanity to Battleship to your favorite cult Euro import. Also featuring: comforting steampunk-lite décor, a Nutella milkshake, and fresh-baked pastries. 1402 Beacon St., Brookline, MA 02446, knightmovescafe.com.
The Altered Bride
There are a few things you won't find at the Altered Bride. Among them are polyester gloves and bags so cheesy you instinctively hunt for the crackers, or beautiful high-quality trinkets so prohibitively priced that only the Miller sisters could afford them. Here you'll find something between those two extremes: upscale, handmade accessories that are worth their price. Think crisp, cool, and feathery white veils (custom-made, if you don't find what you want on the floor), tiaras that are both elegant and playful, and shoes that are comfortable but classy and stylish. It's all enough to leave you in a truly altered state. 129 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Avenue Victor Hugo Book Shop
In a city of scribes, it's little wonder there are so many character-filled used bookstores. But fans of this Newbury Street shop know that every stroll into Victor Hugo uncovers a novel morsel. There's always a cat roaming the original brick floor, and there's always something fascinating to read among the 150,000 books and 250,000 magazines on the stacks, from the stash of Life magazines that date back to 1936 to the first-edition 1934 copy of H.G. Wells's Experiment in Autobiography: Discoveries and Conclusions of a Very Ordinary Brain (Since 1866). In Victor Hugo, even the ordinary is extraordinary. 339 Newbury St., Boston, MA avenuevictorhugobooks.com.
Grand Opening!
For a store hidden away on the upper floor of a sleepy Brookline mall, Grand Opening! is incredibly visible in the community. In the past year, brazen sex-priestess Kim Airs has hosted a night of amateur porn for HBO, handed out condoms at the gay pride parade, and pounded the pavement in support of National Masturbation Month. She brings the same mix of shamelessness and hilarity—minus the sleaziness of so many other shops—to her women-oriented sex store. Whether youre looking for lubes, vibes, clips, or plugs, the clerks will answer all of your questions without blushing—even if you're blushing as you ask them. 318 Harvard St., Suite 32, Brookline, MA .
Nine Zero
Posh boutique hotels have been sprouting up with Starbucks-like ferocity. But for the ultimate experience in luxury and style, nothing in Boston compares to Nine Zero. Credit the staff's unerring and gracious service, a sleek, funky design, and luxury amenities including Frette linens, custom request minibars, and personal shoppers. From Spire, the stunning second-floor restaurant and bar, to the sleek marbled showers in each room, every inch of this unique locale is designed to relax and entice. A study in soft contemporary living, the accommodations are even reasonably priced; rooms average $239. 90 Tremont St., Boston, MA ninezero.com.
Austen's
Most of us look forward to a bikini wax about as much as we look forward to a root canal. Like a good dentist, a first-rate aesthetician is meticulous and professional—and makes the experience as painless as possible. Enter Austen (who, like Madonna and Sting, does not have or need a last name). His deft touch and finely honed technique make him as nimble with brows as with Brazilian bikini lines. And that's what brings men and women alike flocking to Austen's second-floor boutique, with its plush carpets, homey accents, and attentive but discreet service. 115 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Louis Boston
Debi Greenberg and Beth Negron have revamped the top floor and stocked it with an eclectic range of labels that runs the gamut of trends from funky to cool classics. In the Betty room, young, cutting-edge designers at affordable prices hang feet away from the likes of Jil Sander and her European contemporaries, Prada, Gucci, and Dolce & Gabbana. The buying team is constantly on the lookout for new design talent, so expect to find one-of-a-kind items that rarely materialize on department store racks. Another bonus is the sales staff which is fashion-friendly without being overbearing. 234 Berkely St., Boston, MA .
The Grolier Poetry Book Shop
Founded in 1927, the Grolier is the only establishment of its kind in the nation—and probably the world: a bookstore devoted to poetry, and nothing but poetry. Its cramped interior is stacked floor to ceiling with dusty tomes by English and American poets, Celtic poets, Carribean, African, and Latin American poets, Cowboy poets, ancient Greek and Roman poets, modern European poets in translation, Nobel Laureates, and virtual unknowns. Any poetry that exists on the page also has its place on the Grolier's hallowed shelves. For the past 40 years, Louisa Solano, proprietor and matron saint, has heroically and singlehandedly kept this phenomenon alive, for which poetry everywhere (the few, the proud) salute her. 6 Plympton St., Cambridge, MA .
The Estate
For anyone over 30, the mere mention of 'the Alley' might evoke bad memories of sweaty, oversexed undergrads. Indeed, that scene lives on—but not at the Estate, a two-story nightclub a cut above the rest. It offers upscale bottle service in its six VIP areas overlooking the dance floor; the ultraexclusive Kiki and Shag rooms also come with private servers, cushy seating, and guest appearances by Paris Hilton, The Hills star Audrina, and assorted other celebutantes, Wahlbergs, and Red Sox. To get in, you'll have to either reserve ahead (an AmEx black card comes in handy) or catch the eye of the discerning bouncers. A tip: Leave the tank tops and ripped jeans at home. 1 Boylston Pl., Boston, MA 2116, theestateboston.com.