Paddle Boston
Looking to canoe, kayak, or paddleboard your way through the city? Let these experts hook you up with the gear — and the guidance — you need to get out on the Charles or the harbor. Multiple locations, paddleboston.com.
Digital City Boston (www.digitalcity.com/boston)
A simple way to sort through the cultural offerings on any given day, Digital City Boston does all the little things right. A single movie page, for instance, tells you when and where a film is playing, and gives a synopsis, a critic's review, and a chance to submit your own rating. The dining area constantly updates the top 10 users' choices; it's also easy to search for restaurants by location, price range, or name.
The Opera Company of Boston's performance of Puccini's <em>La Bohème</em>
Just when the future of the Opera Company could hardly look bleaker, Sarah Caldwell came through with her finest direction. Suddenly, people remembered why it is so important to keep the OCB alive.
PKL Boston
So you’re a pickleball virgin, but want to get in on the craze. No worries — you’re totally covered at PKL in Southie, which offers beginner to advanced clinics in a super-cool atmosphere (including full dinner, brunch, and cocktail menus to fortify yourself between rounds). Once you’ve mastered the art of dinking and volleying, you can meet up with your new pickleball buddies for open play, or even join one of PKL’s leagues. 64 C St., Boston, MA, 02127, playpkl.com.
Boston Chops
Thanks to a few hip newcomers, scrappy Downtown Crossing is having a moment. If you ask us, that’s even more reason to celebrate this luxe steakhouse, which remains a neighborhood favorite after six years. The restaurant is where businessfolk with expense accounts can summon Japanese Wagyu and trophy bottles of Burgundy while the rest of us enjoy modestly priced prime steak frites, melt-in-your-mouth popovers, and excellent cocktails. 52 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111, bostonchops.com.
Boston for the Dogs
This diverse team of animal aficionados—which includes a romance novelist, a Berklee graduate, and a self-proclaimed crazy cat lady—know how to make your pooch feel comfortable, be it on a neighborhood walk, a hike, or a quick potty break. They’ll even arrange playgroups with other dogs in a fenced-in area. MA bostonforthedogs.com.
Louis Boston
The Northern Avenue store is half the size of the old Newbury digs, but it's a far better representation of Debi Greenberg's style vision. Eveningwear by Peter Pilotto, Roland Mouret, and Jason Wu doubles as art, though just as impressive are casual offerings from Jeffrey Monteiro, the Row, and Opening Ceremony. Irresistible shoes and accessories bear names of favorites both old (Marni, Balenciaga) and new (Melissa Odabash, Georgina Goodman). 60 Northern Ave., Boston, MA 2110, louisboston.com.
Louis Boston
Fashion Oz lies behind these walls, where rooms are given over to individual designers, and where staffers know more than most fashion editors do, including lots about the unusual and the local. Without a stitch of attitude they'll walk you through the various styles, from hip-hop casual G-Star and sophisticated Dries Van Noten, to the inspirational grace of Helmut Lang. Okay, so the prices are high, but you get more than what you pay for—and ego boosts are included. 234 Berkeley St., Boston, MA louisboston.com.
Louis Boston
Determined to strike out against the WASP uniform of rumpled khakis, polo shirts, and sensible shoes, Debi Greenberg and dad Murray Pearlstein have revolutionized the way Bostonians dress. Their modern approach to fashion eschews mainstream labels for smaller, innovative designers, earning Louis Boston an international reputation as the store to watch—and copy. This store has the goods. And for your entertainment, deejays spin on the ground level Saturday afternoons. Does it get any cooler? Not in Boston. 234 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA louisboston.com.
Louis Boston
Murray Pearlstein established what is nationally and internationally regarded as the ne plus ultra of fashion speciality stores. Now his daughter, Debra Pearlstein Greenberg, is at the helm, and her mandate is to gently push her customers forward into the next millennium without losing sight of the fact that style often transcends fashion. But the store has always been about buying beautiful clothes of the finest quality and the importance of looking legitimate but amazing—in other words, standing out in a quiet way that's both modern and forward. 234 Berkeley St., Boston, MA .
Louis, Boston
For drop-dead cool, climb the stairs at Louis and cruise the racks from Dries Van Noten to Jil Sander, on over to Industria and Prada and the rest. 234 Berkeley St., Boston, MA .
Louis, Boston
Superb suits, including the city's largest selection of Ermenegildo Zegna, a vast array of ties, terrific casual clothes, and great shoes and accessories, displayed in Boston's most architecturally interesting retail space. Plus, a terrific cafe in which to relax after a tough day of deciding among the appealing merchandise. 234 Berkeley St., Boston, MA .
Tatsukichi Boston
The branch in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo is famous for its fried foods, but the Boston outpost doesn't slack in that department, either, offering lightly breaded fried treats, as well as a vast array of sushi. For a real taste of japan, however, try the egg custard soup, called Chawan-Mushi, which takes a while to make but is certainly worth the wait. The tatami benches are a homey touch, but don't expect an intimate dinner since the space is slightly cramped. For rowdy partiers, there's karaoke upstairs in the evenings. 189 State St., Boston, MA .
Freedberg of Boston
Famous-maker suits straight from the manufacturer. More's the pity that it's open only on Saturday mornings. 112 Shawmut Ave., Boston, MA .
Boston Cooks
There are more than 1,000 titles in this small, packed store, and what you don't see they can always get. The emphasis is on New England books and authors. Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston, MA .