Mandarin Oriental, Boston
Sometimes, you need to check in to check out. And that’s just what the Mandarin’s three- and five-day wellness retreats offer. The lineup of classes and spa treatments promises to nourish your mind and body, while the included plant-based meals mean you’ll never have to leave the hotel. 776 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02199, mandarinoriental.com.
Boston Marriott Long Wharf
You just finished up a morning at the aquarium down the street. One kid has to pee. The other needs a bottle. Everyone is exhausted. Where do you go? This sprawling hotel on the waterfront, where the lobby bathrooms are sparkling clean, and there are plenty of comfy chairs for chilling out between activities. 296 State St., Boston, MA 02109, marriott.com.
Sweet Tooth Boston
Photo Kristin Teig, styling by Catrine Kelty Bakeries too often make their cupcakes all about elaborate decorations. The actual cake, meanwhile, is a dry, disappointing afterthought. That’s not the case at Sweet Tooth, where fluffy, super-moist cupcakes are more than a match for the rich pompadours of creamy frosting that crown them. The chocolate-ganache-topped Boston Cream, in particular, is a tasty twist on an iconic local treat. 371 W Broadway, South Boston, MA 02127, sweettoothboston.com.
Boston Public Library
Far more than a vast storehouse of books, the BPL has always been a hub for the community—something that’s only grown stronger in the COVID era. Whether it’s interactive playgroups for toddlers, story times and bilingual magic shows for kids, improv classes for teens, or book clubs and lectures for adults, the organization has harnessed the diverse resources of all of its branches to offer such a busy, varied selection of virtual fun each day that you’ll hardly find enough time to experience it all 700 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02116, bpl.org.
Boston Symphony Orchestra
From its historical digs on Mass. Ave., the BSO manages to cater to both Liszt fans and those who just want to hear what the Star Wars theme sounds like live. bso.org.
Boston College hockey
The football players are better known for making book, and the hoopsters for celebrating at Mary Ann's, but Jerry York's BC hockey team brought the Heights its first NCAA title since 1949.
Filthy Rich of Boston
This North End gem promises replicas of "world-famous celebrity jewelry," and it delivers better than a stunt double. Filthy Rich of Boston has more than 100 authorized exact copies of classic pieces owned and worn by legends like Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy, as well as look-alikes from current stars such as Halle Berry and Nicole Kidman. You may not be an Oscar winner, but you can accessorize like one. Boston, MA 2113,
The Ritz-Carlton Boston
After a $60 million facelift, all 17 stories of Boston's grande dame gleam as brightly as they did in the 1920s. This Ritz has spent more than 75 years perfecting the art of impeccable service, and it shows in a sophistication and luxury unmatched in this town—right down to the jocular doorman and white-gloved bellboys. The chandelier-filled dining room has been restored to its previous grandeur, and the vast menu of amenities includes bath and fireplace butlers, afternoon tea, and etiquette classes for children. 15 Arlington St., Boston, MA tajhotels.com/boston.
Boston Center for Adult Education
Sorry guys and dolls, thanks to the Boston Center for Adult Education, there are just no more excuses for thinking salsa is merely a condiment. Even if you have two left feet, the BCAE can teach you everything from swing to ballroom dancing. They make disco cool. Hell, they'll even teach you to belly dance. And if the thought of that first dance in front of all those people sounds worse than 50 ears with your mother-in-law, they eve have a class called "Dance at Your Wedding: Choreographing the Moment." 5 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA bcae.org.
Boston Car Service
Whether you need transportation for a big cheese from New York or just a ride to Logan at 3 a.m., traveling in a Boston Car Service sedan will do you right. Rates are easy on the check-book: From the Boston/Cambridge area to Logan, it's about $33 to ride in a swank Lincoln with a driver who asks your route and temperature preferences. Now this is living. 60 Kilmarnock Street, Boston, MA bostoncorpcoach.com.
Boston Pet Sitters
Fact is, you can't always be there when your beagle needs you. Let Jennifer North or one of her colleagues at Boston Pet Sitters take over the midday walk, or even those weekends when Snoopy isn't invited along to Tanglewood. She'll come as many times a day as needed to walk, feed, water, and generally coddle the little darlings. She comes with a pocketful of plastic bags for pooper-scoopering, industrial strength foul-weather gear for those New England winters, and, most important, a sincere love of dogs. 144 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA .
Boston Book Annex
Like a portal to Narnia, a door below street level reveals an impossibly boundless collection of used books, neatly organized into hundreds of irresistible categories, including "espionage," "nature writing," and "UFOs." Two cats doze near the front, and there's quiet but the sound of the creaky wooden floors. 906 Beacon Street, Boston, MA .
Boston Links Golf Shop
The best place to turn for new clubs and clothes, even though prices are a bit higher than at the discount centers that have proliferated in the suburbs. Both Boston Links Golf shops stock ample selections of quality equipment, and the atmosphere feels like a members-only clubhouse. This is the shopper's haven for gifts: the prints and framed photos will leave you dreaming of playing the back nine at Pebble Beach with the Golden Beat. 150 Federal St., Boston, MA .
Boston Instant Shoe Repair
After clomping around the city for a few years, our Italian-leather boots were in dire need of a makeover. "Oy. You must really love these,' said this shop's proprietor as he noticed the wood and nails poking through the heels. He tenderly brought them back to life in just three days, and our boots were again ready to strut their stuff. Boston, MA
Social Boston Sports
Want to show off your three-pointer, or revel in the schoolyard-era glories of dodgeball? Social Boston Sports has been helping Bostonians tap into their inner jock in nearly every neighborhood in the city since 2010. And don’t worry if you’re not a natural-born athlete: There’s always SBS’s cornhole league. socialbostonsports.com.