Sports Club/LA
It's the kind of gym we hate to love: full of people who put on makeup and hair gel before they work out, and packed with fluffy extras like a roof deck, spa, salon, and bar. (Yes, bar.) But dangit if it isn't a really, really good place to burn calories: 114,000 square feet filled with Cybex and Precor cardio equipment, basketball and squash courts, a pool, a boxing studio, and more. 4 Avery St., Boston, MA 2111, thesportsclubla.com.
Flat Top Johnny's
Fast Eddie Felson wouldn't have set foot in most of the upscale pool halls that have replaced the smoky hustler haunts of old. He might have made an exception for Flat Top Johnny's, though. Unlike the rest of its ilk, this Kendall Square hangout is one classy joint that's neither a meat market nor an amusement park. At once understated and regal, the place features clean red felt, good cheap beer, and regulars who actually know how to play a game of nine ball. 1 Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA flattopjohnnys.com.
Parlor Sports
Photo by Jesse Burke So many sports bars in Boston these days feel like impersonal warehouses, strewn, as they are, with a bajillion giant TVs over a zillion square feet. Parlor is the rare gathering place that feels cozy and intimate. Crucially, the bartenders are adept at knowing when to turn up the volume on the commentators and when to flip it to music (a major problem at bigger sports bars). And while the place is known as a haven for basketball geeks, it's really worth checking out on any game night. 3 Beacon St., Somerville, MA parlorsportsbar.com.
The Sinclair
Photo by Jesse Burke Superstar chef Michael Schlow may have brought initial buzz to this new restaurant/music club, but now its lineup of stellar performers—postpunk legends such as the Feelies and Wire, Gen-X faves such as DJ Shadow, and Pitchfork-approved titans like Fucked Up and Rogue Wave—makes the food almost an afterthought. For the first time in a long time, Harvard Square feels like the place to be. 52 Church St., Cambridge, MA sinclaircambridge.com.
Zero Arrow Theatre
This Harvard Square spot was designed for experimentation, and that's exactly what the American Repertory Theatre is doing with its flexible, intimate new venue. The unadorned black-box design allows the theater and actors to adapt to any performance, while the ART's planned collaborations with other local cultural groups, such as World Music and PEN New England, promise a steady flow of interesting productions. Zero Arrow St., Cambridge, MA americanrepertorytheater.org/venue/zero-arrow.
Montage
Its old space was awe-inspiring enough, but its renovated 10,500-square-foot showroom leaves us speechless. Montage now features an overhauled collection that includes contemporary European lines like B&B Italia, MatteoGrassi, and Poltrona Frau. It's always pushed the home-design envelope, but this year, Montage has us asking: When can we move in? 75 Arlington St., Boston, MA 2116, montageweb.com.
Tir Na Nog
Its name means "Land of Eternal Youth" in Gaelic, but this smallish bar in Union Square hosts both young and old. Proprietors Robert Elliot and Patsy Wheelan run a welcoming pub, where those with a brogue out-number those without. Patsy's band Zozimus (starring Billy Bulger's son Brendan, on fiddle) rocks the house on weekends, and during Sunday seisiunsan Irish gentleman can sing an old folk song to the respectful silence of the whole room. Tasty food is available; parking is easy. 366A Somerville Ave., Somerville, MA .
Blue Moon Smoke Shop
The meteoric rise of vaporizers has changed what we smoke and how we smoke it. Nowadays, the marketplace is flooded with newfangled devices; choosing the proper vessel can feel like shopping for a laptop. Don’t let your mellow be harshed, man. The friendly fellas at Kenmore Square’s Blue Moon will help you find whatever type of delivery device your lungs desire, be it a simple e-cig or a high-tech Grenco Science G-Pen (Snoop Dogg’s vape of choice). 470 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, smokeshopboston.com.
Parker Cote Elite Fitness
Photograph by Toan Trinh Fitness model Parker Cote has graced dozens of magazine covers, each showcasing his remarkable physique. At his new studio, a 1,600-square-foot space brimming with luxury amenities (a spa-quality restroom and shower area, free Fiji water, and towel service), we can train to cover-model perfection, too. Cote offers semi-private and one-on-one training sessions that incorporate cardio, strength training, and plyometrics. 116 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, parkercotefitness.com.
Phoenix Landing
This Central Square pub's many TVs play the Sox, the Bruins, and NFL games, depending on the time of year. But its true draw is football—the non-American kind, that is. Soccer fans crowd the Phoenix Landing's tiny space to watch Premier League matches during the weekend's earliest hours—especially those who favor Liverpool FC—thrilling in each goal while tucking into Jameson pancakes with a side of cider. 512 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, phoenixlandingbar.com.
Deep Thoughts JP
This shop is welcoming enough to embrace all varieties of weirdo, informed enough to impress every type of nerd, and just strange enough to ward off the squares. With a huge stock that spans the musical universe, from way-out folk to cassette-punk and art-rap—not to mention every hyper-hyphenated subgenre in between—Deep Thoughts is an essential day trip for the city's music obsessives. 138B South St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, deepthoughtsjp.com.
Jamaica Mi Hungry
The fiery, hearty, soulful fare of Jamaica has a cozy home in Jackson Square, where chef Ernie Campbell uses skills honed as a caterer and food-truck operator to serve heaping helpings of jerk chicken, coconut shrimp, oxtail, and curry goat. Bonus points for the prime location next to an MBTA Orange Line stop and bus hub, which makes these good eats accessible to a broad, underserved swath of the city, notably a nearby section of Roxbury with few sit-down or takeout restaurants. 225 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, jamaicamihungry.com.
Dragon Pizza
WHAT’S THE VIBE? The Lower East Side/Little Italy border by way of Davis Square, with a graffitied menu and displays of ’80s-hard-rock cassettes that always put us in an Empire State of mind. TASTING NOTES: Eminently foldable, for easy eating on the street, naturally. Big ups to the melting pot of toppings, ranging from Buffalo and kung pao chicken to mushrooms with corn sauce — all bold enough to stand up to a selection of assertive amaro digestifs. 233 Elm St., Somerville, MA 02144, dragonpizzasomerville.com.
Barneys New York
The Brooks Brothers non-iron shirt has its place, but when the situation calls for something a little more snazzy, the best-dressed men in town head to Barneys. The men's department is unbeatable, featuring designer fashions that are easy to pull off and salespeople who are happy to double as style coaches. Sure, you'll likely have to get that new Dior dress shirt pressed—and yes, you must tuck it in—but at least you won't look like every other banker at the ball. 100 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 2116, barneys.com.
Canyon Ranch
Peace and quiet don't come cheap. (If you have to ask how much, sweetie, you can't afford it.) But the Ranch's formula for relaxation is worth every buck: no cell phones, no booze, no table salt, and plenty of yoga and pampering. And since the resort's amenities also include nutrition classes and cooking demos, you're guaranteed to leave not only your stress behind, but a few pounds as well. 165 Kemble St., Lenox, MA 1240, canyonranch.com.