Hops N Scotch
With 40 beers on tap, craft cocktails, and more than 100 scotches, bourbons, and whiskeys, Hops N Scotch will wet your whistle one way or another. Head upstairs on weekends for the live DJ, or grab a seat on one of the couches downstairs. 1306 Beacon St., Brookline, MA 02446, hopsnscotchbar.com.
Ritual Arts
You don't have to be a high priestess to shop here. With an intriguing array of crystals, incense, jewelry, and d̩cor, Ritual Arts is welcoming to anyone who appreciates a good Nag Champa. For extra good vibes, end your visit with head scratches for LoveBomb the cat. 153 Harvard Ave., Boston, MA 02134, .
Hilton's Tent City
This equipment emporium, which moved from the West End to Central this year, stocks all the camping gear, boots, backpacks, and tents you need for your next rugged hike in the White Mountains. Including one remnant of the original location: a wall of trail maps and postcards. 565 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02114, hiltonstentcity.com.
Snip-Its
With games, prizes, and lollipops, getting trimmed becomes less an errand than an adventure. Each Snip-Its stylist is specially trained to work with children, and can even give parents a photo certificate along with those precious clippings upon your kiddo's first haircut. The Street, 25 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, snipits.com.
The Boston Children's Museum
iStockphoto Why choose a theme for your child's birthday party when she can have it all? Bashes at the Boston Children's Museum come with daylong admission, so guests can have a ball in the art studio, the land of the dinosaurs, and everywhere in between. 308 Congress St., Boston, MA 02210, bostonchildrensmuseum.org.
Shalyn Gamba, Prettyology
Tweezing brows is a risky business. Pluck the wrong teeny-tiny hairs, and your entire visage suffers. Leaving the job in Shalyn Gamba's steady hands, however, will ensure the perfect shape every time—flattering, natural, and tailor-made just for you. 18 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, prettyology.com.
Jeanne Lee
Photograph by Trevor Reid / Model, Tayla Fernandez/Maggie Inc. Kick back, relax, and indulge in the lost art of a good conversation while Jeanne Lee treats your digits to a detail-oriented manicure ($32) and spa pedicure ($85) that leaves no nook, cranny, or hangnail neglected. The finishing touch? A positively blissful massage. 115 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, jeannesalon.com.
Drybar
Photograph by Trevor Reid / Model, Tayla Fernandez/Maggie Inc. Choose from one of nine signature blowouts ($45), then hand yourself over to a professional who will wash, dry, and style your locks into bouncy, shiny submission in just 45 minutes. What's more, you get to do it with a magazine in one hand and a beverage in the other. 234 Clarendon St., Boston, MA 02116, thedrybar.com.
PorchFest Somerville
Russell Feathers and Possum perform at PorchFest. / Photograph by Eric Haines/Flickr Bands of all genres playing on hundreds of porches and enjoyed by thousands of revelers. It's not your wildest musical dream—it's PorchFest, a Somerville staple for the past seven years. The event has been such a bonding experience for the city that similar events have since launched nearby. somervilleartscouncil.org/porchfest.
IFFBoston
The glowing reviews keep pouring in—not only for the movies IFFBoston shows, but for the festival itself. Highlights this past year included Dean, a dark comedy about family loss, and a documentary about Will Lautzenheiser, the world's third person to receive a double-arm transplant, thanks to Brigham and Women's Hospital. iffboston.com.
Legal Sea Foods
You don't mess with success. Legal's classic formula—a creamy base, loads of clam flavor, firm potato chunks—has been warming Bostonians' souls for decades. It even has a White House endorsement, having been ladled at every inauguration since the Reagan era. Multiple locations. 26 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116, legalseafoods.com.
Rugg Road Paper Company
This charming shop offers a jaw-dropping array of card stocks and designs for every occasion, from receptions to rehearsal dinners. You'll also find photo albums, rubber stamps, and embossing tools for scrapbooking—all of which will preserve the memories of your big day beautifully. 105 Charles St., Boston, MA 2114, ruggroadpaper.com.
Anh Hong
This Dorchester destination offers up traditional home-style dishes for those daring to venture beyond bowls of pho or bánh mì. Hungry? Pair ca kho to (caramelized clay-pot fish) with an order of canh chua (sour soup) and a side of white rice, or spring for the seven-course beef, bò 7 món. 291 Adams St., Dorchester, MA 02122, .
Xtend Barre
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-283919714/stock-photo-in-the-hall-girl-doing-stretching-near-barre.html" target="_blank">Photo</a> via Shutterstock It might be 6:30 a.m. on a dreary Tuesday morning, but the staff at Xtend are all smiles, laughter, and encouragement.The positivity doesn’t stop at the barre; even as you pulse, squat, and tap your way toward a quivering mass of muscle, the instructors cajole instead of scold. 338 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02115, xtendbarre.com.
State Room
Courtesy of Longwood Events Perched 33 stories above the city with glass walls overlooking the Custom House Tower, the State Room is a blank canvas with personalization options galore. Chef David Blessing, meanwhile, serves up customized menus that are as breathtaking as the views—think tuna poke in mini cones and adorable s’mores tartlets. 60 State St., Boston, MA longwoodevents.com.