Bambini Design
Sure, you can find a crib or changing table at any old baby-furniture warehouse, but here's what you'll be missing: design staffers who will come to your home, interview your child (who may or may not answer back), and determine the best furniture match for her budding personality. Meanwhile, they'll scope out the rest of your pad to ensure the nursery jibes with your carefully chosen décor. Expect high-end contemporary pieces by the likes of Oeuf and Monte, streamlined beauties that are still comfortable enough to take the edge off those 3 a.m. feedings. 82 Boylston St. (Rte. 9), Brookline, MA 2445, bellabambinidesign.com.
The Garden at Elm Bank
Photo by Shannon Grant Photography You don’t have to fly to Europe for an Italian-style garden wedding. Just take a quick drive to Wellesley, where you’ll find the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Garden at Elm Bank. The venue’s 36 acres of lush gardens are perfect for photo ops and cocktail hour; the historical indoor and tented venues swathed in twinkling lights, meanwhile, appeal to nature lovers and hopeless romantics alike. But first things first: the ceremony. For that, the romantic Olmsted-designed Italianate Garden (one of two Italianate gardens open to the public in the Bay State) is a no-brainer. 900 Washington St., Wellesley, MA 02482, masshort.org.
Vivant Vintage
Have you ever entered a store and immediately felt like you could spend hours perusing the racks? Well, that’s what it’s like to step into Vivant Vintage, where every item inspires a memory as well as a vision for how you might wear it. The Allston clothier has been around since 2011, when founder Justin Pomerleau started selling his collection from a homemade tricycle cart called “Le Pants King.” Fast-forward a decade, and the shop is a bona fide destination for everything from old-school Champion sweatshirts to Gucci scarves, sold both in-store and online. 318 Lincoln St., Allston, MA 02134, vivantvintage.com.
Tasting Counter
Brian Samuels Photography When Peter Ungár’s 20-seat Somerville restaurant temporarily shuttered back in March, he knew transitioning to ordinary takeout service couldn’t possibly re-create his restaurant’s expo-kitchen intimacy. So instead he launched TC@Home, a unique, interactive alternative. Over two hours, the chef remotely guides online “guests” through assembling multicourse meals using the provided components. By the time you’ve put the finishing touches on the King crab risotto and almond cake with seaweed caramel, you’ll agree: This is officially the coolest online dinner party around. 14 Tyler St., Somerville, MA 02143, tastingcounter.com.
Beauport Hotel Gloucester
A glam restaurant that looks like a midcentury ocean liner, live entertainment, a heated rooftop pool high above the sea, oversize rooms (some with fireplaces!) so close to the harbor that you feel like you’re on a cruise — there’s a lot to love about Gloucester’s stately Beauport. Best of all is the location: Close to the HarborWalk and Stage Fort Park and just a short shuttle ride to the muchloved Good Harbor Beach, the hotel is an ideal getaway whether you live a few hours or a few minutes away. 55 Commercial St., Gloucester, MA 1930, beauporthotel.com.
Town Meeting Bistro
Mimosas, freshly baked pastries, and a raw-bar-and-charcuterie tower for you and as many friends as you can fit around the table — what more could you ask for on a leisurely weekend afternoon? At the Inn at Hasting Park’s prix-fixe champagne brunch, a lot more, actually — namely, elevated breakfast classics such as 48-hour beef brisket hash and buttermilk pancakes topped with apple compote and pecans. With seating in a cozy fireplaced dining room or al fresco every Saturday and Sunday, it’s an occasion brunch, even when the occasion is just being with the people you love again. 2027 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington, MA 02421, innathastingspark.com.
Twentieth Century Limited
What becomes immediately clear upon entering the small shop are the hours needed to fully appreciate it. Cases chock-full of vintage jewelry line the perimeter of the room and reach almost to the ceiling. And there's even more than meets the eye; ask to see cuff links, for example, and numerous trays appear from the bottoms of cases that weren't initially visible. Ask to see more (if you dare) and bags and bags, filled to the brim, materialize. It's as if all of Beacon Hill's grand dames came here to empty their jewelry boxes. 73 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, boston-vintagejewelry.com.
Sacco's Bowl Haven
With Instagram-friendly candlepin lanes and lively, unfakeable old-school charm, the nearly 80-year-old Sacco's holds its own as the area's best. It's more than worth the hours'-long wait to play, especially if you come hungry (and thirsty): Flatbread Company mans two huge pizza ovens off to the side, complemented by an equally impressive beer selection. The crowds should thin—at least a little bit—when the pizza/bowling concept expands its good-time vibes to another location in Brighton this year. 45 Day St., Somerville, MA 02144, flatbreadcompany.com/sacco.
Lone Star Taco Bar
Despite draconian MBTA policy, the party continues until (or past) the witching hour at Lone Star, where chef Rian Wyllie slings tostadas and tacos until 1:30 a.m. Not only are his two taquerias the only places to catch a spaghetti western with a basket of freshly made chips and choriqueso, his grilled street corn—topped with cotija, cilantro, and chili-lime aioli—is also a surprisingly sound buffer for all the hooch that led you there in the first place. 635 Cambridge St., Cambridge, 857-285-6179; 479 Cambridge St, Allston, 617-782-8226. 635 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA 02141, lonestar-boston.com.
Spascape Day Spa
When you book an hour here, it's wise to leave room for two. Owner Deb Larson has designed her fetching new seaside spa as a kind of anti-errand, flush with incentives to loiter. The glassed-in lounge and balcony spread a sparkling Scituate Harbor at guests' (comfortably propped-up) feet; down the hall are a rainforest shower and a steam room for gratis luxuriating. Factor in the anti-big-city prices for the marine-inspired wraps, massages, and facials, and it's not just hard to leave SpaScape—it's also darn near impossible to not keep coming back. 3 Mill Wharf Plz., Scituate, MA 2066, spascapedayspa.com.
City Express
If you need to get something somewhere in this perpetually gridlocked city quickly, you have two options: hire City Express, or . . . okay, you've got only one option. Rain, wind, traffic jams, and subway breakdowns fail to thwart this company's army of messengers, who quietly, safely, and responsibly complete rush deliveries, often along custom routes established for regular customers. Full disclosure: We use City Express. Fuller disclosure: We use City Express because they're the most reliable and efficient service out there. And—novelty of novelties—they staff the phones 24 hours a day to fine-tune delivery schedules. 201 South St., Boston, MA cityexp.com.
Dennis Duffy, Duffy Design Group
We could spend hours extolling the glories of Duffy's handiwork. He has, after all, single-handedly spiffed up some of the city's most stylish residences and commercial spaces—Manny Ramirez's pad and the Charlesmark Hotel among them. But while Duffy's signature soft contemporary vision may be breathtaking—and it is breathtaking—in the end, it's how he works with people that counts. Client after client remarks about his flexibility, his positive attitude, punctuality, respect for budgets, and diligence in meeting demands. In short, he actually listens and, thus, ultimately proves that his ear is every bit as good as his eye. 516 East Second St., South Boston, MA duffydesigngroup.com.
Mr. Sid
It must be that a parallel universe exists in Newton Centre, where for 40 years Mr. Sid has managed to make men's shopping a social activity. Could it have something to do with the daily 5 p.m. cocktail hour, when the main sweater display transforms into a pool table, a plasma TV emerges, and the sales guys start shaking up martinis? Or could it simply be that for years men have wandered into Mr. Sid and, thanks to its expansive selection of upscale business and casual clothing, emerged better dressed and standing taller (if not slightly buzzed as well)? 1211 Centre St., Newton Centre, MA 2459, mrsid.com.
Nick's Moving Company
In a town where moving is a way of life (and everyone moves at precisely the same moment), finding a mover to do the job quickly and affordably can be a challenge. When we needed to move on a Sunday and at the last minute, though, the friendly people at Nick's said it wouldn't be a problem. And it wasn't. The courteous, energetic moving team got the job done quickly, safely, and efficiently, with no complaints about fourth-floor walkups. What's more, this moving service is comparatively inexpensive, with hourly rates of $115 for a three-man team or $90 for a two-man team—all of which makes the yearly relocating habit in this town affordable vice. 495 Columbia St., Somerville, MA bostonmamovers.net.
Boston Sports Club
You might want to join this club for the parking alone. Where else can you pay $1 during peak hours for an indoor spot? New owners have done a complete rehab on the old Allston-Brighton Squash Club, which now pulls its weight with the other big-name clubs in town. To wit: acres of cardio machines, including the hot new elliptical walkers; brand new Cybex; free weights of every description; six squash courts; a huge aerobics studio (that doubles as a gym); and a dedicated spinning room with enough colored lights on the ceiling for a Broadway show. 15 Gorham St., Boston, MA .