Gregg D'Andrea
After teaching spinning at workout meccas like Equinox and Crunch, D'Andrea opened his own 5,000-square-foot fitness studio last year to cater to his considerable following. (He claims a 70 percent retention rate among his clients.) Free advice: "For weight training, dumbbells give far better results than machines. And forget weight belts. Last I heard, cavemen didn't wear weight belts, and they were in better shape than some of the people working out now." 55 Charles St., Needham, MA 2494, .
Crystal Morgan, C.Spa
Even before the very talented Crystal Morgan gets you on the table at her immaculately clean Back Bay studio, she’s already working, sizing up the way you stand to see exactly where your tension lies. Once she begins the massage, her magic hands free up every knot and tension spot. Go ahead and glance in the mirror after your 60- to 90-minute treatment is over: Not only will you feel different, but your posture will actually look visibly different, too. 715 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02116, cspaboston.com.
The Foundry
The city of Cambridge transformed this former factory into a gorgeous, multipurpose creative hive with the explicit goal of offering accessible space to artists and artisans in a city that, more often than not, prices them out. Among the Foundry’s public amenities are reservable conference rooms; four makerspaces offering workshops for fi ber arts, woodwork, and more; a demonstration kitchen; a dance studio; and a 115-seat black-box theater. Not artistically inclined? No problem — you’ll also find Zumba classes, gallery shows, and guitar festivals, all open to the public. 101 Rogers St., Cambridge, MA 02142, cambridgefoundry.org.
Fête Collection
Photo by Julie Pike The wedding invitation is the first thing your guests see — so you want to make sure it sets the right tone. That’s where Julie Pike and Eileen Sherman come in. After an initial meeting at their sparkling new studio on Newbury Street, the duo can masterfully transform a couple’s inspiration — be it a special location, memory, or motif — into a bespoke stationery suite that’s truly unique. Prefer to select your stationery the old-fashioned way? Fête also has a library of wedding designs — replete with letterpress, foil stamping, and engraving — that can be customized with special touches. 222 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, shopfete.com.
TrillFit
Whether you’re a hip-hop newbie or consider your dance skills to be on par with Megan Thee Stallion’s, TrillFit welcomes everyone to join its squad. Led by Heather White, the boutique fitness studio has managed to create a community through its virtual “workout parties,” which range from sweaty sculpting classes to more-restorative sessions that incorporate slow-flow yoga and meditation. And who knows? When you do decide to return to in-person classes, you might just impress your pals with those dance moves you’ve been perfecting in your living room. 1484 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02120, trill.fit.
<em>The Donkey Show</em>
Follow the glitter trail to Oberon, where nearly every weekend, a blizzard of pixie dust transforms the cabaret into an immersive disco inferno. This lamé-and-polyester-sheathed version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream—an ode to both the Bard and Studio 54—may have launched in New York, but its 2009 revival in Cambridge gave it new life: After throwing 800-plus dance parties in the venue (christened in honor of the show’s Shakespearean fairy king turned sleazy nightlife impresario), it’s clear this disco is far from dead. 2 Arrow St., Cambridge, MA 02138, americanrepertorytheater.org/oberon.
Limelight
There are two kinds of karaoke-goers: traditionalists "just in it for the music" and Axl-style mike hogs. Limelight suits both. More than 5,000 songs provide variety, and an always appreciative, largely tipsy audience supplies the right amount of Idol-esque egging on. (Those suffering from stage fright can "Sweet Child o' Mine" it up in private studios modeled on clubs in Tokyo, where subtitled singing is practically a professional sport.) The food may be greasy and the drinks can be weak, but never having to share stage time with "Sister Christian"-loving frat boys is more than a fair exchange. 204 Tremont St., Boston, MA limelightboston.com.
Juniko
This Hanover workout center is less a gym and more a lifestyle dojo. Named for Japan’s "Twelve Lakes" and cofounded by jujitsu world champ Daniel Gracie, Juniko takes a fitness-academy approach to wellness, offering adult- and child-level formats to suburbanites investing in their whole family’s health. Held in a sleek studio, the classes—including Brazilian jujitsu and aerial yoga—feel more like performance art than exercise. But you’ll still want to reward yourself with a visit to the on-site juice bar for kale smoothies, avocado toast, and take-home cleanses. 1376 Washington St., Hanover, MA 02339, juniko.com.
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 .
SBI
True, it's in a shopping mall, or at least the closest thing Harvard Square has to a shopping mall. And it's part of a bigger chain. But it's still one of those photo stores where the staff loves to talk about cameras, and the prices are some of the best around. A standard Minolta flash that costs more than $100 around the corner sells here for $75. After buying the flash, our agent asked for an expensive gizmo to connect it to his light meter. "Oh no," said the salesguy. "You don't need it. We use the same light meter in the studio I work at and I'm sure you don't need it." 57 JFK Street, Harvard Square Galeria, Cambridge, MA .
Zona
Charles David may have the dazzling hair-color bar and AZ Studio the highly shoppable product boutique, but Zona's got the talent, times two. Andrew Zona recently closed his top-notch Hingham Square salon to join brother Frank's equally favored setup in Queen Anne Plaza, uniting the third generation of a hairdressing family that traces its roots back to 1800s Italy. Despite that long history, nothing feels dated about either the space, which got a swank facelift last year, or the services, which could hold their own on Newbury. 10 Washington Street, Norwell, MA 2061, .
Ames Street Deli
Photograph by Jared Kuzia Editor's Note, July 13, 1 p.m.: Ames Street—which merged with its neighbor Study for a combined concept called "Study at Ames" in late June, after press time for our Best of Boston issue—closed July 12.
After creating a top-tier nightlife enclave at Somerville’s Backbar, Sam Treadway and team are now schooling the country’s smartest city in cocktail-making. Here, they offer an ever-changing matrix organized by liquor, breaking down off-center sips (purple-cabbage gin, anyone?) to make even foreign flavors feel approachable. 73 Ames St., Cambridge, MA 02142, amesstreetdeli.com.
Matt Shearer
Nick Lavallee/Wicked Joyful This WBZ NewsRadio reporter has become so recognizable for his roving video stories — consistently clever, often amusing segments about colorful local characters and regional idiosyncrasies — that local toymaker Wicked Joyful (a.k.a. Nick Lavallee) immortalized the social creator as an action figure. Fitting, since Shearer did something low-key heroic in December when he orchestrated a recording-studio session for unhoused singer Ara Bolster, whom he’d encountered randomly on the street, and helped her release an original single on Bandcamp, where the song quickly earned her thousands of dollars. Bolster cried joyously, Dunkin’ recruited her to perform at Logan Airport with the Boston Pops, and a CBS Evening News segment took note. This dude really is that good. instagram.com/reportermatt.
Baron Baptiste, Baptiste Power Yoga Institute
Some argue that power yoga is not really yoga. But sweat and stretch your way through just one class with Baron Baptiste and you'll be a believer in his high-intensity, high-temperature workout. Just ask the dozens of devotees who pile into his tiny Porter Square studio for his first-come, first-serve classes—or any of the professional athletes and celebrities (including Elisabeth Shue and Helen Hunt) who are fans. Lest you assume that Baptiste's method forgoes the meditative properties of traditional yoga, be assured that classes are conducted in a soothingly quiet room where traditional breathing techniques and perfect form are stressed, though the room is heated to more than 90 degrees to keep the muscles loose. And at only $10 per session (a dollar extra for mat rentals), it's an indulgence that can easily be made a habit. 2000 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA baronbaptiste.com.
The Art Store
Muses nonwithstanding, the Art Store sells everything your magnum opus needs, and at prices that won't leave the artist in you starving. Forget rummaging through piles of 200 pre-stretched canvases to find the size you want; it's all neatly ordered against the wall. Every shade of paint—oil, acrylic, watercolor, you name it—is represented, and the paper selection runs from handmade, violet-embedded sheets to plain foam core. Like to sit while you sketch? There's furniture here too, plus easels and mesh file boxes. Come to think of it, the large, open, and neatly arranged space may just inspire you after all—to organize your studio. 401 Park Dr., Boston, MA .