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Five miles (8 km) of coastline with gentle waves and rolling dunes. (see Ipswich).

When the Custom House was built in 1840, Boston was one of America’s largest overseas shipping ports, and customs fees were the mainstay of the Federal budget. The Neo-Classical structure once sat on the waterfront, but now stands two blocks inland. The 16-story Custom House tower, added in 1913, was Boston’s first skyscraper. Since the 1990s, peregrine falcons have nested in the clock tower under the watchful eyes of wildlife biologists. The lobby displays a few artifacts from the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, and tours of the tower give sweeping harbor views.

Fans of garlic and calamari dishes line up on the sidewalk for the tiny tables at one of the area’s friendliest restaurants.

An old-fashioned shop jammed with candy, nuts, and treats.

The waft of enticing aromas floating from this treasure could send even the most resolute dieter into a tailspin. Candied fruits, chocolate-covered nuts, imported hard candies – all sold in bulk – taste as heavenly as they smell. But don’t overlook the extensive inventory of imported Italian foods, and quality teas and coffees.

Professional athletes, models, and local professionals are drawn to Daisy’s for its friendly, casual vibe.

Sangría flows, tapas are devoured, and desserts with names like “kisses of love” seal unforgettable evenings at Dalí.

Playwright and screenwriter Mamet (b.1947) brings a gift for gritty language to explorations of lost morality.

Decorated like an Italian restaurant from a 1950s mobster movie, Davide specializes in southern Italian dishes such as crab and salt cod cakes with roasted pepper and basil sauce.