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One of the first private residences to be built in Back Bay (c.1859), Gibson House remains beautifully intact. The house has been preserved as a monument to the era, thanks largely to the efforts of its final resident (the grandson of the well-to-do woman who built the house). So frozen in time does this house appear that you might feel like you’re intruding on someone’s inner sanctum, and an earlier age. Highlights of the tour include some elegant porcelain dinnerware, 18th-century heirloom jewelry, and exquisite black walnut woodwork throughout the house.

This slice of Tokyo in Boston comes alive after midnight, as bar-goers pile in for the outstanding maki rolls and Japanese hot pots.

The Good Life’s Central Square outpost retains the same classic cocktails and jazzy atmosphere that made the downtown original such a hit. But the Cambridge location is the one frequented by serious jazzbos, who come to see some of the region’s best acts jump, jive, and wail (Thu–Sat).

This retro lounge lizard bar-restaurant jumps after work and on weekend nights with downtown execs. Cosmopolitan cocktails are top notch (see Good Life Downtown).

A favorite after-work spot for the Financial District’s young executives, the Good Life feels like the kind of place the Rat Pack would have spent many an hour in. Dim lighting, red vinyl booths, be-bop on the hi-fi, and a long cocktail menu round out the swingin’ scene.

Both these islands are naturalist’s delights – Bumpkin for its wildflowers, raspberries, and bayberries, Grape for its wild roses and bird life. On Bumpkin Island, hiking trails pass the ruins of a farmhouse and 19th-century children’s hospital, which also housed German prisoners rescued from Boston Harbor in World War I.

On the river side of slowly gentrifying Central Square, Green Street morphs from an upmarket restaurant into a blues and jazz club starting around 10:30pm. The talent tends to be local and ethnic – a great place to catch rising stars wellschooled in African and Latin rhythms. Piano jazz brunch offered on Sundays.

Grill 23 harkens back to the days of exclusive, Prohibition-era supper clubs. Prime aged beef with an inventive spin is served in a sumptuously classic interior.

This brownstone townhouse, c.1895, boasts nine huge, elegant rooms – all with fireplaces, wet bars, CD-players, and high-speed Internet access. A quiet spot, it is equally convenient for Back Bay or the Fenway.