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The country’s oldest retail jeweler has seen its diamonds grace the fingers of some of modern history’s most famous – and fortunate – figures. Shreve’s sterling silver is also highly coveted.

This all-purpose martial arts store carries robes, belts, books, magazines, videos, plus a few swords and other weapons.

This surprisingly unpretentious, contemporary jazz bar and casual restaurant makes an excellent place to sip good value wine, kick back, and engage in intelligent conversation with your neighbors.

Gorgeous blue waters, rocky outcrops, and a picture-perfect beach town.

Few scenes capture quintessential Boston better than a snow-covered Boston Common (see Boston Common & Public Garden)with figures twirling and sliding on the Frog Pond ice. Rent some skates and partake in the scene, then refuel in the cozy warming hut.

Generous drinks, good jazz, and sometimes even free eats ensure Slades hops on the weekends. Don’t let the seedy exterior put you off – this is one of Roxbury’s liveliest social scenes.

With windows that open up onto the street, Sonsie sets the alfresco standard at this end of Newbury. The fashionable clientele enjoy light Italocentric cuisine upstairs, and devilish cocktails in the basement Red Room.

Although continental breakfast is served, the scene doesn’t really kick in until lunch time. By dusk, Sonsie is full of folks who just stopped in for a post-work drink and ended up making an evening of it. The food – pizza, pasta and fusion-tinged entrées – deserves more attention than most café-goers give it.

Sophia’s gets its sleek crowd moving to salsa, merengue, and rumba on three dance floors. On warm nights, the sangria-fueled action spills out onto the roof deck.