Looking for fun in Beantown? You won’t have to look far! Read our picks for the best attractions in Greater Boston for 2014.
BEST VINTAGE TREASURES:
SOWA VINTAGE MARKET, Boston
At this South End bazaar, you’ll find a trove of vintage collectibles, from jewelry to furniture to records. These crammed aisles are a great leveler: Every Sunday, suave urbanites turn ravenous, scouring the racks for cocktail rings, cufflinks, cat’s-eye spectacles, or just the right nightstand.
460C Harrison Ave. sowavintagemarket.com
BEST BEER HALL:
Harpoon Brewery, Boston
Don’t let the warehouse exterior fool you: Harpoon expanded its visitor center and beer hall in 2013, making it a hive for beer lovers. Sip an exclusive pilot brew, and soak it up with house-made pretzels dunked in beer-infused sauces. View’s not bad either: Windows overlook downtown Boston and the harbor.
306 Northern Ave. 617-456-2322; harpoonbrewery.com
BEST CHOCOLATE FIX:
CAPTAIN JACKSON’S COLONIAL CHOCOLATE SHOP AT OLD NORTH CHURCH, Boston
In Colonial times, pure chocolate was a drinkable delicacy, and Captain Jackson made the best at his chocolate mill on Clark’s Wharf. Today, employees in period dress help visitors make their own chocolate concoctions within Old North Church. Customize your spice blend; then grind it up with a metate.
21 Unity St. 617-523-4848; oldnorth.com/captainjackson
BEST ART FOR GENIUSES:
MIT MUSEUM’S 5000 MOVING PARTS EXHIBIT, Cambridge
One way everyone can get into MIT is via the institute’s Central Square museum. A yearlong kinetic art exhibit, launched in November 2013, melds art and engineering with displays highlighting moving sculptures. Honor your inner nerd at the gift shop, home to pizza “pi” cutters and onesies with math formulas.
265 Massachusetts Ave. 617-253-5927; web.mit.edu/museum
BEST NONTRADITIONAL THEATRE:
OBERON, Cambridge
This is the funky second stage of the landmark American Repertory Theater up the street. Oberon’s the place to catch emerging local artists and quality avant-garde shows, such as NPR’s The Moth storytelling showcase and Mortified, where ordinary folks read their teen diaries. It’s a refreshing, offbeat cabaret for nontraditional entertainment.
2 Arrow St. 617-496-8004; americanrepertorytheater.org/oberon
BEST LIVE MUSIC:
THE SINCLAIR, Cambridge
At the epicenter of Harvard Square’s live-music renaissance, The Sinclair draws indie and mainstream acts to its concert hall, lined with subway tiles recalling the channels of a cleaner Manhattan. There’s a superb restaurant next door, with mind-blowing cocktails (try the rye-riddled “Big Sky”) and “disco” tots studded with chorizo.
52 Church St. 617-547-5200; sinclaircambridge.com
