Boston 2010

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This neighborhood bakery pleases the kids with a vast array of still-trendy cupcakes and the traditionalists with old favorites like cheesecake and sfogliatelli (a clamshell-shaped, ricotta-stuffed pastry from Naples).

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West on Centre is an 80-seat restaurant and bar located on Centre Street in Boston's West Roxbury neighborhood. West features a main dining room with open kitchen, classic mahogany bar, and relaxing lounge area. Their goal at West is to create a neighborhood meeting place that combines style, friendliness, great food and drinks that makes it the perfect night out with friends, neighbors, or just the two of you. Featuring a private dining area, chef's table, and open fireplace, West serves up casual American food, creative cocktails, and offers an affordable wine list.

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The Mary Baker Eddy Library, a research center with two floors of interactive exhibits, aims to explore ideas such as liberty and spirituality through history, with a central role for Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science. The most intriguing artifact is the Mapparium, a unique hollow globe 30 feet across. A work of both art and history, it consists of a bronze framework that connects 608 stained-glass panels. Because sound bounces off the nonporous surfaces, the acoustics are as unusual as the aesthetics. As you cross the glass bridge just south of the equator, you'll see the political divisions of the world from 1932 to 1935, when the three-story globe was constructed.

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From early spring to the end of the summer, hordes of young professionals flock to this popular watering hole. Perched on the water's edge, this hot spot is where many come to relax after a day in the office or touring with a frozen margarita or a cold beer. The brick patio gets jam-packed starting at 5pm on summer nights. The small, wrought-iron tables overflow with those looking to unwind, meet someone new or enjoy some Chicken Wings, Nachos or Steamed Clams.

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This three-mile ribbon of red paint links 16 historical sites. Most visitors start the trail at the Boston Common. The National Park Service offers 90-minute guided tours starting at the Boston National Historical Park Visitor Center. Maps are also available here. Stops include the Old State House, Faneuil Hall and the Old North Church. You can also discover Paul Revere's house, the site of the Boston Massacre, and the Copp's Hill Burial Ground. At the end of the trail in Charlestown, the Bunker Hill Monument and the U.S.S. Constitution await you.

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This old neighborhood is the site of the Old North Church and the Paul Revere House. Located along the Boston waterfront, it was the first stop for several waves of immigrants. Italians made it their home in the 1870s. Italian restaurants and pastry shops are crammed into narrow streets, where the smell of garlic and sounds of happy diners fill the air. Hanover and Salem are the two main streets and are often packed with tourists and locals.

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Still an active Episcopalian Church, this, the oldest religious structure in Boston, dates back to 1723 and occupies a special place in American history. On a fateful night in 1775, Paul Revere watched for the signal, "One if by land and two if by sea". After the church sexton hung two lanterns from the steeple he began his famous midnight ride to wake and warn the countryside of the British troops' arrival. Every April, members of the colonial militia begin a lantern service commemorating the event. Sunday services are at 9a and 11a. Admission is free.

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Hidden in the back streets of the North End is the second-oldest burial ground in Boston. The well-manicured grounds hold the earthly remains of some famous Bostonian residents, including the Puritanical Mather family and Prince Hall. This is also a great spot for a view; on a clear day you can see everything from the Inner Harbor to Charlestown.

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For years now, Bova's Bakery has been providing locals with the finest desserts, breads and more. Being a family owned bakery, you can expect only the friendliest service ever. As you enter the bakery, the aroma of the freshly-baked breads and desserts are absolutely irresistible and you are sure to succumb to temptation. The desserts offered-especially the éclairs are to-die-for and draw people from all over the city. If you're looking for something to really fill you up, then the Sicilian pizzas are certainly worth a try.

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Tiny and cramped, with a red-leather banquette and a marble-topped bar down either side of a narrow room, Neptune feels like one of those off-the-radar places out-of-towners fantasize about -- or it would, if it weren't so crowded. Super-fresh, inventively prepared seafood keeps this restaurant busy and loud almost all the time, and not just with North Enders sick of chicken parm; even in the winter, I suggest planning for lunch or an early dinner on a weekday if you don't enjoy waiting. Check out the daily specials listed on the chalkboard and mirrors, then start with oysters, comparing specimens from both coasts (Pacific Northwest Kumamotos, which taste the way the ocean smells, are my favorite). Main courses include some menu standards, at least two of which aren't seafood, and dishes that make good use of whatever's fresh that day. You might find something unfamiliar like cod cheeks, exotic like sea urchin, or even familiar, like a lobster roll (cold with mayonnaise or hot with butter -- quite the dilemma). Neptune is a few steps off the Freedom Trail and easy to find: Look for the eye-catching display of ice, lemons, and oysters in the front window and the crowd inside.

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Most locals come here for one of the long list of sandwiches stuffed with Spanish jamon, queso and other good things. You can also buy provisions to cook at home, and there's a shelf of cookbooks.

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America's oldest restaurant in continuous service, the Union Oyster House opened in 1826. The food is tasty, traditional New England fare, popular with visitors walking on the adjacent Freedom Trail and savvy locals. They're not looking for anything fancy, and you shouldn't, either -- simple, classic preparations account for the restaurant's staying power. At the crescent-shaped oyster bar on the lower level of the cramped, low-ceilinged building (a National Historic Landmark "where Daniel Webster drank many a toddy in his day"), try oyster stew or the cold seafood sampler of oysters, clams, and shrimp to start. Follow with a broiled or grilled dish such as scrod or salmon, or perhaps fried seafood or grilled pork loin. A "shore dinner" of chowder, steamers or mussels, lobster, corn, potatoes, and dessert is an excellent introduction to local favorites. For dessert, try gingerbread with whipped cream. Tip: A plaque marks John F. Kennedy's favorite booth (no. 18), where he often sat to read the Sunday papers.

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I love music; I'm not obsessed, but I can recognize people who are, and the staff here qualifies. If you just can't get enough jazz, blues, and R&B (new and used), you'll feel right at home.

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On the main level of this shop, readers peruse an excellent scholarly selection and discounted bestsellers. The basement is the draw for those in the know: Prices on remainders are good, and used paperbacks (many bought for classes and hardly opened) are 50% off their original prices. Check ahead for information on readings and other special events.

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The offspring of the dear departed original on the Freedom Trail, the Globe Corner carries huge selections of travel guides and essays, maps, atlases, and globes. Check ahead for special events, such as the annual adventure-travel lecture series.

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Named after a section of Dallas famous for its energy, music, and entertainment, the Deep Ellum's goal is to provide guests affordable American comfort food and rare draft beer. The bartenders try to treat customers like friends, mixing it up with newcomers and locals while sliding beers down the bar.

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The epic pilgrimage from anything out-of-towners would consider Boston to this little bookstore in far West Roxbury is well worth it. The store is well organized and every book, old and new, is selected with care. What's more, hat wearers get 10% off on Hatterday (Saturday to the rest of us).

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This Boston institution, near a busy corner in the South End, opened in 1947. Its New Orleans-style all-about-the-music atmosphere draws a notably diverse crowd -- black, white, straight, gay, affluent, indigent. Live jazz, by local ensembles, students and instructors from the Berklee College of Music, and the occasional local or international star, starts every night at 9pm. Monday is blues night. Open daily until 2am. Tip: I can't promise anything, but big-name performers in town to play bigger venues have been known to turn up at Wally's afterward.

Our Local Expert Says:

Wander through the gas lamp lit streets of Beacon Hill to see the well-preserved old brick houses and be sure to walk down Charles Street to stop in some of the boutiques.

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Beacon Hill is beautiful and old without being artificial. A historic neighborhood that houses politicians, statesman, wealthy families and a handful of lucky college students, it is a regal mash-up of what makes Boston so poignant. Charles Street exists as its main hub, and boasts gourmet bistros, cafes, hotels and shops. The Freedom Trail begins here, the Boston Common lies at its feet, and the Real World Boston firehouse on Mt. Vernon St. still stands - now owned by a nonprofit organization.

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At the beginning of the 20th century, heiress and philanthropist Isabella Stewart Gardner built a home modeled after a 15th-century Venetian palace. Gardener was a great patroness of famous artists, such as James Whistler and John Singer Sargent. She also acquired European masterpieces, and her palace is now a museum filled with works by Titian, Matisse, Rembrandt, and Raphael. The courtyard is an oasis in any season, filled with beautiful plants and flowers.

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Boston Globe included in top 10 for hot wings

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Melissa's House in West Roxbury

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Reported to have EXCELLENT lobster rolls. Also, since it's right on the beach, it apparently has fantastic ocean views.

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Recommended by co-workers as the best place for New England Seafood: clam bakes, lobster dinners. All in a no fuss atmosphere.