“Big Hoops to Fill”
Photo by Mel Taing You're crossing Seaport Boulevard on foot, dodging traffic and lobster-roll tourists when, through some trees, you see two golden…wait, are those giant earrings? Tucked away on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, Ja'Hari Ortega's Big Hoops to Fill requires a double take. With this interactive installation, the Roxbury artist has transformed iconic bamboo hoops—the “door knocker" earrings that defined '90s hip-hop style for women—into massive two-seater swings that somehow feel both monumental and intimate. Hop on, pump your legs, and see how this spectacular street-level surrealism centers Black femininity in the most unexpected, joyful way possible. Rose Kennedy Greenway, Boston, MA rosekennedygreenway.org.
Cynthia Erivo
Photo by Robert Torres As the Hasty Pudding's 2025 Woman of the Year, Cynthia Erivo literally stopped traffic in the annual Harvard Square parade. But the Wicked lead truly dazzled three months later at the Boston Pops' opening night, where a sold-out crowd packed Symphony Hall, and even Keith Lockhart seemed slightly starstruck. In fact, not since the Beatles landed in Boston in 1964 have Bostonians displayed such hysterics offering multiple standing ovations to the multi-hyphenate talent, who performed songs by Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack, and Prince, including “Nothing Compares 2 U." Indeed, nothing does compare to her.
Zendaya
WCVB's news team managed to pull off the journalistic feat of the year: completely missing Zendaya while she strolled directly through their Newbury Street B-roll footage. Unbeknownst to the News Center 5 crew, the star—in Boston filming The Drama—casually photobombed holiday stroll coverage with her mother. Eagle-eyed viewers, however, spotted the A-lister immediately, with one posting a TikTok that has since garnered nearly 600,000 views. Sometimes, the best scoops are the ones you don't even mean to get.
New England Aquarium
Photo by Ken Richardson You already know the New England Aquarium is a magnificent field-trip destination, but did you also know it's the city's most exclusive senior-living community? The evidence: In March, the storied nonprofit announced a brand-new “retirement home" island for its geriatric penguins, complete with orthopedic mats, ramps, and acupuncture treatments. More recently, harbor-seal half-sisters Amelia and Trumpet turned 40, surpassing their life expectancies by an astonishing 15 years. Premium healthcare and waterfront real estate really do make all the difference. 1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, neaq.org.
50 Years of “Jaws”
When Steven Spielberg's mechanical shark kept breaking down off Martha's Vineyard, the 1974 production seemed doomed. Instead, the disastrous shoot forced the director to show less monster and build more suspense, accidentally creating one of the best movies ever made and sparking the state's first film commission. This year's golden anniversary celebration includes everything from outdoor screenings to Jaws-inspired dog-costume meetups to tours led by Jeffrey Voorhees, the actor who played victim Alex Kintner. In other words, 50 years later, Jaws still owns these waters.
Chris Sununu Saving a Competitive Lobster-Roll Eater
Move over, “Cop Slide"—this year, New Hampshire's got peak New England viral absurdity. Last September, when competitive eater Christian Moreno choked during a lobster-roll contest in Hampton Beach, Governor Chris Sununu quickly stepped in, performing the Heimlich. The wildest part? Moreno didn't even realize his savior was the governor until after wolfing down seven more rolls post-rescue. Nothing says “Live Free or Die" quite like the governor performing emergency medicine, then watching his patient immediately dive back into gluttony.
Mayor Michelle Wu
Mayor Wu holds her then-one-month-old baby Mira during a House Committee. / Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images Michelle Wu has never shied away from embracing family life during her mayorship, but this year might have been her biggest working-mom flex yet. Her newest addition, baby Mira, has been Wu's constant copilot since her January arrival—including in March, when the mayor unceremoniously nursed her daughter before facing down a hostile Republican Congressional committee investigating sanctuary-city policies, then proceeded to demolish its accusations with her trademark composure.
Silence Dogood’s Projections
Photo by Mike Ritter Armed with high-powered projectors and Samuel Adams's revolutionary spirit, the shadowy collective Silence Dogood has turned Boston's most sacred landmarks into canvases for rallying resistance. The group's nocturnal light shows—blazing “You can't bring hell to Boston" across the Old State House and taunting “Don't make us get this party started" over the water by the Boston Tea Party museum—merge 21st-century projection mapping with centuries-old defiance. Named after young Benjamin Franklin's pseudonym, they're reminding a city built on rebellion that powerful acts of protest can still happen here, one illuminated brick at a time. Multiple locations, silencedogoodboston.com.
Pari Kim
Courtesy Netflix Even Phillip Eng doesn't love the MBTA as much as Pari Kim. The 23-year-old train enthusiast rolled into hearts on season three of Netflix's Love on the Spectrum, where she gushed about her railway devotion ("It's like therapy for me"), peppered conversation with subway puns ("Have a T-riffic day!"), and vowed never to date a car person ("I'm not driving in Boston. Ew!"). The Cambridge resident found a match on the show in fellow public-transit rider Tina Zhu Xi Caruso, and they've turned up at T: An MBTA Musical and commuted with Mayor Wu (and baby Mira). Now that's a great ride. instagram.com/purpleprincesspari.
Get Konnected!
Flavio D Photography At a moment when many leaders are stepping back from diversity initiatives, Colette Phillips continues to lean in all the way. Her social-impact venture has spent 17 years making Boston's power corridors more inclusive—through prestigious lists of people of color and DEI allies, along with events spotlighting the city's top ethnic restaurants and more. When Governor Maura Healey was honored at the organization's anniversary celebration earlier this year (pictured), it affirmed what savvy locals already know: Get Konnected! isn't just a networking arm—it's a reconfiguration of who gets seen in Boston. getkonnected.com.
Museum of Fine Arts
Photo © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston A trip to the Museum of Fine Arts is always a reliable balm for the soul. That's even more true now with the venerable institution's current exhibition “Van Gogh: The Roulin Family Portraits," a poignant collection of the Dutch master's late-life paintings. But visual art's transcendence doesn't have to be confined to security-monitored artifacts. MFA director of design Keith Crippen enumerates the first steps to introducing that gallery magic at home. Coming soon. 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, mfa.org.
The ‘Quin House
Photo by Jenna Ohnemus-Peffley The city's movers and shakers have found their perfect playground at the 'Quin, where million-dollar handshakes happen over eggs Benedict and evening conversations unfold beneath museum-worthy masterpieces. Dreamed up by two of Boston's most influential figures, Sandy and Paul Edgerley, the social club recently unveiled a knockout Latin American–inspired restaurant, Lunasol, that's as eye-popping as it is mouthwatering. Between fascinating guest speakers and networking that actually matters, the 'Quin is where local decision makers plot the city's next chapter. 217 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02116, thequinhouse.com.
Jack Satter House’s “Spectacular Seniors 2025” Calendar
Photo by Marilia Lima Who needs a smartphone when the Jack Satter House residents have given us the calendar of the year? The magnificent mavens of Revere modeled for “Spectacular Seniors 2025," a cheeky fundraising calendar featuring 15 women (ages 70s to 95!) in tasteful semi-nude poses that would make Helen Mirren proud. The pièce de résistance? Shirley Sowsy, who has since passed at age 95, clutching a newspaper strategically over her décolletage, curlers crowning her white hair. Three calendar girls even charmed Kelly Clarkson on national television, with one granddaughter's assessment ringing truest: “Grandma, you're a hot bitch!"
Eliot Tatelman
Eliot Tatelman has been New England's most recognizable pitchman, making couch shopping a matter of regional identity with his self-deprecating TV commercials, Red Sox loyalties, and homegrown accent. With his brother Barry, the Jordan's Furniture CEO transformed sterile showrooms into suburban wonderlands, complete with IMAX theaters. Now 79 and retiring, it's like a Hall of Famer hanging up his cleats. To paraphrase @bahstonaccent: Will they hang Eliot's ponytail from the store rafters?
Wicked Joyful
New Hampshire's Nick Lavallee has been customizing handmade action figures under his Wicked Joyful imprint since 2019, but this year's AI-generated "make me an action figure" craze made his analog sideline remarkable. While Bowery Presents commissioned him to recast Roadrunner headliners like Jack White and Joe Keery (Djo) as one-offs, Lavallee continued releasing regional creations—"Storrowed" mini trucks with cracked roofs and a tribute to Secret Mall Apartment squatter Michael Townsend. ChatGPT be damned—Lavallee does this better. shop.wickedjoyful.com.
Coolidge Corner Theatre
Photo by Anton Grassl When this 91-year-old movie house honored Francis Ford Coppola with its prestigious Coolidge Award this past April, the legendary film director transformed a simple post-screening Q&A into a sprawling two-hour whiteboard lecture, complete with improv exercises. That's exactly the kind of chaotic yet inspired moment that makes this Brookline theater so special. After a 14,000-square-foot expansion, the cinephilic institution hosts cult-favorite midnight movies, showcases 70 mm screenings, and pairs critically acclaimed films with genuine expertise. Case in point: Enlisting Harvard sleep and dreams guru Robert Stickgold to introduce Mulholland Drive with a discussion of his research—like Coppola, brilliant and bonkers. 290 Harvard St., Brookline, MA 02446, coolidge.org.
Showcase Superlux Chestnut Hill
What is it about this blockbuster-movie palace that keeps us coming back? Maybe it's the voluptuous SuperLux-level seats that recline to almost horizontal. Maybe it's that sometimes when you order a bottle of white wine, it's delivered to your seat in a bucket of ice? Or maybe it's the lobby lounge, with full bar, shuffleboard table, free turntable, and vinyl collection of movie soundtracks. Probably it's all of that—fostering an experience so soothing that we'll pay to see flicks we wouldn't stream for free at home. (Looking at you, Bob Marley: One Love.) 55 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, showcasecinemas.com.
Eugene Mirman
Photo by Naomi Yang We've adored Eugene Mirman since the Lexington High alum was slinging Steven Wright–inspired one-liners at Cambridge's now-defunct Green Street Grill. Twenty-plus years, five comedy albums, and one Bob's Burgers star turn later, the voice of Gene "Beefsquatch" Belcher is one of the most likably absurd, wonderfully observational, and whimsically gut-busting comics working anywhere. Lucky for us, he's a mensch who lives here (again) and just filmed a new standup special at Crystal Ballroom this May. eugenemirman.com.
Roadrunner
LCD Soundsystem at Roadrunner (Ben Stas/Noise Floor) The neon marquee cuts through this developing neighborhood's sterile modernism like proof someone around here gets it. Inside, Roadrunner strikes that impossible balance—a 3,500-capacity venue big enough to attract major acts, but intimate enough that you're not squinting at ant-size performers. While the surrounding blocks feel like they were designed by algorithms, the live-music pulse inside makes you remember why Allston used to be Rock City. 89 Guest St., Boston, MA 02135, roadrunnerboston.com.
Dani’s Queer Bar
It's been ages since the city had a proper lesbian bar, so when word got out about the imminent opening of Dani's Queer Bar, the Boylston Street venue racked up 11,000 Instagram followers before serving a single drink. The novelty of a new dedicated femme spot merited national attention, including two unprintable jokes on SNL's “Weekend Update," and now the old Pour House space is a lavender-and-pink bastion of live drag shows, RuPaul watch parties, and sapphic dance nights. Thank LGBTQ+ event promoter Thais Rocha for creating something an entire generation desperately needed. 909 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02115, danisqueerbar.com.
Big Night Live
Leave it to nightlife impresario Ed Kane and former Kiss 108 personality Randy Greenstein to give Boston the club other cities envy. Their TD Garden–adjacent entertainment venue attracts world-class headliners—electronic music titans, pop-punk icons, and even Dance Moms alum JoJo Siwa, who will headline this summer—while the production values give Vegas a run for its money. With luxurious amenities across several floors, dozens of premium tables, and surprise celeb drop-ins that regularly fuel Instagram stories, this Hub on Causeway hot spot proves Boston can party. 110 Causeway St., Boston, MA 02114, bignightlive.com.
JustBook-ish
Lane Turner / Boston Globe Staff Former Boston poet laureate Porsha Olayiwola and business partner Bing Broderick have cracked the code on what Fields Corner desperately needed: a community spot open after 7 p.m. on weekdays. JustBook-ish isn't just another bookstore—it's a cultural sanctuary where lo-fi hip-hop mingles with open mikes, banned books are prized possessions, and cushioned nooks invite no-stress lingering. From the ribbon cutting attended by Representative Ayanna Pressley to Octavia E. Butler–themed discussion circles, this inclusive gathering place demonstrates that sometimes the most important civic act is simply creating space to be together. 1463 Dorchester Ave., Boston, MA 02122, justbook-ish.com.
Frederick Richard
Richard during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. / Photo by Cheng Min/Xinhua via Getty Images Boston's undisputed king of aerial acrobatics, Frederick “Flips" Richard, the Stoughton-bred Olympic bronze medalist, just flipped into the record books— literally. In May, he spent 24 hours doing 1,111 consecutive backflips to shatter the previous Guinness World Record of 1,001. Between his Paris Olympics podium finish and this gravity-defying marathon (doubling as a fundraiser for underprivileged young gymnasts in Africa), Richard has officially claimed his throne as the area's premier human helicopter. Fun fact: He broke the record the same day he first became an uncle. Talk about sticking the landing. frederickflips.com.
Boston Public Art Triennial
"Material Monument to Thomas Morton (Playing Indian)" by New Red Order, including Adam Khalil, Zack Khalil, and Jackson Polys (2025). / Photo by Caitlin Cunningham With its inaugural exhibition spanning eight neighborhoods, this local organization aims to prove contemporary art belongs outside here as much as Paul Revere statues do. The standout pieces from this year's debut of 20 commissions? A haunting shanty installation in Boston Public Library's atrium from street artist Swoon, Gabriel Sosa's 'zine-making community press in an East Boston storefront, and a Faneuil Hall sculpture of controversial anti-Puritan colonist Thomas Morton that looks like a living cartoon. Running through October, the $8 million showcase makes you rethink what Boston can be. Multiple locations, thetriennial.org.
“Deck” by Hallelujah the Hills
In September 2022, musician-writer-bandleader Ryan Walsh announced Hallelujah the Hills' ambitious next project: Deck, a massive 52-song, four-album omnibus with each track representing a different playing card. A grand gimmick? Perhaps. But when the powerhouse Boston act finally showed its hand with the project's June release, Deck was a royal flush of stellar songwriting, with local alt-rock icons and vibrant performances ranging from laidback indie rock to speedball post-punk to acoustic ballads. hallelujahthehills.com.