December 2025 / January 2026 Issue
Maura Healey Is Playing to Win
As she gears up for reelection, the governor remains the competitive point guard she’s always been, determined to keep Massachusetts on top. But with businesses bailing and housing costs soaring, she’s facing her toughest challenge yet.
Feature
I Took My Kid to a DIY Craft Studio in Natick and We Both Left Happy
A mall craft zone turned a dreary Sunday into a sweet, screen-free bonding session.
I Tried a Bhangra Dance Class and My Dad Moves Didn’t Stand a Chance
Rediscovering joy and rhythm in a welcoming Punjabi folk dance class in Cambridge—no Bollywood experience required.
I Fought Orcs in Virtual Reality and My Arms Have Never Been So Sore
How one night at a VR arcade proved that the future of play is anything but sedentary.
I Made Dumplings at Mei Mei and It Was Worth Being a Third Wheel
One newcomer’s night at a South Boston cooking class.
Boston Winter Guide: 33 Indoor Things to Do When It’s Frigid Outside
Slime bars, escape rooms, and caviar happy hours—your guide to beating the freeze when winter gets brutal.
Department
The Karen Read Jury Foreman Still Can’t Get Over the Missing Dog
Charlie DeLoach, Juror No. 1 in the state’s highest-profile modern retrial, shares what actually happened in those deliberations.
My Sister Died Before I Could Understand Her. Now I Finally Do.
Nancy followed all the rules I broke. For decades, I thought that made me smarter. Then she died, and I realized she’d been working on my escape all along.
I’m a Rapper Who Starred in “The Town.” Then Addiction Nearly Killed Me.
A Boston kid became a Hollywood actor and an underground rap legend, then watched it all disappear. Now he’s returned to the streets that raised him, trying to save the ones still fighting the same addiction that nearly killed him.
Home Design
How Do You Turn a Maine Barn into a Dinner Hall Slash Pickleball Court?
If you’re this Mount Desert Island homeowner, you hire a team to make a really great room.
Real Estate Showdown: An Urban Victorian vs. a Riverside Refuge
It’s amazing what a few miles can do to the market. This month, we spotlight an architectural gem in Jamaica Plain and a renovated estate on the Neponset River in Milton.
So, You Want to Live in Burlington, Massachusetts?
Just 15 miles northwest of Boston, this tech-forward suburb blends historical charm with a bustling modern core.
Restaurants
How to Fix the Restaurant Industry, According to Boston Chefs
Boston’s restaurant scene has never looked better from the dining room, but behind kitchen doors, the industry is struggling with thin margins, labor shortages, and a culture of burnout. To survive, today’s top chefs are reinventing everything—and their solutions might just save it all.
Beacon
Where to Shop, Eat, and Play at Boston’s Snowport Holiday Market
With more than 125 vendors, there’s a lot to do in the Seaport this season. Here’re our recommendations.
Where to Eat in Greater Boston in December 2025
New and exciting restaurants to check out, plus good reasons to visit older spots.
Boston’s First French-Japanese Restaurant Opens in the Seaport, Labubus Included
Come to Mai for the Instagram bait, stay for the wagyu steak frites.
A Peruvian Restaurant Dream Team Has Big Plans for Back Bay
Boston’s Rosa y Marigold—sibling to Celeste and La Royal—will open at the Lyrik development in fall 2025, with a name inspired by Nobel laureate poet Louise Glück’s final work.
Other
What are People Trying to Accomplish by Wearing a Fleece Vest?
Staying warm requires covering the skin—keeping heat in and cold out—something the vest, by definition, can never fully do.
Fashion + Style
40 Boston-ish Gifts for Everyone on Your Nice List
From the practical to the preposterous, presents for every budget and every impossible-to-shop-for person in your life.