Stuff Boston : Life

Tim Collins @ Night

Erin Byers Murray — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:59:00 GMT

Music man

Well-known Lansdowne Street DJ fixture Tim Collins used to work solely with the Lyons Group. Now he’s out on his own, and his creative juices are running rampant. His spanking-new Saturday-night gig at Lucky’s Lounge features a mix of house, beat, and world music, while his partnership with Rafanelli Events has him coordinating music for some of the city’s finest fêtes. Later this summer, he’s teaming up with old-school Boston DJ Anastasia to start pumping out monthly events. All this, and he has a three-month-old daughter at home. When he and his wife have a night off, naturally, they like to go searching for some music.

@ 6:15 p.m.: We’ll start off having a couple drinks at Lucky’s Lounge so I can watch a few innings of the Red Sox game.

@ 7:30 p.m.: By about 8 p.m., we’re on our way to Bukowski’s in Cambridge to snack on some appetizers. They have those great glass doors that open to the street when it’s nice. And they have an incredible beer list.

@ 9:45 p.m.: We’ll make our way over to the Enormous Room next. The music there is really good, and there’s always a great group of different cultures mixed in. They use the same DJs but they switch it up where you’re not getting the same Top 40 music. It’s always fresh.

@ midnight: The Franklin Café is our next stop for some late-night dining. I love the grilled calamari, and Karen, one of the bartenders there, is one of my favorites in the city.

@ 2 a.m.: We’ll start wandering home to South Boston around 2 or 2:30. With my daughter here, I’ve become a morning person. But I still won’t get to bed until around 4 a.m

20 years after

Sara Faith Alterman — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:46:00 GMT

Local bartenders gather to celebrate — and ridicule — the Tom Cruise classic Cocktail two decades after its release

The seven of us giggle and scoff as Tom Cruise deftly flips a bottle into the air and catches it, pouring a perfect stream of liquid into a glass and smirking the playful smirk that made him so loveable in the 1980s, before the aliens usurped his brain.

“Why the hell is he working at a high-volume bar the first night he started?” shouts Manny Hernandez. “Good luck trying to do that in Boston.”

I’ve gathered with Hernandez, a bartender at La Verdad, and five of his peers in the basement lounge of the Good Life, where we’re watching everyone’s favorite martini-shaking re-enactment, Cocktail, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the film’s release (yes, you are that old). Along with Hernandez, there’s Jennifer Harvey of 33 Restaurant & Lounge, Frank Reardon of the Beehive, Chris Drescher of Bella Luna and the Milky Way Lounge and Lanes, Kit Paschal of Eastern Standard, and Brenda Marry of Vox Populi. And yes, we’re drinking.

For those of you who don’t remember the film because a) you were too young when it came out; b) you were too drunk when it came out; or c) you’re too drunk right now, allow me to recap.

Cruise plays Brian Flanagan, a down-on-his-luck military man who just left the Army and is trying to land a marketing job in the big city. But without one of them fancy college degrees, what’s a wide-eyed heartthrob with a crooked grin to do? Why, take a job tending bar, of course! Brian’s boss teaches him how to be a bottle-flipping, lady-bonking superstar. Soon, Brian’s ambitions shift and he ditches his books and heads to Jamaica, where he hopes to earn enough cold, hard cash to open his own bar, called ... wait for it ... Cocktails & Dreams. In Jamaica, Brian churns coladas at a tiki bar and meets the smokin’ hot Jordan Mooney, played by the celestial, post Adventures in Babysitting Elisabeth Shue. Romance, then drama, then heartfelt resolution ensue.

Most of us at the Good Life saw the film when it came out in 1988, either in the theater or by sneaking illicit peeks while our older siblings watched it on VHS at their slumber parties. As unbearably corny as all of the movie’s one-liners, knowing winks, and all-night daiquiri fests seem today, there is some truth to the film, or at least a shred of foundational accuracy that all of my cocktail-slinging viewing companions can understand.

One by one, the bartenders take a seat and I grab them each a drink. After all, these guys wait on people for a living — they deserve to surrender to my (rusty) waitressing skills. Seven years of service, only a handful of broken dishes: I can handle a few beers. I’ve come with snacks like neon-orange cheese dip and a mountain of Dunkin’ Donuts munchkins, hoping the booze and the sugar high will stimulate conversation. No need. A few minutes after we pop in the DVD, the conversation flows like cheap beer on a Saturday night in Davis Square.

Onscreen a montage of scenes showing Cruise’s Brian Flanagan trying to find an office job flies by; again and again, he’s rejected because he lacks a college degree. I ask my panel of experts if any of them, like Flanagan, turned to bartending as a last-resort money-maker and wound up sticking with it. Drescher raises his glass to that. “I have a degree in acting,” he says. “I was in New York, but the acting jobs were few and far between, so I became a bartender.” Harvey says she never looked back after moving behind the bar at a restaurant where she was already working. Same with Paschal. Hernandez giggles that he was working as a bar back to pay his way
through college. His first night on the job, he got a number from a hot chick, which sold him on bartending for life.

So being a bartender makes you sex-tastic in your patrons’ eyes? “I think a lot more hookups happen behind the bar than over the bar,” says Reardon, who, indeed, met his wife when they were working together at a bar (she was his boss).

“When you’re stuck behind the bar with someone, you can become so close so fast,” Marry adds. “Plus, if a customer talks to me and we exchange numbers, then he needs to leave. If he sticks around and gets annihilated, that number is going in the trash.”

So getting some ass is clearly a perk. How about the money? “The money is dangerous,” Reardon says. “Because it’s cash. If you want to go out one night and just drop $300 on a bottle of wine, you look at it as, that’s tomorrow night’s shift.”

Everyone agrees. As I listen to them talk about the fistfuls of cash they plunk on their dressers in the wee morning hours after a shift, I start to re-think my career. I also learn, from a 10-minute diatribe about cash versus credit, that those of use who use plastic for all purchases big and small are assholes. Lesson one: next time I just want a beer, hit the ATM first.

We get a little sidetracked babbling about benjamins and, before we know it, the movie has progressed to one of the now-infamous bottle-flipping scenes. You know them: Cruise juggling bottles like a manic court jester, mixing drinks and breaking hearts. I remember being so impressed with his acrobatics the first time I watched Cocktail. I ask my new friends if any of them ever feel compelled to toss a bottle or two, just to get the crowd going.

A resounding “NO!” echoes in unison.

“Rookie bartenders do that!” says Marry. “It’s like they have a point to prove. A good bartender needs to move fast!”

“Oh my god,” Drescher agrees. “If you drop a bottle and the glass breaks in your ice, that’s the worst possible disaster that can happen to you.”

“If you try that at the Beehive, you’re in trouble,” Reardon adds.

In case you flair-bartender wannabes aren’t convinced, perhaps a threat of imminent death from Hernandez will convince you to keep the bottles on the bar.

“I was at a bar one night in Cambridge, and the bartender kept flipping beer bottles,” he says. “It took him forever to make any drinks, because he was showing off. I wanted to kill him. I killed him with my eyes.”

Lesson two: your bartender is not a circus monkey.

There’s so much mockingly heated conversation going on about bottle theatrics that we pretty much forget to watch the movie. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Flanagan drinking with customers, keeping late hours at the bar and then struggling to keep his eyes open during his daytime university lectures. Time passes, Flanagan gives up school, moves down to the tropics, blends girlie frozen drinks in the thatched-roof shade of a beach bar. He meets and romances everyone’s favorite babysitter, then completely fucks it up by bagging an older woman.

But what I find most scandalous (as much an ’80s film can be scandalous) is that, throughout all of this, the tricks and hookups and late nights spouting bar poetry (yeah, there’s that), Flanagan drinks with his customers while he’s on the job. Call me old-fashioned, but isn’t drinking while you’re working, like, bad?

“People request it all the time, and whether or not you do it depends on policy,” Harvey says. “We will have a drink with customers, with discretion. If it’s someone I know will be responsible about it, then it’s okay.”

“As the bartender, as soon as you step behind the bar, it’s like you’re hosting the party,” Paschal notes.

So does the host get a drink now and again? “You might do it in camaraderie, to go over the top for a guest, so they can feel like they weren’t making you work,” Paschal says. “But I tend to steer away from it. It’s not a power issue; it’s just weird. But I do love when someone orders a sick bottle of wine and doesn’t finish it, then tells
me to try it. For them to offer up an opportunity like that is the best thing.”

“I manage a bartender who once took an order for a bottle of Cristal, and they offered her a glass,” Harvey says. “I told her, ‘Hell, yeah.’ ”

Through the wonders of movie magic, Flanagan and Mooney reconcile as the movie crawls to an end, and Flanagan spouts a painfully embarrassing poem (in a botched Irish accent, no less) from atop a bar, in front of a smiling crowd. Apparently, he and Mooney got married. Honestly, I wasn’t paying attention. I was more interested in what my six new friends had to say. Plus, by this point, the only cocktail I was interested in was the vodka and soda in my hand. I managed to slur one more question: now that you’re watching this movie again, from a bartender’s point of view, how is it a different experience?

“It makes me laugh at all of the drink names from the ’80s,” Harvey says, “and that there are only two bartenders at each of the crazy full bars.”

“Some of the movie is surprisingly realistic,” says Drescher, “with regard to a life where one tries to do something else, but ends up behind the bar.”

But it’s Paschal who puts it best. “The movie is a little more glamorous than the actual job,” he says.

Isn’t it always, though? Especially when Tom Cruise is involved. After all, this is the man who can make everything — even brainwashing America’s sweetheart into a vacuous, empty-eyed mannequin — seem cool.

The secret life of bartenders

Heather Bouzan — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:45:00 GMT

Meet the publicists, property managers, musicians, and lobbyists who just might make your next martini.

We'd been working with Regan Communications publicist Arika Beaudry for months before she casually dropped into conversation that, after putting in a full day’s work fielding press calls, dreaming up marketing plans, and soothing harried clients’ egos, she often ends her night behind the bar at Clery’s (113 Dartmouth Street, Boston, 617.262.9874), slinging drinks for an additional eight or nine hours.

It’s easy to understand the motivation behind picking up a few extra shifts at your local pub: the hours suit the schedule of those with a nine-to-five gig, the money is tough to beat, and there are worse things to do on a Thursday night than mix a few martinis and chat it up with the regulars. But what is it about bartending that not only draws those looking to make a little extra cash in the short-term, but then keeps hold? (Beaudry, for one, has been working at Clery’s for over five years now.) To find out, we went looking for bartenders for whom the job is secondary to some other career path or life plan.

For Beaudry, it’s simple: identity. “Yeah, the extra money is nice, and I’ve come to depend on it and it helps me live
in Boston and travel and do fun things,” she says. “But honestly, [bartending is] a huge part of me. I would feel lost without it; I would not be me without it. I’ve just been doing it for so long, and I’ve been at the same bar for so long, and some of my best friends work there. Every night is really long and hard, but it’s just so comfortable.”

Brent Barlow, who can be found behind the bar at the Beacon Hill Bistro (25 Charles Street, Boston, 617.723.1133) when he’s not teaching voice lessons or performing with his band Slow Motion Driver, agrees. “The money, I think, is probably the biggest draw of bartending,” he admits. “But especially where I work, where the restaurant is small, we have a lot of regulars who come in, [and] you kind of feel like you’re part of a small family back there.”

Alisha Joubert of Mantra (52 Temple Place, Boston, 617.542.8111), who also dabbles in real estate and property management, goes so far as to liken her bartending work to a gambling addiction. “Once you do it, you don’t want to go back and do the regular Joe Schmo nine-to-five thing,” she says. “Also it’s so flexible, you can bartend three nights a week and have four days off to yourself and still make that same amount of money you’d be [making if you were] working nine-to-five.”

For many bartenders, their cash-strapped college years pushed them into the restaurant business — it’s an attractive gig for undergrads, after all, given its built-in social life and flexible schedule. Later, for young professionals in their 20s and 30s who continue to moonlight behind the bar, sometimes it’s more about the social element than the paycheck. Gary Murad, a vice-president at O’Neill and Associates who works as a government lobbyist, attests to that. “I guess I’ve gotten to that stage where it’s probably less to do with the money and more to do with a good social outlet,” says Murad, who bartends once a week at Vox Populi (755 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.424.8300). “You’re working full time in a suit and tie every day, [so] being behind a bar is like a social outlet for me. [The] people I work with at the bar, people who come in, seeing my friends ... it’s like being out, but being behind the bar.”

And for those looking to hang out without dropping two months’ rent on their bar tab, bartending can be a good option for a weekend night. High-school biology and chemistry teacher Gene Roundtree isn’t much of a drinker, but he enjoys meeting people and soaking up the (grown-up) scene at Audubon Circle (838 Beacon Street, Boston, 617.421.1910), where he mans the bar a couple of nights a week. “Being a bartender allows me to be out, be in that kind of social atmosphere, be where there’s a lot of really interesting things going on, and meet a lot of interesting people without having to be spending money and [without] having to be drinking.”

But it can be a delicate balance juggling a full-time career, a bartending job, and a social life. The late nights, for example, get to Murad sometimes. “By [closing time], I’ve had a long day, I’ve been up since maybe seven, 7:30, and it’s 1:30 in the morning and I’m wiping down liquor bottles and beer coolers and dreaming about my bed,” he says. A regular Friday morning conference call after his Thursday night bartending shift doesn’t make things any easier — but it’s nothing he says a few cups of coffee can’t cure.

What about letting coworkers at a day job know about the night one? It’s a tricky subject for many of the bartenders we spoke to. Jill Zahareas, who dispenses booze at the Bar Room (5 Broad Street, Boston, 617.723.7877), says discussing her second job with coworkers at tradeshow management firm Hill & Partners can be awkward. “Sometimes I get a little uncomfortable when they ask questions about how much I make or whether I’m working on a certain night,” she explains. “It can be tough to work until two or three in the morning and wake up a few hours later for work. I don’t want them to think it will influence my job performance — that’s important to me!"

But no matter how firm these bartenders are about keeping their two lives separate, all agree that the skills they’ve developed behind the bar have carried over to their day jobs — to positive effect. “You’ve got an order of 10 drinks, you’re three deep at the bar, and you’re remembering — it may sound kind of cheesy, but PR’s like that, too,” says Beaudry. “You have sometimes eight to 10 clients or five things going on a day, three events you’re working on, and I think [bartending has] just given me the skin to balance and take what’s thrown at me.”

Kimberly Doyle, an artist who also works in finance, says that nights behind the bar at Prezza (24 Fleet Street, Boston, 617.227.1577) serve as inspiration. “Since I’m a big portrait painter, I see people who are happy, laughing, having a nice time, [and] I can take that vision and put it onto canvas,” she says. Murad, on the other hand, values the people skills he’s gained at Vox. “My [day] job is a very people-oriented line of work. It involves a great deal of relationship-building, interpersonal skills, communication skills. I think people who work in the service industry — particularly the front of house: bartenders, waitresses, cocktail waitresses, that kind of thing — learn a lot about people and how to interact with people from different backgrounds, different age groups, and I think you translate that into the real world.”

Joubert agrees. “You definitely learn how to deal with people — especially when they’re drunk,” she says matter-of-factly. “You learn people’s true colors when they’re in that state.”

There are other life lessons to be learned behind the bar, too. “Years ago, when I first started bartending, one of my managers said to us, ‘You’re always on stage when you’re a bartender, no matter what. When you walk behind the bar, you’re performing,’ ” Barlow recalls. His experience on the Beacon Hill Bistro “stage” now helps him when he performs at local spots like the Middle East, the Cantab, and TT the Bear’s.

So how much longer will our bartenders keep up their late nights and hectic schedules? “I don’t think I’ll be able to do it forever, but I think I’ll do it until it starts feeling like a chore or it’s interfering with anything else in my life,” says Beaudry. Murad agrees. “I’m sure at some point I’ll hang up my beer opener and my shaker glass,” he allows. “When it stops being fun or if it starts interfering with my career, that’s when I hang it up.”

As for Zahareas, she’ll continue bartending for “a couple years at the very least, or until I find a job that will enable me to live comfortably without bartending.” She pauses. “Ah, who am I kidding? I’ll be slinging drinks forever!”

Say anything: More straight talk from the DJ roundtable

Heather Bouzan — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:59:00 GMT

DJ Melee: The better the party, the better the vibe, right?

***

Eli: I think most of us here probably use some aspects of the new technology in everything we’re doing now. But it’s really to try to push new things and open up new doors.

***

DJ Knife: I know that Adidas has embraced DJ culture; they have DJs there every weekend. So, it works for us — I mean, obviously they give us clothes and that’s a good thing. But it is crazy to think that within the last six months we’ve seen five or six specialty sneaker stores pop up in the area. I just don’t know if DJing has anything to do with it, to be honest with you.

***
DJ Die Young: DJs are always flashy. Or, some of them, you know? You want to look good; you want to get noticed.

***

Eli: I feel like that connection between fashion and DJing has gotten stronger and stronger, and that retail stores want to have DJs because it helps increase the atmosphere, it helps make their branding more exciting, and for us it’s exciting because we can match our music with whatever style the store is trying to go for.

***

DJ Die Young: We had a party at Make It New; this guy was coming up asking us to play “Texas House.” I don’t know what Texas House is. He was so mad at us, and then I was like, “Dude, if you don’t like what’s playing, just leave.” I see him a half an hour later standing on a chair, like, “Yeah!” We didn’t play Texas house; we didn’t play anything Texas. But we just kept him there.

***

DJ Bruno: When I first started, if I were to play a single hip-hop song, I would’ve been fired, okay? Because being black here is like, people have a stigma. You are going to play hip-hop only. Me, I love everything. I play hip-hop, reggae, R&B, house, rock, ’80s, ’70s, the whole nine. If it works, I will play it. But, it’s just that now, the big thing is hip-hop.

***

DJ Bruno: I will say this: everything now is starting to change. Everyone is tired of just hearing rap. Everyone is tired of just hearing house. They want to hear everything now, you know? So I think it’s slowly starting to change, but it’s going to take a while.

***

DJ Bruno: I just think that ever since the Euro students showed up, that changed everything. That changed the whole scene. Because, then, it was just about money. ’Cause they would come in and buy the magnum bottles of Champagne, you know?

***

Eli: Before there were blogs and Internet message boards, it was like, there were e-mail lists that you could be invited to or sign up for and basically talk to each other. Boston Parties was an old one. And it was just shit-talking all the time. But that hadn’t happened for years. So now I feel like people care a lot again.

***

DJ Bruno: Boston doesn’t have its own sound, but, at the same time, Boston is such a small city. Everybody knows everybody; everybody knows everyone’s business. I remember guys fighting over guys handing out flyers in front of clubs. It’s such a small scene. Everybody just needs to work together. Here, I just don’t see everybody working for the same goals.

***

DJ Knife: I think that this is probably an obvious statement, but where the DJ culture is heading in Boston is dependent on technology and the music industry, and I think that basically, within five or six years, CDs might be obsolete, and technology will change. Ultimately we’ll see the death of vinyl — not that we haven’t already seen it, limping into its grave right now.

***

Charlie: I’ve got something to get off my chest. I want to go on record as saying: raves, raving, rave party, raves, let’s go to a rave, let’s throw a rave, raving, nouveau rave, raving.

***

DJ Bruno: I stopped drinking, but I never did drugs. I was just vibing off of the music. I never smoked or did anything.

***

Eli: Yes, it’s impossible to deny that drugs are a part of dance music culture, but you know, there’s a lot of people that go out because they want to dance.

From the turntable to the roundtable: One room. Eight local DJs. Countless opinions.

Heather Bouzan — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:02:00 GMT

REPEAT AFTER us: a DJ is not a jukebox. If there’s anything that echoes in our head on a recent Friday afternoon, as we sip beers around a table in the back room of the Boston Billiard Club, it’s those six words. At the table with us: eight of the city’s finest DJs, for a discussion covering everything from their pure, infectious enthusiasm for their craft to persistent problems in the industry. Our panel features Charlie and Eli of DJ duo Soul Clap; veteran DJ Bruno, who runs UtopiaBoston.com and has been spinning in Boston for more than two decades; DJ Melee, who describes his sound as “breaks, beats, and basslines”; DJ Knife of Fresh Produce at the Good Life and Marinate at the Milky Way; Ms. Thang, who spins hip-hop, reggae, funk, soul, and house; and DJs Die Young and Baltimoroder, both known for their work at hipster parties like Make It New and Thunderdome.

Q: I’ve never met a DJ who wasn’t absolutely passionate about the craft. Why is that?
Eli: I just love music, first and foremost. I love to dance, so DJing allows me to bring both of them together, and actually share that music and dancing with other people. That feeling, when you play a song and everyone goes crazy, even if it’s just one person that you connect with and they can get down to it, then it’s perfect. That’s what I love.
Die Young: When I was, like, 16 years old, I started seeing videos of DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist, those guys, and I didn’t have good enough turntables to do the stuff that I wanted to do. You see the videos of them and you see how hyped their crowds get, and you just want to be a part of that and be the catalyst for making something like that happen. There’s nothing more exciting than playing a track and
people pop off. There’s nothing
better in the world.

Q: What do you consider the biggest misconception about DJs?
Bruno: That we’re prima donnas. That we’re divas. That we don’t care about the music; we just do it for the fame. I think a lot of DJs do. They do do it for the fame, but those guys last about a year. But we just do it strictly for the love. Like, I have spun for free, [for] 25 bucks. I’ve spun for food, you know? A lot of guys say, “Well, I’m not going to spin unless I get paid.” [But] I’ll do it strictly for the love.
Eli: I just have a quick one on that: that we’re jukeboxes. The point of having a DJ is because you don’t want a jukebox, ’cause you want that dynamic.

Q: What’s the biggest problem that DJs in Boston face?
Charlie: I think our toughest problem is the radio. I think that it’s warped people’s perception of what’s good music and what you should expect to hear when you get out. That’s been a problem here for a long time. It makes our job very difficult, because we like to play things that you don’t usually hear on the radio.
Knife: I think that one of the things is the competition for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, especially for good venues. And then the other thing is, requests and people being super, super pushy about them.
Die Young: I think a big problem right now is getting people out. You go to New York and there’s a huge crowd for every niche genre there is. Two-step, speed polka, whatever. And you come here, and you’re playing great house music or whatever, and people are like, “Eh, I’ve gotta take the T... .” There’s a lot of problems in terms of public transportation, getting people out, and just general malaise of the Boston crowd. But I think that’s turning around in a big way, absolutely. The fact that we’re all sitting here and talking about this means it’s all turning around in a big, big way.
Ms. Thang: I definitely think there’s a lack of venues and a general narrow-mindedness with a lot of the crowds that go out. There’s definitely groups of people that go, but there’s only a couple of places for them to go out, and you know where they are. I mean, the Middlesex, and how many people can you fit there?
Baltimoroder: I believe the reason why there are a lack of venues is there’s this really sort of weird liquor licensing thing that’s unique to Boston. There’s only a certain number of licenses, they don’t increase them, and they’re all doled out in this weird sort of backroom way that none of us really understand. So it’s not so cut and dry to just open a space as it would be somewhere else.

Q: How did things change for you when the city cracked down on 18-plus nights?
Eli: I think that the biggest thing is that there’s not younger kids coming out as much. Sure, there’s a few 18-plus nights like Paper, but that’s one very specific message these kids are getting. There’s one thing that they can get, and they’ll take what they can get. When I was growing up, I was going out when I was 16 with a fake ID that said I was 18. I got all these different experiences. It’s a lot harder when you’re 16 to pretend you’re 21, you know? So kids can’t go to clubs. I don’t know what they’re doing, but it means we have this huge void of a generation of people who would be into our music. And that’s a big reason why people don’t go out, is they don’t know. They were never educated.
Melee: It made things weird because [Mayor Tom] Menino had said that the reason why, or, from what I understand, the reason why is because of the violence that was happening outside of clubs on particular nights in particular areas of Boston. For them to do that and make it 21-plus, it just seemed really stupid in my opinion. What that did was it took all the college kids who were going into a controlled crowd where there was bouncers and protection and people being checked at the doors, and now they’re in the streets or at house parties where there’s probably more sexual abuse going on, more over-drinking, more people being hurt, more ODs, more fights, whatever.
Eli: I’m really curious on Bruno’s perspective on this one, since you were established before any of this happened. When I was growing up and you were DJing, I could go to the clubs that you were playing at, whereas now kids can’t go to the clubs that I’m playing at.
Bruno: The club scene, now, I think is dead. Especially in terms of the bigger venues. I think that the bigger venues attracted a lot of the 18-plus crowds. Smaller venues, the lounges now, I think attract more of an older crowd. The 18-plus crowd only has the radio to basically learn [from] in terms of music.
Baltimoroder: And the Internet, and TV, and friends.

Q: What will it take to bring the club scene back? Or is it even something that can be brought back?
Bruno: I think they would have to start up the 18-plus nights again, personally.
Melee: It’s weird because when I look at it from when I was 17, 18, I used to go see Bruno play back when I was that age. [Now] most of those kids who are 18 can’t go hear Bruno or hear any of us play. So it changes things a lot. Like, if I didn’t hear Bruno when I was that age,
that’d be kind of weird now. [I] would’ve never been exposed to it.
Eli: Or a list of, you know, a hundred other DJs that were so influential here that we would have completely missed.
Melee: Exactly! Whoever’s got the most blingiest MySpace page would be really what they’re exposed to now, right?
Die Young: For what it’s worth, I think that 18-year-old kid is going to find a way, no matter what. He’ll just become friends with somebody. You’ll get in, if you’re that devoted. It’ll happen. Maybe it’s just the DJ in me talking, but I did anything and everything I could to get into where I wanted, because it was do or die.

Q: How do you feel about the rise of the “amateur DJ”? You know, the kind of guy who comes armed with an iTunes playlist and thinks he’s a pro.
Knife: We all probably look at it differently depending on our age groups. You kind of have to accept that technology is going to change and that you have to change along with it, and if people are passionate about it, you have to accept the fact that they’re going to possibly be the next generation. The only thing that I can’t stand is when they have serious attitude problems. But other than that, I think it’s a good thing.
Charlie: I just wanted to say something that kind of bridges the last question and this one. The other thing that’s missing from the picture — being young, not being able to go into a club, or the young iTunes DJ —where does the record store fit into all of this? Because that’s a place, if you’re underage and can’t get into a club, that you can go and soak up the culture. You hear all the music, you meet all the DJs, there’s social interactions going on there. And with no vinyl and no record stores except for LAB, then you talk about the kid who thinks he’s a DJ because he has an iTunes playlist but never had any of this. It’s like a ritual to go through these experiences, learn from that, meet everybody, and then become a DJ because you’ve gone through [these] rites of passage. Then if you’re standing in a DJ booth and commanding a crowd, you get the respect that you deserve.
Knife: People, back in the day, would dig for years and years and years to get their record collections; now a kid can come along and download that entire record collection in one day. So a part of it is lost. For myself personally, I’m trying to preserve some of the traditional aspects of hip-hop DJ culture in the city; I feel like that’s pretty much our mission right now.
Die Young: Yeah, I went to Satellite Records before I came to college at BU, and then all during it, and I don’t know what I would’ve done without it. Because when I was in high school, I liked Mixmag. I would buy Mixmag, or I would buy any of the European DJ mags. They would always have free CDs in them, and I would pick out my favorite tracks and I would go to Satellite and I would try to find them, or someone would hand me a stack of records and be like, “I know you personally, you’re going to like these.” And there’s nothing like that anymore.
Eli: I mean, you can go to a blog and get someone’s certain perspective, but it’s different. They don’t know you. Maybe you can find blogs or websites that have new music [and] you know you like most of the stuff so you can trust them, but it’s different than when you get a whole stack that’s handed to you by someone who knows what you’re into. And then also, on the technology thing, yeah, I think it’s really powerful and you can do a lot of stuff with all the new technologies, but if you don’t understand how to mix a record, how to mix two things together, you can’t really DJ the same way as somebody who understands that. It’s a totally different thing.
Die Young: Then you’re just a jukebox.
Bruno: That’s a very good point, too. Also, technology, it kind of forces you to stay home. Like, all day you are just sitting, downloading music all day. You’ve got to go out into a scene, into a club, and see how a certain song makes the crowd scream or see how the song works, you know? A lot of guys just think it’s all about mixing — it’s not. It’s all about setting up a tone, setting up a vibe. And a lot of these guys coming up now, they just think, “Oh, this song just goes good with this.” It’s not. You’ve just got to set a mood. And that is how I think it’s about spinning.

Q: There’s also a flip side to the whole technology issue — you can get your music out to infinitely more people. And with that change, a whole new kind of DJ has evolved, the one who sort of made himself or herself on the Internet as opposed to in clubs. What’s your reaction to that?
Baltimoroder: The same revolution in desktop publishing that occurred with people being able to Photoshop and all those things has come to music production. It’s really come into fruition within the last five, 10 years. The ability to set up studio-produced tracks, make a mix while you’re waiting for your rice to boil, is just kind of amazing. And it’s led to a lot of production, and it’s led to a lot of crap. The things that I think computers do are actually very easy — you can teach someone to beat match fairly easily if they sit down and learn, but the things that you talked about, Bruno, like sequencing, and selection, and pacing, those things come with time. And so you actually have to get out there and talk to people, learn what they like, and then play that at the right time just as they’re putting on their coat, and they’re, “Oh, shit, I have to throw off my coat and run back to the dance floor.” So I think ultimately a DJ is a diplomat of sorts, and technology doesn’t really help with that, at least in the live performance space. But online distribution, being able to connect to people, ultimately it’s a net positive for any and everything I do.
Eli: It’s hard not to embrace the technology on some level because it helps in so many ways like [Baltimoroder] said. I think the problem is, it gets frustrating when people don’t actually take it and then use it to push things to the next level.

Q: Ms. Thang, I want you to address this first: why do you think DJing is such a male-dominated industry?
Ms. Thang: Well, for one thing, it’s Boston, because in other cities, there’s a lot more females doing this — if you go to New York, or LA, or San Francisco, Montreal, wherever, there’s a lot of females. Boston is just a traditional city in so many ways, and it’s so hard to break out of the mold. But you know what? There’s not really much of a difference. The only difference that I can think of is that I might get booked just because I’m a female, but I won’t get asked back unless I’m good. People are curious; I’m a novelty here. But I still have to prove myself, because people are listening to my blends and they want to know if I can actually spin, and rock a party ... and I can. Guys never hit on me when I’m DJing, ever ever. Which is really nice. And definitely people, guys in particular, like to try to tell me what to do and offer their suggestions. Sometimes they’re helpful, and sometimes it’s totally not necessary and they don’t know what they’re talking about. But I’m the same as everyone else.
Die Young: It’s so perfect what you said — you’ll get in the door, but you won’t get asked back. We’ve got Volvox; she is an amazing DJ. I think, in a year, she’s going to be killing every party, and she puts her heart and soul into her craft. And I think if you show that you can hang, who cares what gender you are? If you’re a good DJ, that’s all that matters.

Q: How do you reconcile playing what you want with playing what the crowd wants to hear? You’ve already talked about how requests can be so frustrating.
Knife: For me, personally, once I get into the groove of things, I play songs really, really fast. I try to play maybe about seven or eight different genres of music throughout a night. So I’ll probably play something from the early ’90s and then play a commercial song and then play like a mash-up. I generally try to go in an ascending tempo that just keeps getting faster and faster so I can move into other genres of music like house music and stuff like that. It’s just all about having a lot of music at your disposal and really listening to how things work with each other.
Die Young: It used to be that you would carry a crate, maybe two crates with you at most. You would have maybe hip-hop or a little bit of house music. When I used to go to house parties, it was that; it was like a hip-hop crate and a house music crate. Now, you have Serato and you have indie, ’80s, you have your dance, you have your classic dance, you have your disco, you have anything at your disposal, so [when] you have someone coming up to you and making a kind of left-field request, I feel like I’m more apt to play it now, just because it’s there. As long as it fits with the vibe of the party. Unless it’s something outrageous and you’re really being a jerk. I mean, it’s nice to play some requests sometimes.
Charlie: I hate requests. Eli and I, there’s two sides of us. There’s when we play to a crowd that will eat up whatever it is that we play, and then there’s … we’ll play a gig in a place that’s maybe a retail setting or a hospitality setting or something like that, and then you’re going to get people that aren’t really exposed to DJs, thinking that they can ask for anything. I can’t stand it; it makes me angry. I learned from DJ Kon how to deal with people who make requests, and how to just be stone-cold, just a real asshole to them …
Die Young: Can you send me those tips?
Charlie: ...so they feel like they don’t want to make any requests, ever. DJ Kon, and I’m going to throw him in here because he’s not here ...
Baltimoroder: I’ve never seen him talk to anyone [for more than], like, 10 seconds.
Charlie: The most drop-dead gorgeous girl in the club, when she is making requests, he won’t tell her the time of day and will send her packing. And it’s a beautiful thing. I hate requests, and I hate people who make requests. There was a time and a place where the DJ set the tone of the night, and he was in charge of what’s going on. And that’s why you’re there, ’cause you trust the DJ.
Bruno: I just say, “Yes, it is coming up soon.” And never play it.
Die Young: What do you do when they come back, though? Because they do. And they will.
Bruno: Then I say, “Oh, shoot. I’m sorry. It’s coming up next. I promise, it’s coming up next.” And by that time, they’re too drunk and they’re like, “Oh, you’re so great, I love you.”

Q: Do you think that Boston is attracting higher caliber DJs than we have in the past?
Bruno: I think we are bringing in the same people. I mean, how many times are you going to bring down [Paul] Oakenfold, you know? It’s the same people over and over again.
Eli: But it’s just the big clubs. I mean, Knife with Fresh Produce — they’re bringing a ton of great hip-hop acts that have never played here, hip-hop DJs who have never played here. Plus innovative new ones. If you look at Hearthrob, they’re bringing people who are doing totally new stuff. Make It New is bringing people who are doing techno. [Melee] has always been pushing to bring in breakbeat DJs that no one hears. We’re trying to bring in techno and house DJs that are innovating and creating new stuff and also bringing in people that have been doing it forever and have really established sounds but that maybe have never been to Boston before. And also Utopia, bringing in new deep house acts and new deep house DJs. I feel like we’re all working really hard. And we all have to live these two lives: first as DJs, and then as booking agents and promoters for our events. So we have to be thinking about it all the time.
Knife: I moved here in 1998, and the last four years in Boston have been amazing. There is something to do every night of the week; there really is. I mean, they’re not all great, but there literally is a ton of options out there, and I think that there are a lot more good nights and a lot more things to look forward to than there ever have been.

Q: You’ve all been saying that the club scene in Boston has died off, but do you see it more as a continual deterioration or as an opportunity for you to do something that’s truly innovative?
Bruno: I think it’s died off for the 18-plus scene. But for us, I think it’s slowly getting better. ’Cause I think a lot of us are starting to work harder.
Eli: Everything’s going back underground; that’s what I’ve been seeing. It’s all little venues, little bars, warehouses, loft parties. Wherever you can do something that’s different and that’s exciting to you musically.
Melee: We’re taking it back!
Eli: So it’s back underground, which is what it was like in the ’90s.
Knife: For DJs in the past, I think that there was this mindset that you start off in these little clubs and that someday you’re going to make it to [bigger venues]. But I think this is better now. I mean, I think that we all kind of have our own spots, and we can really take those nights and run with them. It’s good for the bars, it’s good for us, and we have more of a sense of ownership in small, intimate venues.

Q: What’s it like playing in Boston versus other cities around the country or around the world?
Charlie: Eli and I went to Europe last summer, and we got a chance to play in Monte Carlo, and when we were there, people were just standing, awestruck. Like, “This is amazing.” Maybe this was a very unique situation, but they couldn’t understand; it was just, like, mind-blowing for them.
Eli: Obviously, electronic music, techno music is bigger there, but I think we all, especially being from Boston, we all work that much harder because there are so many fewer opportunities here to be so good at what we do. I feel like the experience we’ve gotten here, being forced to work that much harder, has really helped going to other cities and really taking it to the next level for them.

Q: So why stay in Boston?
Die Young: Because we love everybody.
Eli: There’s something to be said for being successful here, because it’s so hard. There’s so many people who I know who have been trying to do it or have done it and stop doing it who are so jaded, but if you can stay positive and doing things in Boston, that’s, like, a really a huge accomplishment.
Charlie: It’s a perpetual attempt to put Boston on the map, and it’s, like, almost about to happen, always.

Q: Are DJs from different cities viewed differently within the industry because of what they’ve been through, because of the differences in competition?
Bruno: Boston, we are not known as a club city. I have spun out of here; I have spun in New York and New Jersey. Those are big house towns. And they are shocked, or were shocked, that Boston has played house. And I was like, “What did you guys think?” They’re like, “Rock.” Boston was just known as a rock town. College rock. And that’s it.
Melee: We’re like the suburbs of New York, that’s what everybody thinks of us.
Knife: On the flip side of that, the one thing that stands out is that we kind of get to be the kings and queens, so to speak, of this city. I mean, if we went to New York, I think a lot of us would be small fish in a big pond. I think everybody here kind of has a solid name or a solid product that people know them by, and I don’t know if that would transfer as well in a place like Los Angeles, a place like New York, San Francisco. That’s one of the positive things about it.
Eli: It’s a great home base. There is so much talent here. There’s so many people, we all have relationships with each other on some levels, and there’s another group of another 20, 30 DJs that we all can work with on a regular basis that are super-talented and will teach us something and we can learn from all the time. The DJ group is so tight-knit here. Sure, many people have problems with one other, but in general, everyone knows one other and there’s chances to interact, whereas, if you’re in a bigger city, it’s not going to happen as much.
Bruno: When you think of Boston, you think of the Celtics, the Patriots, the Red Sox. When you think of music, Aerosmith, New Kids on the Block. You really don’t think of a dance scene, like a dance culture. And I think a lot of us are trying to change that. I’m telling you, everywhere I go, I mention Boston. I’m like, “Yeah, the scene here, blah blah, so on and so forth,” and they’re like, “Yeah, have another drink.” I mean, throw us some love.

Q: So what’s next for Boston? What do you see as the future for DJs and nightlife here?
Melee: I can tell you what I’d like to see. Collaboration — I’ve always really been about all that. I think working with other people is key. Boston is tight-knit, so why have tension between different crowds and people and promotional groups and DJs? Rather than being sharks fighting over the same food, people actually working to push towards one goal? I had started up recently a Sunday meeting for DJs and producers to get together. The first thing that one person said to me was, “Wow, Satellite left, but now we have a spot to meet up, and everybody talk, and everybody kind of get together.”
Charlie: One way that we can all have a unified sound is a record label. More record labels in Boston would allow that particular sound that everyone can understand culturally.
Ms. Thang: I think everything’s kind of mixing together. There’s not, like, set genre DJs the same way there used to be. People expanded, and I think they’re doing a lot of things that the crowds, for the most part, seem to like. I think they’re open to a little more variety. But what I would like to see is, yeah, more communication, but also more venues, better venues, and more places to go do our thing, whatever it is. And yeah, no more hating on whoever is doing what. Who cares?
Baltimoroder: I see more people jumping in, not through DJing, but through production. Like, they’re not actually starting with records and not actually starting by getting up in front of people, they’re cutting EPs and their own mixes and putting them up online before the kids down the hall know what they’re doing. So they’re developing a fan base that’s distributed and wide and varied before people locally know what’s going on, and by the time we catch up, they already have these aspirations beyond just DJing, or other things. I don’t know what that means; I’m not going to lay a value judgment on it. I think it’s actually really cool that more people are producing.
Bruno: Technology is making it easier for you to learn things like how to make a track.
Baltimoroder: I would also say, we need more venues desperately. I can count the number of places I enjoy playing on one hand. And I can probably cut off a few fingers, too. So I’d like to see more venues, more liquor licenses, more moneymen taking a chance. I would love to see bigger venues come back. I think there is the talent and the promotional capability for any of us to be able to pull off bigger nights than what we already have. But the options simply aren’t there.
Eli: I want to shout out to people who have money and want to fund culture and want to be doing stuff. Boston is stuck with this old culture. We have the MFA, which is a great museum; we have Boston Ballet, which is amazing; the Wang Center. All these places where you can go and see old culture. But it’s new, young culture that’s being completely forsaken here. And sure, the Boston Redevelopment Authority and the city government’s doing it a little bit, trying to bring in movies and video games, but what’s up, where’s music and where’s young and cutting-edge art here? We need people to fund this stuff and to give us a space, pay for a space that we can rent and throw a big party all together.
Bruno: My final word: fight the power.
Die Young: Whatever that may be. @

[Photos by Michael Diskin]

A makeover story: Local band Baker gets a whole new look

Heather Bouzan — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:30:00 GMT

(From left) Conan Skyrme, Steve Lord, James Tracey, Nicole Boudreau, and Andy Casey

TO MAKE IT in the music business, the essentials are — like it or not — simple: the sound, the skills, and the look. Sure, there are exceptions, but the band that rolls onstage every night in wrinkled T-shirts and mussed hair probably isn’t making it big any time soon. So when we discovered emerging local band Baker, we knew we had the perfect subjects for our band makeover feature. The group has been playing venues around New England for more than two years, peddling a poppy sound infused with an irreverent, experimental edge. We called in hair gurus Lisa Lindey Evans and Dayna Gamba of Shag Salon; makeup artist Kerri Herlihy; and Stuff@night’s resident style maven, Erica Corsano, to give the band members a polished, pulled-together look that pushes their jeans-and-Ts limits, while staying true to their individual styles.

Conan Skyrme, vocals/guitar
Conan on his style: “I think I’m the only one in the band who doesn’t really have a style — I just pick up whatever’s on the floor. Or in a drawer, if I feel like I need to dress up.”
Erica Corsano on Conan: “Conan’s got a really casual look. He looks like a hiker to me; he’s got a sporty, outdoorsy look. What I want to do with him is keep the casual aspect to his look, but rock it up a bit. He’s got a laid-back thing happening, so we want to maintain that.”
Lisa Lindey Evans and Dayna Gamba on Conan: “He went from mountain man to GQ. I didn’t realize that he was so cute until we cleaned him up a little bit. His hair was easy; he just needed a little bit of a haircut, a little bit of cleaning up. And we flat-ironed his hair.”
Kerri Herlihy on Conan: “I tweezed him; he didn’t need as much tweezing as the others, though. And [I] just put a little bit of concealer under his eyes to get the red out. That was really it with him; he was easy.”
Conan on his new look: “It was fun. It definitely wasn’t something that’s ever happened with us before. It’s fun to get outside your comfort zone a little bit. We’ve done photo shoots before, but they’ve been as is, so this is pretty unique for us. I’m not sure if it’s something I'd make a point of doing, styling my hair down and straightening, [but] it is cool. The clothes aren’t a million miles away from something I’d wear ordinarily. A little trendier, I suppose.”

Nicole Boudreau, keyboard/vocals
Nicole on her style: “I don’t really think about it at all. I don’t really see myself as well put together. I like to be comfortable.”
EC on Nicole: “She definitely walked in with a bit more of a tomboy look, with her plaid shirt, jeans, and cowboy boots. But she mentioned that she likes girly looks, and I think she looks great in them. We’re going to put her in something girly and then motorcycle-inspired leather boots, which will give it a little bit more of a rocker, hard edge.”
LLE and DG on Nicole: “She just seemed very no-fuss, and I wanted to do something completely different on her, give her big hair, like very ’60s-inspired, completely the opposite of what she came in with.”
KH on Nicole: “Smoked her eyes out, used some crazy long lashes, liquid liner to give her a little more rocker look. And pink, glossy lips.”
Nicole on her new look: “This is a little extreme for me, although I do love pink.”

James Tracy, bass/vocals
James on his style: “Rock and roll, through and through. Jeans, sweaters. I wear button-down shirts and sweaters and jeans and corduroy.”
EC on James: “He walked in with a preppy look; I called it geek-chic-preppy-rocker. I decided to take a fun spin on the whole preppy thing and paired a Lacoste cardigan with a funky T.”
LLE and DG on James: “I had to cut him a little bit. He had more of an older kind of bowl cut, [a] real heavy haircut. But it was mostly styled. Instead of just having his hair lay down with no product, we styled it. Just gave him more of a short, funky look.”
KH on James: “He was really shiny, so I used translucent loose powder to get rid of his shine and a little bit of concealer on his razor bumps.”
Jame on his new look: “The clothes are fine; I might even wear something like this. I personally hate guys who spend time on their hair; I’m not into haircuts. This was a lot of fun, and interesting, and different.”

Steve Lord, drums
Steve on his style: “I’m a T-shirt-and-jeans guy. Novelty Ts, that’s my style.”
EC on Steve: “I actually love his look as is, but I think he wanted to try something new. So we’re taking him from an alternative-looking kid and giving him a more polished, sleeker look that’s still rock-inspired.”
LLE and DG on Steve: “We straightened his hair, and he was so excited about it. His eyes lit up. Since they’ve all been cutting their hair themselves, it was a nightmare. So I really had to spend a lot more time cutting it than straightening it.”
KH on Steve: “Lots of tweezing on Steve — got rid of his uni[brow]. And just evened out his skin tone with a little bit of foundation.”
Steve on his new look: “The experience overall was extremely different from anything else I’ve done, but it was amazing. It was fun to see, because I’m so used to having curly hair every day of my life, and not so much caring about hairstyle, to having it completely straight and cut to angles. I usually wear secondhand clothes to begin with, so [the clothes] were nothing out of the ordinary. I’d purchase them if I was in the store and I had money.”

Andy Casey, vocals/guitar
Andy on his style: “I wear the same clothes every day. I wear black corduroy pants and a flannel shirt, and sometimes I switch the sweatshirt I wear over it. I also have these really tight brown pants that I wear when we play shows; my butt looks good in them.”
EC on Andy: “He almost reminds me of [a] dirty rocker with punk inspiration. He also has an alternative tendency. I wanted to embrace his alternative nature, but polish it up a bit as well.”
LLE and DG on Andy: “He’s been cutting his own hair for a while, so I just shortened up his sides, cleaned them up, and I mohawked the back because he already had a really long piece over there. I made it fun so he can go to his gigs and look the part of the musician, and then in the front, if you were to look at him face-on, it would be more of a conservative cut so he can get away with it during the day.”
KH on Andy: “He would barely let me touch him. I managed to get rid of his unibrow, and [got] a little bit of concealer around his scruff.”
Andy on his new look: “The experience was fun. I don’t know if the look’s for me. I’m glad I got a free haircut — that was cool. I probably won’t cut it again for another year. And I’m really looking forward to putting back on my black corduroy pants that I wear every day.” @

Clothing provided by Macy's.

[Photos by Tim Gray]

What do you want? Stuff@Night readers share their favorite splurges

Heather Bouzan — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:11:00 GMT

THE IPHONE. Super-fancy underpants. The triple-chocolate-orgasm-fudge-explosion ice cream that’s forever leering at us from inside its frost-bitten glass case. What do they have in common? All three rank on our list of must-have splurges. But what about the rest of you? We checked in with some enthusiastic bar patrons at Vox Populi to find out.

Julie Dunn
Age: 27
Occupation: medical researcher
From: Quincy
What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve ever splurged on?
It was probably a gown for a gala I went to a few years ago. It was at the Four Seasons for the March of Dimes, so I had to go all out. It’s charity, so it gives you an excuse to splurge.
What’s your favorite place in Boston to splurge?
Either the Coach store in the Pru or someplace great to go out with friends, like Excelsior for cocktails and appetizers. More than a material thing, I’d rather spend money on creating a great experience with friends.
What’s your favorite thing to splurge on?
Makeup at Sephora and really good wine and chocolate. Those are my three big things.
What’s your biggest “dream splurge”?
Trip around the world, hands down — with all my friends.
What’s your most recent big purchase?
My condo.
What are you saving for right now?
I am saving up for a really great European vacation that will include a lot of wine and chocolate tasting.

Kevin Loughlin
Age: 26
Occupation: sales
From: Newburyport
What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve ever splurged on?
I just went to the Bahamas. I spent about nine grand down there, so …
What’s your favorite place in Boston to splurge?
Abe & Louie’s.
What’s your favorite thing to splurge on?
Sporting events.
What’s your biggest “dream splurge”?
A boat. I really want a boat.
What’s your most recent big purchase?
I bought a Lexus.
What are you saving for right now?
A beach house.

Lisa Del Toro
Age: 30
Occupation: flight attendant
From: Winthrop
What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve ever splurged on?
I went to San Diego for mussels. And fish tacos. I’m a flight attendant, so it’s not a huge splurge, but it was just go there, have dinner, come back.
What’s your favorite place in Boston to splurge?
I like Fleming’s, as far as a restaurant goes. Oh, and Nordstrom.
What’s your favorite thing to splurge on?
I like to splurge on myself. I like massages, I like pedicures, I like manicures. I think it’s important that if you’re going to splurge on something, you should splurge on yourself.
What’s your biggest “dream splurge”?
If money’s not an object, Bali. I would like a cabana on the water. I’d like someone bringing fresh seafood and fruit daily. I’d like to hike up a volcano — which I’ve done, actually. And deep-sea fishing.
What’s your most recent big purchase?
My car.
What are you saving for right now?
A house.

Chris Scully
Age: 32
Occupation: antique dealer
From: Winthrop
What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve ever splurged on?
Rims.
What’s your favorite place in Boston to splurge?
I’d say Urban Outfitters.
What’s your favorite thing to splurge on?
Clothes.
What’s your biggest “dream splurge”?
A ski house. Or a helicopter — that would be even better.
What’s your most recent big purchase?
An antique chest of drawers.
What are you saving for right now?
A ring. And a house.

Kara Henson
Age: 29
Occupation: sales coordinator
From: Back Bay
What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve ever splurged on?
A couture gown; it was a Valentino.
What’s your favorite place in Boston to splurge?
It would be Louis Vuitton.
What’s your favorite thing to splurge on?
I would say travel.
What’s your biggest “dream splurge”?
I guess jewelry.
What’s your most recent big purchase?
A bag — Fendi.
What are you saving for right now?
Real estate.

Chip Flowers
Age: 33
Occupation: attorney
From: Back Bay
What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve ever splurged on?
Probably an unplanned date with a former girlfriend of mine. I surprised her with a trip to this wonderful resort in Mexico.
What’s your favorite place in Boston to splurge?
The Gucci store. If you can’t spoil yourself there, where can you? And Saks, too.
What’s your favorite thing to splurge on?
A suit. There’s nothing better than a quality Armani suit.
What’s your biggest “dream splurge”?
The biggest dream splurge would be a villa on the French Riviera. And then, of course, in the back yard would be a vineyard. If money wasn’t an object, that would be the first thing I would buy.
What’s your most recent big purchase?
A Gucci trench coat. That was nice.
What are you saving for right now?
I am saving up for a nice, expensive Parisian vacation. A nice two-month vacation in Paris.

Carolyn Schwartz
Age: 26
Occupation: sales manager
From: Back Bay
What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve ever splurged on?
A dress from Saks — it was Diane von Furstenberg. And I never wear it. That’s what makes it outrageous.
What’s your favorite place in Boston to splurge?
Urban Outfitters.
What’s your favorite thing to splurge on?
Definitely clothes.
What’s your biggest “dream splurge”?
A house in Miami or the Greek islands.
What’s your most recent big purchase?
Diane von Furstenberg luggage — but I got it for a really good deal. I’m a splurger, but I try to find really good deals.
What are you saving for right now?
To buy a condo.

[Photos by Melissa Ostrow]

Bodies by Boston: Our second annual list of the city's finest physiques

Heather Bouzan — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 22:20:00 GMT

NO ONE SAID the journalism business was easy. When everyone else is all bundled up to fight Mother Nature’s harsh winter chill, we’re peeling away the layers of fleece, down, and flannel to expose some of the city’s most well-sculpted physiques. And it’s not just the folks who are paid to stay in shape — besides personal trainers and Pilates instructors, within these pages you’ll also meet the people making you laugh, mixing your drinks, and managing your money. It’s been a tough assignment, but we think you’ll agree that the results are worth it.

A special thanks to everyone who submitted photos for our online bodies contest. Click on the links below to view the full shoots.

MP3: Tamara Wieder talks to FNX about Boston's best bodies

Chad Jackson, wide receiver for the New England Patriots
How much do you work out? Pretty much every day. In the off-season, I probably work out like, four times a week.
Do you watch what you eat, or does this body just come naturally?
I watch what I eat sometimes, but most of the time, if it looks good, I’m going to eat it.
What’s your favorite guilty-pleasure food? Wendy’s — chicken nuggets, Wendy’s Double Classic, or something like that.
You have a great body now, but did you ever go through that “awkward” stage? Hell, yeah. Middle school, high school. I was a skinny little thing, but I’ve come a long way.
If you could have anyone else’s body, whose would it be? One of the guys out of [the movie] 300.
Favorite exercise? Single leg squats.
Least favorite exercise? Bench.
What’s the best body compliment you’ve ever received? Fans, people in general call me Milk Dud, Hershey Bar … anything that deals with chocolate.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR BEST BODY PART? I’D PROBABLY SAY MY ASS.

Albana Zeqolli, stylist at Shag
How much do you work out? I don’t really work out at the gym. Whenever I can, I jog, but my real exercise is running around the salon and the blow dryer for my arms.
Do you watch what you eat, or does this body just come naturally? Part of it comes naturally, but I am also very careful in what I eat. I avoid junk food. I eat a lot of yogurt, cheese, milk, and healthy homemade Albanian food.
What’s your favorite guilty-pleasure food? I love sweets, especially Lindt chocolate, chocolate-chip cookies, and, of course, ice cream. It is a little treat on weekends and holidays.
You have a great body now, but did you ever go through that “awkward” stage? Not really.
If you could have anyone else’s body, whose would it be? Gisele Bündchen.
Favorite exercise? Spinning.
Least favorite exercise? Push-ups.
What’s the best body compliment you’ve ever received? [A compliment about] my stomach.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR BEST BODY PART? MY LEGS.

Luis Sanchez, model and co-owner of the Savant Project
How much do you work out? I’m very committed to maintaining my body, so I work out a lot. At least two to three days before any important event like a Stuff shoot or vacation to Florida.
Do you watch what you eat, or does this body just come naturally? I own a restaurant, so I have to watch and try everything on the menu purely for quality control.
What’s your favorite guilty-pleasure food? I crush a pint of Ben & Jerry’s every Sunday — but mostly for the calcium, vitamin D, and health benefits of dark chocolate.
You have a great body now, but did you ever go through that “awkward” stage? Awkward? I would say I went through a “Stay Puft Marshmallow Man” phase in high school when I was tipping the scale at 260 pounds. Mom went a little crazy with the rice and beans.
If you could have anyone else’s body, whose would it be? Hugh Hefner’s. Need I say more?
Favorite exercise? Sex.
Least favorite exercise? Work.
What’s the best body compliment you’ve ever received? “Hey, nice ass,” but I think they were talking to my girlfriend.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR BEST BODY PART? MY MIND.

DeAnna Pellecchia, dancer/aerialist, choreographer, and part-time personal trainer
How much do you work out? Basically, I “work out” for a living. Between rehearsals, performances, clients, and personal gym time, it ends up being about eight to 10 hours a day. And then I have to go home and walk my dog! Wait, correction: she’s a pitbull, so really I’m the one being walked — sometimes it’s the hardest workout of my day!
Do you watch what you eat, or does this body just come naturally? The muscles are genetic — I can build muscle definition without much effort. A lot of athletes in my family, on both sides: hockey players, football players, and my grandfather was a boxer. But I have to watch everything I eat.
What’s your favorite guilty-pleasure food? The portobello pie at Figs (accompanied by some Coronas) and chocolate-chip cookies. (Any kind! But of course I love my mom’s the best!)
You have a great body now, but did you ever go through that “awkward” stage? Awkward, no, but I used to be painfully shy!
If you could have anyone else’s body, whose would it be? Angelina Jolie (as Lara Croft). There is no one else on the planet who can pull off a white shiny spandex unitard. Period.
Favorite exercise? I perform on a grid of ropes (a/k/a/ “The Net”), 20 feet tall by 26 feet wide, that suspends vertically in the air. The dance piece is 22 minutes long with no breaks, and I’m pretty much flying by my arms the whole time, so it’s intense cardio and upper-body all at once. I actually performed it for 4000 people at the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert this past summer — in 110-degree heat!
Least favorite exercise? Chin-ups. I try to do 25 every day.
What’s the best body compliment you’ve ever received? How about the funniest? I live in Charlestown, and I was walking my pit bull, Doris, down Main Street (it was about 90 degrees, so I was wearing a pair of gym shorts and a sports bra), and a townie said to me, “Who’s more jacked? You or the pitbull?” I had a good laugh.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR BEST BODY PART? BESIDES MY BRAIN, MY ARMS. I’VE GOT A NASTY LEFT HOOK. GRAMPY WOULDA BEEN WICKED PROUD.

Ramiro Torres, “The Freakin Puerto Rican,” co-host of the Ramiro and Pebbles Morning Show on JAM’N 94.5
How much do you work out? I wake up at 3 [a.m.] and work out at my house every morning before I get into the station. Plus I’ll train in Brazilian jiu-jitsu a few times a week with UFC fighter Kenny Florian, and I’ll “Burn with Kearns” with my friend and trainer Kevin Kearns whenever I get a chance, too.
Do you watch what you eat, or does this body just come naturally? I watch what I eat. I eat a lot of chicken, fish, veggies, and fruit. I try not to do the fast-food thing, but if I do, I’ll get the cleanest crap on the menu (like a grilled chicken sandwich with no mayo).
What’s your favorite guilty-pleasure food? I don’t really have a guilty-pleasure food that I can’t resist, but when I do decide to eat crap, I’m all about the cheesy appetizers and desserts.
You have a great body now, but did you ever go through that “awkward” stage? All the time! I feel awkward now, and I used to be heavier. I was never the “round” type of heavy, though. I would gain all of my weight in my face and belly, so I resembled a mosquito that just got finished sucking blood.
If you could have anyone else’s body, whose would it be? Beyoncé, all day! Then I would just spend the entire day naked staring at myself in the mirror and … wait, did you mean a guy?
Favorite exercise? I love doing bodyweight stuff like push-ups. There’s a million ways to do them and you can do them anywhere, anytime.
Least favorite exercise? I’m not a big fan of running. It’s just boring. I’d rather do something like jump rope.
What’s the best body compliment you’ve ever received? “You’re not fat!” This was from a listener who claimed that I sounded fat on air. How do you “sound” fat?
What do you consider your best body part? Wow, how can I choose? There’s my chest, my butt, my triceps … I guess if I had to choose, I’d say my left nipple. It’s so cute. I’ll put it up against anybody’s any day!

Jessica Shepard, bartender at Vox Populi
How much do you work out? At this moment in my life, I do not work out at all. As far as the past, I used to dance in a company and work out on the regular. Guess I’m lucky!
Do you watch what you eat, or does this body just come naturally? I do eat pretty healthy, but because I don’t eat a lot of meats.
What’s your favorite guilty-pleasure food? My downfall is cheese and chocolate. Mmm!
You have a great body now, but did you ever go through that “awkward” stage? My weight fluctuates five to eight pounds all the time. But I’m just small!
If you could have anyone else’s body, whose would it be? If I could have anyone’s body it would be Jessica Biel. She is so amazing, and natural. I like that!
Favorite exercise? When I do exercise, I’m a cardio freak! The elliptical machine is probably my favorite; I could do it for hours!
Least favorite exercise? My least favorite exercise is doing any kind of weights.
What’s the best body compliment you’ve ever received? It’s so easy to compliment someone’s body; my favorite is getting a compliment on my smile!
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR BEST BODY PART? DEFINITELY MY DERRIÈRE!

Tony Allen, guard for the Boston Celtics
How much do you work out? I work out every day when I don’t have a game.
Do you watch what you eat, or does this body just come naturally? Sometimes I watch what I eat — I try not to eat too late — but for the most part I’m eating some of everything.
What’s your favorite guilty-pleasure food? Cheeseburger with grilled onions.
You have a great body now, but did you ever go through that “awkward” stage? No, not that I can remember. I always wanted to be like one of the action figures, one of the WWF wrestlers, so I did a lot of sit-ups, push-ups.
If you could have anyone else’s body, whose would it be? Me.
Favorite exercise? I love doing bench press and leg squats.
Least favorite exercise? I hate doing oblique bridges.
What’s the best body compliment you’ve ever received? When I go swimming, all the old women tell me I have nice legs.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR BEST BODY PART? MY CALF MUSCLES.

Taylor Abbey, head bartender at Haru
How much do you work out? I never work out … I just work! A lot.
Do you watch what you eat, or does this body just come naturally? I’m a vegetarian, so I don’t do meat, and I try to avoid deep-fried anything when I eat out, but I think the key is that I really don’t like ice cream or chocolate or other sweets, which are dangerous indulgences. Nightly access to superior sushi at Haru has been a dream come true.
What’s your favorite guilty-pleasure food? Spicy curly fries dipped in a combination of ketchup and mayonnaise.
You have a great body now, but did you ever go through that “awkward” stage? Awkward may not be the right word, but when I was a college student in New York, I was a total couch potato and gained about 15 pounds. Awkward for my clothing, certainly.
If you could have anyone else’s body, whose would it be? Angelina Jolie. She’s got the whole package, doesn’t she?
Favorite exercise? Running.
Least favorite exercise? Yoga; the pace is way too slow for my personality.
What’s the best body compliment you’ve ever received? Are you kidding? Winning this competition! Nothing else comes close.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR BEST BODY PART? FRANKLY, MY BRIGHT BLUE EYES.

Andrew Ference, defenseman for the Boston Bruins
How much do you work out? In the off-season, a ton. Probably six days a week, about an hour in the gym and two to three hours doing biking, running, kayaking. And then during the season, we’re playing, practicing, working.
Do you watch what you eat, or does this body just come naturally? I eat healthy, but I definitely have indulgences. As a general diet, I eat organic and eat healthy, but I’m all about stopping at Bova’s for pastry.
What’s your favorite guilty-pleasure food? Lemon turnovers from Bova’s — so good.
You have a great body now, but did you ever go through that “awkward” stage? I was always active — I always played sports all the time. I never worked out to have a good body; that was never the point of my workouts. The point was to be in good shape for the sports that I play.
If you could have anyone else’s body, whose would it be? Jarome Iginla. He was a teammate of mine in Calgary before I got traded to Boston.
Favorite exercise? Doing sprints on the stairs. It’s the most effective one.
Least favorite exercise? Bench press, by far.
What’s the best body compliment you’ve ever received? My wife usually pumps my tires. Maybe getting asked to do this — that’s a pretty good one, I guess.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR BEST BODY PART? I’LL GO BACK TO MY WIFE — SHE SAID, BEFORE I CAME HERE, “MAKE SURE YOU SHOW YOUR VS, BETWEEN YOUR HIP AND YOUR OBLIQUE.”

Gordon Bither, senior vice president of integrated network services at State Street Bank
How much do you work out? I work out five to six times a week for an hour per session; I lift with my trainer, Brandon W. Kolar, at Equilibrium on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and he and I lift at the Sports Club/LA on the weekend. I have worked with Brandon for three-plus years; his knowledge and focused attention have been key to the results that I have achieved. Working with a trainer/training partner keeps me motivated and helps me ensure that I use proper form on each exercise. On the days that I don’t lift, I do a quick 20 minutes of cardio and 40 or so minutes of stretching and foam rolling. I generally take one day a week off.
Do you watch what you eat, or does this body just come naturally? If you were to ask my friends or co-workers, they would say that eating is a religion with me! I watch what I eat very carefully because you can’t be successful unless you manage both diet and exercise. Willingness to change your diet is absolutely critical. You can exercise every day of the week, but if you don’t change your diet, you won’t see positive changes to your body. I eat four to five small meals a day, keep fats low, avoid all sugars including alcohol, and manage daily totals of carbohydrates and protein, depending upon my goals at a given time.
What’s your favorite guilty-pleasure food? That’s an easy question to answer! It is the full-belly fried-clam platter, French fries, a side of onion rings, and a Sam Adams draft (or two) at Woodman’s in Essex.
You have a great body now, but did you ever go through that “awkward” stage? I can honestly say that I went through that “awkward” stage for too many years! There was a long period in my life where I didn’t really think a lot about my health or long-term consequences. It’s great to have physically accomplished what I have at this stage of my life. I am extremely proud of the level of physical conditioning that I have achieved and the size of the weights that I can lift. I have never felt better!
If you could have anyone else’s body, whose would it be? That is a very difficult question because I can’t think of anyone my age that I would swap with, at least anyone that someone reading this would know. If I have to pick someone, I would say Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, but he’s 21 years younger than I am!
Favorite exercise? Barbell squat or any other exercise on a heavy leg-training day.
Least favorite exercise? Bicep curl. Be it with dumbbells, barbells, cables, or bands, it’s just boring.
What’s the best body compliment you’ve ever received? I am most proud of the number of compliments that I have received by people who are totally surprised by my real age. They generally guess mid to late 40s, sometimes early 50s.
What do you consider your best body part? Best is relative. I would have to say my chest, but quite honestly all of my body parts are the best that they have ever been.

Melissa Hough, soloist with the Boston Ballet
How much do you work out? I’m a professional ballet dancer, so I dance about six days a week from four to six hours a day. I consider that a lot of “working out.”
Do you watch what you eat, or does this body just come naturally? I try to watch what I eat, but I don’t like to. Honestly, it depends on how much I’m working at the time. I eat more “junk” food when I’m dancing more and “healthier” food when I’m dancing less.
What’s your favorite guilty-pleasure food? Pickles, popcorn, and Bloody Marys from Tremont 647.
You have a great body now, but did you ever go through that “awkward” stage? I guess you could say I was a bit awkward when I was 15 and 16, at least as a dancer I was.
If you could have anyone else’s body, whose would it be? I try not to think about that. There are many dancers who were born with better “dancer” facilities than I, so I’ve spent most of my ballet career trying to accept what I have. It’s quite a struggle when you have to look at yourself in a mirror every day for six hours.
Favorite exercise? Tendus at barre (ballet exercise where you start in fifth position and brush your foot to full pointe, keeping it on the floor while doing the movement and holding onto the ballet barre).
Least favorite exercise? Riding the exercise bike. I only do it when I feel like I look “out of shape.” I hate it.
What’s the best body compliment you’ve ever received? Maybe being chosen to do this issue of Stuff.
What do you consider your best body part? I’m too critical of my body to answer this question. Dancers are crazy about this sort of thing, and I’m one of them.

Nancy Civetta, long-distance open-water butterfly swimmer and owner of PR agency Civetta Comunicazioni
How much do you work out? Right now, I am working out four to five times a week. I try to balance masters swimming with yoga and weight training. When I am working up to my swim events, I’ll work out six to seven times per week, and I’ll focus on swimming in Cape Cod Bay at least three times per week, so I can make it the 1.4 miles across Provincetown Harbor all butterfly. I’ve done it two years in a row now.
Do you watch what you eat, or does this body just come naturally? I am one of the lucky ones who never has to watch what I eat, but I do eat well and healthy. I cook a lot, pay attention to where my food comes from, and love eating Italian. I also do not have a sweet tooth, so that helps, but I make up for it in pasta consumption!
What’s your favorite guilty-pleasure food? The Brazilian “bombs,” as we call them in my office, from Modelo Bakery in Somerville. They are savory pastries shaped like a pear, filled with chicken and cream cheese, rolled in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried. They are amazing!
You have a great body now, but did you ever go through that “awkward” stage? Just in my head.
If you could have anyone else’s body, whose would it be? Madonna’s!
Favorite exercise? Swimming the ’fly.
Least favorite exercise? Breaststroke.
What’s the best body compliment you’ve ever received? That my arms looked like Madonna’s! I suggested an eye exam: I’m not there yet, but I am working on it.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR BEST BODY PART? MY BACK.

Alvin May, resident in general surgery
How much do you work out? I have to settle with just working out when I can. With my crazy busy schedule in the hospital, I am usually limited to a half-hour or 45 minutes here and there — maybe late in the evening or after an overnight on call. I can usually squeeze in a little something of a workout about three days a week. I have a power tower at home, which has become my all-in-one workout.
Do you watch what you eat, or does this body just come naturally? Honestly, I have to thank my parents for giving me great genes. I think I find myself working out much less than other guys I know, and I’m still able to maintain myself. But by the same token, I don’t really indulge myself too much when it comes to food. I tend to eat pretty moderate portions of food, often splitting a meal with someone, even at 6’ 3,” 200 pounds. I like to eat and eat what I like, but I rarely “pig out.” And every couple days, I like to throw in a salad for lunch or dinner to balance out my disregard for my diet. Other than that, I don’t find myself watching what I eat too much.
What’s your favorite guilty-pleasure food? There are two. Number one, Cold Stone ice cream. I love that Founder’s Favorite! When they started selling it in the carton, I knew it could be a problem. Fortunately, cold Boston winters curb my craving for ice cream. Number two is the Betty Crocker Warm Delights. You pop them in the microwave for 45 seconds. So good. The Chocolate-Chip Cookie is awesome!
You have a great body now, but did you ever go through that “awkward” stage? Always having been tall for my age, I was “the skinny kid.” I came to hate the word skinny. I would always correct people and refer to my build as “slim.” As I got older, though, I was able to fill out the frame a bit — with good results, I think.
If you could have anyone else’s body, whose would it be? I would probably have to say a young Michael Jordan. I would love to have his body dynamics and feel what it’s like to [do] all the things he could do with his body.
Favorite exercise? I am a huge advocate for resistance exercises: push-ups, pull-ups, dips, running, etc. I like the idea of using my own body to build my body. For most of my workouts, I use a power tower in my house. It allows me to work the big upper-body muscle groups nicely. With that, I’ll throw in some traditional push-ups and some handstand push-ups. I have found, for me, that working in this way, I can continue to build on a natural-looking physique that is balanced. In addition, I’ve found that the results of my workout last longer between workouts. My guess is that I’m not isolating individual muscles, but rather building muscle groups that I would otherwise use in natural movements and activity.
Least favorite exercise? Running! I have to run alone with personal-playlist music blaring in my ears. It is so hard for me to distract myself from how far I’ve run and how tired I am when I run that I need to escape completely. So when I run, I make an iPod playlist that is sure to get my mind off running and in a fun and energetic place.
What’s the best body compliment you’ve ever received? I got up the nerve to be in a fashion show in college in my senior year. During one of the scenes, [I] had to take off my shirt. When I did that, the women in the crowd went crazy. It changed the entire way I looked at my body.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR BEST BODY PART? SMILE. SHOULDERS. I THINK THOSE TWO CAPTURE BOTH MY PRESENCE AND PERSONALITY.

Aaron Crutchfield, dramatic-arts instructor and improvisational actor with ImprovBoston
How much do you work out? I usually go to the gym about once and a half per week; when I train for Ultimate Frisbee, then maybe two and a half.
Do you watch what you eat, or does this body just come naturally? I have just started to stop eating when I get full, so I am a “many small plates from the buffet line” kinda guy.
What’s your favorite guilty-pleasure food? Pot brownies! Just kidding. I guess either Cherry Garcia [ice cream] or chocolate-chip cookie dough that is all melty.
You have a great body now, but did you ever go through that “awkward” stage? Do you mean when I played Dungeons and Dragons until 2 a.m. during high school? Or do you mean how could a guy with total asthma discover playing frisbee?
If you could have anyone else’s body, whose would it be? Barry Sanders, a wicked cool, totally strong guy, or Michael Jordan, who is a master of dexterity. Since I wish I could dunk, I guess I would choose Jordan.
Favorite exercise? Just plain old playing catch with friends on a beach, or a plush green field, with a little wind to really send the frisbee — but in a gym, I would say dumbbell presses followed by crunches.
Least favorite exercise? Rush-hour traffic! Just sitting, ugh! But really, maybe upright rows, because you need good form and it never looks like I am lifting much!
What’s the best body compliment you’ve ever received? One time my buddy’s little sister said I had killer calves.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR BEST BODY PART? THAT WOULD BE EITHER MY ARM, OR MY PASSIONATE HEART, AND I USED TO HAVE A PRETTY GOOD LIVER.

Danielle DiGiorgio, special events manager at Felt
How much do you work out? Four to five days a week.
Do you watch what you eat, or does this body just come naturally? I would have to say that I don’t really watch what I eat, but I enjoy healthy food, which is probably why I have a healthy diet. I eat pretty much anything I want; I just try to do it in moderation. That is the key!
What’s your favorite guilty-pleasure food? Buffalo wings with blue cheese washed down with a Stella draft beer, and anything with chocolate, of course!
You have a great body now, but did you ever go through that “awkward” stage? I would say freshman year of college. Awkward is a nice way to put it; I like to call it the freshman 20! But that was probably due to pledging a sorority and having the typical college diet: Bud Light, pizza, and whatever else is available after 2 a.m.
If you could have anyone else’s body, whose would it be? Nicole Scherzinger, lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls. I just think she is the most beautiful woman all around.
Favorite exercise? Arms.
Least favorite exercise? Legs. I have to psychologically pump myself up to get through it.
What’s the best body compliment you’ve ever received? I would have to say being nominated for this issue! I would have never thought to enter myself!
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR BEST BODY PART? I WOULD HAVE TO SAY MY WAIST, THANKS TO ALL THE CURVACEOUS WOMAN IN MY ARMENIAN/ITALIAN FAMILY.

Jonathan Cardoza, cardiac nurse at Tufts-New England Medical Center and gross human anatomy lecturer at Boston University
How much do you work out? My workout schedule varies greatly from week to week. Some weeks I work out just one day, others six. In an ideal week, I would lift four days, cardio five days, with something else thrown in the mix, like yoga.
Do you watch what you eat, or does this body just come naturally? I have found that diet is the biggest component to how my body looks. I don’t do anything crazy, never too much protein — I follow the food-guide pyramid: low fat, high fiber. Just like your grandparents.
What’s your favorite guilty-pleasure food? Ice cream. I’ll always consume the entire container regardless of size, or until I am so full that I’m winded.
You have a great body now, but did you ever go through that “awkward” stage? I’ve had about 20 years of “that awkward phase,” or rather a series of them. By the time I graduated high school I was about 210, no muscle. Then in college I dropped down to 160, still no muscle. Now I am 185, never been bigger, never been leaner.
If you could have anyone else’s body, whose would it be? I don’t know; I’ve never made ideals like that. Pat Sajak, is that hot?
Favorite exercise? I love to run outside at night. When I started running, I hated it for the first six months. Now it’s peaceful to go run for an hour at 1 a.m. — it’s really peaceful and quiet in Boston.
Least favorite exercise? I hate doing abs. Even when I force myself to do it, it’s still half-assed.
What’s the best body compliment you’ve ever received? My favorite compliment came from a patient’s granddaughter who was around seven. We were discussing cardiac arrhythmias when she interrupted to ask if I was a dentist. When I asked why she would think that, she said, “Because your teeth are so white and shiny.” I totally melt for kids, and my patients who are from the 80-80 club. Eighty years old, eighty pounds.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR BEST BODY PART? MY BEST BODY PART IS MY LEGS; I NEVER MISS A WEEK OF DOING LEGS.

Christine Streeter, Pilates instructor at Studio Elle Pilates
How much do you work out? I do Pilates and spinning at least three times a week. In addition to that, I participate in a lot of seasonal activities: snowboarding, cross-country skiing, kayaking, hiking, and walking my dogs.
Do you watch what you eat, or does this body just come naturally? Definitely watch what I eat. I mainly stick to a healthy diet and try to let my body tell me what it needs, but I have my moments. I love sweets, so I try to restrict myself so that I don’t overdo it.
What’s your favorite guilty-pleasure food? Hmmm, there are so many! I’d have to say frozen custard from Abbott’s in Rochester, New York, which fortunately you can’t get around here.
You have a great body now, but did you ever go through that “awkward” stage? From 18 to 25, I couldn’t get it together; I struggled with my weight. I finally figured it out in my mid-20s and am very happy to have it behind me!
If you could have anyone else’s body, whose would it be? Heidi Klum; longer legs would be great.
Favorite exercise? Pilates; it completely changed my body.
Least favorite exercise? Running, crunches, aerobic classes.
What’s the best body compliment you’ve ever received? I get compliments on my arms and calves a lot, but the best one was from a woman I was talking to at the beach. She said that I was the only person on the beach who should be in a bikini. I’ve worked really hard on my body, so it was nice to have someone recognize it.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR BEST BODY PART? MY ARMS, BUT I’M REALLY PROUD OF MY ABS; THEY TAKE A LOT MORE WORK.

WE ASKED, YOU … DROOLED: READERS’ PICKS FOR BEST BODIES BY BOSTON

Wynne Corazzelli, project manager
How much do you work out? Almost every day.
Do you watch what you eat, or does this body come naturally? I try to eat well. I have been a vegetarian since I was 12.
What’s your guilty-pleasure food? Cheez-Its and Oreo cookies.
You have a great body now, but did you ever go through that “awkward” stage? Freshman 15 in college was probably my most awkward stage.
If you could have anyone else’s body, whose would it be? Eva Longoria.
Favorite exercise? Running.
Least favorite exercise? Squats.
What’s the best body compliment you’ve ever received? Some of my friends have said they wished they had a body like mine.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR BEST BODY PART? MY TUMMY.

George Hatzikostantis, nutrition management
How much do you work out? Six days a week, two to three hours a day.
Do you watch what you eat, or does this body come naturally? Very strict diet, high protein, well-balanced nutrition. I had to work very hard to look the way I do!
What’s your guilty-pleasure food? I don’t cheat often, but blueberry pie is [my] weakness.
You have a great body now, but did you ever go through that “awkward” stage? I was pretty skinny growing up, and I was 6’2”. Thank God I eventually grew into my height.
If you could have anyone else’s body, whose would it be? Nobody’s. I’m happy the way I am.
Favorite exercise? Squats, shoulders, chest, arms.
Least favorite exercise? None. I love them all.
What’s the best body compliment you’ve ever received? “Oh my God, what’s that, a 20-pack?”
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR BEST BODY PART? ABS.

[Photos by Tim Gray
Directed by Michael Diskin
Hair Services provided by Leon Liu, Talia Wildes, and Antonio Pagano of Vidal Sassoon Salon]

Work it Out: Surviving seven exercise classes in seven days

Heather Bouzan — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 18:46:00 GMT

IT'S NOT LIKE I'm obese or anything. It's just - well, let's just say I was never the athletic type. My parents pushed me into a childhood's worth of ballet classes when it became painfully obvious that I preferred practicing my twirls by the goal line to coming in contact with the soccer ball. And although I do my own low-impact version of a workout twice a week or so, the last exercise class I attended ended abruptly when I raced out of the room, lightheaded and ready to vomit. (In my defense, the teacher told my workout partner that I was the third student she'd lost that week.)

So, in the self-improving spirit of the new year, I decide to follow up the liver-testing challenges I've taken on for Stuff@night (seven clubs in seven nights; seven bars in one night) with a week's worth of exercise classes. To be honest, I welcome the chance to exchange my all-too-common weekday hangover for sore muscles and an ass that might actually fit into my favorite old pair of jeans. So I clear my schedule of social engagements, make sure my (single pair of) workout pants are clean, and get ready to be challenged.

Day 1

Sunday, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.: Cardio Ballet at Revolution Fitness (209 Columbus Avenue, Boston, 617.536.3006)

Given my aforementioned dance training, a class called "Cardio Ballet" sounds like the ideal first day; I imagine pirouetting perfect circles around my uncoordinated, open-mouthed classmates. But as I stand in front of the room's expansive, unforgiving mirror, memories of barre exercises, itchy tights, and blistered toes come rushing back.

There are only five of us today, though I hear the class is usually packed with regulars (and occasional Boston Ballet dancer drop-ins). Our instructor, Heidi, enters the room and switches on a playlist of quasi-clubby tunes that immediately trump the tinkly, battered piano of my youth. We begin the exercises and my sense of balance quickly returns. As floor workouts mature into short combinations with familiar names - glissade, grande plié, sauté - I'm relieved to note that my body has some semblance of muscle memory. Heidi is enthusiastic and encouraging, yet unafraid to deliver a sassy scolding to a student who's moving too quickly. While my pulse is surely elevated, none of the routines are too confusing to keep straight - though I'd forgotten the strength it takes to hold my arms out gracefully through a mess of steps, jumps, and raises. A few times, I find myself sliding right while the rest of the class slides left, but overall I'm pleased with my performance.

Day 2

Monday, 6 to 7 p.m.: Martini Workout at the InterContinental Boston (510 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, 617.747.1000)

I'm upstairs in one of the swankiest hotels in the city, yet I'm feeling anything but suave. As I perch on my mat, my right arm and left leg extended perilously, I can't help but pity the poor soul working late in the office building across the street who happens to catch a glimpse of me mid-thrust. The Martini Workout is all about Pilates moves, core strengthening, stretching, and a maneuver that involves balancing a martini glass on one's abs to ensure the effectiveness of the crunch. The workout's creator, Jessica, is a supportive, upbeat instructor. Tonight, the soundtrack is a blend of '70s and '80s hits that imparts the energy of a Richard Simmons class, only without the obnoxious host.

Crunches are the one exercise I actually enjoy - I've always been the thick-legged girl with the flat(ish) tummy - but here, I barely make it through the first few sets. In fact, it's only the 50-something guy crunching effortlessly next to me who keeps me wheezing along. Ab work is accompanied by band-assisted stretching, some balance-testing leans, and loads of arduous pulsing. Everyone in the class seems to know one other; we exchange sympathetic smiles across the room during particularly awkward stances.

At the end of the workout, I opt out of the free martini that's offered downstairs after each session (to those who purchase Martini Workout merchandise) and make it an early night - after all, it's only Monday, and I don't want to establish myself as the class lush just yet.

Day 3

Tuesday, 6:30 to 7:25 p.m.: Middle Eastern Bellydance at Boston Sports Club (311 Arsenal Street, Watertown, 617.924.0669)

I eat a Lean Cuisine today for lunch - you know, so my belly won't be puffy. At class, a bunch of us, mostly 20-something women, are standing around eyeing each other when our instructor, Johara (her stage name), enters the room. She fastens a bit of cloth festooned with jangly gold coins around her waist, and we begin our warm-up. She doesn't have the voluptuous look I expect from a belly dancer - she's blonde, slender, and on the timid side - but she immediately assumes the persona with her first few sways in front of the mirror. As we move into the more substantive part of class, we remove our sneakers and proceed in stocking feet with hip bumps, body rolls, and fluid arm waves that snake us from side to side, then front to back. We build a few moves into repeated combinations, then pare down to work on technique. I don't sweat very much - it's more an instructional lesson than an actual workout - and I decide it would've been fun to bring along a friend with whom to exchange glances and giggles between botched moves. Try as I might, I just can't get the whole sex-appeal thing down. By the end of the session, I give up watching myself flailing around and keep my eyes on Johara, hoping to mimic the fluidity of her movements. My erratic swaying doesn't come close, but my hips have shimmy potential.

When I arrive home, I ask my boyfriend if he'd like a demonstration of my new moves. He declines. It's probably for the best.

Day 4

Wednesday, 5 to 5:30 p.m.: INKA at Equinox (131 Dartmouth Street, Boston, 617.578.8918)

I arrive a little early to Equinox, my regular gym, and decide to kill time with a few preparatory crunches. Kristy, the club's group fitness manager, sashays in a few minutes later, clicks on some New Age y music, and gives me some background on the class: it was developed by an Equinox trainer in Connecticut, and it involves a metal wall unit with two adjustable straps connected at the bottom by a cushioned bar. The idea is that, using the bar as a stabilizer, the user can lean, balance, bend, and fold, going deeper into his or her stretches without toppling over, and transferring a good deal of body weight from the joints to the bar. In short, it's a way to come at your standard exercises from a different perspective. Today, we're focusing on leg strength.

With the bar adjusted to bellybutton height, we pull back into squats, duck underneath and lean over into forward bends, and angle our bodies straight out and attempt a few push-ups. I can see how this kind of exercise might enhance other kinds of athletic activities (if I were athletic, that is). My favorite moves are the "around the world" swoops and the childlike jumps that make me feel like I'm flying, weightless, or something in between. I focus on sinking my shoulders back into their sockets and opening up my chest, and before I know it, the 30-minute session is over.

Day 5

Thursday, 6 to 7 p.m.: Combo H20 at Commonwealth Sports Club (1079 Comm Ave, Boston, 617.254.1711)

Ah, the perils of attempting to do a week of anything smack in the middle of snowstorm season. I lug my workout gear all the way to the office, but it's blizzarding by 1 p.m. and class is canceled. My trek home through the snowdrifts of Government Center, calves burning, is more than enough exercise for me.

One week later, it's time for the make-up class. I'm wearing a ridiculously unflattering one-piece bathing suit that I borrowed from a friend, figuring my skimpy bikini might be a tad inappropriate for an exercise class. I slink around the locker room until the last possible second in order to avoid the eyes of the hot college guy swimming laps in lane three.

I jump into the pool with the chirpy group of older women who make up the class's roster of regulars. Our teacher, Sean, is an enthusiastic leader, demonstrating moves and shouting encouragement from the deck. After a few warm-up laps of underwater jogging, my heart rate is already elevated. We move through the exercises - bobbing up and down, lifting our knees, creating underwater resistance with our hands - and I'm so enjoying splashing around that I almost forget I'm exercising. At one point, we even incorporate a hilarious pair of oversized, cartoon-like foam dumbbells. We're able to tailor the moves to our own abilities, and though I probably go a little easier on myself than I should, I'm still breathing heavy by the end of class.

Day 6

Friday, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.: Club Dance at the Sports Club/LA (4 Avery Street, Boston, 617.375.8200)

I'm tired and grumpy. I usually manage to sneak out of work by 5:30 on Friday, so this is extending my day longer than I'd like. And I'm not the club-dancing type; it's a six-drink minimum before you'll see me willingly out on the floor. I consider stashing a few nips in my gym bag but think better of it.

At class, I introduce myself to the bubbly instructor, Katie, who's substituting for Pia, the regular. My pace doesn't slow for the next hour-plus. The class soundtrack is the best I've encountered; if I close my eyes, I can imagine I'm up in a VIP booth with a vodka tonic instead of bouncing around a glass-walled room wearing spandex. As Britney segues into J.Lo, my mood improves.

We build our routine from the ground up, stringing together short combinations to comprise one long piece that we "perform" from start to finish a few times as class comes to an end. I remember my little-girl days inventing dance steps with a group of twittering friends, but the intense repetition of tonight's class helps me actually learn the moves. It's the free dancing in place between combinations that trips me up - I mostly just bounce on the balls of my feet, slightly off-rhythm. You won't see me demonstrating my new moves any time soon, but I have fun in spite of myself - and burn some major calories in the process.

Day 7

Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Punk Rope at Healthworks (441 Stuart Street, Boston, 617.859.7700)

I peel myself out of bed (relatively) early the next morning, my whole body stiff and last night's Chinese food a brick in my stomach. The loads of extra energy that are supposed to result from my daily workouts? MIA.

Abby, our instructor, is a compact bundle of energy who sort of scares the crap out of me. (I do talk to her after class and she's totally sweet.) I choose from a bucket of deceptively cheerful fluorescent jump ropes and we commence with a warm-up jog around the room. As we advance to the jumping portion - two- or three-minute sets differentiated by kicks, twists, high jumps, and figure-eights - keeping the rhythm going grows difficult, and I find myself allowing little half-skips between each jump in order to keep pace. The punk-tinged soundtrack makes me feel more like shotgunning a beer than testing my stamina.

Partner exercises provide us with a brief respite between each jumping set; I'm thankfully paired with a girl who's as motivated (read: not so much) and athletic (read: no offense, but ...) as I am. Next up, drills: think over-unders, squats, and even wheelbarrow races. If I've learned one thing this week, it's that exercise instructors are total liars: each time Abby tells us we have 10 seconds left, it winds up being more like 30. But since I manage to pant my way through, I forgive her.

After some intense abs work and a cool-down, I drag myself back to the locker room, cancel my Back Bay shopping plans, and go home to collapse. There's no question that I'll be feeling this one tomorrow. Come to think of it, that seems to be the rule of this little experiment of mine.

The final verdict: no, I don't feel any skinnier, but maybe it's all the carbo-loading that I've been allowing myself. The rigorous exercise schedule has wreaked havoc on my social life, and I'm perpetually exhausted. But my abs have definitely firmed up, and as the soreness melts away, I start to feel new strength in my arms and legs. Admittedly, the workouts are a nice break from my monotonous treadmill runs, I enjoy the camaraderie, and I definitely push myself harder when there's an entire class to keep up with.

I hit the town hard once I've finished my seven-day challenge. The next morning, that old familiar hangover surrounds my head like a halo. But it's well worth it. I hit snooze on my alarm clock, turn over, and go back to sleep. @

[Photo by Kelly Davidson]

Testing My Resolve: One man’s (embarrassingly public) quest to choose a New Year’s resolution

Michael Diskin — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 17:12:00 GMT

I'VE NEVER been a big New Year's resolution kind of guy. I can't remember the last time I resolved to stop doing anything on the first day of the year. (Except in 2002 when, face down in a hotel toilet, I declared I would never, ever drink Sambuca again. Not exactly a soul-searching moment of self-improvement, but I suppose it was a resolution nonetheless.) Don't get me wrong: I don't consider myself perfect. As you're about to learn, I have more than my share of bad habits. To me, it just seems cliché to give one up at the start of a new year. (Not to mention the fact that I need most of my vices intact to ensure a properly celebrated holiday, followed by a full recovery the next day.)

So when my editor asked me to write a first-person piece about this year's resolutions, I had to give it some serious thought. Am I willing and ready to share my inadequacies with the entire city of Boston? Is there something I truly need to give up? And most importantly, will I actually be able to do it? The thing is, being good isn't always easy, but being bad always is. I ask you to keep that in mind as I air my dirty laundry on a clothesline stretched clear across the city. Some of the stains have set more than others, but let's see if we can't clean things up a bit.

Potential New Year's resolution #1: change my eating habits
I've never been a good eater. For as long as I can remember, I've wrestled with nutrition. As a kid, I somehow managed to sustain myself on a diet of hot dogs and Cap'n Crunch, a meal plan that clearly explains my doughy adolescent physique. College was no better. I can probably count on one hand the number of salads I ate during my university years. (Hell, hack off three of my fingers and I'm fairly sure I could still get an accurate count.) So now I'm an adult. I've expanded my palate, right? Yes. With a few exceptions, I've learned to appreciate most foods. (I will say, however, that I still don't get sushi. I've tried to like it - several times, in fact. But when it comes to eating raw fish, I'm like a failed female porn star: I just can't seem to get my gag reflex under control.) But just because I like healthy food doesn't mean I eat it. Aversions have given way to laziness, and lately I find myself with the diet of a hungover frat boy. For example, I wish I could tell you I didn't stop at McDonald's yesterday for a late-night assault, but I can't. Let's put "eating habits" in the running.

Potential New Year's resolution #2: reduce caffeine intake
It's noon. So far today I've consumed a large Starbucks iced coffee (with an extra shot), and I'm halfway through a can of Red Bull that'll surely be empty by the time this paragraph is written. I'm so damn jacked up right now that I can hardly type. Clenched jaw and twitching aside, I really love caffeine. It's an acceptable social pastime, an effective yet legal stimulant, and with my eating habits (see above), an important natural laxative. Sorry, folks: this one's here to stay.

Potential New Year's resolution #3: get organized
I'm about as organized as a flea market. I manage most things in my life using an intricate yet totally useless pile system. I have two piles of bills: paid and unpaid. I have two piles of clothes: clean and dirty. I even have two piles for miscellaneous stuff: shit I'm scared to throw out and shit I probably should throw out but am too disorganized to actually do so. Over the years, I've tried to get a grip on this problem. My efforts have included purchasing a filing cabinet, adopting several daily planners that I used for a sum total of three weeks, and keeping an Outlook calendar that now contains entirely unhelpful entries like "meeting" and "event." I could certainly use some work in this area, but I just don't think I'm wired to be organized. (Even though I'm a self-proclaimed "ass man," I can't stand being anal.) Can I let you in on a secret? I haven't balanced my checkbook in more than five years. See, I'm useless. Moving on.

Potential New Year's resolution #4: quit smoking
I just turned 38 years old and I started smoking a little over a year ago. Yeah, I know: brilliant. When I was selecting this most recent vice, I briefly considered other intelligent pastimes, like catching stray bullets and sparring with pit bulls, but neither provided me with that lovely ashtray stench I'd apparently been craving. My smoking, originally taken up to help me through a difficult time in my life, has now become my embarrassing go-to stress reliever. Ahh, the calming purr of a well-blackened lung: pure bliss. This little problem is now firmly in the lead.

Potential New Year's resolution #5: stop drinking
I've never had a problem with drinking. Hey, wait a minute. Saying that kind of makes me sound like I do have a problem with drinking, doesn't it? But I don't, do I? I suspect I'm like most of you: out a few nights a week, plus a random bottle of wine or two at home. Could I drink less? Sure. We all could, but I don't consider it a problem. (Damn, there I go again.) The only time I ever do consider it an issue is when I'm filling out a questionnaire at the doctor's office. (You know, when they give you a range of "drinks per week" and, if you answer honestly, you find yourself well off the chart.) To be honest, I'm too much of a pussy to be a drunk. I don't posses the grit, determination, or eclectic taste needed for the project. My drink of choice is a vodka-cranberry, otherwise known as a Cape Codder. What respectable drunk would have that as their default libation? Next.

Potential New Year's resolution #6: give up complicated younger women
They like me. Unfortunately, I tend to like them back. I seem to have this in control for now, but just to be safe, let's re-examine this in '09, mm-kay?

Potential New Year's resolution #7: manage my money
I like to make it and I like to spend it. I just don't think I'm as good at the former as I am the latter. The result: I'm not as good as I should be with money. (Oh, like that's a shock. I've already admitted to five years of screwed-up checkbooks; need I say more?) I tend to spend money emotionally - which, the last time I checked, was not one of Suze Orman's personal-finance recommendations. I just like to buy things that make me happy. And I really like to buy things that make other people happy. Now, women, especially you younger, complicated ladies, don't go getting any ideas. Remember, I work for Stuff@night, not Esquire. I'd go into specifics, but I suppose the illusion of having money is nearly as good as actually having it. So I'll just shut my mouth and move on.

So let's review. We've determined that I'm a cigarette-smoking, over-caffeinated, disorganized poor eater who may or may not have a drinking problem and likes to spend money recklessly on complicated young women. Is it just me, or does it sound as if I'm a bad knit cap and Irish brogue away from being Colin Farrell?

All kidding aside, I really like the person I am (aforementioned faults included). Maybe I'm wrong, but I think bad habits and vices are the good stuff - the things that make ordinary people interesting. That said, I can't exactly air out a stinking pile of laundry and not do something about it. So for my New Year's resolution, I've decided I'm going to quit smoking. If you see me huddled outside a bar with a cigarette in my hand, ask me to put it out. Bring me back inside, buy me a Cape Codder, or maybe introduce me to your complicated younger sister. Whatever you do, just remind me that I have a promise to keep.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go. I've prepared a bowl of Cap'n Crunch for dinner and it's starting to get soggy.

Happy New Year. @

[Illustration by Kevin Banks]

In Recovery: The holidays are finally over. Here’s how to unwind and chill out, stat.

Heather Bouzan — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:54:00 GMT

ALL THE THINGS we love about the holidays - the expensive bottles of wine, the multi-course meals, the fancy soirées that end with breakfast - are also the things that leave us bleary-eyed, pudgy, and hating ourselves come the season's proverbial "morning after." As much as it pains us to admit it, even we find ourselves craving a few nights in, a simple salad ... in a word, a little detox. So here's a roundup of nightspots, spa treatments, classes, and cultural activities that give our puffy lids time to shrink and our livers a chance to regenerate. Trust us, after a few calm days and quiet nights, you'll be yanking your Louboutins out of the back of your closet rejuvenated and ready to make your re-entry onto the social scene.

raising the bar on relaxing
Yes, we said we wanted to chill out - but we never purported to swear off drinking entirely. Instead of heading to the city's latest hotspot only to endure long lines, cramped bars, and far too many air kisses, we recommend a low-key hangout where you can disappear into a corner with a well-mixed drink and - if you're feeling social - a chatty friend. We love the way the low-lit, bookish Washington Square Tavern (714 Washington Street, Brookline, 617.232.8989) quiets us upon entering; once the bartender slides us a glass of wine from a well-chosen list, we've all but melted into our stool. There aren't many bars in this city where we'd hang solo, but this is one of them. A quick cab or T ride down Beacon Street is Audubon Circle (838 Beacon Street, Boston, 617.421.1910), where we can't help but feel as relaxed and casual as the clientele - no buttoned-up business types here. Cambridge Common (1667 Mass Ave, Cambridge, 617.547.1228) has always been a comforting spot to grab a post-work beer without the nuisance of eager, chatty singles, and we've always felt at home at Clery's cousin Brownstone (111 Dartmouth Street, Boston, 617.867.4142), with its slightly older, slightly more sober crowd. Another option? Hit your favorite nightspots when it's - the horror! - still light out. Alibi (Liberty Hotel, 215 Charles Street, Boston, 617.224.4000), still new and hot enough to be mobbed at peak hours, envelops us in its basement calm on off nights, and 28 Degrees (One Appleton Street, Boston, 617.728.0728) is an early-evening treat.

lose the booze
If your holiday revelries have left you unable look at another alcoholic beverage without needing to hightail it to the restroom, plenty of local bartenders have created mocktails with you - and your hard-drinking reputation - in mind. Want to enjoy Sushi Teq (InterContinental, 510 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, 617.747.1000) without indulging in the latter half of the restaurant's moniker? Pair your spicy tuna rolls and salmon sashimi with booze-free margaritas offered in lush, fruity flavors, including Blackberry Mango ($6) and Blood Orange Strawberry ($6). Meanwhile, the doting bartenders at Eastern Standard (528 Comm Ave, Boston, 617.532.9100) have devoted a whole section of their cocktail list to non-alcoholic tipples. The Stormy Monday ($5), a ginger-beer-based beverage, can assuage even the queasiest of stomachs, and the Sophisticated Lady ($5), which melds cranberry and cucumber, is just that. And we love the connotations of the Lemmy Tum Tum ($5), described as a "cure for what ails you." If even those are too close to the real stuff for comfort, find solace in a pot of peppermint tea - or another of more than 25 varieties - offered at the 1369 Coffee House (1369 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, 617.576.1369; 757 Mass Ave, Cambridge, 617.576.4600), with locations in Inman and Central squares. They're open later than most coffee shops, too, boasting hours until 10 or 11 p.m. nightly.

weighty issues
If it's sustenance you desire, we can only assume that it's the light, low-fat stuff you're looking for after the gluttony that is December. Forgo rich, creamy dishes for tastes from the raw bar at Neptune Oyster (63 Salem Street, Boston, 617.742.3474) or East Coast Grill (1271 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, 617.491.6568), and sate your sweet tooth with the super-fresh Watermelon and Feta Tidbit appetizer ($7.95) at Vlora (545 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.638.9699). Eateries like Harvest (44 Brattle Street, Cambridge, 617.868.2255), Garden at the Cellar (991 Mass Ave, Cambridge, 617.230.5880), and Craigie Street Bistrot (5 Craigie Circle, Cambridge, 617.497.5511) are known for their natural, wholesome takes on fresh, simple foods with big flavors, and we've long admired the merits of the salad selection at the Metropolitan Club (1210 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill, 617.731.0600). And as we reported earlier in this issue, keep an eye out for the ultimate in detoxifying dishes with the opening of Alissa Cohen's new raw restaurant, Grezzo (69 Prince Street, Boston).

gym dandies
We've always subscribed to the idea that the best way to cure a hangover (no matter that this one has lasted weeks) is to sweat it out. We all have our favorite trainer - or the neighborhood gym to which we've vowed to devote our lives come January 1 - but there are other ways to supplement those hours on the elliptical machine. To get the booze oozing out of your pores quickly, turn up the heat, literally, with a Bikram yoga class. With the average temperature cranked up to 105 degrees and 40 percent humidity, you won't leave the class dry - but you will emerge incredibly clear-headed and cleansed. A number of classes are offered daily at Bikram Yoga Boston (108 Lincoln Street, Loft 1A, Boston, 617.556.9926) and Bikram Yoga Harvard Square (30 JFK Street, Second Floor, Cambridge, 617.54.SWEAT). If you're in need of a little extra oomph (i.e., you'll talk yourself out of that workout with the slightest provocation), we suggest plunging in headfirst with a session at Ultimate Bootcamp (www.ultimatebootcamp.com; 617.787.1224). The program kicks off '08 with a six-week class held outdoors on Boston Common Monday through Thursday mornings beginning on January 7. For less hardy folk, indoor sessions begin on January 7 and February 25. After a few workouts, you won't even think about sleeping through that early-morning wake-up call. Finally, mixing things up with your gym's group fitness classes is always beneficial. Not only will you work muscles you likely never knew you had, you'll also be less inclined to allow yourself an out when the going gets tough - especially when the post-menopausal woman with Madonna arms next to you is crunching her abs double-time. Each gym has its own roster of offerings, some more creative than others (think stripper-pole workouts, samba dancing, ass-class); one of the more innovative and imaginative of the bunch is Equinox (131 Dartmouth Street, Boston, 617.578.8918), which debuts new classes including "Hardbody Meltdown" (exaggerated step-training), "Red Carpet Ready" (covering cardio and toning, plus confidence, poise, and grace), and "Temple Dance" (sexy, exotic moves to world music) in January.

spaaah!
If your definition of "sweating it out" involves a stint in the steam room after a spa treatment, we have some less active (yet still rejuvenating) options worth exploring. Heat up with a 75-minute Hot Stone Massage ($100) at Inman Oasis (243 Hampshire Street, Cambridge, 617.491.0176) - the rocks work wonders on a fatigued body - followed by a soothing soak in one of the wellness center's hot tubs. If you'd rather scrub away your demons, try the Urban Renewal Exfoliating Facial ($125) at G Spa (35 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.267.4772), which incorporates cleansing enzymes; exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids; and hydrating cranberry, pomegranate, and green-tea moisturizers. If your eyelids are puffy from too many carbs, too much booze, and too little sleep, head to Pyara (104 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge, 617.497.9300) for the Revitalizing Eye Treatment ($35; $25 as a spa enhancement), while people looking for a full-body experience might do well to invest in the Sea Foam Head-to-Toe Body Ritual ($265) at Bella Santé (38 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.424.9930), featuring two hours of re-mineralizing, oxygenizing masques, scrubs, and creams.

it's academic
Don't be afraid to get studious about your detoxing. The Cambridge Center for Adult Education (42 Brattle Street, Cambridge, 617.547.6789) offers evening and weekend classes in subjects as diverse as "Introduction to Decoupage" (beginning January 15) and "Greek Philosophy" (beginning January 16); visit www.ccae.org to browse the winter course catalog. If you've been itching to put pen to paper and engage in more literary pursuits, enliven your prose with one of the themed writing workshops at Grub Street (160 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.695.0075). Updated listings are posted at www.grubstreet.org. Food and wine education more your speed? The latest addition to the Barbara Lynch empire, Stir (102 Waltham Street, Boston, 617.423.STIR), offers classes with a sophisticated take on both, including an introduction to chenin blanc on January 7 and, on January 8 and 9, instruction on how to assemble Lynch's "No. 9 Classics" such as prune-stuffed gnocchi and steak tartare. And the Boston Wine School (1354 Comm Ave, Boston, 617.784.7150) leaves no bottle uncorked in its quest for vino wisdom.

art attack
If you crave culture's more social side, Boston has a wealth of opportunities. The ICA (100 Northern Avenue, Boston, 617.478.3100) offers date-worthy programming that swaps late nights at the bar for lectures, films, and performance pieces that inspire discussion. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (280 The Fenway, Boston, 617.566.1401) appeals to a young, savvy crowd with its "Gardner After Hours" events every third Thursday of the month; on January 17, attend "People and Portraits," which includes a drawing session, tours of the museum's portrait collection, and, for an additional fee, the Boston debut performance of the International Contemporary Ensemble in "Composer Portraits: Music of Magnus Lindberg." And cultural veterans like the Museum of Fine Arts (465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 617.267.9300) and the Museum of Science (Science Park, Boston, 617.723.2500) have also stepped it up in an attempt to appeal to more than just big-name donors and grade-school field trippers. The MFA has made a name for itself as an edgy live music venue, and it also sponsors mfafirstfridays cocktail events and "Winesday" wine tastings on the last Wednesday of every month; the scientifically minded can find romance in the Museum of Science's planetarium or rock out to Zeppelin, U2, the Beatles, and Metallica at a laser show. And there's always the cool, dark, hangover-dulling sanctuary of a movie theater: the Somerville Theatre (55 Davis Square, Somerville, 617.625.5700), the Coolidge Corner Theatre (290 Harvard Street, Brookline, 617.734.2500), the Harvard Film Archive (24 Quincy Street, Cambridge, 617.495.4700), and the Brattle Theatre (40 Brattle Street, Cambridge, 617.876.6838) all have eclectic offerings. @

[Photos by Kelly Davidson]

Planning committee: What are you doing for New Year's Eve?

Heather Bouzan — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:33:00 GMT

NEW YEAR’S EVE: we can never decide whether to love it or hate it. Somehow we’re always making grand plans that never materialize — and when things have panned out, too often we’ve spent the evening nine cocktails deep and making out with whomever happens to be sitting next to us when the clock strikes midnight. In fact, some of our best New Year’s Eves have been the nights that we’ve stayed in on the couch with Dick Clark, slugging Champagne with the most random groups of friends. But that’s just us. What about you?

Sabrina Haller
Age: 19
Occupation: au pair
Lives in: Wayland
What are your New Year’s plans this year? I’m not sure, but I think I will be in New York. Last year, I was at a friend’s house in Austria.
Do you have a New Year’s kiss lined up? I don’t know.
Best New Year’s Eve? I was on Nantucket, on vacation with my whole family.
What was the best part of 2007? I did a lot of things — I was in New York, New Hampshire, then I was here in Boston. So, all this traveling.
Worst part? Nothing.
Describe your fantasy New Year’s Eve. Stay with my friends, have a party, meet other friends in New York.
What are your New Year’s resolutions? Play more sports, eat healthier.
What’s the New Year’s resolution you make over and over but never keep? Lose weight.

Aileen Scott
Age: 27
Occupation: HR recruiter
Lives in: Brookline
What are your New Year’s plans this year? Celebrate my two-year anniversary.
Do you have a New Year’s kiss lined up? Of course — if I’m celebrating my anniversary, I’d better.
Describe your worst New Year’s Eve experience. When my plans got cancelled last minute and I sat at home watching Dick Clark.
Best New Year’s Eve? Meeting my boyfriend — I always hated New Year’s before then.
What was the best part of 2007? Moving to Boston.
Worst part? Saying goodbye to all my friends in New York.
Describe your fantasy New Year’s Eve. I would go back to Aruba and celebrate it on the beach.
Craziest New Year’s bash you’ve ever attended? Edinburgh, Scotland.
What are your New Year’s resolutions? I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions, because they’re never kept.

Robby Thomas
Age: 42
Occupation: banker
Lives in: Dorchester
What are your New Year’s plans this year? To spend some time with friends and family. To kick back and relax and make sure we make it to the New Year.
What was the best part of 2007? This was a really difficult year, but a really great year in a lot of respects. Career-wise, it was a great year, and there was some extracurricular stuff I’m involved with that was really good. And the Sox won.
Worst part? That it isn’t done yet — I want to see it leave pretty quickly.
Describe your fantasy New Year’s Eve. You experience New Year’s Eve in one part of the world, then fly to another part of the world to experience the same thing in a different time zone.
What are your New Year’s resolutions? Tighten up [my] budget, [my] financial goals. Saving more money, paying off [my] bills, looking for new things to invest in.
What’s the New Year’s resolution you make over and over but never keep? I try to keep mine. I don’t think there’s one that I make and never follow through on.

Liz Vancheri
Age: 23
Occupation: CSN Stores, an online e-commerce company
Lives in: the North End
What are your New Year’s plans this year? As of right now, I don’t really know, but a few of my friends and I were talking about going to this restaurant in the North End called Tresca.
Do you have a New Year’s kiss lined up? I do not — I just broke up with my boyfriend.
Describe your worst New Year’s Eve experience. Last year, maybe. It wasn’t really bad — just boring. I went to visit my boyfriend in college and was in a dorm room.
Best New Year’s Eve? Probably being underage and sneaking into clubs.
What was the best part of 2007? Moving to the city.
Worst part? Working from nine to six.
Describe your fantasy New Year’s Eve. A tropical destination — that would be fun. With all my friends.
Craziest New Year’s bash you’ve ever attended? I would say all of them are really crazy, because you don’t remember them.
What are your New Year’s resolutions? Just try to save money.

Kristina Lueck
Age: 19
Occupation: au pair
Lives in: Framingham
What are your New Year’s plans this year? I want to stay in Boston, but I don’t know yet. Last year, I spent New Year’s Eve with my family.
Do you have a New Year’s kiss lined up? No.
Describe your worst New Year’s Eve experience. Too many old people and too [much] bad music.
Best New Year’s Eve? Together with my friends.
What was the best part of 2007? Coming to the United States.
Worst part? My summer vacation. It was a very weird hotel, weird food — was not good.
Describe your fantasy New Year’s Eve. Be at the top of a very high building and see the fireworks and everything unfold underneath.
What are your New Year’s resolutions? Have a good year here.
What’s the New Year’s resolution you make over and over but never keep? Eat healthier things.

Mook Poontastarn
Age: 22
Occupation: Boston College graduate student
Lives in: Brighton
What are your New Year’s plans this year? Bahamas with my friends.
Do you have a New Year’s kiss lined up? No.
Describe your worst New Year’s Eve experience. Last year, I went to Las Vegas, and it was my worst experience — I don’t like Las Vegas.
Best New Year’s Eve? I never had one, actually, because I always stayed home and relaxed. Hopefully this year.
What was the best part of 2007? My life has been changing. I graduated from college and moved to Boston — I like it a lot. And I broke up with my boyfriend — it’s great.
Worst part? I don’t see any bad parts of this year.
Describe your fantasy New Year’s Eve. I want to go home to Thailand to surprise my parents.
What are your New Year’s resolutions? I want to get a real job.

Matt Bucklin
Age: 34
Occupation: restaurant manager
Lives in: Back Bay
What are your New Year’s plans this year? To work.
Do you have a New Year’s kiss lined up? Yeah, I do, actually.
Describe your worst New Year’s Eve experience. Being a waiter in Savannah, Georgia.
Best New Year’s Eve? I don’t know — I’m always working. Y2K, I think, was the funnest one, because the world was going to end.
What was the best part of 2007? Getting this job, I suppose.
Worst part? My mother died.
Describe your fantasy New Year’s Eve. Not having to work, and having no lines.
Craziest New Year’s bash you’ve ever attended? Years ago, when I was in college, I was an emcee in a strip club, and that got pretty crazy.
What are your New Year’s resolutions? Stay healthy, I guess. My last year’s resolution was to quit smoking, so I did that.
What’s the New Year’s resolution you make over and over but never keep? To actually exer-cise. I really only run when I’m chased, and that’s, like, never.

Luciano Pio
Age: 27
Occupation: mover
Lives in: Allston
What are your New Year’s plans this year? I’ll be honest with you: lay low, definitely not too raucous.
Do you have a New Year’s kiss lined up? No, no I don’t. I’m a single dad, so ...
Describe your worst New Year’s Eve experience. I had a huge break-up right before, so I would say that’s pretty bad.
Best New Year’s Eve? I went to New York, and I saw this band called the New Deal at B.B. King’s in Times Square.
What was the best part of 2007? My daughter was born.
Worst part? A break-up.
Describe your fantasy New Year’s Eve. I’d probably go back home to Brazil, Rio.
What are your New Year’s resolutions? My New Year’s resolution would probably be to save money this year.
What’s the New Year’s resolution you make over and over but never keep? Good diet.

Cameron Montgomery
Age: 18
Occupation: baker
Lives in: Atlanta, Georgia
What are your New Year’s plans this year? Partying. Last year, I went to sleep.
Do you have a New Year’s kiss lined up? Yes — I have a couple.
Describe your worst New Year’s Eve experience. Last year, when I was sick. I fell asleep, and my brother and all my friends left me at home, so I was all alone.
Best New Year’s Eve? Probably when I was in New York the year before last.
What was the best part of 2007? My birthday.
Worst part? Yesterday — when I got here, the morning of my flight, someone had started a rumor about me, and it’s really shitty. And she’s one of my best friends.
What are your New Year’s resolutions? I want to lose seven pounds.
What’s the New Year’s resolution you make over and over but never keep? Lose seven pounds and get a job.

Alexandra Matteo
Age: 19
Occupation: Boston Conservatory student
Lives in: Back Bay/Fenway area
What are your New Year’s plans this year? I’m going back home. I’ll see my friends and hang out with my family.
Do you have a New Year’s kiss lined up? Not as of now.
Describe your worst New Year’s Eve experience. I don’t know that I have a worst-ever New Year’s Eve. I’m always having fun on New Year’s Eve.
Best New Year’s Eve? Last New Year’s Eve. My boyfriend, one of my best friends from home, her boyfriend, and my sister were all in town — and my parents were out of town. We went around to different stores trying to find the most unique games. We just played games and watched the ball drop. It was really fun and really chill, and it was with all my best friends.
Describe your fantasy New Year’s Eve. I would be in New York or Paris — one of the two. Something dressy, and go out to a nice cocktail party with all of my friends. At Elton John’s house. And end the night with a kiss from Matt Damon.

Dave Ladetto
Age: 22
Occupation: marketing
Lives in: Cambridge
What are your New Year’s plans this year? I’m going to go out in Boston, probably with my co-workers or my buddies. Probably be the same thing I do every weekend.
Do you have a New Year’s kiss lined up? I don’t know — quite possibly.
Best New Year’s Eve? My parents live in Texas, so I went down there. Texas New Year’s — crazier than here. I heard gunshots going off and stuff like that.
Describe your fantasy New Year’s Eve. It would be going in a couple black SUVs to New York City with a bunch of buddies. Having VIP [treatment] there.
Craziest New Year’s bash you’ve ever attended? At UMass. I went to a frat party with like 500 people.
What are your New Year’s resolutions? To stop smoking, to be more focused on my job, to move closer to the city, and to see my family more — all the typical things. Floss, that’s a big one.
What’s the New Year’s resolution you make over and over but never keep? To floss.

Melissa Meadows
Age: 23
Occupation: sales
Lives in: Lexington
What are your New Year’s plans this year? I’m actually going to a wedding. I’m going to buy my dress right now.
Do you have a New Year’s kiss lined up? Yup, my boyfriend. It’s his cousin’s wedding.
Describe your worst New Year’s Eve experience. I usually have good ones. I don’t think I have had a bad New Year’s, to be honest.
Best New Year’s Eve? Probably two years ago: it was at the Westin in Waltham. It was open bar, with all my girlfriends. We stayed there. I think it was the best because we didn’t have to worry about anything — we were just there.
What was the best part of 2007? I started dating my boyfriend.
Describe your fantasy New Year’s Eve. To be honest, probably Times Square — just to say I did it.
Craziest New Year’s bash you’ve ever attended? [In] 2000 — I was in high school. It was crazy.
What are your New Year’s resolutions? Stop swearing.
What’s the New Year’s resolution you make over and over but never keep? To quit smoking.

Lisa Woodbury
Age: 19
Occupation: student
Lives in: Roxbury
What are your New Year’s plans this year? Going to a party, going to New York — who knows? Something fun.
Do you have a New Year’s kiss lined up? Him [points to the guy next to her].
Describe your worst New Year’s Eve experience. When I didn’t have somebody to kiss on New Year’s.
What was the best part of 2007? I worked at Mantra, and we had a Halloween party — that was one of the better nights they had there.
Worst part? There hasn’t been that much snow; I like going snowboarding.
Describe your fantasy New Year’s Eve. I want to go somewhere warm, bunch of drinks, be with all my friends, go clubbing.
Craziest New Year’s bash you’ve ever attended? In Worcester.
What are your New Year’s resolutions? My New Year’s resolution is to get a steady job.
What’s the New Year’s resolution you make over and over but never keep? That I’m going to work out every day.

Bill Gile
Age: 20
Occupation: New England Tech student
Lives in: Warwick, Rhode Island
What are your New Year’s plans this year? Probably spending it with my girlfriend, going to a party or something.
Do you have a New Year’s kiss lined up? I think I have a kiss lined up; I’m pretty sure.
Describe your worst New Year’s Eve experience. My buddy Brian’s house — it was me and him and his family. Pretty boring.
Best New Year’s Eve? Probably the last one, whatever we did.
What was the best part of 2007? The Red Sox.
Worst part? The seasons changing, going from fall to winter.
Describe your fantasy New Year’s Eve. Be somewhere warm, somewhere nice, the South.
What are your New Year’s resolutions? Not to be so dependent on people.
What’s the New Year’s resolution you make over and over but never keep? I don’t really every make one — I’m usually pretty happy with the way I’m going.

Mike Janetakos
Age: 26
Occupation: HR recruiter
Lives in: Woburn
What are your New Year’s plans this year? Probably going to watch the ball drop in New York — annual tradition.
Do you have a New Year’s kiss lined up? Not yet.
Describe your worst New Year’s Eve experience. Probably having a few too many drinks, then going to the Frog Pond to skate with a few of my friends and basically falling on my ass numerous times.
What was the best part of 2007? Getting into shape. I’ve lost 90 pounds, and [I’m] just happy to fit into designer clothing again. Also, spending two weeks in Europe.
Describe your fantasy New Year’s Eve. I would probably be in Paris, standing at the top of the Eiffel Tower with my ideal partner, having that first kiss of the year.
Craziest New Year’s bash you’ve ever attended? At an old renovated firehouse in Malden where they have tons of vintage neon signs and a diner inside the house.
What are your New Year’s resolutions? My New Year’s resolution is to get beach-ready by June.

Rose McCarthy
Age: 28
Occupation: advertising copywriter
Lives in: Back Bay
What are your New Year’s plans this year? I’m being really lame — I’m actually spending New Year’s with my sister, her husband, and their two babies in California.
Do you have a New Year’s kiss lined up? Not yet, but I probably should by now. You’re motivating me.
Describe your worst New Year’s Eve experience. Last year I got really trashed and ended up bursting into tears at a party where I didn’t know anybody, because my boyfriend at the time lived in LA. I had just moved here.
Best New Year’s Eve? There was one year where my girlfriends and I did a big sleepover and spent the night in our pajamas, just watching movies and drinking wine and being girls.
Describe your fantasy New Year’s Eve. My fantasy New Year’s Eve is just spending New Year’s with my family and closest friends in an intimate setting.
What are your New Year’s resolutions? Try and work out at least three days a week. That’s been my resolution for, like, the last five years. @

Gifted: Find out what local notables are hoping to get - and give - for the holidays this year

Heather Bouzan — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 22:26:00 GMT

Greg Pic, DJ/producer
Last year I got: an incredible number of Starbucks gift cards! I’m seriously addicted to the iced mochas — can’t start my day without one.

This year I want: I hate to be a “band geek,” but since I spend more time in my studio than I do sleeping, I really want a new set of Mackie 824 studio monitors.

My fantasy gift: a summer on Spain’s island of Ibiza. Not just a week or two — the entire season! Seems to me it would be the only way to really experience it.

I’m buying myself: a trip to the March Winter Music Conference in Miami. If you’re into clubs, parties, and house music, this is a MUST!

My workplace needs: people who understand that I am not a morning person — never have been and never, ever will be! Just let me have my coffee and be miserable ’til lunchtime rolls around.

I’m planning to give: way more than I can afford, I’m sure; somehow I always end up doing that!

Aldo Velaj, chef/owner of Vlora (545 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.638.9699)
Last year I got: an Audi Q7.

This year I want: a ticket to Las Vegas.

My fantasy gift: having my mother come from Albania to my first restaurant in the US.

I’m buying myself: a new membership to the gym.

My workplace needs: a really cool sign that would reflect what it looks like inside.

I’m planning to give: a ticket for my wife to Las Vegas.

Crystal Carlton, director of public relations at Neiman Marcus (5 Copley Place, Boston, 617.536.3660)
Last year I got: a trip to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

This year I want: Stella McCartney gray patent side-zip boot.

My fantasy gift: Michael Kors three-quarter-length sheared mink coat with leather patch pockets.

I’m buying myself: Ippolita bangles.

My workplace needs: less paperwork!

I’m planning to give: Fresh’s Sugar Star Treatment.

Brandon Keith, owner/head stylist of BrandonKeithHair (161 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.536.9843)
Last year I got: clothes, a pasta maker, a few DVDs, and a book or two! And a little bit of money!

This year I want: an iPod Nano, a healthy family, and maybe a little money.

My fantasy gift: an iPhone.

I’m buying myself: nothing! It’s the first year of business!

My workplace needs: tons and tons of happy clients.

I’m planning to give: lots and lots of hugs and kisses and holiday cheer! And maybe a few presents if I can afford it!

Kyla Moore, event and marketing manager at Saint (90 Exeter Street, Boston, 617.236.1134) and Domani (51 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 617.424.8500)
Last year I got: a gorgeous black pea coat with a removable mink collar.

This year I want: to watch my little nephew open his presents. Priceless!

My fantasy gift: a round-trip ticket around the world.

I’m buying myself: a trip to Costa Rica to relax after event season.

My workplace needs: a longer December to accommodate more holiday parties.

I’m planning to give: I should have that figured out by the 24th.

Ernie Boch Jr., president and CEO of Boch Enterprises
Last year I got: my wife bought me a copy of Eric Clapton’s Blackie guitar.

This year I want: underwear.

My fantasy gift: a Boeing Business Jet.

I’m buying myself: a new pedal board.

My workplace needs: a new office building. It will be completed fall of ’08.

I’m planning to give: lots of stuff to my friends and family.

Nancy Haas, store manager, Shreve, Crump & Low (Mall at Chestnut Hill, 199 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill, 617.965.2700)
Last year I got: diamond swirl earrings.

This year I want: a trip to Saint Barths.

My fantasy gift: Bentley convertible.

I’m buying myself: donations to charity.

My workplace needs: a great holiday season.

I’m planning to give: gift certificates to Capital Grille, one-hour massages, and the original Shreve, Crump & Low Gurgling Cod pitchers.

Frances Rivera, News Anchor, 7NEWS/CW56
Last year I got: yet ANOTHER Juicy Couture track suit (it’s my family’s good ol’ standby when they don’t know what else to get me!).

This year I want: as many holidays off as possible.

My fantasy gift: a personal assistant.

I’m buying myself: a gym membership (I tell myself this every year but have yet to do it!).

My workplace needs: parking in the building.

I’m planning to give: more compliments to people all year round.

Stephanie Sokolove, chef/owner of Stephanie’s on Newbury (190 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.236.0990)
Last year I got: a convertible.

This year I want: a diamond watch.

My fantasy gift: to play golf with Lorena Ochoa.

I’m buying myself: a luxury week in Mexico.

My workplace needs: to continue to be successful.

I’m planning to give: a bigger bonus to my managers.

Dante de Magistris, chef/owner of Dante (40 Edwin H. Land Boulevard, Cambridge, 617.497.4200)
Last year I got: my brothers gave me an extra day off.

This year I want: Ratatouille on DVD; a personal assistant; and for my friends, family, and guests to always eat well.

My fantasy gift: to receive or give?

I’m buying myself: a firehouse/restaurant in Belmont for my brothers and me.

My workplace needs: a glass-wall partition in one of our dining rooms to host more private events, there’s always room for kitchen updates, and a retractable awning and heaters for the patio.

I’m planning to give: more time to my family outside the restaurant.

Mohamad El Zein, general manager of Masa (439 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.338.8884)
Last year I got: an LCD screen and some clothes.

This year I want: a new laptop.

My fantasy gift: a plane ticket to an exotic destination.

I’m buying myself: clothes.

My workplace needs: always more improvement.

I’m planning to give: money and charity to the poor and hungry.

James Cochener, co-owner of Coda Bar and Kitchen (329 Columbus Avenue, Boston, 617.536.CODA) and Common Ground Bar & Grill (85 Harvard Avenue, Allston, 617.783.2071)
Last year I got: a pair of Persol sunglasses.

This year I want: socks and underwear.

My fantasy gift: a 24-foot Boston Whaler.

I’m buying myself: two weeks on the beach in the Caribbean.

My workplace needs: less stress.

I’m planning to give: my wife a piece of custom-made jewelry by Emily Scott.

Kevin Troy, owner of Dharma Group (Gypsy Bar, Liquor Store, Match, Jillian’s, Tequila Rain, Lucky Strike Lanes)
Last year I got: a coloring book.

This year I want: crayons.

My fantasy gift: dinner with Steve-O and the president of Mensa.

I’m buying myself: the new edition of An Idiot’s Guide to Running a Nightclub.

My workplace needs: an abacus for accounting.

I’m planning to give: my body to science.

Me Soon Ellis, makeup artist/store manager at Beauty and Main (30 Brattle Street, Cambridge, 617.868.7171)
Last year I got: I can’t remember. I must not have been a very good girl.

This year I want: world peace ... and two tickets to somewhere warm and on the water for me and my man. (I think I wished for a pair of these gorgeous YSL shoes over world peace last year, thus the unmemorable presents.)

My fantasy gift: a house somewhere warm and on the water for me and my man ... and the cat and the dog, too.

I’m buying myself: I couldn’t help it, I already treated myself to a couple of the holiday gift sets and palettes from Laura Mercier. God knows I already have more than enough makeup, but I did pick up some for my mom and sister too!

My workplace needs: Christmas decorations! We’re all pitching in and decorating.

I’m planning to give: I can’t tell you that. It would ruin the surprise! @

[Photos by Mitch Weiss]

Better to receive: Having trouble forgetting the worst gifts you've ever been given? Purge your memory with these cooler alternatives

Heather Bouzan — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 17:05:00 GMT

Worst gift: Rocking the reindeer sweater won’t win you any style points. And if Rudolph’s nose blinks, all the worse.

BETTER ALTERNATIVE: SNUGGLE UP IN THE PRINGLE CABLE-KNIT SWEATER ($175) FROM INTERMIX (186 NEWBURY STREET, BOSTON, 617.236.5172). IT’S SIMPLE, COMFORTABLE, AND REASONABLY PRICED — I.E., IDEAL FOR OUR STILL-DEVELOPING WINTER WARDROBE.

Worst gift: Air fresheners, license plate frames, floor mats — you know the drill. It’s as if people think that getting you tacky car ornaments is nearly as good as pulling up in that new car you’ve been yearning for.

BETTER ALTERNATIVE: IF THE LEATHER-AND-STEEL DETAILS OF THE P’3150 BALLPOINT PEN ($350) EVOKE AN AUTOMOBILE MUCH SLEEKER THAN YOURS, THEN PORSCHE DESIGN STUDIO (COPLEY PLACE, 100 HUNTINGTON AVENUE, BOSTON, 617.424.1400) HAS DONE ITS JOB. WE’VE NEVER BEEN BIG ON PRICEY WRITING UTENSILS, BUT THIS ONE? UNABASHEDLY SEXY.

Worst gift: Who’s really wearing that horrendous themed tie emblazoned with cartoon characters or animated music notes? It’s a go-to gift that we’ve never understood.

BETTER ALTERNATIVE: WE SWOON OVER THE FASHION-FORWARD BRITISH STYLE OF THE REBEL KNIT TIE ($95) FROM REISS (132 NEWBURY STREET, BOSTON, 617.262.5800). ITS TEXTURE LENDS JUST ENOUGH DETAIL TO MAKE IT INTERESTING WITHOUT GOING OVERBOARD.

Worst gift: Picture poor Ralphie from A Christmas Story schlepping down the stairs in those tragic snowman pajamas. Whether your own PJs were covered in cows, dogs, or pigs, we’re willing to bet that you feel his pain.

BETTER ALTERNATIVE: WHEN IT COMES TO PAJAMAS, THE LESS FABRIC, THE BETTER. WE CAN SEE OURSELVES SLIPPING INTO THE EBERJEY CHEMISE ($70) FROM FRENCH DRESSING (49 RIVER STREET, BOSTON, 617.723.4968) IN ANTICIPATION OF A LITTLE POST-HOLIDAY CELEBRATION.

Worst gift: There’s nothing worse than bringing a party hostess a cheap bottle of wine, especially when it’s presented in one of those chintzy printed bags.

BETTER ALTERNATIVE: TRY SOMETHING YOU WON’T BE TEMPTED TO GUZZLE MID-PARTY. WE LOVE THE CRYSTAL BOTTLE STOPPER BY CREATIVE GIFTS ($20), SOLD AT FIREFLY JEWELRY AND GIFTS (270 NEWBURY STREET, BOSTON, 866.834.7335). IT LOOKS LIKE A FLASHY COCKTAIL RING, BUT ITS PRICE IS COMPARABLE TO THAT OF A MID-RANGE BOTTLE OF WINE.

Worst gift: That homemade bead bracelet took, what, four minutes to string together? And it’s cute only if you’re under five years old.

BETTER ALTERNATIVE: GET A WARM, FUZZY FEELING FROM YOUR GIFT WITH THE PAGUS:AFRICA BEADED NECKLACE ($24) FROM AUNT SADIE’S (18 UNION PARK STREET, BOSTON, 617.357.7117). EACH ONE IS MADE BY (AND BENEFITS) SCHOOLCHILDREN IN GHANA.

Worst gift: A scarf-and-mittens set in plush cashmere is one thing, but it’s tough to feign appreciation for a lumpy handmade scarf that could’ve been knit by your eight-year-old cousin.

BETTER ALTERNATIVE: GO WITH A GOOD-NATURED PATTERNED PAIR OF KNIT-COVERED NOTEBOOKS, LIKE THE BUNDLE UP JOURNALS ($12) FROM ANTHROPOLOGIE (799 BOYLSTON STREET, BOSTON, 617.262.0545).

Worst gift: Ever received a stocking full of golf balls? And did you have a sneaking suspicion that they just might have been gently used?

BETTER ALTERNATIVE: SPLURGE ON THE GIALIODORO PELL GOLF BAG TAG ($135) FROM LOUIS BOSTON (234 BERKELEY STREET, BOSTON, 617.262.6100) FOR A TRUE GOLF-LOVER. SCULPTED FROM RICH LEATHER, THE TAG INCLUDES SNAPPED-IN BALLS, TEES, AND A DIVOT FIXER, ALL ORGANIZED AND EASY TO REACH.

Worst gift: You know what it is before you even open the box: the dreaded Yankee Candle smells more like an old lady’s drugstore-brand perfume than the “Cheerful Apples” or “Heartwarming Sunshine” that’s advertised on the label.

BETTER ALTERNATIVE: THE LE LABO CANDLE ($70) FROM BARNEYS NEW YORK (COPLEY PLACE, 100 HUNTINGTON AVENUE, BOSTON, 617.385.3300) BRINGS CHIC, MINIMALIST STYLE TO ANY URBAN ABODE. ITS UNOBTRUSIVE, CLEAN-SMELLING SCENT IS AN ADDED BONUS.

Worst gift: Besides its “eww” factor, the lucky rabbit’s foot is a plain bizarre gift. What are you trying to tell us with that?

Better alternative: The Marc by Marc Jacobs Spinning-Dice Necklace ($6) is a super-inexpensive way to snag a designer piece, and it’s sure to prove lucky next time you’re into an intense game of Yahtzee. Find it at Marc Jacobs (81 Newbury Street, 617.425.0404).

Worst gift: It was probably either a gas-station freebie or free-gift-with-purchase; either way, that cheesy mug isn’t getting anywhere near the Italian espresso that drips from your imported machine.

BETTER ALTERNATIVE: PICK UP A SET OF FIVE HANDMADE JAPANESE TEACUPS BY YIXING ($39.99) FROM TEAVANA (PRUDENTIAL CENTER, 800 BOYLSTON STREET, BOSTON, 617.262.8327). THEY’RE BOTH UNIQUE AND FUNCTIONAL.

Worst gift: There’s nothing more embarrassing than opening up a box of giant granny underpants, especially when you’re surrounded by expectant onlookers, including the new guy you just started dating and, coincidentally, Grandma herself.

BETTER ALTERNATIVE: IT’S STILL MILDLY EMBARRASSING TO TEAR THIS ONE OPEN IN FRONT OF YOUR DAD, BUT AT LEAST THE HANKY PANKY THONG ($18) HAS STYLE — AND IT’S FLATTERING ON ANY BODY. PICK ONE UP IN EVERY COLOR AT MATSU (259 NEWBURY STREET, BOSTON, 617.266.9707).

Worst gift: You’ve got to love that friend of your parents who still buys you stuffed animals. Too bad you graduated from elementary school decades ago.

BETTER ALTERNATIVE: THE IGE DESIGN PILLOW ($189) FROM BLISS HOME (121 NEWBURY STREET, BOSTON, 617.421.5544) IS COVERED IN BLACK CRUSHED VELVET THAT’S EMBOSSED WITH A CRACKED-GOLD PRINT OF A DEER. AND IT’S FAR LESS LIKELY TO BE RELEGATED TO THE SPACE BETWEEN YOUR BED AND THE WALL.

Worst gift: Just because they’re labeled with unpronounceable names doesn’t mean sickly sweet French bath products smell good.

BETTER ALTERNATIVE: NOT ONLY DOES THE DECOUPAGE PLATE ($90) LACK THE QUESTIONABLE AROMA, IT’S ALSO EXCLUSIVE TO HUDSON (312 SHAWMUT AVENUE, BOSTON, 617.292.0900). THE PLATE TURNS AN ANTIQUE FRENCH PHARMACEUTICAL LABEL INTO A DISPLAY PIECE. @

[Additional reporting by Melissa Cronin]
[Photos by Tim Gray for Furnald/Gray]

Socked in: Stocking-sized holiday treats for all kinds of people

Heather Bouzan — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 16:10:00 GMT

WHENEVER WE’RE desperately seeking inspired gifts for those random people on our holiday shopping lists, we inevitably settle on the themed stocking — with unanimously positive results. Want to do the same? We’ve put together six stockings for the personality types you’re sure to find on your list. And if you’re tempted to pick up a few of these items for yourself, your secret’s safe with us — and Santa.

preppy girl
lives: on Beacon Hill
shops: at Queen Bee
wears: pink and green
eats: at Stephanie’s on Newbury
drinks: Cape Codders

CK Bradley Change Purse, $58 at Queen Bee (85 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.859.7999). Vera Bradley Stationery, $13.95 at Copley Flair (583 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.247.1648). Ame & Lulu Tee Belt, $26, and initial ornament, $16, both at Flat of the Hill (60 Charles Street, Bos-ton, 617.619.9977). Shearling Mocs in Wild Berry, $59.50 at J. Crew (Copley Place, 100 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 617.236.5950).

party girl
lives: in Back Bay
shops: at Intermix
wears: slinky tops, sky-high heels
eats: at 28 Degrees
drinks: Red Bull and vodka

Benefit “Justine Case” Mini Beautifier Kit, $30 at Macy’s (450 Washington Street, Boston, 617.357.3000). Party Girl Ice Pack, $15 at Queen Bee (85 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.859.7999). Giant cocktail shaker, $32 at Motley Home (652 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.266.5566). Flask, $26, and Hangover Survival Kit, $14, both at Urban Outfitters (11 JFK Street, Cambridge, 617.864.0070). Again NYC Clutch made with vintage fabrics, $172 at Envi (164 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.267.ENVI).

eco chick
lives: in Cambridge
shops: at Envi
wears: rehabbed vintage
eats: at the Beehive
drinks: organic vodka

Christy Fisher Studio recycled-glass earrings, $28 at Envi (164 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.267.ENVI). Rescued paper notebook, $16, and Envirosax reusable shopping bags, $7, both at Greenward (1776 Mass Ave, Cambridge, 617.395.1338). ‘e ko logic recycled cashmere mittens, $78 at Fiddlehead (292 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.247.1120). Josh Dorfman’s The Lazy Environmentalist (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2007), $14.95 at Motley (623 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.247.6969).

hipster guy
lives: in Allston
shops: at LAB Boston
wears: skinny jeans, thick glasses, tattoos
eats: at Alchemist Lounge
drinks: PBR

Cool Jazz Ice Cube Tray by Fred, $7.99 at Newbury Comics (332 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.236.4930). Rotorcaps necklace made with recycled bottle cap, $52 at Greenward (1776 Mass Ave, Cambridge, 617.395.1338). Colab Afrika/Islam Sunglasses by Perks and Mini, $180 at Technical (230 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.262.0003). Painless Tattoo Parlour Body Art, $9 at Motley (623 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.247.6969). Snooze City designer pillowcases, $25/pair at Motley Home (652 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.266.5566).

outdoorsman
lives: in Brookline
shops: at REI
wears: hiking boots, 24/7
eats: at Henrietta’s Table
drinks: Vitamin Water

Cabin Scented Candle, $15 at Aunt Sadie’s (18 Union Park Street, Boston, 617.357.7117). Sigg water bottle, $19.99 at EMS (855 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.236.1518). Facial Fuel Energiz-ing Scrub, $15, Energizing Face Wash, $17.50, and SPF 15 Sunscreen, $24.50, all at Kiehl’s (112 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.247.1777). Light My Fire Spork 4 Pack, $9.95, and Back-packer’s Pantry freeze-dried cuisine, $2.60 to $5.90, both at REI (401 Park Drive, Boston, 617.236.0746).

metro guy
lives: in the South End
shops: at Riccardi
wears: Pricey graphic Ts,
designer jeans, Prada shoes
eats: at Stella
drinks: Peroni

Motherboard Coasters, $24 at Fiddlehead (292 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.247.1120). Ping Pong Paddle Cover, $65 at Jack Spade (117 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.262.2632). Watch, $200 at Marc by Marc Jacobs (81 Newbury Street, 617.425.0404). Rolf Pilsner, $12 at Motley Home (652 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.266.5566). The Refinery Face Scrub, $34; Body Wash, $30; Eye Gel, $47; and Shave Oil, $39.50, all at Barneys New York (Copley Place, 100 Hunt-ington Avenue, Boston, 617.385.3300). @