Best of 2005: Capsuling Some of the Rest

Best Beer Selection Sunset Grill ‘ Tap

Not to be confused with Commonwealth Avenue’s Sunset Cantina and its bevy of margaritas, Sunset Grill ‘ Tap on Brighton Avenue offers a slew of ales, porters, stouts and lagers. If you’re willing to expand your palette, the Grill ‘ Tap offers more than 100 beers on tap and 450 bottled from across the country and world. Miss Strongbow Cider? Sunset’s got it. – Alex Harris

Best Vintage Store Proletariat

This eclectic Harvard Square store highlights both used and new products. Used items are similar to those of a thrift store, but are handpicked and higher priced. New items feature Proletariat T-shirts featuring politically loud screen prints. The items are exactly what a do-it-yourself designer would want when they’re thrifting. But for a pre-worn T-shirt, be ready to spend a pretty penny. – Lisa Hiton

Best Clothing Store H’M

Trendy and cheap, H’M is the best retail store for college students. With holiday sales ideal for purchasing accessories for friends and family, the place is often packed with students from all over Boston. Men’s clothes mostly fall into the metrosexual category, while the women’s half provides something for everyone (especially casual tops for under $10). The chaotic racks, blaring music, crowded dressing rooms and bargain prices truly emulate the college lifestyle. – Kate Shaughnessy

Best Live Music Venue Paradise Rock Club

Despite its plain exterior, Paradise Rock Club, which opened in 1978, is a musical jewel in the Boston rough. A venue that once offered a home to U2, Blondie, Elvis Costello, Dire Straits and Billy Joel, the club hosts local acts during NEMO and popular artists such as Liz Phair, Citizen Cope, Les Claypool and John Butler Trio. Its adjacent lounge also offers a free art gallery and reggae nights on Thursdays. – Alex Harris

Best Pastries Modern Pastry

Modern Pastry in the North End brings fresh Italian delicacies to Boston. The shop is a small hole in the wall with a warm feel, and attracts more locals than tourists. Desserts are fresh and delicious and include all of the Italian favorites: cannoli, lobsters, Florentines, etc. Modern Pastry proves to be the best consumer bang-for-the-buck because the desserts are incredibly scrumptious but not quite as pricey as competitors. – Lisa Hiton

Best Square Harvard Sqaure

It has the artsy feel of Somerville’s Davis Square with the pretension of Boston’s Copley Square. Harvard Square has something for everyone – Tealuxe and two Starbucks for the studious; Rocky Horror Picture Show for the night crawlers; shoe stores galore for the shopaholics and a variety of new and used bookstores for the avid reader. Oh yeah, it’s also home to the nation’s oldest university. – Alex Harris