Boston in the Fall

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museumis one of Boston's premiere art museums, housed within the 1903 home of prominent art collector Isabella Stewart Gardner. Throughout her life, Gardner accumulated a collection of more than 7,500 paintings, sculptures, and metal and decorative art pieces from around the world, dating back to ancient times. Today, visitors can view the collection on display within her living history home museum, including significant works by artists such as Michelangelo, Botticelli, Rembrandt, and Claude Manet, along with the first work by Henri Matisse to be entered into a public American collection. More than 7,000 letters and archival items are also showcased, including pieces by T.S. Elliot and Sarah Bernhardt, along with horticultural and sculpture displays outside on the home's interior courtyard. Annual special events include a classic and jazz concert series and a Landscape Visions lecture series.

25 Evans Way, Boston, MA 02115, Phone: 617-566-1401

Trade is a charming restaurant in Boston's Waterfront district, owned and operated by James Beard Award-winning chef Jody Adams and restaurateurs Sean Griffing and Eric Papachristos. The restaurant, which opened to the public in 2011, is a great choice for after-work dining and cocktails, serving up globally-inspired small plates alongside excellent craft drinks. Diners can enjoy waterfront views from floor-to-ceiling windows in a dining space showcasing lovely accents like high-top tables, artistic lighting, and a spacious marble bar. Gourmet flatbreads are prepared right in front of diners, topped with prime ingredients like like hickory-smoked pepperoni, maitake mushrooms, white figs, and garlic yogurt. Classic cocktails like Moscow mules pair with an excellent selection of draft beers and wines by the glass or by the bottle.

Trade, 540 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02210, Phone: 617-451-1234

Saltie Girl is a delicious new offering from executive chef Kyle McClelland and the MET Restaurant Group, opened in 2016. The restaurant focuses on seafood classics from around the world, ranging from classic New England fare to new takes on Spanish, Italian, and Japanese cuisine favorites. Diners can share massive seafood towers stocked with items like littleneck oysters, Siberian caviar, and tuna poke or split creative small plates like spicy king crab rolls or charred octopus empanadas. Unique toasts draw from global influences, ranging from boquerones-style toasts with fire-roasted tomatoes to foie gras terrine with pickled plums and raspberry jam. New York-style smoked fish platters are also served, along with fried platters of Ipswich clams or Gloucester lobster.

Saltie Girl, 281 Dartmouth St, Boston, MA 02116, Phone: 617-267-0691

Aquitaine is an award-winning Parisian restaurant on Boston's South End, opened in 1997 by executive chef Seth Woods. The charming French bistro offers seating overlooking beautiful historic Tremont Street, creating a sophisticated Parisian-style atmosphere for diners. French classics are served up throughout the day, including beloved entrees like escargots, steak frites, salmon rillette, and sole meunière. House specialties and plates du jour include unique takes like hay-smoked chicken roti with charred baby carrots and pea leaves, potato confit salmon with anise soubise and candied lemon, and pan-seared gnocchi Parisienne with gruyere Mornay and caramelized zucchini. Clever craft cocktails include The Getaway, which pairs rum and birch with maple ancho chile syrup, egg white, and chocolate bitters.

Aquitaine, 569 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02118, Phone: 617-424-8577

The Institute of Contemporary Art was originally established in 1936 as a sister museum to New York City's acclaimed Museum of Modern Art, though it quickly refocused direction and became a contemporary art museum in 1948. Today, it is located within Boston's Seaport District within a gorgeous award-winning space developed by architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Rotating exhibitions highlight top international contemporary artists working in a variety of media, ranging from visual art to film, video, and installation work. Throughout its lengthy tenure, the museum has highlighted the works of legendary luminaries such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Paul Gaugin, and Andy Warhol. The museum's Momentum exhibition series and biennial James and Audrey Foster Prize strive to provide a platform for emerging contemporary artists around the world. Live theatrical and dance performances are showcased throughout the year at the museum's 325-seat box-style theater.

The Institute of Contemporary Art, 25 Harbor Shore Dr, Boston, MA 02210, Phone: 617-478-3103