Maps & directions - Avenue Victor Hugo Book Shop - King Fung Garden - Lou Lou's Lost and Found - Rauxa - Somerville Theatre - Trident Booksellers and Cafe - Union Square Bistro

Most overrated neighborhood: While Harvard Square may appear to have a lot to offer on the surface, as the chains move in it's losing its charm. If your idea of a good time is strolling sidewalks blocked by folks gawking at Doug Henning look-alikes making balloon animals and women decked out in ratty old wedding gowns pretending they're mannequins, you're in the right place. Otherwise, steer clear and stick to less tourist-prone areas that offer far better restaurant selections.

Most underrated neighborhoods: Whatever you do, don't call it "Slumerville." The funky folks who can no longer afford the pricey rents in Cambridge are migrating to Somerville, and the amenities are not far behind. Union Square has become a hotbed of culinary culture with restaurants such as the Union Square Bistro (16 Bow St., 617-628-3344) and Rauxa (70 Union Square, 617-623-9939).

Also in Somerville, Davis Square is home to the beautifully refurbished Somerville Theatre (55 Davis Square, 617-625-5700). Built in 1914 for vaudeville, the theater had fallen victim to cineplex neglect by the '70s. Now the 900-seat main theater plays host to folk, rock, and world music acts weekend nights. The best part of the renovation is the four new movie theaters added to the back; the deliciously creepy owl motif that runs through them is straight out of a Tim Burton flick.

For years, Boston's Chinatown has been considered an ugly stepsister to Chinatowns in San Francisco and New York, but don't let the reputation fool you. Our Chinatown boasts restaurants galore (our favorite is the unsung King Fung Garden, 74 Kneeland St., 617-357-5262), those pagoda-like public phones, and tiny mom-and-pop stores selling unusual treats. By the way, the red-light district next door has shrunk to a few video and adult bookstores.

Best neighborhood to pig out and still feel saintly: Weekends in July and August, the North End plays host to the annual festival of the saints. Every week a Catholic saint is honored with a procession, followed by carnival games, bands, and hordes of street vendors selling everything from dashboard figurines to fried dough. The festivals kick off with the Feast of Madonna del Grazie tomorrow night. Don't bother driving; the tight streets of the North End are closed to cars for the festival. Take the T to Haymarket.

Best street to have a love/hate relationship with: Newbury, Boston's version of Fifth Avenue, is lined with stores and restaurants that vary between pompous and pretty hip. The street is also littered with enough chain stores to fill a mall (Gap, Pottery Barn, Tower Records). Rather than hustling for a seat outside at the Armani Cafe or Sonsie, grab lunch at the Trident Booksellers and Cafe (338 Newbury St., 617-267-8688). The bookstore-restaurant dates to the dark ages of Newbury Street (1984, to be exact), when the upper end was filled with offbeat, low-rent stores.

There are no true shopping bargains to be found on Newbury, but there are plenty of eccentric shops. Lou Lou's Lost and Found (121 Newbury St., 617-859-8593) is loaded with china and silverware from old hotels and cruise ships, along with steamer trunks and vintage cocktail glasses. This is the kind of stuff you'll see reproduced in next year's Pottery Barn catalog. Up the street is the Avenue Victor Hugo Book Shop (339 Newbury St., 617-266-7746), a tiny store loaded with all types of used books. But save time to leaf through the quarter-million old magazines, including 15,000 back copies of Life.