Hacin + Heard | Spring 2026
#teamhacin’s newest edition of Hacin + Heard is here, with some new team photos thanks to Silver and Salt Photo! We’re sharing a collection of our current favorite culture recommendations for spring, including restaurants, stores, exhibits and more in Boston and beyond.
The Maker Hotel
Founded by Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg (also co-founders of our favorite lifestyle line Fresh and former retail projects), the Maker Hotel is an intimate, 11-room boutique hotel in Hudson housed across three historic buildings, including a converted carriage house, that offers Michelin-winning hospitality and access to local craftspeople and artisans in the area. The rooms and amenities, which include an all-day café, lounge, restaurant, and gymnasium, feature highly curated interiors that are richly layered and intentionally eclectic, creating a complete and transportive experience. [Dylan Forester]
Art in Bloom at the MFA
Each year, the Museum of Fine Art in Boston celebrates spring by inviting New England garden clubs, professional designers, and volunteers to create incredibly impressive floral arrangements that relate to and complement nearby art works around the museum. It’s inspiring and engaging, and I try to plan a visit accordingly every year! This year’s exhibit is up from May 1st through 3rd! [Sophie Mailhot]
This spring, I’m hoping to check out The Museum of Printing in Haverhill on the North Shore of Massachusetts. Dedicated to preserving the history of printing, typography, and the graphic arts, the space has hundreds of antique printing presses and typesetting and bindery machines, and hosts workshops, open studios, and demonstrations on the art of printing! [Jennifer Clapp]
Hacin recently completed a round of interior renovations at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, also on the North Shore. Newly reopened after construction, you can check out a broad range of musical acts at this beautiful venue, from chamber music, jazz, pop, and folk. [project completed by Rob Clocker, Dorothy Deák, Emily Neumann, Crystal Hernandez, and Becky Pittore]
Abundance by Ezra Klein
This book looks at lack of progress in affordable housing, social/ tech projects and climate change in a similar manner to how William McDonough used fruit trees as a metaphor for how buildings should function as net exporters; from an empathic perspective, Ezra addresses issues with liberal governance that has led to housing shortages in blue states. A podcast further explores these topics, if you prefer listening! [Jeffrey Brown]
This Music May Contain Hope, Raye
Extremely popular in the zeitgeist right now, Raye’s second studio album is bold, rich, and so so good. Including collaborations with Hans Zimmer and Al Green, its definitely a joyful listening experience to highlight the return of spring weather! [Becky Pittore]
Trudon Candles
A storied brand since 1643 with beautiful stores across its origin city of Paris and select other locales (including Soho and Hollywood in the US), these shops sell candles that are formulated by world-class perfumiers, as well as other chic accessories- but are also available on Amazon if you’re looking for a quick delivery. [David Hacin]
Retro Warehouse is a woman-owned midcentury and vintage furniture showroom that opened in Newburyport this spring, offering a curated shopping experience of unique pieces and artwork. So far from what I’ve seen on social media, it looks absolutely filled with treasures but I haven’t visited quite yet – I’m afraid I’ll see too many things that I have to bring home with me. [Jennifer Clapp]
Urban Hearth is a globally inspired, locally sourced restaurant in Cambridge by Chef Erin Miller. She has been nominated as a James Beard Finalist and received a recommendation in the first Michelin Guide for Boston in 2025. With a seasonally rotating menu, everything is carefully curated with the most gorgeous ingredients. The hake crudo in hibiscus leche de tigre is a cannot miss! If you’re celebrating, the chef’s tasting menu is spectacular. [Jinah Oh]
XOXO Sushi Bar in Chestnut Hill is my new go-to date spot and winner of Best of Boston Best Restaurant, West in 2025. They specialize in edomae-style sushi and have a super energetic yet cozy vibe inside; I recommend bar seats to watch the chefs at work. They also have the best miso soup I’ve ever had and great cocktails – personal favorites are the lychee martini and black sesame espresso martini. [Srishti Goyal]
Faro Cafe, one of my favorite local coffeehouses, is located in the heart of Harvard Square and as a laptop-free cafe, is always full of people conversating, reading, and writing. It also has a lovely outdoor space when the weather starts to get nicer out! Faro offers live music, game nights, and art exhibits throughout the year and they are also neighbors to PJA, one of our previous workplace clients! [Kellyn Lanza]
Cicada is a cozy coffee shop by day and vibrant and moody restaurant by night, offering some of the yummiest Vietnamese food and beverages in Cambridge. My personal favorites are the vegan noodle salad and the sea saltshaker. It’s the perfect place to sit outside and read a book or catch up with friends over a lovely dinner. And next door to IDEO, another past client! [Kellyn Lanza]
Lil Sweet Treat
I feel like Swedish candy has completed saturated my social media…but I went here once, tried the tutti frutti ‘bub’ and am completely obsessed. They have a rotating selection of globally imported candies, and in my opinion, an excellent structure for labelling and describing all the options from texture to taste to origin. [Sophie Mailhot]
The Cormorant
I’ve been loving lunches at this gem in Newburyport, a friendly neighborhood burger joint next to the Merrimack River. They have a great brunch and classic comfort foods with a twist, like a cauliflower po’boy and elotes burger. Plus the cheerful teal exterior and fun branding are sure to brighten your day when you visit! [Jennifer Clapp]
By Design
This movie was recently screened at the MFA and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2025. Design-related and performance art-esque, it’s an artsy (and a little bizarre) film with a great cast. While the release is limited, if you have the opportunity to view it, I’d recommend it, especially if you’re in the design industry! [Dorothy Deák]
Something Very Bad is Going to Happen is a new 8-part miniseries on Netflix that successfully sustains a feeling of dread the whole way through. Created by Haley Z. Boston, it’s a true slow burn for fans of psychological horror, but beware- it is a bit visually disturbing! [Sophie Mailhot]