Like the Athenaeum itself — easy to miss in a walk down Beacon Street — there are hidden treasures in every corner. In the trustees’ room, you can see most of George Washington’s book collection. Sculptures and paintings include busts from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello mansion. Plush red chairs populate the library, a harpsichord sits in the newspaper reading room, and the stacks extend 12 floors.
Students from nearby Suffolk University and others escape to the Athenaeum to avoid crowded libraries during finals. “This is silent, and that’s why I’m here,’’ said Brian Johnson, 30, a geography student at Indiana University who was writing his doctoral dissertation in the main reading room.
Besides the fee, two personal references are required for membership.
10 1/2 Beacon St., 617-227-0270, www.bostonathenaeum.org
BONNIE KAVOUSSI
Dinner with a side of jazz
Music is good for the soul. So is fresh air. Why not combine them in a short trip west of the city to take in the sounds and scents of the Acton Jazz Cafe. With a menu covering seafood to scrumptious desserts, the best approach is to try to match your dinner with the tunes.
If it’s an R&B band, go with the BLT rollup. For funk, order the spicy turkey chili. Classic big bands open up an array of options, best among them the vegetarian lasagna or chicken stir-fry. And when it’s jazz, that real good jazz, dig into some smooth chocolate mousse.
On Tuesday nights, high school and college-age bands swing the joint as part of “Next Generation AJC,’’ and there is a dance area. Check online to see the performance schedule, and if you’re a musician, bring your chops to the Thursday evening blues jam.
But perhaps the best parts of the cafe are the little things: the triangle-shaped sound insulation tessellating the ceiling, or the TV in the corner that seems tuned to an endless loop of “Planet Earth.’’ Deep down, you can already feel the rhythms.
452 Great Road, Acton, 978-263-6161, www.actonjazzcafe.com
NICK CUNKELMAN
Salsa in the squares
Bring your dancing shoes and head to Conga Tapas Bar in Harvard Square or the Havana Club in Central Square for a night of Latin dance. A restaurant by day, Conga clears its tables in the evening to make room for salsa, merengue, bachata — you name it. Come with friends or in pairs, but be prepared to swap dance partners all night. Don’t know how to salsa? Arrive an hour early for lessons. Dancers of all levels welcome. Full bar available.
Conga Tapas Bar, 1 Eliot St., Cambridge. Lessons at 9 p.m. Open salsa 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Saturday (cover charge $10)Havana Club, 288 Green St., Cambridge.Lessons at 9 p.m. Open salsa from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday and Saturday (cover charge $12)
JUNE Q. WU
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