What better way to kick off the new year than to explore some new places and activities in the Greater Boston Area. Here are four ideas to get you started:

 • Visit L.A. Burdick

Tired of the traditional coffee and baked goods shop? Visit L.A. Burdick, located in both the Cambridge and Boston areas. Larry Burdick opened the chocolate shop in the late 1970s after traveling to Paris and Switzerland, and strived to open a chocolate shop and tearoom with fine cuisine.

Today, the shop has flourished and expanded to having a worldwide mail order business, and locations in Boston, Cambridge, New York and New Hampshire. With their success, the Burdick family gives back with Southwestern Community Services to families and children living in or transitioning out of shelters.

Walking into L.A. Burdick brings a customer into a whole new atmosphere. Strongly influenced by European decorations and ingredients, the chocolate shop sells a variety of bon bons, cakes, hot beverages and confections that are all handmade. Be sure to try the drinking chocolate and signature Chocolate Mice and Penguins while visiting. Burdick Chocolate.com.

• Try a Class at Esh Circus Arts

Esh Circus Arts, in Somerville, is the ultimate new exercise to try in 2016. The studio offers a variety of classes from aerials to ground acrobatics. For those that are less comfortable with the idea of taking circus art classes, the studio also offers a Taster Class that goes through the basics and provides newcomers with a smaller idea of activities that can be accomplished during the everyday classes. EshCircusArts.com

• Visit Trident Café

Visit the Trident Café, on Newbury Street, for a fun and unique experience. The café has been open since 1984 in the Back Bay area, and is owned by Bernie and Gail Flynn. The couple opened the store with both a café and bookstore. Today, Trident Café is a two-story business that offers breakfast all day so that customers can eat and drink coffee with a book or magazine in hand.

Menu items include cool recipes such as the Apple Brie Omelet, French Onion Soup, and a Beet and Arugula Salad. Both the bookstore and café sections of the store are open from 8 a.m. to midnight everyday. TridentBooksCafe.com

• Go to the Drybar

Visit the Drybar this new year as a pampering day for your hair. Drybar is a blow dry bar that pampers customer’s hair with glamorous blowouts for only $40. With two locations, Back Bay and Chesnut Hill, the Drybar offers a variety of blowouts that makes all hair types look straight out of a salon. Along with the blowout options, the company offers add-ons such as a 10-minute scalp massage or reparative hair mask all at an extra cost. TheDryBar.com