Boston's roads are so convoluted that they are commonly (but erroneously) said to follow 19th century cowpaths. The first quintessentially Boston experience most newcomers endure is getting lost. Bostonist's advice to incoming students, partners and spouses of incoming students, itinerant bankers, post-docs, junior faculty, and whoever else might suddenly find themselves calling Boston home: Get a map.

The Motion Affair Planner (MAP) Boston, created and published by local entrepreneur Morgan First, is a good choice. It includes large, easy-to-read maps of every neighborhood in Boston (and Cambridge, Somerville, and Brookline) complete with color-coded bus lines and T-station locations. There's an easy to reference map of the T's subway and commuter rail systems, and list of "Key Information" that includes emergency phone numbers and the location and hours of operation of late night snack shacks.

But the real meat of MAP Boston is the calendar planner. Arranged by both month and week, the planner has ample space for recording appointments, and lets you know, at a glance, which significant dates are coming up, no matter how local or marginal their importance (John Hancock's birthday, for example). MAP Boston does traditional planners one better by suggesting activities to fill the blank spaces in your week. There are restaurant reviews, suggestions for spa treatments, and tips for finding a great hat. Some months have season-specific recommendations: October has a sidebar that helps your Halloween shopping.

The suggested shops and victuallers were selected with a careful eye and a refined taste, and, since they are arranged by month rather than by neighborhood or category of goods, using the planner is like getting a clutch of spontaneous recommendations every week from a friend who has lived in Boston and lived here well.

The other map worth a look is the Not for Tourists Guide to Boston. A pocket-sized, well-indexed map book, the NFT won't offer you the same caliber of restaurant and shopping recommendations, but it is definitely the superior reference if you find yourself stuck in Roxbury and just want to get to the nearest CVS. Its extensive sections on parks and sports offer a rare overview of Boston's recreational activities, a convolution that rivals even the streets of Downtown.