Say, for instance (like me), you missed out on eating at The Tasty Sandwich Shop in Harvard Square before it closed and a CVS took its place. To see it depicted in that indelible “Good Will Hunting” scene, then, is to more fully grasp the romantic, bohemian vibe that is still suffused through the neighborhood. Meanwhile, more contemporary entries into the Boston canon — like Elif Batuman’s 2017 novel “The Idiot” or the 2023 film “American Fiction” — help illuminate the diversity of Boston experiences for even the most seasoned townie.

“This is a way of just complicating your vision of a place and giving it those layers of history,” said Lee Stabert, host of the podcast “Explain Boston to Me” and a Philadelphia native. Particularly for a transplant like her, Boston-focused pop culture, she said, is a way to make her adopted city feel more like a hometown.

“The idea that you walk down the street and you know what business was there 10 years ago, you know what was there 20 years ago,” she said. “I don’t have that here, but I can give my world more texture by digesting this pop culture.”

With all that in mind, we put together a guide of Boston-focused pop culture artifacts to read, listen to, and watch as a sort of tour through the city’s zeitgeist, past and present. Some of the entries we chose because of their portrayal of Boston itself; others, because of what they say about the kind of city that would produce them.

We tried to stay away from the ol’ reliables you’ve surely encountered — nothing else from the Damon–Affleck cinematic universe, “Cheers” and its spinoffs, etc. — opting instead for a more under-the-radar selection, compiled from suggestions from Stabert, Globe colleagues, and dogged Googling. If we missed one of your favorites, be sure to let us know in the comments.

“Funny Ha Ha”: Though it was made more than two decades ago, this progenitor of the “mumblecore” genre still captures that offbeat flair that defines Allston. Watch as our hapless heroine weaves through a postgrad haze of late nights in friends’ apartments, awkward romances, and temp work.

“Fever Pitch”: In this 2005 flick, Jimmy Fallon plays a Boston Red Sox fanatic who has to balance his love of the team with his budding romance with a Sox-agnostic woman (played by Drew Barrymore). It’s over-the-top, to be sure, but it might help you brace for Boston sports fandom culture — and the sort of bedlam you’re sure to witness outside Fenway Park on game day.

“American Fiction”: The Oscar-winning film follows a Black author, played by Jeffrey Wright, who achieves career success only when he pens a novel laden with racial stereotypes. It’s a laugh-out-loud movie that explores the region — from West Roxbury to the South Shore — and also digs into the quintessentially New England intersection of race and literary prestige.

“Stronger”: Whereas the movie “Patriots Day” took a birds-eye view of the Boston Marathon bombings, “Stronger” zooms in on one victim: Jeff Bauman, who lost his legs in the blast. The 2017 film, which stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Bauman, gives an intimate look into the spirit of “Boston Strong” that followed the tragedy at the finish line.

“Spenser: For Hire”: One of the few Boston-set television shows that was actually filmed on location, this ABC drama (based on Robert B. Parker’s series of novels) followed the hardscrabble life of the title character, who works as a private eye. It’s a tour through the Boston of the ‘80s — snowy winters and all.

Dunkin’ SNL skit: It might be a mere 108 seconds long, but the faux Dunks commercial from “Saturday Night Live” starring Casey Affleck conveys just about everything you need to know about Bostonians’ favorite coffee brand — and the sort of people who might be ahead of you in line ordering a coffee regulah. (Be forewarned, the clip is not exactly safe for work.)

“The Friends of Eddie Coyle”: This novel by George V. Higgins (the basis for the 1973 feature film) is an unvarnished account of crime and the people caught up in it — the titular character is an arms trafficker trying to avoid hard time. It’s a classic primer into the sort of underworld narratives Boston produces time and time again (see: “The Departed”).

“Interpreter of Maladies”: This collection of stories by Jhumpa Lahiri won the Pulitzer Prize for its depictions of characters bridging Indian and American culture, particularly in the Boston area. Just consider the setting of the story “Sexy”: the Mapparium, a place where, Lahiri writes, “all the countries had seemed close enough to touch.”

“The Idiot”: Elif Batuman’s debut novel follows a Turkish American student making her way through freshman year at Harvard University. A Globe review called it “a cutting satire of academia,” which is a five-word summary of Boston if there ever were one.

“Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families”: This nonfiction book by J. Anthony Lukas, another Pulitzer winner, is often considered the defining account of the city’s busing crisis. The story of the saga is told through people caught up in the racial dynamics that fueled it — dynamics that remain divisive even a half-century later.

“Explain Boston to Me”: Stabert’s weekly podcast cuts out the middleman altogether, inviting guests to explain the stories behind Boston’s cultural guideposts. Episode topics range from the city’s dive bar scene to the region’s housing crisis to the phenomenon that is Allston Christmas.

“The Big Dig”: Debuted last year, this nine-part podcast series, produced by GBH News, provides a comprehensive history of the mega-project that rewired the city’s streetscapes. The next time you take the Ted Williams Tunnel to the airport or stroll through the Rose Kennedy Greenway on a lunch break, you’ll have some context for your commute.

“Hemenway” by Tiny Habits: To understand the sort of talent the area’s colleges and universities teem with, look no further than this tune by Tiny Habits, a trio with its roots at Berklee College of Music. Named after a street in the Fenway neighborhood, the silky-smooth harmonies artfully convey the pain of a college situationship gone sour.

“M.T.A.”: Ever wonder where the CharlieCard got its name? It’s from this 1959 ditty recorded by The Kingston Trio. The song concerns a commuter who, due to being short a nickel for exit fare, is destined to “ride forever ‘neath the streets of Boston.” (Hey, at least he didn’t have to deal with slow zones.)

“Twilight in Boston” by Jonathan Richman: Performed more like a spoken word poem than a song, “Twilight in Boston” is the Natick native singer-songwriter’s love letter to the city, which he maps from the Public Garden to Fenway to the Jamaicaway with sparse lyrics. (For extra credit, listen to “Roadrunner” or “New England” by The Modern Lovers, for which Richman was the frontman.)

“Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond: Love it or hate it, this 1969 hit is woven into Boston’s ba-ba-ba-seball history. Come for the tradition — it’s been crooned by the crowd at Fenway every game during the eighth inning since the early aughts — and stay for the melodic camaraderie: It’s so good, so good, so good.

Read more from the Globe’s No Stupid Questions series:

• Deciding where to live? Here’s your Greater Boston Neighborhood Vibe Check™.
• Taxes are a pain. Here’s how to make them a less expensive pain if you live in Massachusetts.
• A new driver’s guide to Boston traffic, from the Alewife Brook Parkway to the Zakim Bridge
• How to find a good mechanic, dentist, or dry-cleaner in the Boston area (Hint: it’s not just Google)
• Trying to find a therapist in Massachusetts? Here’s where to start.
• New to the Boston area? Here’s the best advice our readers have to share.

Dana Gerber can be reached at dana.gerber@globe.com. Follow her @danagerber6.