Boston Info
Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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 Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 1:12 am Post subject: SHOPPING IN BOSTON / BOSTON SHOPPING GUIDE |
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SHOPPING IN BOSTON
Surveys of visitors to Boston consistently show that shopping is the most popular activity, beating museum-going by a comfortable margin. Boston area shopping represents a tempting blend of classic and contemporary. Boston and Cambridge boast tiny boutiques and sprawling malls, esoteric bookshops and national chain stores, classy galleries and snazzy secondhand-clothing outlets.
The Shopping Scene
One of the best features of shopping in Massachusetts is that there's no sales tax on clothing priced below $175 or on food items. All other items are taxed at 5% (as are restaurant meals and takeout food). Just about every store will ship your purchases home for a fee, but if the store is part of a chain that operates in your home state (if you are residing in the US), you'll probably have to pay that sales tax. Be sure to ask.
In the major shopping areas, stores usually open at 10am and close at 6 or 7pm Monday through Saturday. On Sunday, most open at 11am or noon and close at 5 or 6pm, but some don't open at all. Closing time may be later on 1 night a week, usually Wednesday or Thursday. Malls keep their own hours, and some smaller shops open later. Days and hours can vary in winter. If a store sounds too good to pass up, call to make sure it's open before heading out.
Shopping Areas
The area's premier shopping district is Boston's Back Bay, where dozens of classy galleries, shops, and boutiques make Newbury Street a world-famous destination. Nearby, the Shops at Prudential Center and Copley Place (linked by an enclosed walkway across Huntington Ave.) bookend a giant retail complex that includes the posh department stores Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor, and Saks Fifth Avenue. The adjacent South End, though less commercially dense, boasts a number of art galleries and quirky shops.
Another popular destination is Faneuil Hall Marketplace. The shops, boutiques, and pushcarts at Boston's busiest attraction sell everything from cosmetics to costume jewelry, sweaters to souvenirs.
If the hubbub at Faneuil Hall and in the Back Bay overwhelms you, stroll over to Beacon Hill. Picturesque Charles Street, at the foot of the hill, is a short but commercially dense street noted for its excellent gift shops and antiques dealers.
One of Boston's oldest shopping areas is Downtown Crossing, a traffic-free pedestrian mall along Washington, Winter, and Summer streets near Boston Common. Here you'll find two major department stores (Filene's and Macy's), tons of smaller clothing and shoe stores, Swedish fashion phenomenon H&M, food and merchandise pushcarts, outlets of two major bookstore chains (Barnes & Noble and Borders), and the original Filene's Basement.
Harvard Square in Cambridge, with its bookstores, boutiques, and T-shirt shops, is about 15 minutes from downtown Boston by subway. Despite the neighbourhood association's efforts, chain stores have swept over "the Square." You'll find a mix of national and regional outlets, and more than a few persistent independent retailers.
For a less generic experience, stroll from Harvard Square along shop-lined Mass. Ave. toward Porter Square to the north or Central Square to the southeast. Another neighbourhood with a well-deserved reputation for shopping variety is Brookline's Coolidge Corner, which is worth a trip (on the Green Line C train).
Markets
Massachusetts farmers and growers under the auspices of the state Department of Food and Agriculture (tel. 617/227-3018) dispatch trucks filled with whatever's in season to the heart of the city from July through November. Depending on the time of year, you'll have your pick of berries, herbs, tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, apples, corn, and more, all fresh and reasonably priced. In Boston, stop by City Hall Plaza on Monday or Wednesday (T: Green or Blue Line to Government Center) or Copley Square on Tuesday or Friday (T: Green Line to Copley or Orange Line to Back Bay). In Cambridge, head to Parking Lot 5, a block from Mass. Ave., in Central Square on Monday (T: Red Line to Central).
Items worth looking into
Antiques & Collectibles
No antiques hound worthy of the name will leave Boston without an expedition along both sides of Charles Street, with a detour to River Street (parallel to Charles, 1 block closer to the river).
Art
The greatest concentration of galleries lines Newbury Street, at street level and above; budget some time for exploring. Browsers and questions are welcome. Most galleries are open Tuesday through Saturday or Sunday from 10 or 11am to 5:30 or 6pm. Exhibitions typically change once a month. For specifics, visit individual websites or pick up a copy of the free monthly Gallery Guide, available at galleries and many businesses along Newbury Street.
The up-and-coming SoWa district -- short for "south of Washington Street" -- centres on Bernard Toale Gallery . The Back Bay and South End don't have a monopoly, either; real estate prices being what they are, artists tend to crop up in even the unlikeliest-looking areas.
An excellent way to see artists at work is to visit during neighbourhood open studio days. Artists' communities throughout the Boston area stage the weekend events once or twice a year. You might be asked for a contribution to a charity in exchange for a map of the studios. Check listings in the Globe and Herald or visit www.cityofboston.gov/arts for information.
Flying Lobsters
Why go to the trouble of sending a postcard? Send a lobster instead. James Hook & Co., 15 Northern Ave. at Atlantic Avenue (tel. 617/423-5500), and Legal Sea Foods Fresh by Mail, Logan Airport Terminal B and C (tel. 800/343-5804, 617/568-2811, or 617/568-2800; www.sendlegal.com), do overnight shipping.
Books
The Boston area is a book-lover's paradise. It's an important stop on most author tours; check the local papers or stop by any store that sells new books for details on readings and book-signings.
College Merchandise
The big names are BU and Harvard (you'll see Boston College merchandise downtown, too), but why stop there? Look like an insider with a T-shirt from the Emerson College Book Store, 80 Boylston St. (tel. 617/728-7700); the MIT Coop, 3 Cambridge Center (tel. 617/499-3200); the Northeastern University Bookstore, 360 Huntington Ave. (tel. 617/373-2286); or the Suffolk University Bookstore, 148 Cambridge St., Beacon Hill (tel. 617/227-4085).
Fashion
The Back Bay is New England's top destination for high-end boutiques and if-you-have-to-ask-you-can't-afford-it designer shops. Newbury Street in particular is a retail fantasyland. Bring your platinum card to Chanel, 15 Arlington St., in the Ritz-Carlton, Boston (tel. 617/859-0055); Ermenegildo Zegna, 39 Newbury St. (tel. 617/424-6657); Gianni Versace, 12 Newbury St. (tel. 617/536-8300); Hermès of Paris, 22 Arlington St. (tel. 617/482-8707); kate spade, 117 Newbury St. (tel. 617/262-2632); and La Perla, 250 Boylston St. (tel. 617/423-5709).
Food & Candy
At press time, the legendary Penzeys (tel. 800/741-7787; www.penzeys.com) chain was poised to venture into the Boston area. The Wisconsin-based purveyor of spices, herbs, flavourings, and spice rubs was gearing up to open at 1293 Mass. Ave. Arlington. To get there, take the Red Line to Harvard or Porter and take the no. 77 bus to Arlington -- but call first to be sure the shop is open.
Crafts
New England is a hotbed of fine crafts, and the Boston area affords many opportunities to explore the latest trends in every imaginable medium and style. Prominent artisans often have exclusive relationships with galleries; an excellent way to get an overview is to attend a show and sale. The best-known exhibitions are prestigious weekend events that benefit nonprofit organizations. Crafts at the Castle (tel. 617/523-6400, ext. 5987; www.artfulgift.com/catc) takes place in late November or early December at the Castle, an exhibition space on Columbus Avenue at Arlington Street. CraftBoston (tel. 617/266-1810; www.craftboston.org) is in April or May at the World Trade Center.
Sports Memorabilia
Faneuil Hall Marketplace's abundant photo ops don't stop with the colourful crowds. Focus on the sculptures in the area between the South Canopy of Quincy Market and the South Market building. Try to pull the cigar away from Celtics legend Red Auerbach (he doesn't mind if you perch on his lap). Then compare your tiny sneakers to Larry Bird's clodhoppers or marathon legend Bill Rodgers's running shoes, captured in bronze right next to Red.
Gifts & Souvenirs
Boston has dozens of shops and pushcarts that sell T-shirts, hats, and other souvenirs. Remember to check out museum shops for unique items, including crafts and games. Particularly good outlets include those at the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Science, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Concord Museum, and the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. The online-only merchandise of the Boston Public Library (www.bpl.org) incorporates images from the library's vast holdings, including historic maps, photos, and even sports memorabilia -- and you don't have to take up space in your carry-on to get your souvenirs home. |
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