Is that economic stimulus check from the
government still burning a hole in your
pocket? If so, you couldn’t find yourself in
a better city than Boston—from the big-name
designers found on glamorous Newbury Street,
to the funky independent boutiques of the
South End, to the classy galleries and
clothiers of Charles Street, Boston is full
of top retailers anxious to fill your bags
with fabulous new wardrobe selections and
mementos of your visit to the Hub.
Charles Street
Ritzy Beacon Hill’s main
commercial drag is a beacon for shoppers who
like the finer things in life. Whether
that’s top-notch cosmetics (The Beauty Mark,
33 Charles, 617-720-1555), fine art (Caswell
Company Ltd., 31 Charles, 617-523-9868;
Tesorino Gallery, 70 Charles, 617-742-0061),
luxurious leather goods (Helen’s Leather,
110 Charles, 617-742-2077); high-end women’s
fashions (Eskil, 98 Charles, 617-523-0697)
or even decadent chocolates (Beacon Hill
Chocolates, 92B Pinckney St., 617-725-1900)
there’s something for every shopper. And
that even goes for the ones with four legs
instead of two: check out Four Preppy Paws
(103 Charles, 617-723-0112) to pick up
unique and adorable clothing, accessories,
leashes and toys for your pampered pup.
Harvard Square
Just across the river in
Cambridge, Harvard Square—the area’s
renowned hub of higher learning—is also a
hotbed for great shopping, often with a
funkier and younger vibe than some of
Boston’s swankier streets.
Bookish types will find stacks to pore over at the Globe Corner Bookstore (90 Mt. Auburn St., 617-497-6277), a top spot for non-fiction books as well as maps, globes and atlases; the Grolier Poetry Book Shop (6 Plympton St., 617-547-4648), celebrating its 75th year as one of the area’s best sources for volumes of vibrant verse; and Schoenhof’s Foreign Books (76A Mt. Auburn St., 617-547-8855), founded in 1856, which is the nation’s oldest foreign-language bookstore.
Fashion lovers generally need to look elsewhere for high-end designer labels, but those who want to dress like the young ’uns that largely populate the neighborhood have a few strong options. Urban Outfitters (11 JFK St., 617-864-0070) and Hootenanny (36 JFK St., 617-864-6623) sell a plethora of pithy T-shirts and hip gear from designers like Paul Frank and Ben Sherman. Or you can totally convince folks that you’re an Ivy Leaguer by stocking up on gear from the Harvard COOP (1400 Massachusetts Ave., 617-499-2000), the legendary retailer that’s half college bookstore and half haven for hats, sweatshirts, T-shirts and just about anything else with the Harvard University name on it.
Newbury Street
It’s been
described as Boston’s own Rodeo Drive, but
with significantly lower concentrations of
silicon and Botox. Newbury Street, in the
heart of the Back Bay, is where dedicated
followers of fashion can find themselves in
couture heaven. Armani,
Chanel, Valentino,
Ralph Lauren,
Betsy Johnson,
Burberry,
Marc
Jacobs—the list goes on and on. But there’s
a lot more on Newbury than just the fashion
industry’s top names—local boutiques,
selling everything from men’s and women’s
fashions to shoes and designer jewelry, are
well-represented on the street where paper
and plastic ($) are the most essential
accessories.
Ladies looking for just the perfect outfit could exhaust themselves sorting through the racks at Newbury’s dozens of boutiques and ultra-chic clothiers. For fantastic fashions, try the colorful cocktail and sundresses at Queen Bee (85 Newbury, 617-859-7949); the uniquely modern and trendy creations of Soodee (292 Newbury, 617-236-7888); famed names like Nanette Lepore (119 Newbury, 617-421-9200) and Maha Barsom (127 Newbury, 617-247-1103); the sturdy, comfortable and stylish outdoor wear at Barbour (134 Newbury, 617-375-7829); and the environmentally friendly clothing of Envi Boutique (164 Newbury, 617-267-3684).
Men aren’t ignored, either. Fellas can get glammed up at Alan Bilzerian (34 Newbury, 617-536-1001); score new cowboy boots at Rick Walker’s (306 Newbury, 617-375-0100) and other stylish footwear at John Fluevog (302 Newbury, 617-266-1079); find the perfect pair of jeans at Relic (116 Newbury #1, 617-437-7344) or G Star Raw (348 Newbury, 617-267-4100); or, if it’s a sports jersey you’re looking for, blend in with the locals with Red Sox gear from Fenway Sportszone (306 Newbury, 617-437-1010).
Fans of the bling-bling have plenty of options to choose from, too, including Erwin Pearl (4 Newbury, 617-236-7240), legendary Boston designer John Lewis (97 Newbury, 800-266-4101), the venerable Shreve, Crump & Low (corner of nearby Boylston and Berkeley streets, 800-225-7088) and the first name in jewelry, Cartier (40 Newbury, 617-262-3300).
To make sure your house looks as good as you do, pick up smashing home décor items at Comptoir de Famille (127 Newbury, 617-266-7970), Bliss (121 Newbury, 617-421-5544), the Society of Arts & Crafts (175 Newbury, 617-266-1810) or “green emporium” Fiddlehead (292 Newbury, 617-247-1120).
And if you need all your retail options under one roof, three of Boston’s best malls are right nearby—The Shops at the Prudential Center, Copley Place and Corner Mall (refer to shopping listings) boast nationally known retailers to satisfy any shopper’s cravings.
North End
Once home to mouth-watering Italian
restaurants, bakeries and not much else, the
North End has leapt into the 21st century as
one of the city’s up-and-coming retail
districts, with hot new fashion boutiques
like Alison Barnard’s denim emporium
In-jean-ius (441 Hanover St., 617-523-JEAN)
and her more nightlife-inspired second shop,
Twilight (12 Fleet St., 617-523-8008); the
retro-fabulous vintage shop The Velvet Fly
(424 Hanover St., 617-557-4359); and
Casa di
Stile (371 Hanover St., 857-233-4885), which
boasts contemporary women’s clothing from
designers like Rachel Leigh and Michelle
Jonas.
Ladies can accentuate those new clothes with high-end cosmetics from Paula Tierney’s shop, A Matter of Face (425 Hanover St., 617-742-5874), custom jewelry from High Gear Jewelry (204 Hanover St., 617-523-5804) and handmade accessories like purses, scarves and handmade jewelry from Shake the Tree Gallery (67 Salem St., 617-742-0484).
South End
Long known as
Boston’s home for artsy, alternative and
wholly modern retailers, the South End
remains a prime spot for picking up trendy
and quirky items to outfit one’s self and
one’s home. Tremont Street is a prime
shopping drag, boasting spots like jeweler
Laura Preshong’s eponymous gallery (558
Tremont, 617-236-7660); stylish housewares
boutique Vessel (652 Tremont, 617-425-5292);
upscale shoe emporium Leokadia (667 Tremont,
617-247-7463); and funky and functional
menswear—respectively—at
Motley (623
Tremont, 617-247-6969) and Uniform (511
Tremont, 617-247-2360).
If you can bear to
tear yourself away from Tremont, the South
End also boasts sweet spots for candles and
cute gifts (Aunt Sadie’s Candlestix, 18
Union Park St., 617-357-7117), fashionable
urban women’s clothing (Parlor, 1246-48
Washington St., 617-521-9005) and even toys
and clothes for the kiddies (Tadpole, 37
Clarendon St., 617-778-1788). When it comes
to shopping alternatives, the South End
truly reflects the style and diversity of
the people who live, work and play there.
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