By Dinah Alobeid
If shopping is your weakness, Boston’s stores will make your knees tremble. The city contains a plethora of shopping locales to cater to any budget and any style – from the pushcarts at Faneuil Hall Marketplace to the lavishness of Louis Vuitton and Neiman Marcus in Copley Place. There is a variety of areas to spend some serious cash, or for the featherweights, there are wallet-friendly alternatives.
Big Spenders
Boston may not have a Fifth Avenue, but it’s got something close: Newbury Street. This upscale and quaint area in the heart of Boston is a mere 10-minute walk from campus and is filled with high-end stores that could make movie stars salivate with excitement.
The stores begin on the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Newbury Street with Virgin Megastore and Urban Outfitters. Don’t be swindled by the allure of dazzle at Virgin, if you’re looking for music and movies at affordable prices head over to Newbury Comics, a Boston landmark with great deals on new and used CDs, records, movies, DVDs and posters.
Other exciting stores on Newbury include Condom World, a quirky sex shop that is a favorite among college students, the Hope Fairy Shop and a few moderately-priced consignment stores. For those who don’t mind spending big money, head over to Vera Wang, Jessica McClintock, Lucky Brand Jeans or Burberry.
However, for a mall atmosphere, leave Newbury and head over to Copley Place where Louis Vuitton, Dior and Coach are the big names, along with prestigious stores like Neiman Marcus and Tiffany’s. Other stores include Stuart Weitzman, Armani Exchange, United Colors of Benetton and Banana Republic. The Copley Place Mall is attached to the Prudential Center by a glass walkway over Huntington Avenue.
Moderate Molly’s and Average Joe’s
Faneuil Hall Marketplace, or Quincy Market, is a partially open-aired shopping area in scenic downtown Boston. It is located right across from the waterfront near the Boston Aquarium. This area is popular with tourists and Boston residents who want to shop, dine and view a historic portion of the city.
The majority of stores in the collected sections of the North Market, the South Market and Quincy Market are not chain stores, but shops unique to Boston, such as Celtic Weavers, the Cheers gift shop (attached to the Cheers restaurant), A Hat for Every Head and Every Bead of My Heart. There is also Gap and Nine West, but due to its unique store selection, Faneuil Hall is a great place to find items that potentially no one else could have. Plus getting there is easy, take the T to Haymarket or Government Center via the orange or green line.
Again, if a mall piques your interest, there are two malls nearby that could satiate your appetite. The South Shore Plaza is about a 15-minute drive south on I-93 from Northeastern’s campus and is home to Macy’s, Express, Gap, Arden B., Claire’s and a food court. The South Shore Plaza really earns its worth when Express and Arden B. have sales and the prices are slashed like crazy. In Macy’s, you can always find a good sale, and Claire’s accessory shop has affordable, yet durable, jewelry and accessories which sometimes last longer than most expensive jewelry. This mall has two floors, but is not overcrowded or obnoxiously loud, which creates a comfortable shopping atmosphere.
The Burlington Mall north of Boston also boasts similar stores as in the South Shore Plaza, but has a much broader range of stores. One store the Plaza doesn’t have that Burlington does is La Senza, a Victoria’s Secret-type store with affordable prices.
Thrifty-Thrill Seekers
There are numerous thrift stores throughout Boston, but a great place to find good deals on clothing and accessories can all be found in one place: Downtown Crossing. The area is a haven for sale-lovers and is easily accessible by the orange line, which you can catch right on campus at the Ruggles or Massachusetts Avenue stops.
DSW Shoe Warehouse boasts brand name shoes for factory prices. Nearby, T.J. Maxx carries everything from BCBGirls shoes to Guess and Baby Phat handbags to DKNY t-shirts, but at a fraction of the price. Downtown Crossing also features the moderately-priced H’M as well as two department stores, Macy’s and Filene’s Basement, a bargain hunter’s dream. For another option, take the red line to Harvard Square in Cambridge, which is filled with little boutiques.
Harvard Square also features a few thrift shops, antique stores and the Garment District, calling itself “an alternative department store,” where some of the clothes are literally found in piles and purchased for $1 per pound.
