Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9
Shopping
I
f you turned straight to this chapter,
you're in good company: Surveys of visi-
tors to Boston consistently show that
shopping is their most popular activity,
beating museum-going by a comfortable
margin.
Boston-area shopping represents a
tempting blend of classic and contempo-
rary. Boston and Cambridge teem with
tiny boutiques and sprawling malls, eso-
teric bookshops and national chain
stores, exclusive galleries and snazzy sec-
ondhand-clothing outlets.
One of the most popular shopping
destinations in New England will most
likely be closed during your visit:
Filene's
Basement
temporarily shuttered its flag-
ship store in 2007 to make way for exten-
sive renovations and construction in the
building upstairs, which will last until
2009. Ask at your hotel to see whether
the retail landmark has reopened, or
check out the Back Bay branch (p. 208),
which doesn't offer the original's auto-
matic-markdown policy.
This chapter concentrates on only-in-
Boston businesses, and it also includes
many national (and international) names
that are worth a visit. I'll point you to
areas that are great for shop-hopping and
toward specific destinations that are great
for particular items.
1 The Shopping Scene
One of the best things about 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, 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 1 night a week, usually
Wednesday or Thursday. Malls keep their own hours (noted below), and some smaller
shops open later. Days and hours can vary in winter. Year-round, many art galleries
close on Monday. In short, if a store sounds too good to pass up, call to make sure it's
open before you head out.
GREAT SHOPPING AREAS
The area's premier shopping district is Boston's
Back Bay,
where dozens of upmarket
galleries, shops, and boutiques make
Newbury Street
a world-famous destination.
Parallel to Newbury is retail-rich
Boylston Street.
Stretching from Boylston Street past Huntington Avenue, the
Shops at Prudential
Center
and
Copley Place
(linked by an enclosed walkway across Huntington) book-
end a giant retail complex that includes the posh department stores
Neiman Marcus,
