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Buy
The biggest shopping areas in the inner Metro are the Back Bay and Downtown Crossing. In addition, there are two large malls in and near the center of the city.
- The Cambridgeside Galleria.This shopping mall includes department stores, a Best Buy, clothing stores, bookstores, a food court, and a Cheesecake Factory restaurant, all at mainstream retail prices. Accessible on the Green Line at Lechmere station, or the Red Line at Kendall/MIT station via a free shuttle van (The Wave).
- Copley Place and Prudential Center. These malls are connected via pedestrian walkway over Huntington Av. They house department stores, clothing stores, bookstores, upscale shopping, a food court, many restaurants, and connect to several large hotels. Accessible on the Green Line at Copley, Hynes/ICA, and Prudential stations, and on the Orange Line at Back Bay station. `Visitors and locals alike use the mall to go between the South End and Newbury/Boylston Street areas, either to take advantage of the air conditioning during the summer or the warmth during the winter.
More local color can be experienced outdoors at any of several popular commercial areas:
- Newbury Street. This shopping street runs the length of the Back Bay neighborhood. Often called the Rodeo Drive of the East, Newbury St is a wonderfully dense avenue colored by historic brownstones and lots of shops and restaurants. Extremely expensive near Boston Common, but gradually becoming more affordable as you move toward Massachusetts Avenue. One block north from Boylston St, which is similar but less so. Vehicular traffic can be very slow on Newbury St itself; take parallel streets unless you have time to see the sights from your car. Accessible on the Green Line from Arlington, Copley, and Hynes stations.
- Downtown Crossing, Washington St. at Winter St. area. This shopping district is in Downtown Boston, just steps from Boston Common. It is obligatory to visit the world-famous Filene's Basement. Though this particular location was famous for actually being an underground store, Filene's Basement closed its doors in 2007 for a two year renovation project and will relocate to a nearby space in Downtown Crossing. The current building, which once housed the now-closed Filene's Department store, will be knocked down and rebuilt as a 38-foot tower which will include a hotel and condos. Filene's Basement will be relocated to 426 Washington Street, originally a Barnes and Noble bookstore, until it reopens in the spring of 2009 at its original location. Bargain Alley has the distinctive feature of the Automatic Markdown plan - every week, the items in this area get 25% cheaper, until they are either sold or donated to charity. Many excellent deals can be found on merchandise floating down from the larger department store upstairs. The aisles here are narrow, and the store is usually busy, so avoid bringing lots of shopping bags in by stopping here first. The rest of Downtown Crossing features large Macy's and Borders, music stores, souvenirs, general retail, and lots of street vendors and quick food. Accessible on the Red and Orange Lines at Downtown Crossing station, and with a brief walk, from the Red and Green Lines at Park St. station.
- Harvard Square. This historic and always-active square is located across the river in the city of Cambridge (Massachusetts)|Cambridge. Take a tour of Harvard University and the Yard, visit the historic cemetery, shop around. Several excellent bookstores, with plenty of restaurants and cafes to it down and read a novel. See the famous chess tables outside Au Bon Pain where a scene in Good Will Hunting was filmed. Walk past the offices of Dewey, Cheatem & Howe, and say hello to the punks. Take a short walk down to the scenic Charles River. Street musicians often play near the famous Out of Town News. For a good burger, stop in a Bartley's, a Harvard landmark. For a fantastic margarita and cheap Mexican food, be sure to hit up the Border Cafe. The nonprofit Brattle theater shows classic and independent films. Accessible on the Red Line at Harvard station.
- Coolidge Corner, Harvard St. at Beacon St, Brookline. This shopping area is located in the neighboring town of Brookline. A little less urban, more like your local village shops and restaurants. The Coolidge Corner Theater is known for showing interesting independent and art house films. Beacon Street has interesting shops along much of its length, generally concentrated near areas such as St. Mary's, Washington Sq., etc. One can also walk north from Coolidge Corner along Harvard St. (which becomes Harvard Av.) towards Allston-Brighton (and the B branch of the Green Line) for additional shopping and dining. Accessible on the C branch of the Green Line at the Coolidge Corner stop.
- Charles St.From Beacon St. to Cambridge St. One of the more quaint shopping neighborhoods in Boston, starting just north of Boston Common. The mix of shops lends itself to window-shopping as well as ticking items off a shopping list. Multiple options for lunch or coffee make this a pleasant place to stroll for a couple hours. Accessible from the Charles St./Mass. General Hospital station on the Red Line.
- Wrentham Village premium outlets. While not in Boston, a shopping trip to Boston by an international tourist is not complete without a visit to Wrentham Village. Its location off I-495, exit 15 makes it under an hour from Boston and most hotels will arrange transport. Wrentham’s stores range from the finest designer fashions and jewelery to home furnishings, housewares and electronics. You'll find all the big brands such as Hugo Boss, Adidas, Nike, DKNY, Burberry, Gap, Guess, Ann Taylor, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Levi’s, Liz Claiborne, Swarovski, Royal Doulton, Calvin Klein, Benetton, Waterford Crystal and much much more.
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