This is me on the steps of the Harvard campus library wearing a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses from Newbury Comics.
Christina says we dodged a bullet by not ending up with a campus constantly overrun by tourists (we're Emerson College grads, and didn't necessarily have anything that could have qualified as a campus). I agree, but this doesn't stop me from being touristy as heck myself.
This past weekend, I made a long overdue trip up to Boston for two very important reasons: to catch up with Christina, and to shop.
Seriously, folks. Boston was the first place I ever ran up credit card debt. Memories.
Anyways, after the jump, some of the places you should check out next time you're in Boston.
We spent my first full day there slowly making our way along the length of Newbury Street.
The end closest to the Public Gardens has all the places I can't afford, such as Burberry, Armani, and Valentino.
I can't afford the other end, either, but this is a level of unaffordability I am willing to laugh in the face of when I am on vacation. Probably a dangerous mindset.
The aforementioned Newbury Comics is on this less unaffordable end. It's a music store where you can shop for CDs, ridiculous sunglasses, and even more ridiculous kitsch:
[$14.99, Newbury Comics] (yes, that is a Bon Jovi action figure)
There are several locations throughout Boston and the greater New England area, but this is the site I always visited the most, and where I bought my very first messenger bag (purple corduroy, and wallpapered with the buttons I also purchased at the shop).
This end of the street is also home to my favorite college-era bookstore, the Trident Bookstore & Cafe (where I picked up a copy of Lube Job for $6), and Sugar Heaven, where I stocked up on caramel apple lollipops.
But my favorite stops on this day were the Society of Arts and Crafts, which I had never ventured into before, and the Fairy Shop.
The SAC is "America's oldest non-profit craft organization," founded in 1897 to foster the development of artsy-craftsy types. I was blown away by the art glass throughout the shop, and hovered for quite awhile over this set of bird-themed measuring spoons, not to mention a set of extremely charming sterling silver bird necklaces.
The Fairy Shop, on the other hand, was an old favorite, and this is because I am dorky in the way that I love dragons and fairy dust and the possibility of magic in our lives.
And that's what you'll find in the shop: gnomes, fairies, gargoyles, dragons, and a healthy respect for J.R.R. Tolkien. I ended up purchasing a sterling silver necklace with the words "Not all who wander are lost" and, inexplicably, a "spooning leads to forking" T-shirt.
[Also available at: $34.95, Signals]
We also made a side trip to Anthropologie, where Christina picked up a few things for her apartment...
[$28, Anthropologie]
[$6, Anthropologie]
...and I just stared at things:
[$58, Anthropologie]
Finally, before calling it a day, we walked up Charles Street and stopped in at Black Ink, which is always fun for gift-type stuff. In fact, I saw a ton of things we've blogged about here before, including this jewelry and this bag, available in many more colors (especially tempting since Gizmo had peed on my red one).
I ended up buying a giant bouncy ball full of glitter (ostensibly for the cats), a very bluebird-on-my-shoulder figurine, and this bag, as a birthday gift to my brother:
[$40-$50, Built]
It's the new cargo laptop sleeve by Built, available in three sizes, and with three exterior pockets for computer accessories and whatnot.
Alas, I purchased it in too small of a size, so for the love of god, if anyone wants to purchase it from me sans shipping costs, ! I'll probably craigslist it later this week.
And aside from pigging out hardcore, that was my trip in a nutshell! You have to include these shops in your travel itinerary if you go. Any charming Boston shopping spots I've missed?
Also, if you're interested in being interviewed on your hometown for a future edition of Shopping Road Trip, !