Where to shop in Boston

Many folks come to Boston to experience its history or enjoy the beautiful architecture. Then there are those who come to shop! Here’s a little primer to help you find the most fruitful areas.

The traditional shopping area is called Downtown Crossing, an area where Washington, Summer, and Winter Streets cross. While it no longer has the five or six department stores it once did, Macy’s, TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, H&M, DSW Shoes and a host of smaller stores and pushcarts still make it a major shopping destination. Nearby, you can stay at the Hyatt Regency Boston.

Quincy Market has been a destination shopping center since it first opened in 1826. Housing a wide variety of restaurants, stalls, pushcarts, and stores, it presents a wide variety of goods and foods that will satisfy just about anybody. Stores include Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle Outfitters, Coach, The Museum Store, and Urban Outfitters. It's located behind Faneuil Hall and extends towards the waterfront. The Millenium Bostonian is located just across North Street.

If you’re into antiques, the place to go in Boston is the northern end of Charles Street (between Beacon and Cambridge Streets), which is considered part of the Beacon Hill “Flat”. It has lots of charming small shops, cafes, and restaurants and is great area to stroll. It's all within walking distance of the Liberty Hotel.

Rather close by is another fine walking location called Newbury Street (between Arlington Street and Massachusetts Avenue in the Back Bay), which has many of Boston’s finer boutiques, art galleries, and cafes. Newbury Street is a great place to sit, enjoy lunch, and people watch from one of its many sidewalk cafes. The Taj Boston sits at the beginning of Newbury Street.


And finally, there's Back Bay’s two interconnected malls: Copley Place and the Prudential Center. The Prudential Center has stores like Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Sephora. Copley Place houses Neiman Marcus, Barneys New York, Tiffany & Co., Jimmy Choo, and Salvatore Ferragamo, among many others. Both have lots of fine places to dine as well. The entrance to Copley Place is on Dartmouth Street at Stuart and the main entrances of The Prudential Center are between Huntington Avenue and Boylston Street, below the Prudential Tower. Within the complex, there's also the Marriott Boston Copley Place, Westin Copley Place, and the Sheraton Boston Hotel, and there are numerous other Boston hotels in the vicinity.


- Alan Maltzman of BostonCityWalks.com


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