What was once a forgotten industrial zone adjacent to Boston’s downtown is now one the United States’ most dazzling and ambitious urban renewal projects. If Back Bay and Beacon Hill are all about brownstones and historic charm, then Seaport is all about high-rise condos and cutting edge retail. A lot of the shops here skew more modern and global (think Alo, Rag & Bone, Sephora and Bluemercury, so forth) but there are a few independent gems to discover, too. There’s Injeanius, Boston’s preferred denim specialty shop since 2005, as well as Cardullo’s, a specialty food shop whose original location has served the Cambridge community for 70 years. Be sure to check out The Current, a miniature village of rotating pop-ups that always has something new and unexpected to explore. The Seaport also hosts an impressive roster of free outdoor fitness classes during the warmer months.
The Best Bookstores in Boston
Photo: Sarah Winchester
As an academic and literary capital, Boston is home to some excellent bookshops, ranging from quaint to downright quirky. Just look at Brattle Book Shop—one of America’s oldest and largest antique book shops, dating back to 1825. For something more au courant, the shop on everyone’s minds lately is Beacon Hill Books & Café, a lovingly restored Beacon Hill townhouse filled with both current and classic volumes, one of the city’s best children’s sections, and a charming garden-level café. Over in Harvard Square, a visit to the COOP always yields some interesting selections—it’s the official campus store for both Harvard and M.I.T., and is a great place for gifts and merch. While you’re in Cambridge, check out Lovestruck: a bookstore dedicated to the romance genre.
What to Do
Go for Drinks
Photo: Anton Grassi
