Boston Shopping Guide
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In Boston, many of the city’s best places to shop are in close proximity to great historic attractions. Visitors can combine sightseeing with serious shopping all in one day.
Our Boston shopping guide highlights five excellent shopping venues. All are near other popular landmarks, and within walking distance of each other. Each of the areas has its own personality and style. Note: All of the store and restaurant listings in this article were accurate upon date of publishing. Check venue websites for up to the minute information.
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Copley Place and Shops of the Prudential Center
In Boston’s Back Bay, Copley Place and the Prudential Center Shops sit next to Copley Square. The two high-end luxury shopping malls are linked by a glass skybridge over Huntington Avenue.
Copley Place (100 Huntington Avenue) has a distinctive chrome exterior with lots of marble, windows, and light. The shopping venue has over 60 stores that are anchored by Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue for Men. At this destination, you can find designer goods at stores including Tiffany’s, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Jimmy Choo, TUMI, Tag Heuer, Saint Laurent, Joss & Main, Versace, and many more. Onsite dining includes Legal Seafood, Café Nero, and JC Smoothies.
The Shops at the Prudential Center (800 Boylston Street) are located at the Prudential Tower complex. The ‘Shops’ offer over 60 stores and several trendy restaurants. Stores onsite include the Saks Fifth Avenue anchor store as well as Barnes & Noble, Sephora, Canada Goose, Polo Ralph Lauren, Pandora, Bonobos, Janie & Jack, Kate Spade, Boston Duck Tours, and many others. Popular restaurants at “The Pru” include the Cheesecake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen, Eataly’s, and Ben & Jerry's.
Getting There: The Copley Place Central Garage is located at 2 Copley Place, Boston. The Prudential Center public parking garage is located at 111 Huntington Avenue,. Both shopping malls are easily accessed by the “T” (subway): Take the Green Line C, Green Line D, or Orange Line to the Copley Square stop. There is a glass-block underground corridor linking the Back Bay subway station to Copley Place. This area is a lot of fun to walk, read our article Boston Walk: Copley Square to Beacon Hill for a walking route.
Newbury Street
Newbury Street is a great place to window shop and neighborhood watch. It is often referred to as Boston’s Fifth Avenue, but it is really much funkier (and more fun) than Manhattan’s 5th. The roadway is an eclectic, trend-setting, high-end shopping experience full of innovative boutiques, salons, cafes, restaurants, art galleries, and hip businesses. Meandering down Newbury Street is definitely one of Boston’s best things to do.
Newbury is about one-mile long, running from the Public Garden to Brookline Avenue. The architecture of the street is 19th Century Brownstone. Businesses are often 2 or 3 storied with an underground entrance. Sometimes in the summer, the street is shut down to vehicle traffic and pop-ups vendors take over the pavement.
Retailers take great care to create imaginative window displays which makes the street fun to walk. The length of the street is about 8 blocks, and the feel of the neighborhood changes as you traverse it. Beginning at Arlington by the Public Garden and working toward Brookline, you will find:
First block (Arlington to Berkley): “Fifth Avenue Shops” such as Burberry, Chanel, Bulgari, Giorgio Armani, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Brooks Brothers. Also, the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Gallerie d’ Orsay, and Newbury Fine Arts.
From Berkley to Clarendon Street: Church of the Covenant, Restoration Hardware, Victoria's Secret, Nordstrom Rack, Sephora, Ugg, and Simon Pearce.
From Clarendon to Fairfield: Alex & Ani’s, Sea Bags, and Bonobos, as well as lots of shoe stores, art galleries, cafes, wine sellers, and jewelry stores.
From Fairfield to Mass Ave: The street begins to feel more like a residential neighborhood with specialty stores and services.
There are one-of-a-kind restaurants and cafes on every block of Newbury Street.
Getting There: Arlington Street abuts the Public Garden. The Boston Common Garage (Charles Street, Boston) is a convenient location to park. Or, take the “T” (subway) to the Arlington Street station.
Faneuil Hall Marketplace
The Faneuil Hall Marketplace is a stop on the Freedom Trail, and a family-friendly shopping destination. At the Marketplace you will find historic landmarks as well as a wide range of shops, wooden carts, restaurants, and bars to browse. While you are shopping and eating; buskers and street performers are onsite to keep you entertained.
The Marketplace is made up of four large buildings set on a pedestrian plaza. The buildings include the historic Faneuil Hall and the Quincy, South, and North Market buildings.
The shops in North and South Markets are a mix of fashionable national retailers and local crafters. All members of your party will enjoy shopping here. There are great specialty food shops, artisan wares, toys, and lots of “Boston” sporting apparel and trinkets.
Quincy Market houses the famed Food Colonnade. It houses stalls selling food favorites (chowder, lobster, BBQ, Greek, Mexican, bakery items), with a 2nd story community dining area. On the outer edges of Quincy Market there are wooden carts and kiosks offering a variety of goods.
There are more than 100 vendors at the Faneuil Hall Marketplace including The Black Dog, Coach, Sephora, Urban Outfitters, Sun Glass Hut, and many others. You can also find a Bostix ticket booth and Old Town Trolley Tours. Restaurants and bars include the Sam Adams Tap Room, MIJA, Ned Devine’s Irish Pub, The Salty Dog, and Wagamama.
Getting There: The 75 State Street Garage is Faneuil Hall’s official parking facility. The entrance is at 5 Broad Street, Boston (75statestreetgarage.com). By “T” (subway) take the Blue Line to the Aquarium/Faneuil Hall stop; the Orange Line to State Street, or the Red Line to Park Street.
Click here to read more information on Faneuil Hall.
Downtown Crossing
In the center of the city is the Downtown Crossing shopping zone. The name refers to the intersection of Washington, Winter, and Summer Streets. Large department stores have traditionally resided on the intersection’s corners, which was made a pedestrian shopping area some years ago.
The shopping district radiates out from Downtown Crossing to fill the blocks between Boston Common, the Financial District, and Chinatown. Throughout the area, historic buildings are populated with discount chains, restaurants, bars, and other entertainment establishments.
The area stays crowded with commuters, residents, and visitors. There are food trucks, diners, and sports bars that cater to office workers and day-trippers. Two subway stations feed the neighborhood, and souvenir carts line the roads close by.
Some of the department stores at Downtown Crossing include Macy’s, Primark, Marshalls, Old Navy, and TJ Max. In addition to department store wares, you will find a heavy concentration of shoe, book, jewelry, electronic, music, and beauty stores in the area. You can find a map of stores at the following Downtown Crossing link.
Getting There: There is public parking at the Lafayette Garage (1 Avenue de Lafayette #1, Boston) by the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Or, take the “T” (subway) to the Downtown Crossing stop.
Public Market & Haymarket Boston
The Boston Public Market (100 Hanover Street) is a year-round food market located directly above the Haymarket MBTA Station. The market’s mission is to support New England food producers and to provide fresh, healthy food to people of all income levels. The market is open 7 days a week.
About 30 vendors sell their foods and artisan wares at the Public Market including such goods as fresh produce, meats, cheeses, crafts, and specialty items. All of the items sold have originated in New England. The farmers, fishermen, and artisans who rent stalls at the market often sponsor festivals, classes, and other community events onsite.
The Haymarket outdoor food market (100 Hanover Street) is located just steps away from the Public Market in the historic Blackstone Block (between Hanover and North Street). It is America’s oldest outdoor market. Established in 1820, the market is nestled between Faneuil Hall and the North End.
About 40 vendors sell fruits, vegetables, seafood, and other foods at the market. The market is open from 4am to 7pm on Fridays and Saturdays. It can seem a bit chaotic, but that is all part of the fun. It tends to be busiest earlier in the day when the restaurants are buying.
Getting There: Park at the Parcel 7 Garage (136 Blackstone Street) where parking is validated. Or, take the “T” (subway) to the Haymarket Station.
Hope you are happy with your purchases, Laura and Randy
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