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Shopping

A dedicated shopper will find the full range of quality and prices available in Boston and the bonus is that there is no sales tax on clothes under US$175 and only a 5% sales tax otherwise. Inevitably, there is the usual plethora of chain stores but there are still enough individual and idiosyncratic shops and boutiques to please all but the ardent purist. In general, Boston shops are open Monday-Saturday 0900/1000-1800/1900, with malls and larger stores also open on Sundays 1200-1800. Different shops and areas will often have one late-night closing at around 2000.

Newbury Street, which runs the length of the Back Bay district from Boston Common to Massachusetts Avenue, is the high end of the market with expensive and designer shops, art galleries, book and antique shops and cafÉs. Nearby Copley Place is also good for browsing.

The Prudential Center, Huntington Avenue, is jam-packed with more conventional shops and restaurants. Nearby, at 440 Boylston Street, is the specialist children's store F.A.O. Schwarz, worth a visit for the massive bronze teddy bear outside alone. Moving towards the middle of town, another major shopping centre is the Faneuil Hall Quincy Marketplace. Originally built in 1826 as a meat and greengrocery hall, it now contains over 100 shops, cafÉs and restaurants.

Book-hunting is a good excuse to cross the river and wander the Harvard Square area of Cambridge. Wordsworth, 1 JFK Street, has not only tens of thousands of often discounted titles but also an annex of excellent children's books, activities and related toys called Curious George Goes to Wordsworth, 30 Brattle Street. The original and only (despite other similarly named shops) Filene's and Filene's Basement are at 426 Washington Street. The Basement is the place for committed bargain-hunters, while upstairs is a sensibly priced department store with the full range of products.



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