Best place to buy a hammer, some apples, a fishing hook, and paper plates, and rent a video
Let's consider, for a moment, the notion of convenience. It's a quality that suits one's needs or purposes. If something is convenient, it's accessible and saves work. The modern-day convenience store, with its fluorescent lights and long hours, its rotating wieners and Slurpee stations, can save time and satisfy our cravings (cigarettes, Doritos, a midnight pint of Ben & Jerry's). But there's something dehumanizing about the big-chain mini-marts. On Cambridge Street, there's Inman Square Market, a convenience store that's got more than just Red Bull, pretzels, and prepackaged ham sandwiches. It's convenient in the sense that it truly does offer objects, foodstuffs, and entertainments to satisfy your needs. And it feels more like a general store than a too-bright chain. There's something familiar about the place, as if you're walking into your own (oversize) pantry, garage, or storeroom. The common "Thank you, come again" feels sincere, and the prices aren't bad to boot.

Inman Square Market, 1343 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, (617) 354-8697.