Best store for sexy gifts
Between our Puritan lineage, frigid weather, and lack of sun, Bostonians need a healthy loosening-up. And where better to be loosened than at your friendly neighborhood sex shop? Grand Opening! isn't easy to find, tucked upstairs in the Coolidge Corner Arcade, but behind the tastefully papered windows lies a veritable trove of sexual accessories - the most impressive being the vibrator collection, clearly labeled with helpful descriptions for comparison shopping. Check out the many workshops, too, including "Sex Tips for Gals" and "Writing Literary Erotica for Fun or Profit."

A far cry from brightly lit Grand Opening!, Hubba Hubba caters to a slightly different crowd. There's nothing discreet about its exterior, and within the darkened shop you'll find a modest collection of vibrators and accessories, and a not-so-modest collection of leather tops, pants, boots, masks, whips, and muzzles. There's no use for shyness here - the staff is friendly and welcoming, and if you're there for that chain-mail shirt, well, no one will judge you.

Grand Opening!, 318 Harvard Street, Brookline, (617) 731-2626, www.grandopening.com; Hubba Hubba, 534 Mass Ave, Cambridge, (617) 492-9082, www.hubbahubba.com.