The Phoenix - The Best 2005

Arts & Entertainment

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Readers' Picks

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READERS' PICKS - SHOPPING

Best art-supply store
Nothing is more inspiring - or intimidating - than an art store. Within its walls lie limitless possibilities, which usually go hand-in-hand with paralyzing indecision and, finally, regrettable purchases. Happily, our readers have found a way of getting around that. The Art Store in Boston is an open, well-lit smorgasbord of color, paper, equipment, and books. You want gesso? They've got gesso. How about drafting tables? Sure. Cool hipster tunes? Validated parking and student discounts? You betcha.

Then there's Pearl Art & Craft Supplies in Central Square. Smaller, with a more emporium-type feel, it's the perfect go-to spot for standard equipment and tools, an enormous selection of paints, and craft and hobby materials for both the serious artist and the I-always-thought-it-would-be-cool-to-learn-how-to-whittle types alike.

Best bike shop
The bicycle has a unique charm, and the folks at Wheelworks have understood this for nearly 30 years. Their list of brands goes on, and if by some glitch they don't have what you want, they'll find it. They offer amazing service and bike-mechanic classes at their Belmont location to boot.

You've also sagely chosen Community Bicycle Supply in the South End. They guarantee the lowest prices around. In fact, if you find the same bike for less elsewhere, they'll refund the difference! They also offer an extensive menu of services as well as some very attractive service freebies with purchase.

Best men's-clothing store
You poor boys. With all the hype about metrosexuals and übersexuals, a guy can't look halfway decent anymore without earning some embarrassing label. Whatever you are, you know where to shop. In Boston, you favor H&M, HQ for hipsters on a budget. It's your destination for striped button-downs and jaunty T-shirts to be worn with sport coats and an air of nonchalance.

You've also selected Somerville's K&G Fashion Superstore, a veritable supermarket of brand names for less. They've got suits, work attire, shoes, and even tuxes for a fraction of what they'd cost in a department store. The perfect spot for the professional guy-on-the-go whose attention span can't last through more than a single store.

Best place to buy jewelry
A fabulous pair of earrings or a glitzy, chunky necklace make the difference between looking good and looking great. And we're not just talking diamonds. You can make it all work for you. Folklorica in Newton Centre has got deliciously glitzy gems from Patricia Locke, earthy beads from Lee Angel and Jill Schwartz, and simple, classic pieces from Jane Diaz, to name just a few. And if you've got some cash to burn, check out their antique and handmade home accessories, leather purses, scarves, clocks.... Walk in a plain Jane, walk out a sophisticated fashionista with a style all your own. Or at least walk out with bags full of cool stuff.

Bigger isn't always better - and perhaps that's the reason you like the Fogg Art Museum shop. It has a small selection of jewelry, but it is creative and artistic, and the prices are affordable So if you're tired of that Tiffany's silver chain-link dog collar necklace worn by girls everywhere, this is the place to find something different.

Best place to buy musical instruments
Berklee has been a consistent font of incredible musicians and bands - as has Boston in general. So we must have a music store suitable for these illustrious customers. You've chosen Daddy's Junky Music as the choice for your instrument needs. With locations all over the Northeast, Daddy's has an immense selection of new and used guitars, as well as keyboards, drums, and recording equipment - for sale or rent. They offer workshops with professional musicians and networking nights for aspiring pros, and they've got a sweet giant Elvis head in their Boston store. If that atmosphere doesn't breed rock stars, we don't know what will.

Daddy's Junky Music | various locations | www.daddys.com

Best place to buy sexy gifts
Can we be candid for a moment? Boston just isn't the sexiest city. We're known for our Puritan history and baked beans, not our burlesque or bikini bodies. We spend the better part of the year in bulky sweaters and hiking boots, hair flattened under knit caps. With all the weather elements to combat, it's hard to feel like showing a little skin. But visit Grand Opening!, in Brookline, and we promise you'll get in the mood. This place is no dive - it's brightly lit, clean, and colorful, so you can leave the hand sanitizer at home. Most impressively, they've got a wall full of vibrators, well-labeled with descriptive blurbs for your shopping pleasure. They also offer workshops and in-home bachelorette parties. Ready to shed that winter coat?

Nipple clamps? Check. Whips? Check. Paddles? Check. Crops and canes? Check. Cock and ball toys? Hell, yeah. Hubba Hubba has been in business for 26 years, and is not for the faint of heart. For those of you afraid of what your virgin eyes might see, no need to fret - they sell blindfolds too.

Best place to buy men's shoes
For many men, shoes are little more than necessities that help them get where they need to go without contracting tetanus along the way. This, of course, is incorrect. As some of you know, Aldo has smart leather loafers and lace-ups, weatherproof and dress boots, sandals, and even some fashionable sneaker options. But let's try to steer away from what we already know, okay? Baby steps.

Aldo | various locations | www.aldoshoes.com

Best place to buy women's shoes
There isn't enough time in the day or money in the world to do justice to a woman's feelings about her shoes. Footwear encompasses the full range of fashionable creativity and self-expression. Women's shoes push the envelope as far as it will go, and unlike many other outrageous trends, normal gals can get away with wearing these exquisite creations in the real world (just steer clear of those damn cobblestones). And where we can find just about anything our feet crave? DSW, obv. Yes, it's a chain. Yes, it's gigantic. But not only can you score a hot pair of designer shoes, you'll do it at half the price.

DSW | 385 Washington Street, Boston | 617.556.0052 | www.dswshoes.com

Best place to buy stereo equipment
There are some instances when it doesn't pay to go the alternative route - that's why you've named Best Buy your favorite destination for stereo equipment. Shopping for these items can be massively stressful and damaging to your emotional state and bank account. But at Best Buy, you can even grab some no-interest financing for six months. Better than buying from those creepy guys offering you speakers from the back of a van.

Best Buy | various locations | www.bestbuy.com

Best sporting-goods store
If cities were members of a Britpop girl group, Boston would totally be Sporty Spice. We've got all the winter activities going on, not to mention the Sox and the Pats as well as countless college teams and the Boston Marathon. If we're going to properly represent, we need some damn good sporting-goods stores. City Sports is one of your faves, for its impressive array of sneakers, equipment, attire, and home gyms.

REI is another fierce competitor, appealing to more-rugged Bostonians. Come to this store for all your outdoor-activity needs, whether it's snowshoeing, kayaking, or whatever else you hearty people do outside. And don't forget, they also organize adventure trips to exotic places worldwide. Christmas in Belize, anyone?

Best store for new books
We've got more colleges and writers than you can shake a stick at. And Brookline Booksmith is an institution in these parts, with a vast and eclectic collection of new books on every imaginable subject. Plus, they organize regular author readings and book signings with writerly celebs.

The Harvard Book Store is your best bet across the River. They've got all the popular new releases, as well as lesser-known choices in art, food, fiction, biography, and architecture. They also have a wonderful author series, plus discounts for frequent buyers and an amazing remainders section. Find a corner, pop a squat, and be one with the books.

Best store for new CDs
Why fix what isn't broken? Newbury Comics has been and always will be your favorite destination for new music. They consistently stock a diverse selection of CDs in every genre across the board, from hip-hop to pop to underground to hipster to punk to, yes, even country. And if all that isn't enough, their DVDs, comic books, offbeat and sometimes frightening toys, T-shirts, posters, and cleverly cynical bumper stickers and buttons should be more than enough to keep you busy. Where else can you get a black light, a Johnny Cash album, and a Jenna Jameson doll all in one trip? Thank god for small favors.

Newbury Comics | various locations | www.newburycomics.com

Best store for used CDs
Just as used books have an untouchable charm, so do used CDs. But where time-worn damage adds to a book's character, it ruins a disc. That's why Newbury Comics is not only your pick for new CDs; they also win by a landslide for the used. Aside from their excellent and varied selection of pre-owned music, Newbury guarantees that all its merchandise has been checked, double-checked, and declared in excellent condition. You'll never have to pay full price for a CD again. Ever.

Newbury Comics | various locations | www.newburycomics.com

Best vintage-clothing store
Sometimes thrift-store shopping is just plain nasty. Everything smells like your great-grandma's basement and you end up leaving with nothing but a filmy residue on your hands. Not so at your picks for best vintage shops. Second Time Around offers an ever-changing and interesting selection of designer pieces, old prom dresses, jeans, coats, shoes, and jewelry. Always an adventure, never infested.

You all know the Garment District in Cambridge for its hokey Halloween commercial. And it is by all means Boston's Halloween headquarters. If you can't find your costume there, well, your costume's probably going to suck. But even in the off-season the store has an enormous stock of dresses, shirts, pants, coats, and accessories, all color-coordinated and ripe for the picking.

Best women's-clothing store
When it comes to shopping, we have more in common with men than we think. We all just want to look good without breaking the bank. And it's no wonder you chose the same favorite: H&M. They've got incredibly cheap cutting-edge fashions, leaving us with enough extra cash to take our well-attired booties out to dinner, where we will undoubtedly meet some equally well-attired guys with money to burn.

And what fashion-best list would be complete without Urban Outfitters, our quirky yet consistent standby? From clever tees to chunky jewelry and vintage cowboy boots, they've got the hook-up for the hipster, hippy, or just plain hip. So what if 87 other girls have the "Everybody loves a _ girl" shirt? It gets truer every time you read it.

Best place to morph into Dapper Dan
If you're like us, you're not big on formalities, especially when it comes to dress. But we all know there are occasions that call for the penguin look, and the folks at Classic Tuxedo can help even the slackest dude find something he won't mind wearing for a few hours. And if you don't feel like going to the store to talk tuxes, their Web site offers a slew of helpful advice and an interactive outfit creator.

Classic Tuxedo | 249 Newbury Street, Boston | 617.424.7707 | go to www.classictuxedo.com for other locations

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