Shopping suggestions

We will be in Boston next week with our 16-year-old son for college visits and would like to get some ideas for good shopping areas. We%26#39;ve shopped at the stores near Faneuil Hall, which I%26#39;m sure we%26#39;ll do again, but I know there were a few other areas that were recmmended that we didn%26#39;t get to and I can%26#39;t remember what they were. One I think was either Charles St. or Newberry St. We%26#39;d like something that our son would like, too, that%26#39;s not overly expensive. Thanks for your help.

Shopping suggestions

Yes, there is:

Charles St.(Beacon Hill) - quaint shops/antiques

Newbury St. (Back Bay)- higher-end shops and boutiques

Prudential Center Mall -- Mid-range mall

Copley Place Mall - high-end mall, think Tiffany%26#39;s, Neiman Marcus

Copley Place and Pru Mall are connected via glass walkway

Downtown Crossing -- Macy%26#39;s, H+M, others, a little rough around the edges with some vacant storefronts as it undergoes redevelopment (stalled due to credit crunch)

I don%26#39;t think there is too much that would excite a 16-year old. There is a big Apple store across the street from the Prudential Center on Boylston. On Newbury there is an outpost of the funky Newbury Comics chain.

Shopping suggestions

Also, there is Harvard Square, an easy ride on the Red Line. Tourists seem to like going in to the Harvard Coop and buying Harvard sweatshirts, etc. There may be some shops in the square that are of more interest to a teenager.

Great job by Cabinet! Only thing I would add is Kenmore Square area for Red Sox paraphenalia (sp?)

There%26#39;s an Urban Outfitters at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Newbury St., and just off Harvard Square.

Express in Copley Place/Prudential or Cambridgeside Galleria

Abercrombie at Faneuil Hall or Cambridgeside Galleria

These chains are everywhere, but they%26#39;re about all that I can think of since the demise of Allston Beat.

There are also the various Coops and the BU Bookstore Mall in Kenmore Square (not just books), though the Harvard Coop, as a previous post mentioned, is the best of that type.

All things considered, I%26#39;d take the Red Line to Harvard Square and wander...

My favorite Boston shopping spots are:

- Newbury street - The closer to the Public Garden you get, the more expensive the shops get. But the west side is reasonable, with Best Buy, Newbury Comics, etc.

- The Prudential/Coply Place Mall - These two malls are connected. You%26#39;ll get the really expensive Tiffany%26#39;s and Louis Vuitton right downstairs from a reasonable Gap and Express, so it%26#39;s not one way or the other.

- Faneuil Hall - You%26#39;ve mentioned you%26#39;ve been here before, but I love the atmosphere. I%26#39;d rather go during the week than the tourist-crazed weekends. Except avoid eating right at lunchtime, of course... the financial area is right next door.

- Cambridgeside Galleria - For when you want to shop at a ';normal'; mall.

- Charles Street - You can find Charles street at the north side of the Boston Commons, to the left of Cheers (the real one, not the fake one in Faneuil). There are lots of neat boutiques, from clothes to antiques to fancy chocolates. And all the locals walk their adorable pets here.

Maybe he%26#39;d like the Garment District, in Cambridge?

Thanks so much for all your great suggestions. I had forgotten that my son had purchased a coat from Urban Outfitters when we were there a couple years ago and he just loved that store. Newbury Comics also sounds like something he%26#39;d like. And it would be worth it for me to go to Charles Street just to see people walking their dogs. When we were last in Boston, we saw so many dogs. An older man was walking a pug named Pugsy Malone that was just adorable. We even saw dogs in some bookstores we were in. It was great. We%26#39;ll definitely go to these shopping areas. Thanks again for the information.

There is also an H%26amp;M on Boylston Street (runs paralell to Newbury). That same block has Marshalls and Borders Bookstore.

Which colleges are you visiting?