Newbury Street

The definitive avenue of haute couture in the fairly upscale brownstone section of Boston. One of the more trendy strolling and window shopping locations, full of both cutting-edge and nostalgic, fashion and culture stores.

The path of Newbury Street follows an interesting cultural and economic progression. It starts on Mass Ave, opposite an offramp to the Mass Pike (US Rt. 90). On this end you will find such stores as an Urban Outfitters, a noteworthy and towering Tower Records, and a gourmet (but college-oriented) ice cream shop. Further on you will find the original aforementioned Newbury Comics, and numerous small cafes. A few mid-scale restaurants and small, pricey hole-in-the-wall fashion stores can be found around the middle of the street. Further on you will find such stores as Emporio Armani. Finally at the northern end, bordering on one side of the Boston Common, you will find the Ritz-Carlton. Basically, as you travel north up the street, it becomes more expensive, more classy, and more cultured.

Newbury Street in Boston, Massachusetts extends from the Public Garden west of Boston Common to Mass Ave in the Back Bay neighborhood. It is within easy walking distance from MIT across the Charles and convenient from Back Bay hotels including the Sheraton, the Hilton, and the Ritz-Carlton at the eastern terminus of Newbury. There appears to be at least one B&B directly on Newberry.

The street is densely lined with retail and dining establishments, punctuated by the occasional church. Apartments occupy the floors above the ground-level commercial storefronts. Its two driving lanes (both east to west) are flanked by metered parallel parking and generous sidewalks. These elements and many other details of the elaboration of the streetscape produce very nearly the antithesis of the cancerous sprawl that has afflicted so much of the United States; a stroll along Newberry is a refreshing experience for one accustomed to The Geography of Nowhere.

Many of the restaurants specialize in (or at least are inspired by) the ethnic cuisines of such countries as America, Thailand, France, Spain, Vietnam, India, Italy, China, and Japan. Empirical data collected in 2003 suggest that you can expect to spend $25 +/- $5 per person for dinner on Newbury Street, excluding drinks.

Newbury is described in tourist literature as "the Rodeo Drive of Boston": Cartier, Armani, Ralph Lauren, Gap, Pottery Barn, and Banana Republic are all represented alongside an eclectic mix of (apparently) locally-owned shops and restaurants. While the form of the comparison suggests both pretension and inadequacy, it may aptly describe the extraordinary range of merchandise available. University students and retirees in their chauffered Bentleys are equally well-served.