Boston is one of the biggest and oldest major cities in America. Its famous attractions aren’t as widely known as New York City’s, but the city sees plenty of tourists coming and going every year. As a result, Boston has plenty of shops and stores with interesting items and souvenirs that have a unique link to the city. Here are the best places to purchase gifts for friends and family back home.
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Black Ink
Black Ink is a local souvenir, gift, and stationery shop with locations in Boston and Cambridge. Its products include very practical items like wrapping paper, markers, and pencils, but it also has some fun products like glow-in-the-dark hands small enough to wear on your fingers, round dice, and decorative bowling pins. Both locations have a very strange collection of items, so whichever you decide to visit, you’ll be sure to find something that is unmistakably Boston.
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Boston Public Market
The Boston Public Market is essentially a farmer’s market that expanded so much that it became a shopping center that’s open all week long. Located on Hanover Street, vendors at the indoor market offer everything from seafood and meat to seasonal vegetables and baked goods. The vendors also sell preserves, fabrics, and wood products, so you won’t have trouble finding something you can take home that will last. The market offers a lot of variety, but all the vendors share one thing in common: everything they make is created from New England resources.
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Olives and Grace
Down on Tremont Street, you’ll find a shop named Olives and Grace. Like the Boston Public Market, Olives and Grace sells locally produced products and food, but in this case, the creators don’t sell their products directly. Instead, the store offers curated gift boxes, including a chocolate lover’s box set, a local Boston specialty set, and a set of ingredients and recipes for cocktails. You can also order a custom-made gift box, and the Olives and Grace staff will customize its contents to perfectly match the occasion and the recipient.
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Gifted
Gifted is just a block away from Olives and Grace on Dartmouth Street, and like the name says, it’s a gift shop with a surprisingly wide collection. The shop’s owner, Marie Corcoran, has made a point of going to new places and picking up some of the strange things she saw. Gifted has a more refined appearance than Black Ink, and its products are more practical and expensive, but either way, you won’t have trouble finding something unique and memorable to commemorate your visit.
Boston is full of quirky and unusual gift shops where you can get handmade souvenirs or pick something out that was made by a local artist. Whether you’re buying something for a friend, for a loved one, or just something for yourself so you can remember your trip to Boston, the shops on this list and more have something that will fit perfectly with anyone.
Image via Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism | Licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
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