Founded in 1882, the Coop operates student-oriented stores offering a wide selection of textbooks, general-interest books, office supplies and school insignia merchandise, including Harvard and M.I.T. gear. Members are entitled to annual rebates based on their purchases. You do not have to be a member to shop here, however. Shop at Harvard Square Coop and you are sure to vouch for the quality of goods and friendly service offered by this store.
On Centre's colorful sign makes it stand out on this uneven section of Centre Street. There are grimy real estate agencies and groovy boutiques, but On Centre manages to not appear crowded while also making their plethora of creative gifts clear with a first glance through the front windows. Like most of the shops in this corner of the world, the staff is friendly and well-informed. Find goodies from trendy reusable grocery bags to locally made jewelry to nifty gadgets.
This cramped store, which is located directly across from Fenway Park, is the best place to pick up Boston Red Sox paraphernalia, including caps, jackets and a seemingly endless supply of T-shirts. This shop also offers official sporting merchandise and souvenirs for other baseball teams across the country as well as the Bruins, Celtics and Patriots. The store is always busy during the baseball season, especially on game days.
The faces painted on the windows are a tad unusual, but past these gruesome sprites you will find one of the city's foremost inventories of international cigarettes. Check out the huge selection of Zippo lighters, hand-rolled Dominican cigars and cigarette papers for rolling your own special blends. For the classical smoking enthusiast, pipes line the back wall. Always filled with students, this Kenmore Square store is sure to please any smoking connoisseur.