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Where to shop in New England>>>> In search of the best New England shopping

In Search of the Best New England Shopping

Shop at some of New England's best local, independently-owned retail shops and stores -- full of great merchandise, charm and character.

Mansfield Country Store, Mansfield, MA

Old Country Store, Mansfield, MA (photo by Eric H.)

by Eric H.

The overwhelming and unmistakable New England chill in the air and the ever-increasing maniacal retail crowds never got in the way of a New Englander looking for a good bargain.

True to traditional New England ways, New Englanders appreciate the unique shopping experience regardless of whether the business has been around seemingly since the days of John Quincy Adams, or is an ambitious newcomer committed to retail excellence. New Englanders truly respect the hard work retailers put into their businesses and really love it when the spirit of New England is embedded in the ambiance of a store.

New Englanders aren't the only ones enamored with shopping in the six-state region. Tourists from outside of New England are increasingly finding the charm of a New England country store, an independently-owned department store, or the virtues of a place like Stonewall Kitchen in York, Maine, where the best of New England chefs, gardners, and home decor experts bring their crafts all under one Yankee roof. As with true New Englanders, tourists find overwhelming enjoyment in shopping any time of the year.

Stores like the Old Country Store and Emporium and the Vermont Country Store have been around forever, while others have not had that fortune of longevity. Like the New England weather, choosing places to shop in New England has always been full of change, as beloved stores have come and gone. As a child and young adult watching the closings of New England-wide Jordan Marsh department stores, Child World in Medford, Mass., and Bowen's Toy Store in Bedford, Mass., begged the brokenhearted question, "Why can't good things last forever?"

The memories of these family-oriented, well-run stores were preserved forever, in our minds and through Kodak Instamatic cameras. The good news, however, is that there are more great places to shop than ever before in New England, courtesy, for better or worse, of rampant development and corporate world-people leaving their stressful jobs to open up their own dreams in the form of specialty shops. Of course, there are revered shops that have remained throughout the years such as L.L. Bean in Freeport, Maine, the Maynard Outdoor Store in Maynard, Mass., and Lord's Department Store in Medfield, Mass. (more on all of these esteemed landmarks later in the article.)

From the quaint village seaside setting of Wickford Village, R.I., to the pedestrian multi-block shopping area Boston's Fanueil Hall, we bring you the following New England shopping guide, with a mention to only the best local shops and stores:

New England country stores

A prime example of interesting New England shopping, coupled with regional ambiance, is the Old Country Store and Emporium, in West Mansfield Village, Mass. (Tel. (508) 339-8128). This trip back in time offers penny candy, fudge, maple products, a hardware area, furniture shop, housewares, candles, toys, home furnishings and just about everything else under the sun within several charming wood buildings. The old-fashioned charm of the Country Store will make you feel good all over, with the first inclination being to buy everything in the store -- there are so many unique, appealing items. The surrounding area is nice, too -- West Mansfield seems stuck in another generation with an attractive row of colonial houses, mature trees and a pleasing solitude that belies its proximity to Routes 495 and 95, and bustling areas like Mansfield and Attleboro. The Old Country Store and Emporium, with its original 150-year-old building, fits right into the historical look of West Mansfield Village. Ultimately, the Old Country Store and Emporium is one of New England's best country stores -- it's fun, friendly and full of wonderful merchandise and personality.

Another appealing representative of true New England shopping is the Vermont Country Store, in Weston, Vt. (Rt. 100, Tel. (802) 824-3184.). Weston may be a quiet town, but it does have a retail district. It's called the Vermont Country Store, purveyors of Yankee bargains, Vermont-made clothing and just about anything else under the sun. No trip to New England would be complete without a visit to this esteemed New England landmark. We, at Visiting New England.com, have always adored its Weston location set in a perfect picture village in the Green Mountains. They have something for everyone including the latest holiday gifts. Vermont fudge, cheese and crackers highlight the myriad food selection. Wonderful clothing, kitchen gadgets, "problem solvers," health and beauty items, furniture, and so many hard-to-find "brands from the past" items from yesteryear are amongst the 5,000 great products available at this New England legend.

 

Old-fashioned New England department and clothing stores

Benny's, various Rhode Island locations, southern Massachusetts, eastern Connecticut -- You have to love a place that sells everything from Cooper radial tires to Candyland. Benny's may have a chain store feel with its 30-plus stores, but it's more than that. Old-school customer service, thoughtful merchandising selection (going well beyond its home and auto center labeling) and isles that aren't quite as perfectly laid out as its corporate peers make for an interesting alerternative to your basic vanilla department store. Around since the days of former President Herbert Hoover (1924), Benny's still brings in crowds looking for the best bargains in lawn and garden items, grills and patio furniture, fishing and marine merchandise, sporting goods, bikes, electronics, and a wonderful mix of contemporary and classic toys. Benny's is like a general store with a newer layout, more flourescent lighting and management that has almost embraced modern shopping, but fortunately hesistant to leave out the old department store charm that exists to this very day.

For more information on Benny's and locations, visit its Web Site.

Lord's Department Store, Medfield, Mass. -- For more than 60 years, Lord's has been a model of local department store shopping, selling everything from clothing to malted milk balls. It is one of the last independently-owned department stores in eastern Massachusetts. They have a terrific toy section, as well as greeting cards, stationery, seasonal gifts, and school items. The feeling is old-fashioned, within a well-lit plain building in the town center. Service is always attentive, knowledgeable and friendly. The true indication of this trip back in time is Maryanne's Luncheonette. The red stools and black and white tile lend a true feeling of being in a time warp at this lunch counter tucked away in the back of the store. Around the corner from the toy section, Mary Anne's offers wholesome American favorites like cheeseburgers, grilled cheese, apple pie and strawberry shakes. It's much like the old days of Woolworth's luncheonette, only much better.

Lord's Department Store, 446 Main St., Medfield, Mass. Tel. (508) 359-2361

Maynard Outdoor Store, Maynard, Mass. -- There's something heartwarming about a locally-owned store surviving in a world of shopping malls, outlet stores and one-stop shopping super stores. Such is the case with the Maynard Outdoor Store in Maynard, Mass.The Maynard Outdoor Store may the last of a dying breed of locally run independent clothing stores, but ultimately it's full of life. An exemplary model of how local business should be run, the emphasis is on sales and service. With seven of its employees employed 20 years or more at this very location, you know the minute you walk in the store you'll be treated well. There are no bad attitudes, trendy, vacuous employees and most importantly, no shoddy merchandise. Faithful clientele from Maynard and surrounding towns come to the second generation-owned (the Cotton family), 50 year-old old-fashioned place to buy clothing, shoes, sneakers, jackets for all seasons, hiking boots, baseball gloves, winter gear and the like. The red and white tile floors and original tin ceilings add to the charm. In the back, there is a stretch of red patterned linoleum that every kitchen seemed to have in the 1970s. It's an interesting juxtaposition to the modern world of Nike, New Balance and Timberland shoes. Densely populated rows of clothing on racks and in shelves offer great selections and discounts. There's a wall of jeans that stretches virtually the entire length of the store, and outside there is a markdown rack right next to a hockey net. In the front window are displays, exactly the way business presented itself in this charming building in the early 1900s.

Maynard Outdoor Store, 24 Nason St., Maynard, Mass. Tel (978) 897-2133

 

A New England shopping village

Wickford Village, North Kingston, R.I. -- If holiday shopping is your cup of tea, why fight the maddening crowds of one of those "quaint" popular New Englannd destinations when Wickford Village offers less traffic, an impressive variety of independently-owned shops including the great Wickford Toy and Stationery, the Hour Glass (clocks), Different Drummer gift shop, and Midnight Sun clothing, and a row of 1700s colonial homes and pretty gardens en route to a splendid harbor view. Wickford Village is neatly tucked away in the town of South Kingston on beautiful Narragansett Bay, waiting to be discovered by those is search of the best of "hidden New England." Wickford Village Web Site

 

New England flavored tourist shopping attractions

Cold Hollow Cider Mill, Waterbury, Vt. -- South of Stowe in Waterbury is the Cold Hollow Cider Mill. They make cider the old-fashioned way with a rack and cloth press built in the 1920s. Cider is not the only attraction at this legendary attraction as a bakery (including delicious homemade donuts), Green Mountain Coffee, Vermont-made wines and a wonderful, thoughtful, non-generic toy store are just a few of the thousands of items found at this delightful, quintessential Vermont roadside building.

Cold Hollow Cider Mill, 3600 Waterbury-Stowe Road, (Route 100), Waterbury Center, Vt. Tel. 800-3-APPLES 

Faneuil Hall, Boston, Mass. -- With no disrespect to historical icons that put Boston, and ultimately, the United States on the map, Fanueil Hall Marketplace is Boston's best tourist centerpiece.The festive, colorful banner-oriented 100-plus combination of retail shops, restaurants, bakeries and ice cream stops offer visitors an endless supply of clothing, calories and city life within a few blocks. Steeped in history as a meeting place for the country's "movers and shakers" to convene prior to the American Revolution, Fanueil Hall Marketplace -- also known as Quincy Market -- was eventually restored and gentrified into a brilliant and valid tourist attraction, much in the tradition of the equally captivating Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Md. It consists of the original 1742 building and two other restored buildings.From the traditional Durgin Park restaurant -- where the waitresses aren't quite as nasty as in the past -- to the street musicians contributing mostly well-played music, Fanueil Hall Marketplace means a field trip for the kids, a party atmosphere for young adults, a place to recapture romantic times to parents out for the night, and a model of Boston pride for the older generation of lifelong residents wanting their city to remain full of unique character.

Fanueil Hall Marketplace, Merchants Row, Boston, Mass. Tel. (617) 242-5675

L.L. Bean, Freeport, Maine -- The past 90 years have witnessed L.L. Bean transform from a small local outdoors store to a household name and international retail sensation. While the Freeport store is now big and the small village setting of Freeport has succumbed to too many outlet stores, L.L. Bean remains a "must-see" when traveling to New England. Even though the store is the size of a small shopping mall and is open 24 hours a day in a modern environment, the experience is still "authentic New England," courtesy of an undeniably great product line, extremely knowledgeable and friendly staff, and retaining of a rustic, country store feel despite its growth. While other stores have sold out to inferior quality and a phony corporate feel, L.L. Bean remains true to New England form -- one of the best "good news" local success stories of the past 90 years.

L.L. Bean Retail Store, 1 Morse St, Freeport, Maine. Tel. (207) 552-2000

 

Specialized New England food and candy stores

Hebert's Candy Mansion, Shrewsbury, Mass. -- We'd like to live in Hebert's Candy Mansion, in Shrewsbury, Mass. -- there's no better place for incredible chocolates, confections, roasted nuts, delicious fudge and taffy. Since living in the charming mansion isn't a viable option, visiting this landmark to buy the amazing chocolates is mandatory.

Hebert's Candy Mansion
575 Hartford Turnpike (Rt. 20)
Shrewsbury, MA 01545
Tel. (508) 845-8051

Stonewall Kitchen, York, Maine -- Chefs, gardeners and home goods experts come together at this large, modern yet charming tourist attraction near the Maine seacoast on Route 1 in York. Born at a three-foot square card table at a local Famer's Market, Stonewall Kitchen caught the attention of many New Englanders impressed with Stonewall Kitchen's deep respect of New England agriculture and the amazing products spawned from that vision. From blueberry jam to incredible salad dressings, Stonewall Kitchen is a tour de force in fresh New England products, as well as an incredible offering kitchen, gardening and home goods. Also on the premises is a dining room, offering the ultimate in baked goods, salads and sandwiches. Stonewall Kitchen is indeed a major part of the New England spirit, always working hard and sometimes stoically to bring out the best this region has to offer. The fact that Stonewall Kitchen is located in a modern, state-of-the art facility with space to roam casually makes the shopping experience that much better

Stonewall Kitchen, Stonewall Lane, York, Maine. Tel. (207) 351-2712.

Yum Yum Shop, Wolfeboro, N.H. -- The Yum Yum Shop Web Site states its offerings are "Just like...Grandma used to make!" Nothing could be more accurate, as a quick scan across the room makes one realize that several trips back to this landmark establishment are in order -- the cookies, puff pastries, cakes, donuts, muffins, danishes, turnovers, breads, whoopie pies and more incredible baked goods have that profound effect. The Yum Yum Shop dining room is full of personality with its gingerbread man designed seats and tables. Upon entering this delightful room overlooking the serene eastern shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, countless gingerbread men chairs wave at you (in a inanimate way, of course), enhanced by New England village green wall art and some pretty stained glass. There's a captain's ship wheel for the kids to play with and a very tall gingerbread man the size of former National Basketball Association oddity Manute Bol, but they'll probably be too busy concentrating on one of the myriad sugar concoctions. The Yum Yum Shop has been pleasing baked good aficionados since 1948 in Wolfeboro, a great little New England vacation destination with plenty of neat, little independent shops, recreational opportunities on the lake, and a pace that forces one to relax. The Yum Yum Shop is certainly one of Wolfeboro's culinary attractions, sure to raise your blood sugar, spirits and happiness in one of New England's best true trips back in time -- a real bakery with real nice people and really, really great baked good goods.

The Yum Yum Shop, Main St., Wolfeboro, N.H. Tel. (603) 569-1919.

 

Unique New England furniture stores

Jordan's Furniture, Natick, Mass., and other locations -- Jordan's Furniture has a reputation in New England as making furniture shopping fun. Local legends Barry and Elliott, owners of Jordan's, make that theme known perhaps best at their Natick store, where you can see a Mardi Gras re-creation in a shopping mall-like corridor in this gigantic store on a hill overlooking scenic Framingham (just kidding, it is one big strip mall on Route 9). With a Bourbon Street look, a huge singing Elvis, Louis Armstrong and the Beatles, the loud music, party-like atmosphere and flashing lights make this one of the best free shows in metro Boston. It's an interesting juxtaposition as once the show is over, you can buy that microfiber couch you were always dreaming of. It is also perhaps the best furniture store in New England, offering every style, great service and high-quality items that are made for the long run.

Jordan's Furniture

1 Underprice Way (Route 9) Natick, Masss. Tel. (508)424-0088

100 Stockwell Drive, Avon, Mass. Tel. (508)580-4900

327 Daniel Webster Highway, Nashua, N.H. Tel. (603) 888-8989

50 Walker's Brook Drive, Reading, Mass. Tel. (781) 944-9090

R. Smith Furniture, Gardner, Mass. The floors are crooked, the staircase leading to the store feels like it's about to cave in, and the country atmosphere is something out of Green Acres. R. Smith furniture is not smooth and sophisticated like some of the high- profile local competitors, but what it has is an authentic, tasteful and down-to-earth offering of more than 50 brand names and some real gems made by local craftsmen. They have an extensive, impressive array of Colonial, Traditional, Country, Shaker, and Mission furniture. Gardner was once known as the furniture capital of the world; it's nice to see that spirit live on at R. Smith's.

R. Smith Furniture, 289 South Main St., Gardner, Mass. Tel. 978.632.3461

 

A modern, amazing New England shopping mall

Providence Place, Providence, R.I. -- Providence Place Mall is hands-down the best shopping mall in New England. Although forever controversial and either loved or hated with no middle ground, the Providence Place Mall has steadily gained respect with its three floors of 165 shops, elegant surroundings with plush rugs, colorful architecture, shiny walls, and something you just won't get driving down Route 95 -- that's right, a wonderful view of the Providence skyline, including the beloved waterfront. Major stores include Nordstrom, Filene's, Lord and Taylor, Pottery Barn, Abercrombie and Fitch, as well as the Feinstein IMAX Theater and National Amusement's 16 movie complex. There's also a phenomenal selection of restaurants from the food court pleasers like Johnny Rockets and Pizzeria Regina to full service quality restaurants like Dave and Buster's, Napa Valley Grille, and Fire and Ice. Ben and Jerry's, Dairy Queen and TCBY provide ice cream joy.

Visit the Providence Place Mall Web Site for more information

 

New England gift, book and toy shops

1761 Old Mill Gift Shop, Westminster, Mass. -- Narrow and somewhat bumpy in the floors, the 1761 Old Mill Country Gift Shop is a perfect holiday shopping mecca especially after a great New England meal upstairs at the charming 1761 Old Mill restaurant. Scented candles, kitchenware, home furnishings, candy and more highlight this thoughtful, longstanding quaint gift store.

The 1761 Old Mill , Rte. 2A, Westminster, Mass. Tel. (978) 874-5941

The Toy Shop of Concord, Concord, Mass. -- A one-of-a-kind shop and a distant relative of the generic, assembly line toy stores that impede our society, the Toy Shop of Concord's mantra is to sell toys that pique a child's imagination and thinking process. The festive, lively and inviting Toy Shop of Concord has been in business for 62 years, and no one comes out looking bored, children and adults alike -- proving once again that an intelligent approach to run a store doesn't have to be stuffy and dull.

The Toy Shop of Concord, 4 Walden St, Concord, Mass. Tel. (978) 369-2553

Wright's Chicken Farm Gift Shop, Nasonville, R.I. -- Wright's is the chicken capital of New England, serving thousands of chickens a day in its 1,200 seat dining facility. Its gift shop is certainly not "fowl," offering one of New England's best small toy departments, a penny candy store, Hallmark store-like gifts and novelty items. It may seem strange to do one's Christmas shopping at a chicken restaurant, but the gift shop is more than a token addition to the establishment, acting more like a first-choice place to holiday shop.

Wright's Chicken Farm, 848 Inman Road ,  Nasonville, R.I. Tel. 769-2856.


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