Photo by Jacqueline Dole

YOUR PICKS

 ART SUPPLY
BOB SLATE STATIONER
Living proof that print is not only not dead, but beautifully made and packaged.
[30 Brattle St., Cambridge. @bob_slate]

BARBERSHOP
FAST PHIL’S
He’s wicked fast kehd. Cindy and Jackie are great too. Give them access to your hair.
[2530 Mass. Ave., Cambridge]

BIKE SHOP
CAMBRIDGE BICYCLE
Hordes of MIT-trained mechanical engineers bring their bikes here. Case closed.
[259 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. @CambridgeBike. cambridgebicycle.com]

COMIC SHOP
COMICAZI
A veritable funny book Valhalla for the comic book connoisseur as well as the more casual geek.
[407 Highland Ave., Somerville. @Comicazi. comicazi.com]

EYEWEAR
CENTRAL SQUARE EYE CARE
Super friendly, super knowledgeable. Plus, their name rhymes.
[3 Central Sq., Cambridge. centralsquareeyecare.net]

GIFTS
XYLEM
Geek chic at its finest—jewelry, gadgets, and a Pizza Pi cutter.
[287 3rd St., Cambridge. @shopxylem. shopxylem.com]

GYM
SOUL.TRAIN.
You won’t find Don Cornelius, but you can exercise your mind and body … jive turkey.
[1180 Broadway, Somerville. @SoulTrainNation. soultrainfitness.com]

HOUSEWARES
TAGS
They won’t laugh at you when you ask stupid questions about fixing simple things. Yes, even when you come in in your skinny jeans.
[29 White St., Cambridge. @TAGSHardware. tagshardware.com]

LINGERIE
HUBBA HUBBA
Find the sexiest g-strings, corsets, and fishnets (and the sex toys you’re going to need once you put them on) at this naughty one-stop-shop.
[534 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. hubbahubba.com]

MUSIC GEAR
SANDY’S MUSIC
The folk mecca of Cambridge. Sandy’s the kind of guy you wish was your gramps.
[896 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. sandysmusic.org]

BOOKSTORE/NEW
PORTER SQUARE BOOKS
A shocking amount of literature for such a cozy location. Kid, pet, indie, local, and student friendly to boot!
[25 White St., Cambridge. @PorterSqBooks. portersquarebooks.com]

BOOKSTORE/USED
LOREM IPSUM
Who knew it’s used? Lorem Ipsum hand-selects books, providing everything from the rare to the unusual.
[1299 Cambridge St., Cambridge. @loremipsumbooks. loremipsumbooks.com]

RECORD STORE
WEIRDO RECORDS
Aged, unusual, obscure, and awe-inspiring. The best of strange records for the freaks who freak out to them.
[844 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. @weirdorecords. weirdorecords.com/zen/]

MEN’S CLOTHING
KEEZER’S
Every girl’s crazy for a sharp dressed man–and nobody will dress you sharper than Keezer’s.
[140 River St., Cambridge. keezers.com]

WOMEN’S CLOTHING
MINT JULEP
Raise your hand if you love scarves (and other sassy-chic women’s clothing).
[6 Church St., Cambridge. @ShopMintJulep. shopmintjulep.com]

SHOES
BERK’S SHOES
They’re the coolest kicks in the cave. Obviously they have Birkenstocks.
[50 JFK St., Cambridge. berkshoes.com]

SKATE SHOP
RAW
Get the shoes and beanies you need to look rad as hell, and the boards to look rad as hell on.
[15A Elm St., Somerville. @RAWNEWENGLAND. rawnewengland.com]

SPA
INMAN OASIS
There is literally nothing better than using one of their wood-lined hot tubs when it’s cold outside. Literally.
[243 Hampshire St., Cambridge. @inmanoasis. inmanoasis.com]

SPORTING GOODS
EASTERN MOUNTAIN SPORTS
If you’re looking for those cool, hippie, toe-shoes (Vibrams), this is the place to get them. Yeah. That’s the stuff.
[1 Brattle Sq., Cambridge. @EASTERNMNTN. ems.com]

VINTAGE
POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL
Poor Little Rich Girl is a store that creates need. Walk in, see the fabulousness-void in your life, and then fill it.
[121 Hampshire St., Cambridge. @plrgvintage. shoppoorlittlerichgirl.com]

TATTOO SHOP
PINO BROS INK
These guys are the coolest and most accommodating in the biz, making first-time tats or piercings a breeze.
[1100 Cambridge St., Cambridge. pinobrosink.com]

THRIFT
THE GARMENT DISTRICT
It may not technically be a district, but it’s certainly vast enough to be one.
[200 Broadway, Cambridge. @GarmentDistrict. garment-district.com]

SALON
JUDY JETSON
A salon with that makes women ache longingly for trendy dos as they walk by, and experience mod heaven when they walk in.
[1765 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. @judyjetsonsalon. judyjetson.com]

YOGA
KARMA YOGA STUDIO
You’ll find everything from hot yoga to … cold yoga? Is that a thing?
[1120 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. @KarmaYogaStudio. karmayogastudio.com]

EDIT PICKS

LAUREN’S PICK
BEST THINGS WE DIDN’T KNOW WE NEEDED: BOUTIQUE FABULOUS
Dearest Boutique Fab: How do you do it? Umbrella that I can sheath and whip out like a ninja’s sword? Star-shaped lanterns glittering from the ceiling? Mood of the day flip books to stand on my desk so I can passive aggressively inform co-workers that if they piss me off I will strike? It’s all there. [1309 Cambridge St., Cambridge. @BoutiqueFab. boutiquefabulous.com]

CADY’S PICK
BEST SMELL: RAVEN USED BOOKS
There isn’t an award for Best Smelling Books, but there should be! [Done. -Ed] Why do old books smell so good? I’d like to nominate Raven for this auspiciousness. Go there, curl up in their cozy aisles, and read something by either Marquez or Dostoevsky (in my experience, the best-smelling authors).
[52-B JFK St., Cambridge. ravencambridge.com]

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Photo by Melanie Rieders