there are several stores in newburyport selling artisinal crafts and gifts, but annie's was the only one where i actually bought something.
the problem i have with these types of gifts is that they tend to be expensive. i know handcrafted stuff isn't cheap, but i am. and i'm not paying $1,200 for a painting of a sailboat or an ocean view or somesuch that i could get at one of those starving artist sales for $20.
that being said, annie's doesn't stock anything like that. with beautiful, definitively non-kitchy pottery, glass work, jewelry, and wood work annie's is definitely worth a stop while you're in newburyport. there are plenty of selections in nearly every price point starting around $20 or $30 and up.
the proprietors were great. friendly, knowledgeable about their products without pushing a sale, quick to offer some local insight to two wanderers who were just looking to walk around for the day, and happy to see them again when they returned several hours later.
can't ask for much more than that. read more