Say what you want about the mallification of Harvard Square but as of a couple of months ago, it was still possible to turn down a side street and happen upon a shop selling a product you'd never considered but which, once you became aware of it, wondered how you'd ever done without. So it was with Boston Coasters.
The idea is simple. So simple, in fact, that I wish I'd thought of it: Wander around town and take pictures of T-maps, street signs, bus stops, and building details, turn them into coasters and sell them for a few bucks apiece at art fairs, on the Internet and in your tiny Harvard Square (now Porter Square) store. As easy as that: clever, funky, functional, not too expensive, and the perfect thing to keep your glasses from leaving little rings on the coffee table. I'll admit that I haven't bought any coasters yet but it's only a matter of time.
Boston Coasters also sells vintage and high-quality reproduction maps. Not too long ago, I bought a lower-priced map of the Los Angeles metropolitan area (my home world) from the 1930s or early 1940s. Just looking at it makes me feel like Philip Marlowe and it will look great hanging in my foyer once I get around to framing it.. read more
