I love this place, and have been an avid fan since it opened. The staff are helpful in the best…read morepossible way: present, useful, neither hovering nor pushy. Jess knows my wardrobe better than I do, even remembering things I bought years ago and assessing current pieces in that light. And the clothes! they're fun, useful, affordable, easy wear and easy care. A little different, so you won;t see your look all around you. Lotta different styles - casual, glam, office, beach and in-between. And alot of pieces are ageless: not trampy, teen-y nor matronly. I'm 70 and maybe a third of my wardrobe has been built over the years from Helena's. Check it out!

Beautiful, unique clothing. Prices are up-scale given the quality of the products. A lot of USA…read moresupported retailers are sold here as well making you feel good about your purchases. Jewelry is lower end, and looks more like costume jewelry. I bought a beautiful black jean dress here over 2 years ago and still love it!l wear it regularly and receive compliments all the time. There is also a new Belmont location that opened in 2020. Smaller but equally nice!

This store is incredible! The most beautiful selections from casual to party wear! Great price…read morepoint for amazing clothing. Contemporary styles and casual outfits that will most definitely will make you stand out, whatever the function may be! The service is amazing Lee is incredible. She has impeccable taste, from jeans to jewelry! It is incredibly refreshing to visit such a contemporary store, so much thought has gone into the beautiful wardrobe and accent pieces! A definite must visit for all women!

The clothes are beautiful and flattering, and I get compliments every time I wear something from…read morehere. But what really makes this place special is the people--the sales associates are incredibly friendly, so helpful, and you can tell they truly enjoy being there. It's one of those places that makes you feel confident and welcome the second you walk in the door. So grateful for small businesses like this one!

I looooove thissss storeeeee iiii will be returninggggggg . So much to look at and they got koi…read morefish decor

BUYER BEWARE: We went inside this store and was not greeted by the 3-4 people crowding behind the…read moreregister, no other customer was inside the store. I believe they were training a new person and as we walked by we were still not greeted (it did not bother us, unfortunately we are quite used to this in these suburban towns). We took our time browsing the store as they had a selection of baby related items towards the very back of the store that we found cute yet (albeit very expensive). We spent about 10 mins. As we were leaving we see one of the (presumably new) employee with green hair walk towards the section we were in. He went past us and awkwardly followed us without uttering a word, made us feel like shoplifters. We were deeply offended and and felt disgusted as we exited the store. Apparently we are not the only ones who experienced this, I attached a screenshot of a 56 year old woman who was also followed. This store really needs to reduce their hubris, there is literally nothing of great value to steal from in this store. An apology to this review would be nice, however we do not plan on returning ever and the lack of accountability based on other replies does not provide us with much hope. TLDR; we went in this store and without any verbal interaction, was followed by an awkward employee. We felt offended and disgusted. It's 2024 and I would hate to imagine what the chain of events would be, if we were of a darker skin color.

I'm so grateful that this place still exists. It's an old time fabric store that sells a wide range…read moreof fabrics plus will service your machine. The owner is super nice guy. The whole place is old school.

Great folks with infinite knowledge. They didn't have what we needed but they gave us information…read morethat led us to finding the product we needed.

I agree with person who says if you want to be treated poorly, patronize this place. I was looking…read moreat their wares, I was approached by a man who works there and was asked if I had any questions. And I said "how much is a scarf, I looked at the ones on the other side of the floor and didn't see a tag." TBH, there was a tag, but no price on that tag. He reported with "there's a tag on every scarf." This is not a way to talk to a potential customer. I usually say "never say 'never'", but I will NEVER shop here. And also, if somebody's has less than five stars, the score is actually lower than shown because people give one star actually want to give new stars. I'm one of them.

This is a pretty store in the heart of Harvard Square with a lovely collection of mostly…read morecontemporary one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry. I spied some really eye-catching pieces that would add immeasurably to the knock-out factor when dressing up. These are quality pieces with price tags to match. The day we visited was a busy one but the staff was extremely helpful and accommodating giving us plenty of time to try on a variety of jewelry items from the display cases. No hard sell, no impatience, just good, attentive service. My cousin ended up with a beautiful long silver necklace interspersed with slices of quartz throughout. I fell in love with some dramatic earrings (shown in one of the photos) but when I tried them on they felt too heavy for my ear lobes (one lobe ripped once from years of heavy earrings and had to be repaired by a plastic surgeon so I'm not going down that road again) so with a heavy heart I put those beauties back on the shelf. There is plenty to look at on two floors of space here. There are lots of things to examine and explore on shelves, counters, and behind glass cases all beautifully presented. You can also find a few other things besides jewelry like hand-made silk scarves and metal serving pieces. I thought some of the serving pieces would make an excellent hostess gift when traveling to stay with friends for example. Great place to browse and to find something for yourself or a very special someone else in your life.

Been here several times the past few years. Service is always great and they've got anything you…read morewould need. Don't understand the negative views regarding waiting for service, but with the comments concerning political views I'm assuming it's a review posted out of spite. If you don't agree, engage in a conversation...oh wait, that never happens. No class, just don't go there . It's not an airport, you don't have to announce your departure.

We entered seeking simple items: A new set of darts, perhaps some cool flights. What we found…read moreinstead was a scene crafted by Kafka, curated by Orwell, and hosted by a woman welded to her computer screen. At the door, a hand-scrawled sign barked, "STOP! Do not enter until we tell you," or something to that effect. We obeyed, standing there like travelers denied entry at the gates of some peculiar limbo. We waited. She typed. We waited more. She typed still. Silence stretched long enough for us to wonder if this was a store or some social experiment in neglect. No acknowledgment. No welcome. Just silence, save for the quiet hum of our growing discomfort. Then, amidst the dim glow of cheap fluorescents, we saw it: a shoddily printed manifesto of political grievances, plastered like a relic from the darker corners of the internet. A tirade of slogans, grievances, and conspiracies best left to social media echo chambers, somehow now a fixture cheaply typed in poor grammar on a blank Microsoft Word document. "Democrats hate America, Trump is our savior!" On and on, a stew of QAnon lunacy that had no place anywhere, let alone a darts shop. Poorly written, barely coherent, and more desperate than persuasive. In that moment, the choice became clear. We left. Not just because of the lack of service, but because no business that alienates half the country with tinfoil-hat propaganda deserves our time or money. If you're looking for darts, try anywhere else. If you're looking for a glimpse into paranoia and poor customer service, you've found your spot. This store may sell darts, but its sharpest points are reserved for imaginary enemies.

Very nice store with a wide variety of gifts to make that special someone smile :-). I got socked…read moreand was pleasantly surprised of the spend $10 get $5 off! Worth a visit if you're in Boston near Back Bay! 2017 review #12

We thought the selection was cute in the first floor - then we find that there's a floor below that…read moreincludes a room full of niche products. Whoever is curating their selection of vendors and products - good job. I found most of my souvenir/gifts for friends and family in one go and some others for myself.

All craft roads lead to Playtime--an unassuming yet remarkable arts and crafts supply store in…read moreArlington Center. As a gifter, I don't fully understand how I didn't know about this place before, but I'm so glad I do now. I went for a family project recently when closer craft shops didn't have what we needed. There's an abundance of arts and crafts supplies here, housed in two interconnected basement rooms, along with an impressive paper and picture frame selection (among other items) on the first floor. The atmosphere is one of a kind--more like an arts-and-crafts boutique curated by the owner, with items you won't easily find together elsewhere. Because of the sheer breadth, some categories (like fabrics, for example) have a smaller variety, which is just an observation, not a critique. Ribbons are unrivaled. If you don't have time to wander, ask--the best part of our experience was the owner, Carol, and the staff (thank you, Lilly). They are wonderfully kind, patient, and creative, offering thoughtful, gentle advice for your projects and genuinely care about their customers. Tip: There's a parking lot in the back or bus 87 drops you off right in front, literally. Highly recommended local business.

How in the WORLD have I lived in Boston, Brookline, and Cambridge for decades and not known about…read morethis place. A friend recommended coming here w/ my mom to look for yarn for her knitting projects and my friend prefaced that this place was the BEST for any type of arts, crafts, decor, etc. Well, WOW!! And funny enough, my mom used to go to this store when she was a little girl in the late 50s-60s to get Nancy Drew books. She said it was EXACTLY how she remembered as a kid. I was awe struck by everything this store had. I will definitely be making this place a regular stop for gifts for people and for fun. Forget going to places like Michaels. Come to this local, family-owned business which I guarantee will have whatever you are looking for. It's an incredible place.