Sowa Boston

Love coming here! Totally in my element. Go see Stephanie…read moreand John. They have great stuff. Lots of decorative numbers and letters, vintage patio furniture and industiral pieces. I'm in love with the large stainless steel "t" that I got from them this past weekend.

This vintage market is a total treasure trove!…read more There is no better cure for the Sunday scaries then perusing trinkets with your besties in the South End. This market was stacked with jewelry, prints, clothing, cameras, vinyls, and so much more. The layout is a little overwhelming and hard to navigate with large influxes of shoppers, however, it does force you to stay put a bit and do a bit more digging in sections. The staff was super friendly, especially the gentlemen who checked me out. I ended up going with this $10 Charlie Brown coloring book page from the 60s which is a great deal!

2.0 mi•Kendall Square/MIT

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SoWa Vintage Market 4/2026

MIT Flea Market

4.0(5 reviews)

Cool stuff, great prices. I got like 10 super cool antique radio switches for $5 and my friend got…read morea Leatherman for $3. If you've ever wanted to build your own radio, this is the place for you. There were also very cheap old PC components, perfect for restoration projects. There were fewer Apple components (as I would expect) but they were still very reasonably priced and in good condition for the most part. My only qualm was with the venders. For the most part they were kind and helpful, mostly nerdy in a charming way. There were, however, at least three instances where venders made very sexist, condescending remarks, such as "you should find a boyfriend who can teach you engineering," or "this isn't the place for a nice girl like you, with all these electronics!" Usually I could forgive this, and in all cases I informed them that I was in fact an engineer despite being a woman (a radical concept, I know), but in all cases, when I asked the prices of different components they gave me ones that were significantly higher than usual. I decided to do an experiment; I had my friend (a guy) go to one of the same venders and ask the price of the same component and the vender's price for him was lower (only by like two dollars, but still).

I am sad to report that Steve Finberg, cofounder and longtime impresario of the MIT Electronics…read moreSwapfest, died on April 23, 2021. As it happens, I was just about to write him to ask what the plans were for reopening post-COVID. Steve was always in the public eye, enthusiastically promoting and administering the event, but was also an intensely private individual. His cheerful energy will be missed. The Swapfest was tentatively schedule to resume in mid-August 2021. Monitor the website for any updates.

The Somerville Flea

4.5(2 reviews)

4.9 mi•Davis Square

As others have said, it's a little on the small side, and some items are a little pricey, but…read morebeyond that...great experience. Fav part was how friendly and helpful vendors were. I def found some cool stuff, they have a little bit of everything from vintage clothes, handmade items, food, and antiques. I also love the location and that it's open almost every Sunday.

There was some good stuff here, and I enjoyed walking around the booths. The fresh vegetables and…read morefruit were a big draw and I munched on blueberries while I looked around. The booths were a good variety of items, one carrying plants, couple with furniture, couple with clothes, couple with trinkets. Parking was easy. My only complaint is that it was rather small. There was about 15 booths, so we made our way through pretty quickly.

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Cambridge Antique Market

4.0(171 reviews)

2.2 mi•East Cambridge

Finally checked this place out and I've never seen anything quite like it. There are 5 floors of…read morevintage/antique knickknacks, furniture, art, jewelry, clothing, etc. in this old building. There is a parking lot but it's quite small. There are different booths and each one is labeled with any sales that might be going on, but there aren't many staff members, so it was kind of difficult to shop. There are a lot of items that are locked in cabinets and you would presumably have to grab someone from the first floor to unlock it if you wanted to have a closer look. I wasn't trying to spend a ton anyways and am usually happy just browsing, so I just got a small ceramic cup that wasn't locked in anything. There was a booth on the first floor selling fine jewelry and tennis bracelets that were gorgeous but out of my price range. There were a ton of eclectic interesting things here, some kind of grimy and some in pristine condition--truly a one man's trash is another's treasure sort of place. I would definitely come again to browse.

Finally checked out this spot after wanting to come for a long time. They have 5 floors of antiques…read morebelonging to many different vendors, so each one you walk through has its own style and character. You could spend hours here. They have everything, clothes, decorations, kitchenware, large furniture--basically anything and everything. There's elevators and they do have a parking lot although parking was tight and crowded. But it is also accessible by Lechmere station. We found some cool paintings and a decorative dish. I would come back here! You can pay by card and the workers were friendly. Some things were pricey but some reasonable, it depends on the booth you were purchasing from.

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Quincy Market

4.0(976 reviews)

1.3 mi

We were told this was a must try spot while on our vacation, and I can see why!…read more There are plenty of food stalls here, and shops to check out. Walking around, we got samples of Babkas and different ice creams and smoothies. I was most interested in the Lobster Rolls! A must in Boston! It didn't disappoint! After eating, we checked out the little kiosks of Knick knacks and shops in the area. Another area I could easily spend the whole day exploring!

The description of this place is. A big market. A touristic place with tourist prices. It is a…read morepopular place and a must visit if you come to Boston. I recommend good walking shoes. The area has cobblestone in some areas. The parking is a little hard around this area. Finding parking and driving. The parking garages around here some don't like larger cars or trucks. I recommend parking a few blocks away and walking. The market was nice. It had live performers the day I came outside doing their thing. It has a huge area that sells food. It was dream. It was hard to choose which vendors to hit first. The seafood looked so good. So many places to choose for a lobster roll. The workers were friendly. The service was good. I liked my time here.

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Clam chower

High Energy Vintage

4.8(39 reviews)

3.3 mi

The world needs more places like High Energy. Simple as that. NES, SNES, Genesis, Gameboy,…read moreJAGUAR?!??, N64, and the beat goes on. Cool clothing selection, tees, long sleeves, westerns, caps, shoes, guys, girls, blah blah blah. These dudes run it. The owner sets up at the Davis Sq flea on the weekend too, so check him out. Super friendly staff, and a great place to get lost in. Also: Game stations!!! Ask to try any game they got behind the counter and play a few rounds on the TV to pass your own judgement. Bottom line: This place rules.

Pretty sure I met the owner when I visited, super nice dude! Also the largest selection of VHS…read moretapes I've seen in a while, at good prices! Absolutely recommend this place, especially if you're looking for tapes.

Www.graceelahe.com

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Boston Public Market

4.2(445 reviews)

1.4 mi

This is a fantastic indoor market. Such a perfect place to…read morego for a coffee, a doughnut, a sandwich just looking around they have everything. Plenty of seating for everybody and a gigantic TV for viewing the game. If you've got kids, this is a wonderful place to go. They have seating on the inside and the outside, but if it's raining outside, this place would be the ticket. You do have to have a code for the bathroom.

After walking around the Long Wharf, we stopped in at the Boston Public Market. The Boston Public…read moreMarket is an indoor marketplace that sells products from New England vendors such as crafts, housewares, and food and drink. The Boston Public Market wasn't crowded and chaotic, so it was a nice place to relax, as well as use the bathroom. They also had seating for people just to hang out. We stopped at Red Apple Farm and purchased flights of cider for $10 (the samples we had were were black cherry, cranberry, and blueberry), and then I bought nearly $50 worth of nuts at Q's Nuts. [Yelp collections: Boston, MA 2025; Pee for free!]

Fabulous Carousel

One if the many stops around the area

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Fun, fun, fun!

Starlight Square

4.5(2 reviews)

2.5 mi•Central Square

This is a great use of space! Having artful, social community gatherings is such a tremendously…read morebetter use of space than having this be a parking lot. I am so happy that this venue was created at just the right time, when more people needed a good outdoor space to hold events. The venue is really beautiful and well put together, and Michael and his wife do a great job with it.

This is an exciting new area in Central Square. Starlight's motto is "a parking lot for cars…read moretransformed into a place for people." I came by to buy groceries from H-Mart but instead was surprised to see a bustling new area with pop-up stores and live singing. It looked like there were a lot of local artists selling purses, clothing, and small crafts. While there weren't that many vendors on a Saturday afternoon (maybe five to seven), I was happy to see that plenty of customers were walking around and enjoying the music. I think Starlight has a lot of potential. I'm excited to see how the Central Square Farmers Market is incorporated into this space and whether this'll continue into the winter.

Improv

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Sketch comedy

Boomerangs

4.0(101 reviews)

2.4 mi•Central Square

Visited store for the first time, small cute busy store. The store is clean and organized…read more There's a lot of variety with home goods and clothes, accessories. We found some cute things went on a accidental shopping spree but glad it's going to a good cause. My gripe....It's unprofessional when the workers are having LOUD personal conversations and making insinuations. Upon me grabbing my bags the lady behind the counter suggested I should smile more. Really..? I just spent 100 I'm perfectly fine thank you. It's called Resting B*tch Face. How about you tend to customers, the register and minding your own business.

This thrift store has a little bit of everything you could possibly think of from an extensive…read morecollection of clothing, shoes, books, as well as some household items, frames, plates, cups, self-care items like lotions and soaps (some of which could make nice gifts), games, puzzles, and more. Their pricing is also very reasonable, for instance, a leather jacket in great condition was only $12 and a nice set of hand creams was $5. I'd definitely come back to spend more time to look through all the clothing.

Vanilla candle

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Vivant Vintage

4.9(63 reviews)

3.5 mi•Allston/Brighton

What a gem of a store!…read more It's a very curated vintage store. They have a really great collection of jewelry. I was particularly impressed with their ring selection. I have made two separate purchases so far and intend to come back again! Everything is super charming, like the drawer of "little guys" (photos attached!) For in store events they have a DJ playing records, you can shop, listen to music, and purchase a beverage to enjoy while you shop. The staff really care about what they do and it shows in the details.

As someone who really tries to buy second hand, even when on Newbury in the face of hot&new…read moreclothes, Vivant makes it super easy! Their selection is great, their staff is friendly, and the store lay-out is super logical. I ended up grabbing something from their jewelry selection--def worth a visit!

"Little guys"

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Jersey tee

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Sam L.

201

132

348

13 years ago

This was a fun place to run through on a free weekend day. Many local shops bring their arts, crafts and foods. Here is not the place though for deal hunting. Lots of talented merchants here so if your looking to jazz up your living area, here is the place to come. read more

Sowa Boston - galleries - Updated November 2026

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Gallery 263

4.3

(6 reviews)

I came here for the first time to see The Cave, an awesome installation they did of.. a cave!…read moreBasically the gallery director built a paper mache cave into the entire space, it was quite cool and fun to be in. This place has a playful and young feel and it's nice to see a non-profit gallery keeping the artsy spirit alive in this area! I also hear there are yoga classes and music shows held regularly, though I haven't made any yet. Both sound worth checking out!

Gallery 253 reception / party! Great environment and group of people who work and show artwork…read morethere!

Vose Galleries

5.0

(4 reviews)

•$$$$

One of the best art galleries in the USA. Highly recommend! Excellent staff to help with satisfying…read moreyour interests in collecting art that is exceptional.

This gallery shows a combination of paintings by living and deceased artists, as well as a few…read moresculptures and antiques. The style is definitely traditional overall, with a combination of Impressionist, Academic, and Boston School artists represented, to name a few genres. The gallery itself is in an old townhouse that is furnished to look like a home. Don't think they're closed -- you have to be buzzed in to enter. And yes, that's because the work is just THAT valuable. I've said this in other reviews, but I prefer going to galleries over museums when I want to see traditional artwork. The admission is free, and if you ask the staff politely you can probably learn about how the artist painted the work, etc. There are always free flyers you can bring home for your art notebook, too.

Central Square

3.9

(86 reviews)

It is fun to visit once a while the graffiti alley in Central Square and watch street artists…read moreworking. The alley is one of the designated graffiti wall in Cambridge early on, although in the past few years street arts has lightened up the streets around the square. Seeing these arts made me feeling happy walking in the streets during the past winter. There has been quite some rebuilding around Central Square. A twenty story building came up on Mass Ave the past year together with newly opened, modern style restaurants. I hope the local stores and restaurants in the 2-3 story copper stained and dark brown buildings around the square willI all survive the hardship and open up very soon.

Specifically my 5 star review is for graffiti alley…read more I found out about this lil gem through a friend and have been here twice to experience the daily transformation. As a fan of graffiti and pop art I found this to be a real treasure, as there aren't many spots left in this country that allow this art expression in an open, welcomed public forum. If this type of art is not for you, skip it rather than posting a bad review. For those that appreciate this type of expression, it's worth a look if you're in the area. A side note: if this is your jam, check out Quincy Quarries as well. It's worth the drive.

Flourish & Foundry

4.5

(2 reviews)

Excellent little gift shop showcasing a selection of curated locally made and/or small-business…read moreitems. From small batch soaps and body oils to ceramics and beautiful affordable (original!) artwork. There's even a small art gallery tucked in the back that has a lovely theme, and all the pieces were created by the same artist. As we were browsing, there was a friendly artist creating art live in the shop... where else can you see that? A truly unique experience. I recommend taking a look - this place will take you by surprise, and is a refreshing addition to Faneuil Hall.

A very minimalist curated collection of minimalist home goods and tabletop items - simple bowls,…read morecups, linens. Sheets, and a line of intriguing candle refills (microwave to melt wax and wicks in a bag to refill a used candle vessel) The store is LGBTQ and women owned and says they are committed to low-impact and ethically sourced products. It's a nice store with good products and fair prices -- Just a little more variety would help - cards and some gift items would help on a heavily tourist trodden location.

Craftboston

4.4

(5 reviews)

Wonderful crafts from New England. It's like visiting a dozen craft museums all at once! Wood…read moreworking, weaving, glass, metal sculptures. A lot of jewelry. Though there were quite a few repetitive crafts, they each had their own twist to their art. The exhibit hall isn't overwhelming, and if you get there early enough it's not yet crowded. There are a couple interesting highlights, with Steampunk sculptures from Steampunk Lighting to piggy banks with personalities from Three Wheel Studio. It's a fun, fairly quick step into the crafting world! Great ideas for gifting and those items to get someone who has "everything"! I'm very happy with my own purchases from Antrim Street Studio and Kommineni Art Glass.

The fact that I a. found a parking spot on the street and then b. got in for freezies with my Yelp…read morecheck-in totes made my day. The artists and artisans here are über talented, from all over the place, and very willing to tell you their stories and explain their methods. Inspiring. Awesome. Add to that Spindleworks, a nonprofit art center in Maine for people with disabilities, and Metalwerx, where I will be taking my next art metal class in Waltham (I hope), as well as displays by a woodworking cooperative and the Fuller Craft Museum, and we were happy campers. Prices range from totally do-able to going-to-have-to-save-up-but-will-do-so-willingly. So much cool stuff. I am a sucker for pottery and sparkly shiny jewelry and left totally satisfied and with a long wishlist. Well done! And thank you.

Le Laboratoire Cambridge

4.0

(4 reviews)

I had a Gilt City for this experience and have been waiting for months to go…read more My boyfriend and I finally went last week, and we were both thoroughly impressed by Edwards and his passion for bringing together art and science. We walked through the museum portion first interacting with different stations. The museum is pretty small but detailed and takes about 30 minutes max to go through everything detailed though you can probably skim it in 15. The exhibits do rotate and the last one we wanted to see sold out. As we entered the next room we were greeted with a fabulous gimlet. 5 stars! Next we had the taste and smell experience of the exhibit where they had a vaporizing machine and you could drink (inhale) a margarita or chocolate which was mind blowing and so unique. We then did a smell machine where we guessed scents the machine was able to make up off different nodes, so fun. We tried inhaling chocolate cocoa through a cigarette-like candy. Our favorite was the vanilla coconut milk gel covered balls. They were delicious and unlike anything we have ever had. Super refreshing. We had such a good night we continued to Cafe ArtScience right next door where Todd Maul (former mixologist at Clio, our old favorite go-to) impressed us once again by mixing up some impressive concoctions. Probably one of our best date nights yet, so unique fun and different.

UNIQUE ART & DESIGN CENTER FOR A FULL SENSORY EXPERIENCE…read moreopen Wednesday - Saturday! I'm so surprised that I had never heard of Le Laboratoire before. Sitting next to Cafe ArtScience, this art gallery/design center is cleverly in the center of bustling biotech/pharma that is growing in Kendall Square. A Harvard professor opened this gallery only in Paris and Cambridge, MA as a place of true innovation showcased in a truly interactive way. I purchased a Gilt City deal for a guided tour through the Lab Lounge. The deal included the following: + GALLERY OF "THE TROUBLE WITH JELLYFISH": A full gallery with paintings, drawings, and a furniture installation with unique jelly fish objects, live jellyfish, and interactive ways to learn about the ways jellyfish are impacting the ecosystem. This exhibit is ongoing until Jan 2, 2016! + "OPHONE" EXPERIENCE: We were able to witness creating and sending different smells directly from an iPad to a device called the ophone, which emitted smells from different card insertions. + INHALABLE WHAF: Taking alcohol, this whaf turned the liquid into smoke that you could inhale and taste. You can't get drunk off of this "cocktail", though! + "AERO" BREATHABLE CHOCOLATE: This device looked like a mini vape, where you could inhale chocolate without consuming the calories! These aero shots were also available for caffeine and vitamin C shots. + LAB COCKTAILS: They were really strong! ~ 8 WIKI ICE CREAM TREATS: These ice creams were self-contained sundaes - little balls of ice cream in the center with chocolate or blueberry coating. I would just rather have a normal sundae! The guided tour was an awesome experience and we were able to see other inventions that were using recycled plastic and trying to preserve/create energy. This is a truly unique exhibit and perfect for the Kendall Square area, a place full of educated individuals and growing innovative industries. Definitely stop by for a date or group outing!

Prudential Center

3.7

(284 reviews)

•$$$

I have been shopping at this location for years and years but at this point in time the Prudential…read moreCenter has truly been transformed into a Premier Shopping Destination for Boston! The wonderful stores and shops and things to see really has been elevated to a much higher level than years ago! This is really a beautiful place to shop and eat and hangout! So many wonderful things to see and do! The place was so busy that it reminded me of the Christmas Season! The place is booming! Great Selection of Stores and lots a Valuable savings! Very impressive here!

Came here after walking through the Boston Commons and Newbury street. We were in desperate need of…read morea restroom and found one here.. along with many cool shops! I've been to the view Boston 3x times and highly recommend it for anyone visiting the area. Mall is modern and clean. Tightly packed on this Labor Day weekend but not loud or overstimulating. Boston seems to find a nice balance :) The stores change a little bit over time and remain relevant. Definitely worth a pass/walk through.

Assembly Row

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