Holiday Shopping in Local Davis Square
December 7, 2007
With finals crunch time in full swing, you may not have all the time in the world to head into Boston to do your holiday shopping. However, lucky for you, Davis Square is just a Joey ride away and is good for more than Anna’s and J.P. Licks runs — it actually is name to stores that offer wonderful holiday gifts. Whether you are shopping for your mom, your grandpa, or your hard-to-please best friend, there is probably something to be found in Davis Square.
Davis Squared D2, located at 409 Highland Ave., has a lot to offer in the shopping department. At the front of the shop is a large selection of knit scarves, hats, and mittens by Wooden Ships in an assortment of colored stripes. Each scarf, hat, or mitten set is $27 and is a perfect gift to keep a friend or sister warm during a cold New England winter. For other friends or family members who spend time keeping toasty during the winter months, D2 sells wonderful smelling “bath bombs” for $8.95 to liven up a blasé bath. For a friend who doesn’t let the cold stop her from going out, a set of four colorful and classy shot glasses for $17 might be just the gift to give.
Anyone would enjoy receiving one of the pretty and elegant frames that D2 sells. Costing anywhere from $12 to $40, they won’t set you back too much.
For Mom or Dad, depending on who does the cooking in the family, D2 sells a collection of specialized cookbooks. Think about giving Trattoria: Italian Cooking ($24.95) or Heavenly Chocolate ($12.95) to a parent.
For the men in your life, D2 also has a nice collection of gift-able items. Is your boyfriend’s or brother’s wallet looking pretty used and beat-up? An Ab Clay wallet ($47) is just what he needs. For the party-thrower, D2 sells a cheap ($6) set of “beer bands,” which each have a funny message written on them and are used to identify whose beer is whose.
If you may can’t wrap a gift to save your life, but enjoy artfully presenting gifts, D2 also sells funky wrapping paper ($6) and holiday cards (about $3 each) to adorn your gifts.
Just across the street from Davis Squared is Magpie, at 416 Highland Ave. Magpie has unique, handmade gifts for artsy and funky friends and family. Look here for jewelry for friends, aunts, Mom, and sisters. The jewelry ranges from cheap ($8) earrings by Chick A Dee to more expensive ($50-$90) necklaces by Erica Weiner and Quiet Jewelry.
Something a Tufts friend might enjoy is the book Eat. Shop Boston, a fun guide to Boston and the surrounding area ($14.95). For a Tufts friend or someone that you’re willing to spend some money on, Magpie sells cute, patterned totes from Lylou designs for about $90.
For Dad or a working older brother, Magpie sells handmade and unique business card holders made of old bike chains for $30. If your dad is one who enjoys receiving a picture of you for his office desk or bureau, a brown tweed picture frame ($16) may be just the thing.
Over on 267 Elm Street is Cameras, Inc., which offers gifts that almost anyone on your list would love. Cameras, Inc. has an extremely wide assortment of picture frames and photo albums, as well as several computer stations at which you can use your camera’s memory card to make digital prints of several sizes.
For a boyfriend, girlfriend, parent, or anyone worth quite a bit of money, Cameras, Inc. sells a large selection of digital cameras, many of which are actually very affordable. Several Nikon, Pentax, and Olympus cameras run between $119 and $139. And if you really feel like splurging, camera cases will set you back about another $20.
For a grandparent, Cameras, Inc. also has a lot to offer. Using almost any photo, Cameras, Inc. can create anything from a tote bag ($17) to a Christmas ornament ($12.95) to a coffee or tea mug ($14.95). Something else a grandparent might enjoy is a set of photo coasters ($19.95 for four) or a photo book keychain ($6.95).
For essentially anyone on your list this holiday season, nearby Davis Square has a wide selection of interesting and thoughtful gifts. So if you can’t find the time to venture into Boston for a day of shopping, get some holiday shopping done in Davis, while supporting local businesses at the same time.