In 1966, two hiking enthusiasts founded a small mountaineering retail store in the heart of San Francisco's North Beach. The Company soon became known as The North Face, a retailer of high-performance climbing and backpacking equipment. (The name was selected because in the Northern Hemisphere, the north face of a mountain is generally the coldest, iciest and most formidable to climb.) In 1968, The North Face began designing and manufacturing its own brand of high-performance mountaineering apparel and equipment, and in the early 1980s, extreme skiwear was added to the product offering. By the end of the decade, The North Face became the only supplier in the United States to offer a comprehensive collection of high-performance outerwear, skiwear, sleeping bags, packs and tents.

Now, 38 years after its start in the outdoor industry, The North Face provides an extensive line of performance apparel, equipment and footwear. Offering the most technically advanced products on the market, The North Face is the choice of the world's most accomplished climbers, mountaineers, extreme skiers, snowboarders and explorers.

Newbury Comics is an independently owned retailer specializing in music, movies and pop culture goods. Our experience comes from over 25 years of alternative retailing through our twenty-seven New England based store locations (click here for locations). Owned and operated by its original founders, Newbury Comics is run with a consistent guiding force that has always championed new ideas, experimentation and alternative vision over monolithic corporate structure.

The legacy Newbury Comics, Inc. has built relies on the following:

• Scouring the globe for interesting and thought provoking merchandise and constantly adding new products to our selection in order to give customers more of what they want in a one-stop-shopping experience.
  
• In a world increasingly dominated by big box mass merchant retailers, we support independent artists and cultural visionaries and realize the importance of offering pop culture that amuses, entertains and/or challenges our customers’ perceptions of the world.
  
• Our customers are our livelihood, and therefore we strive to offer exceptional customer service.
  
• Company practices based on: trust, respect, and offering quality goods and services.
  

A hidden gem amidst bustling Newbury Street comes a bookstore that calls itself “Boston's alternative". This diner-style restaurant draws rave reviews from students and families alike. You can cozy up in any corner and peruse the variety of books, magazines, and interesting knickknacks, or munch on Trident's munchies like classic salads ($8-14), sandwiches ($9-11), coffee, smoothies ($4). They have a great selection of loose teas ($2.50-$3.50) and serve breakfast all day (omelettes $7+). The staff will take a book off the rack for you and let you take it into the cafe. This quiet spot to sit back, chill out, and enjoy, is the perfect break from the craziness of Newbury. They also have a public restroom: on the right, halfway down the store.

Greek mythology aside, you'll find plenty of fleece here, golden and otherwise. The helpful staff will answer any questions you might have about the fleeces ($68-215), parkas, or the right kind of hiking socks ($9-19). The popular Capilene silkweight shirts ($32-34) and long underwear ($30-50) are ideal for hardcore winter sports. Wide selection of luggage, hiking boots, books, Nalgenes, etc., is available. Check upstairs for sale items. 1% of profits or 10% of sales (whichever's higher) goes toward a variety of grassroots environmental groups.

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FranklinCovey is the global leader in effectiveness training, productivity tools, and assessment services for organizations, teams, and individuals. FranklinCovey helps companies succeed by unleashing the power of their workforce to focus and execute on top business priorities. Clients include 90 percent of the Fortune 100, more than 75 percent of the Fortune 500, thousands of small and midsized businesses, as well as numerous government entities and educational institutions. Organizations and individuals access FranklinCovey products and services through corporate training, licensed client facilitators, one-on-one coaching, public workshops, catalogs, more than 80 retail stores, and franklincovey.com. FranklinCovey has nearly 1,500 associates providing professional services and products in 37 offices serving more than 100 countries.

The official bookstore for Berklee School of Music. You can get course books, Berklee swag, school supplies, sheet music, music software -- all the items a Berklee student needs.

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The Church of Christ, Scientist has 1900 Reading Rooms. From their website: Each Reading Room is a community bookstore and reading center for the exploration of spiritual healing, prayer, and spirituality. A Reading Room:

• Offers a wide variety of books, materials, magazines, audio, and video products (in various languages), including Bible materials as well as Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures and other writings by Mary Baker Eddy.
• Sponsors special activities and community events, and also participate in national and local conferences, fairs, and expos.

There is quiet space to read and contemplate, and the staff is friendly. Those in the Reading Room on a recent visit seemed like regulars, chatting with the staff person behind the cash register. Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-9pm Sat: 10am-5pm Sun: 11am-7 pm Summer Sunday Hours: 11am-5pm July and August