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Since 1826, Lord & Taylor has built a reputation for service, for quality and for style. Today, Lord & Taylor continues to showcase the newest looks from some of the industry's best designers.

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Cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa

This is a liquor store plus (more than the average "packy"). Sort of a cross with a convenience store so you can pick up more of what you need besides the booze! They also act as a Western Union Agent location and can help you wire money.

Located on Massachusetts Avenue, near Berklee School of Music, and in the Back Bay area, this hole in the wall is the area's best resource for costumes, whether its for Halloween or a run-of-the-mill costume party. Open 7 days a week, you can always snag something for a last-minute costume emergency--and who hasn't had one of those? Wigs, boas, platform heels, fishnets, crazy hats, facepaint, sunglasses in all shapes and sizes, pre-packaged costumes, inexpensive shoes, props, belts, bandanas, costume jewelry--you name it! Relatively inexpensive, and a wide variety of choices for men and women in a good range of sizes. Don't try to get close to Dorothy's around Halloween - they hire muscle to control the crowds waiting to get in. Instead, stop by Dorothy's all year round and build up an arsenal to fit your every costume need. Insider tip: looking for rainboots without crazy JCrew prices? Dorothy's carries them in multiple colors and patterns--even animal themes like ladybugs and bumblebees. Other best finds? clown wigs and facepaint in every school's colors. Member of the Bicycle Benefits organizations Accepts collegeclub.com student discount cards

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

If you meander down Clearway, off of Massachusetts Avenue, you'll spot a slightly dingy looking bodega, or market. The windows are full of Tide and bleach and bottles of soda and juice, and when you peek inside, there are more mixed grocery items lining some wooden shelves. There might be a group of men eating take-out lunch on a picnic table, and there's a slightly suspect looking cash register in the back of the tiny space. In the back on the right, there's a soda vending machine. You want to quench your thirst. So you walk up to the machine.... And it slides to the left, revealing a streetwear store invisible from the road?? Bodega is a hidden gem of the Massachusetts Avenue area near Newbury. Started up a few years ago, as a sort of secret or insiders-only concept, the store is now usually packed, and visitors coming in might ruin the secret-entrance surprise for those just walking in the door. The space has high ceilings, a chandelier that the owner took from his mother's house back when they were first opening, and dark wood shelving built into the wall. Wares include colorful, high-end sneakers from various brands, graphic t-shirts and sweatshirts, a crazy range of baseball caps, jewelry, sunglasses, and a collection of some of the coolest little publications--photos of shoes, graphic design, art, etc. The staff are extremely helpful, really excited about sneakers, and fun to sit around and chat with. The crowd in Bodega can be students, tourists, streetwear enthusiasts, those who heard through word of mouth--Bodega is one of the most unique little spots in Boston right now. get on their mailing list: INFO@BDGASTORE.COM. The website is sparse, but they'll send out pretty regular update emails with sales, etc.