Without a doubt, Boston is one of the best places to go wild with a credit card in all of America, especially if you are buying clothes as every item under $175 is free of sales tax, making the area very good value even compared to the rest of the USA. The main shopping area is around Back Bay, and Newbury Street is home to a wide range of designer shops as well as upmarket antiques dealers, and high quality furniture and ornaments.
The Prudential Centre on Huntingdon Avenue is a large mall with plenty of mainstream shops selling everything from music to make-up, and offers excellent value, and nearby, you can find the toy store F.A.O. Schwartz, which is an excellent place to browse for the latest gifts.
Across the river in Cambridge, there are dozens of bookstores that specialise in various subjects and genres.
