LET’S GO SHOPPING Tiny Turns Paperie grew into a browser’s paradise of puzzles, toys and games, mugs, magnets and hourglasses by Linda Given September 24, 2026 Stationery was the focus of the store as it opened, and it remains serious about writing, but Tiny Turns grew and found room to add gifts and a miscellany of small items.
LET’S GO SHOPPING Henry Bear’s Park is stuffed with games, books and toys (many of them also stuffed) by Linda Given September 17, 2026 A column devoted to the many great independent shops of Somerville and Cambridge visits Henry Bear’s Park, a toy store with roots back to 1976.
RETAIL Low rents in a CRA program offer expansions to Cini Coffee, Momma’s Grocery and the eco-friendly Green Tiger by Marc Levy July 2, 2026 Small businesses face displacement pressures too, but the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority intends to push back with entrepreneur-friendly leases.
FASHION Flip-flops are back (and they have opinions now) by Julie Mahdavi June 3, 2026 Once dismissed as “post-gym resignation footwear,” the modern flip-flop has evolved.
FASHION Persian influence on fashion: Clothing as resistance, memory and political language by Julie Mahdavi May 5, 2026 Persian influence in fashion exists across multiple layers, and a scarf, pattern or silhouette holds personal expression and ancestral memory.
FASHION The Garment District, where the old becomes new again, hits 40 by Gabriella Collin April 24, 2026 The beloved thrift megastore finds surprising ways to reinvent itself in the age of influencers.
FASHION Cambridge and Somerville 2026 spring style by Julie Mahdavi April 16, 2026 Expect a touch of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy minimalism as well as breathable cotton poplin, linen blends and lightweight knits.
FASHION These walking sleeping bags are our cocoons when we can’t nest by Julie Mahdavi March 5, 2026 The new outerwear mood on the streets this winter is hard to miss: the ankle-length puffer coat, a full-on down cocoon reaching nearly to the ground.
RETAIL Somerville’s seller of environmentally friendly stuff is expanding with a crowdfunding campaign by Marc Levy March 4, 2026 Somerville’s eco-friendly housewares and bath and body shop, Green Tiger & Co., is expanding at Somerville’s Bow Market.
RETAIL Circle’s local bankruptcy auction is March 10, another loss to Cambridge’s furniture history by Marc Levy March 1, 2026 Shoppers can still pick up deals at Circle, even though the bankrupt chain closed abruptly in December after nearly 74 years in business.