two ends of a street

Newbury Street in Boston is a place that keeps on giving--but it doesn't give very much, it's good manners to buy when you're on it. It is a thruway of commerce. I can imagine how a group of developers planning a shopping mall would tell their designers that they want the interior experience to be like walking down Newbury Street.

I noticed last night how the character of the street changes as you travel from one end to the other. The east end, which starts at the intersection with Arlington Street and the Public Garden is effectively bookended by the Taj Boston Hotel (formerly the Ritz Carlton). It is the end of the street defined by old money and conservative sensibilities. There is a Giorgio Armani store that has an interior that resembles an Egyptian tomb. It displays little in the way of clothing and the salespeople who stand behind the door in their black suits have faces that express an eternal patience. Even though Emma Watson stares out from advertising posters on the Burberry flagship store, the products are still reliably plaid and beige.

Meanwhile, the west end of the street promises eternal youth and tasteful rebellion. The Tower Records Building, now a Best Buy, marks the effective boundary with Mass. Ave. It is the realm of Newbury Comics and Condomland. Punks and wannabe punks hang out in front of the ice cream store and the bus and subway station disgorge a neverending stream of students and musicians and artists. The Sosie cafe makes everyone feel hip, even if you're just walking past.

A communist would despise Newbury Street. It is the full spectrum of capitalist decadence and despair. The poor mingle with the rich, but the resentment is concealed by the constant hustle--the exchange of near worthless money for near worthless trinkets. It is open to all but home to few.