Best of the New: Stores
Page 2 of 5 -- Laundromutt
From the moment blue-eyed Brumby, an Australian shepherd, greets you at the door, you know that "canine" is the word at this self-service dog wash near Fresh Pond in Cambridge. Brumby's owners, Evan and Elizabeth Olson, provide everything you need to clean your dirty dog, including washtubs, shampoo, towels, and hair dryers. We like that we don't have to clean up after ourselves once the grooming's done. LaundroMutt, which debuted in October, offers bathing options starting at $15 - aromatherapy and specialty shampoos tack on a few additional dollars. The upstairs BarkaLounge is a haven for pups who like to play and owners who like to watch. 489 Concord Avenue, Cambridge, 617 864-9274; www.laundromutt.com
Massive Records
Local DJs and vinyl fetishists have quickly discovered Massive Records, an independent outfit that opened quietly in September. The store caters to DJs and peddles a deep and broad array of music - heaps of hip-hop, plus genres like reggae, house, spoken word, jazz, and soul - as well as DJ-appropriate mix tapes and equipment. Tired of mainstream hip-hop's image of booty and bling, the store's friendly and knowledgeable managers promote a positive, community-oriented brand of the genre. To this end, they offer affordable DJ courses and invite artists, like local lyrical champion Virtuoso, to perform in the store's DJ booth. 1105 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, 617-576-1887
Mitchell Gold
Stylish without being avant-garde. That's the formula Mitchell Gold and partner Bob Williams came up with in 1989 for their "relaxed design" furniture, and it's proven to be a winner. With its classic, simple lines, Mitchell Gold furniture works as well in a cramped Beacon Hill studio as in a spacious oceanside getaway in P-town. Starting in September, interior-decorating Bostonians got a feel for Gold with a new showroom in the Park Plaza area, where you can test out the eye-catching sofas, sectionals, upholstered beds, and dining chairs. The sales floor even has a few resident canines, poodle Coco Chanel and cocker spaniel Rufus. 142 Berkeley Street, Boston, 617-266-0075; www.mitchellgoldboston.com
Modell's Sporting Goods
For such a sports-obsessed town, we think Boston's a bit thin on sporting-goods stores. You know, the kind where you can find swimming goggles in the dead of winter, five aisles of hockey equipment, and jerseys of every hometown team - even the ones that lose. Well, Modell's Sporting Goods must have read our minds. In October, the chain opened its first two New England stores. The one in Medford features a huge no-frills room chock-full of everything from Patriots jackets to lacrosse sticks. Keep your eyes peeled: A dozen more New England stores are on the way this year. With other chains like the Sports Authority and Dick's Sporting Goods also adding shops, the region just might pony up enough stores to match its sports mania. Full disclosure, however: Modell's Sporting Goods is a New York chain. Fellsway Plaza, 640 Fellsway (Route 28), Medford, 781-395-0100, and other locations; www.modells.com Continued...
