Jun 22, 2009

North End businesses go fashion forwardBy Sean SpositoBoston.com

While some retail districts are increasingly dotted with empty storefronts, the North End is seeing a burgeoning number of boutiques that sell everything from designer dresses to high-end handbags. It’s a big change for a neighborhood better known for authentic Italian cafes than high-end dress shops.

The North End is benefiting from a retail sweet spot – a combination of low rent, improved access since completion of the Big Dig, and increased foot traffic from sports fans leaving games at TD Banknorth Garden.

Since August, three new boutiques – Moda, an athletic apparel store on Salem Street; Bobbles & Lace, a Prince Street store selling designer clothing, purses, and jewelry; and Filthy Rich of Boston, a high-end jewelry and accessories store on Hanover Street – have set up shop. They join seven other fashion boutiques that have arrived in the neighborhood since 2004, and cater to young, hip professionals.

“I looked on Newbury Street, I looked in Beacon Hill, I looked in Downtown Crossing, I looked all over,” said Amy Montminy, the owner of Filthy Rich of Boston. She said she moved to the North End because she was looking for a small location that had a lot of foot traffic. “I was looking for a tourist-y, neighborhood-y storefront.”

That the North End is becoming a fashion hub is a shift for Boston’s oldest neighborhood. The historic North End, which covers less than 2 square miles and stretches between Cross Street and the Boston Harbor waterfront, has strong Italian flair and fare that has earned it the nickname Boston’s Little Italy.

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