With its cobbled-brick sidewalk and gas-gone-electric street lamps, you can almost imagine Paul Revere strolling down Charles Street. Adding to the historic ambiance are a plethora of antiques shops. The name says it all at Danish Country European & Asian Antiques: You'll find Royal Copenhagen china, 18th- and 19th-century Scandinavian hutches, and antique Chinese furniture (no. 138; 617-227-1804; europeanstyleantiques.com). At Twentieth Century Limited, hunt for treasures in the $10 costume-jewelry bins or splurge on vintage earrings, tiaras, or cuff links (1,250 pairs!) in the packed display cases (no. 73; 617-742-1031; www.boston-vintagejewelry.com). Eugene Galleries Inc stocks worn leather-bound reference books, ancient postcards, and dated maps (no. 76; 617-227-3062). Of course, with the old comes the new, and Charles Street has seen its fair share of modern boutiques. Wish (no. 49; 617-227-4441), Moxie (no. 51; 617-557-9991; www.moxieboston.com), and the East Coast outpost of Holiday (no. 53; 617-973-9730; www.holidayboutique.net) all vie for the affluent trendsetters who aren't afraid to drop a couple hundred dollars on a Tory Burch tunic. You'll also find cutting-edge objets, from Tord Boontje paper lamp shades at Koo de Kir (65 Chestnut St.; 617-723-8111; www.koodekir.com) to John Derian's découpaged dishware at Good (no. 88; 617-722-9200; www.shopatgood.com).

The shopping street to end all shopping streets, Newbury's eight-block span (approximately one mile) is home to some 73 clothing boutiques, 40 art galleries, 30 day spas, and 30 restaurants. Some names are familiar, from Valentino and Cartier to H&M and American Eagle, though others are native to Beantown. Stil brings the best of Scandinavian couture to the Eastern Seaboard (no. 170; 617-859-7845; www.stilinc.com); Louis Boston recalls Bergdorf and Barneys, just on a smaller scale (234 Berkeley St.; 617-262-6100; www.louisboston.com; closed Sundays); Tess & Carlos (no. 141A; 617-262-8377; www.tessandcarlos.com), Dress (no. 221; 617-424-7125; www.dressboston.com), and Matsu (no. 259; 617-266-9707; www.matsuboston.com) all carry big-ticket items by high-profile designers; and Trident Booksellers & Cafe is a nice antidote to the big-box sellers (no. 338; 617-267-8688; www.tridentbookscafe.com).

What Newbury is to fashion, and Charles is to antiques, the South End is to home decor. This perennially up-and-coming neighborhood still has some rough edges, but they are being smoothed out more and more each day as the historic brick-lined blocks welcome high-end boutiques and restaurants—and residents to frequent them. The main action takes place on three streets that run parallel to each other: Tremont, Shawmut, and Washington. Within a few blocks you'll be able to shop for Dutch porcelain at Lekker (1317 Washington St.; 617-542-6464; www.lekkerhome.com; closed Mondays) and sublime Buddhas, silk curtains, and furniture from India and China at Devi Home (1134 Washington St.; 617-556-0099; www.devihome.com; closed Mondays). Around the corner from Lekker, the diminutive Hudson sources its fine and vintage home accents a little closer to home—expect to see the latest from Oly and Shabby Chic by Rachel Ashwell in addition to throw pillows designed by the store's owner, Jill Goldberg (312 Shawmut Ave.; 617-292-0900; www.hudsonboston.com; closed Mondays). Fuel up at South End Formaggio, which stocks an immaculate selection of wines, cheeses, charcuterie, and gourmet sandwiches (268 Shawmut Ave.; 617-350-6996; www.southendformaggio.com) before heading to Turtle, Storey Hieronymus Hauck's outlet for showing off her favorite under-the-radar fashion designers from near—Boston's own Cheng Lin—and far—Elm of Iceland (619a Tremont St.; 617-266-2610; www.turtleboston.com; closed Mondays). If you happen to be in town on the first Friday of the month, head a little west of the beaten path to SOWA Artists Guild, where over 50 emerging artists open their cubby hole-sized studios to give the public an unobtrusive glimpse into their hearts and souls (450 Harrison Ave.; 978-337-4191; www.sowaartists.com).