Filene's Basement

While I wasn%26#39;t really planning any major shopping excursions while in Boston, (I can shop @ home and don%26#39;t want to waste a minute of my days in Boston), a co-worker says I really MUST go to Filene%26#39;s Basement. Can some of you local Gals (or Guys) tell me if this is a ';must do';? I do enjoy an occasional shopping trip (especially if I want or need something) but I%26#39;m not one of those people who spend part of every weekend in the mall like a couple of my friends do! Thanks everyone once again for providing insight and input. You never fail to provide the information I%26#39;m seeking!

Filene's Basement

the Filene%26#39;s Basement your co-worker is referring to, or should be referrinng to is the Filene%26#39;s Basement in Downtown Crossing. It%26#39;s a rite of passage for any serious shopper in Boston. Sadly, it%26#39;s closed for major renovations. The plan is to add a luxury hotel on top of the new Filene%26#39;s Basement. Completion date? Not sure, but I walk by it every day and I%26#39;d say they%26#39;re at least two years out.

There are other Filene%26#39;s Basement stores throughout the Boston area, but they can%26#39;t beat the original for mark-downs in my opinion. Nonetheless, there%26#39;s one located on Boylston Street in Back Bay between Arlington and Berkeley Sts.

Filene's Basement

The original Filene%26#39;s Basement was a Boston Landmark. It was a shabby basement full of amazing deals on fantastic designer clothing. You never knew what you might find there. Beautiful stuff. They had an ';automatic markdown'; system that made things a little interesting; on the back of the tag would be a date. Things marked before a certain date were an extra 25% off, before an earlier date 50% off, etc. It was a great place. It%26#39;s gone--temporarily, while they remode.

There ARE other Filenes Basement stores. One that I know of is on Boylston Street. There%26#39;s one in the mall near me. Lacking the scruffiness of the original--and lacking the automatic markdown system, they remain decent stores to find a bargain on name-brand stuff. They%26#39;re kind of like Marshall%26#39;s or TJ Maxx, maybe a cut above, maybe not. Worth popping in if you need something but they%26#39;re basically normal chain stores where you can get 9west shoes for 40-, a jones NY dress for 60- that sort of thing. They have suit sales 2 for 159- (women%26#39;s suits).

This seems to be a real ';Memorial'; weekend. Not only is Filene%26#39;s Basement closed but two other nearby attractions are closed or are closing. The Portsmouth Children%26#39;s Museum will be closing its doors forever. On Monday, May 26, 2008, Memorial Day, the museum will shut their doors at 5 PM. Another favorite place to ride paddle boats and feed the ducks-The Pond View Restaurant in Kingston, NH will be up for auction on June 5, 2008. Very sad :(

To put a fine point to it, given your ';...don%26#39;t want to waste a minute...'; I don%26#39;t believe it would be worth your time. The original Filene%26#39;s Basement was unique. And, while it%26#39;s said (not just here) that the original will be back, I wonder... And even if it comes back in its old haunt, I%26#39;ll bet it%26#39;s like the ones that have successfully traded on its name around the Boston area -- upscale (ironically) versions of Ross, Marshall%26#39;s etc.

Afterall, if there is no more Filene%26#39;s.....

I too am dubious about what they%26#39;ll put in the original space. There was something nice about the way the old one was, warts and all. Anything shiny and perfect will lack the charm of the original.

The grubbiness of the wooden bins made the finds seem all the more valuable and improbable. When I worked downtown, I made regular passes through, just to see what was on the ';bargain alley'; stretch from the escalators to the T exit. I%26#39;ll never forget the 20- big-name blazer I got or the sample-size designer skirt that was around the same price that got compliments everywhere. The shoes were fantastic and varied. The mall-store FB has its own version of a Famous Footwear: orderly stacks of somewhat discounted shoes, not all that cheap. Yawn. Not so the main store. Thay had real bargains, espeically w/the automatic markdown system. Mixed in with truly wonderful things were bizarro items (chi chi designer picks) and neat stuff you don%26#39;t see everywhere.

THe place had personality. It looked the same as it did when my grandmother brought me through in the 70s. The merchandise was always fantastic, though. Up to the minute. Brand name. I got my favorite suitcase there (50- powder blue, well made). They had umbrellas and scarves and jewelry. The ladies%26#39; room was the single filthiest, grossest one in town, but it was there. If they%26#39;d just renovated that and left the rest alone, I would be have been happy.

Sigh...

I hope they build some charm and quirkiness into the new version, hope it%26#39;s not just a version of the mall store FBs.

%26lt;%26lt;The ladies%26#39; room was the single filthiest, grossest one in town, but it was there.%26gt;%26gt;

So that%26#39;s the reason for the iconic legend.....

Another stroll down memory lane...nice details Queens! My mom used to drag me to FB as a kid or stick me at the Boston Common where they provided babysitting (can you believe it!). As I grew older I began to appreciate the place, coming home victorious with some real finds. The best purchase, before the days of tv coverage and teams and running when the doors open, my wedding gown which (ok I%26#39;m biased here) was truely lovely.

I loved reading the memories some of you provided about your experiences with the original Filene%26#39;s Basement. No wonder my co-worker said I HAD to go there. It sounds like quite a place. Sorta like treasure hunting. You never knew what you%26#39;d find. :D

Majh, you mentioned your wedding dress. My co-worker said something about buying wedding dresses there, but I wasn%26#39;t sure what she meant. IF that%26#39;s the case, you must have been able to buy anything and everything @ Filene%26#39;s.

And I love the idea of the babysitting provided on the Commons - how cool was that????

I was a ';running of the brides'; wedding dress buyer. I got my beautiful wedding gown for $200! My Mom was the first one in the doors and she was on the news that evening. She grabbed about 15 dresses, I tried them on in the aisles and I was very lucky with one I got!

Speaking of wedding dresses, a college friend of mine in the %26#39;70%26#39;s would stop into FB everyweek and shop for a wedding dress.. Back then they were all $25.00 but there was only small rack of dresses at a time. She would bring one home and then return it until she got the the dress that she wanted. This was long before the wedding dress dash.