If you want to enjoy holiday shopping for a change, why not make a day
of it in Newport?
You'll have the City By The Sea all to yourself -- or so it seems. Gone
are the hordes of tourists who cram the sidewalks and clog the streets
with traffic all summer long.
Instead, you'll find plenty of free parking, lots of personalized
service at many unusual shops and studios, and no wait for lunch or
dinner at some of the top restaurants.
"If you think about it, it's the only time of the year Rhode Islanders
can take back their city," said Terry Rowley, owner of the shops
Personalities and Blast from the Past, as well as president of the Brick
Market Merchants Association.
And, of course, the city is beautifully decorated for the holidays: the
stately mansions are decked in traditional holiday decor, the scenic
harbor is filled with boats trimmed with lights, and the huge Christmas
tree on Bowen's Wharf has been a holiday centerpiece for more than 30
years.
"It's a very festive atmosphere," said Frank Loiko, owner of the Mole's
Hole and spokesman for the shops on Long Wharf.
There's also lots to see and do between shopping spurts, thanks to
Christmas in Newport, the annual month-long, non-commercial festival
featuring everything from holiday band concerts to train rides with
Santa Claus to a living nativity scene. (See the complete calendar at
www.christmasinnewport.org.)
"We put a huge amount of effort into making it a great place to come for
the holidays," said Bart Dunbar, president of Bowen's Wharf Co.
One of the best things about shopping in Newport is you can find a
little bit of everything. Popular chain stores such as Gap and Crabtree
and Evelyn stand alongside one-of-a-kind art studios and antiques shops.
But best of all is the variety of stores offering unusual and
distinctive gifts, from replicas of the ornaments on display at the
mansions to homemade "apple pies" for dogs and cats.
Though the stores on the wharves in the center of town may be the best
known, intriguing shops are spread throughout the city. With so much
on-street parking available now, it's easy to check out shops all over
town.
THE WHARVES
Most people tend to start their shopping on the wharves, where more than
50 artist studios and specialty shops line Bowen's Wharf, Bannister's
Wharf and the Perry Mill Market. In fact, Dunbar boasts, the Irish
Imports shop on Bowen's Wharf is "one of the finest in the country."
On Bannister's Wharf is Sports Editions (near the Black Pearl), where
you can find a jigsaw puzzle of a variety of sports scenes -- the Red
Sox game against the New York Yankees in Game Two of the American League
Playoff Championship this past fall, or the New England Patriots win in
Super Bowl XXVI the season before last, or Celtics or Bruins games at
the Fleet Center -- for $23. These puzzles, once completed, make a
39-by-13 1/2 replica of the photographs and prints of the same scenes
that are available, framed, for $75 to $275. (All framed artwork is on
sale for 10 percent off through Christmas.) They also carry 8-by-10s of
favorite players in all sports for $29 to $39, as well as a wide
assortment of scenic shots of Newport and the surrounding area.
The Newport Mansion Store on Bannister's Wharf features everything sold
in each of the individual gift shops at the mansions in one place. (They
also have an online store, at
www.newportmansions.org, and a smaller store in the Viking Hotel.)
Laura Murphy, retail manager for the Preservation Society of Newport,
said products range from the Christmas ornaments used to decorate each
mansion ($9 to $22) to framed replicas of the mansions' oil paintings
($99 to $589). One of the most popular is Lady Decies, an oil portrait
from The Elms, which looks like it could be anybody's "instant
ancestor," Murphy said.
They also sell a replica of pieces of a ceramic tea service featured at
the Marble House, which was created by Alva Vanderbilt during the
Suffrage Movement. Individual cups, saucers and teapots -- which say
"Votes for Women" -- sell for $10 to $20, but the store offers a gift
basket with a teapot and teas all wrapped and ready to go for $28.
THE WATERFRONT
Between America's Cup Avenue and Thames Street are a host of other
market places, including the Long Wharf Marketplace, the Brick Market
Place and the shopping district of Thames Street itself.
Here, you can find national chains -- The Gap, Cuffy's, Banana Republic
-- as well as many shops that cater to the tourist trade that are
offering clearance deals on T-shirts, sweatshirts and other souvenirs.
(On one recent day, the Music Box on Thames was selling shirts from the
popular Life Is Good line, normally $19.99, for 40 percent off.)
Hoopla, which has stores at Long Wharf Marketplace and on lower Thames
Street, is a great place to find whimsical gifts. "Loaves" of Primal
Elements soap that sell by the "slice" for $7.95. Each slice contains
clever images or designs, from flamingos to dolphins. They also carry
the Dolly Mamas dolls, picture frames and wall hangings for $30 to $40
which feature contemporary looking women with signs ranging from "Drama
Queen" to "Who are these kids and why are they calling me Mom?"
Nearby, the Only in Rhode Island store offers goods made, of course,
only in Rhode Island. Owner Lisa Harrison said they feature everything
from Del's lemonade mix ($10 to $30) to vintage CDs of live performances
at the Newport folk and jazz festivals dating back to the 1950s, when
the festival was held in Freebody Park ($18 to $30). She keeps a large
variety of CDs on hand, from Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald to Joan
Baez's live performance in which Bob Dylan joined her on stage.
Harrison said a popular gift is the Rhode Island gift basket -- filled
with things like Del's lemonade, Tito's chips and salsa, clam chowder
and locally made candles and beauty aids -- that are sent "all over the
world" to transplanted Rhode Islanders. The baskets range from $15 to
$120.
Also popular are unusually long candles -- 36 inches -- made by a North
Smithfield company ($8.50 apiece; two for $15).
Loiko's store, the Mole Hole, also features several unique gift ideas.
Rhythm clocks are a little like grandfather clocks but play six
different songs on the hour and feature a variety of characters moving
around the clock face ($150 to $500). He also carries the Wee Forest
Folk, a top collectible made in Concord, Mass., that features
exquisitely detailed mice in a variety of settings for $37 to $500
apiece.
A tiffany lamp with the Red Sox, Yankees or Patriots logo sells for
$149.94, while 24-inch teddy bears wearing knit sweaters with the same
logo go for $34.99 apiece.
Next door at the Brick Market Place, Gelart of Newport sells beautiful
candles made not of paraffin but of the same clear liquid gel found in
many medicines. This gel makes candles appear clear and burn virtually
smoke-free for three to five times longer than traditional candles,
explained Essie Dube, who helped found Gelart in North Kingstown two
years ago. (The company now has 45 shops across the country and two in
England, she said.)
Prices range from $3.95 for a votive that will burn 25 hours to $69.95
for a candle featuring a three-dimensional lighthouse that will burn 250
hours, as well as a lighthouse topper.
Popular this year are martini and other cocktail glasses filled with
sparkling gel, or the handpainted stemware candles ($17.95 to $21.95).
LOWER THAMES
Many shoppers don't seem to venture beyond the first few blocks of
Thames Street, but in the past decade, more and more of Lower Thames has
become lined with shops. So grab a coffee from Starbucks and keep going.
If you've got a sailor on your list, check out Team One Newport, which
caters to a wide range of enthusiasts -- from those who enjoy frostbite
regattas to those who make a living delivering ships to the Caribbean.
Much of the same top-name foul weather gear for sailors -- Columbia,
Patagonia, Kavu, Musto -- can be used for skiing and other activities,
as well, notes Liz Almeida, the store's manager. And, she notes, "It's
normal sportswear that doesn't say 'Newport' on it."
Whether you're planning to sail around the world or putter around the
harbor, The Armchair Sailor has everything you need -- cruising guides
and waterway charts for around the world; sextants, barometers and
aemometers; "courtesy" flags to fly when you're in another country's
waters; even nautical stationery.
The Armchair Sailor also has a wonderful assortment of fiction and
non-fiction books for children and adults, including the Patrick O'Brien
series that spawned the current movie Master & Commander starring
Russell Crowe. "We're the world's leading resource for nautical books,"
said employee Oakley Jones. They're also the only local store to carry
Ahlingi, the official photo book from the Swiss sailing team that won
the America's Cup last year.
Saltwater Edge caters to another niche crowd: The serious angler.
Employee Pete Graber notes that they offer a wide variety of rods,
reels, lures and other devices -- including hook sharpeners, pliers and
lures that are perfect stocking stuffers.
One "killer gift idea," Graber said, is a gift certificate for a charter
fishing trip. They charge $325 for a professionally guided fishing
charter for two people to spend four hours on the water, including
necessary equipment and gear. Now's the perfect time to book for next
year, he said.
Speaking of niches, check out Christmas By The Sea, where you can buy
personalized ornaments ($4.50 to $75) as well as holiday collectibles
including Annalee, Buyers Choice, Department 56, Lynn Haney and Possible
Dreams. The store also keeps records of individual collections, to help
spouses and others avoid duplication when adding to the collection each
year.
Other Christmas items include wall hangings and tabletop scenes -- like
the one of the "Naughty or Nice Detective Agency," that features an elf
with an oversized telescope circling atop a small office building to
scour the world and check up on kids.
"Our selection is more unusual than you'd find at the mall," said Linda
Nathanson, whose family owns the business.
At The Gourmet Dog, you can buy your furry best buddy faux jewels -- all
the rage in Miami and Los Angeles -- including tennis bracelets, cameos
and even lockets so your pet can carry your photo.
Owner Kelly Coen's gourmet treats include dog cookies ($7.99 for a
"barker's dozen") and cakes and pies ($19.99) that look like the real
thing. "If you were to really overindulge [your pet], you can warm them
a little bit," she said.
But real indulgence might be a chaise lounge constructed of material
that matches the upholstery of your home. With pillow, $450.
Coen also offers custom gifts for pet owners, including slate welcome
signs featuring a drawing of your favorite pet and personalized greeting
for $46, or a photo of your pet enlarged as part of a leather and suede
carry-all made in England that sells for $195.
Several stores offer clothes, jewelry and traditional giftware,
including The Erica Zap Collection, where owner Erica Zap designs and
manufacturers all of her jewelry in an upstairs studio.
New this year are necklaces of oversized freshwater pearls, the size and
color of cranberries, that sell for $260, said Ralph Sciola, an employee
there. But the store offers lots more than jewelry, including colorful
chopsticks and sushi dishes that sell for $5 apiece. They also have
Spike the Dog lanterns made of sheet metal for $35 to $65. The Web site
is www.ericazap.com.
More general gifts can be found at places like JT's Chandlery, where
brass door knockers and hooks are shaped like anchors ($6.50 to $17) and
a miniature dory has been turned into a glass-topped coffee table for
$975.
Also, check out the the mini deck prisms -- you'd plug them into a hole
on the deck to provide light underneath, an employee explained -- that
make novel paperweights for $14.95. Then, there's the
rowboat-turned-rocking horse for $395, and a full line of really cool
model boats for $39.95 to $3,800.
Harp and Finial features a variety of stained glass lamps and antique
reproduction furniture. Manager David Zajchowski said his most recent
best sellers are the lily lamps -- floor and table lamps with frosted
globes that look like the flower of a lily and a base that looks like a
lily pad. A two-light table-top lily lamp sells for $25, while the
12-lily floor lamp sells for $200.
The stained-glass lamps are all on sale, including a classic "torchiere"
that sells for $159. Whimsical gift ideas include small lamps
representing the hippy-era Volkswagen Beetle and camper, $25 each, and
wooden sun/moon mirrors, $10 to $20.
Across the street, don't miss the Cow Parade at Stardust, a series of
collectible Fiberglass cows in different colors and designs for $17 to
$26.
High Flyers Flight Co. offers kites for all levels of expertise, selling
for anywhere from $4 to $4,500 for an 80-foot-long, 40-foot-wide insect
or animal, said owner Sue Moskowitz. Kite flyers love to collect a big
variety, she said. "For most of them, money is no object. Kites are
their passion."
The biggest seller, though, is an "easy flyer" guaranteed to fly in
almost any wind condition ($18.50), she said.
BROADWAY TO BELLEVUE
After a morning of shopping, head over to Broadway for a lunch break.
This is an up-and-coming area to check out, with interesting cafes and
restaurants interspersed with art galleries.
After that, take a scenic walk along Spring Street, parallel to Thames
Street, which not only has some great antique and giftshops, like
MacDowell Pottery and Ebenezer Flagg, but the historic houses lining
both sides of the street are decorated for the holidays.
Then head to Bellevue Avenue, where elegance abounds in shops such as
the Michael Hayes clothing stores for men, women and children, the
Runcible Spoon with top quality kitchenware and gourmet treats, and
Papers, which features personalized stationery. And don't overlook the
International Tennis Hall of Fame, whose gift shop boasts everything
from clothing to novelty items for the tennis aficionados on your list.
Wrap up the day with an evening tour of a mansion or two, to enjoy the
holiday spirit of the Gilded Age. And don't forget to check out the
ocean, to enjoy the beauty that is Newport.
After all, Dunbar said, the ocean can be "just as lovely" this time of
year as it is in the summertime.
Loiko agreed. "If you're inland, there are no leaves on the trees and
everything is barren. But if you come down here, the ocean is sparkling
. . . It's just a beautiful place to go."
