Local notions

Souvenirs of the real city

by Sarah Lariviere

GOODS FROM THE 'HOODS, from left: Davis Square T-shirt, $18 at Pluto; Allston T-shirt, $10 at Common Ground; T mug, $8 at Park Street Station; Big Dig ice cream, $3.50 at grocery stores; Jamaica Plain T-shirt, $22 at Pluto.

Spring's approaching, and on its heels will be friends and family coming to visit -- and, more important, buying souvenirs. Remember: only you can prevent Uncle Bert from going home with a Cheers T-shirt and a Red Sox hat. So grab Bert's elbow and redirect him to the neighborhoods. By the end of the day, he'll be sporting so much super-local paraphernalia that he might be mistaken for a native. And you might end up with some cool stuff too.

Your first stop is underground at the Park Street T station, where the one-of-a-kind MBTA gift shop showcases black T-logo mugs ($8). Then hop the Orange Line to Jamaica Plain, where stylish gift joint Pluto sells JAMAICA PLAIN T-shirts. The girl version ($22) is long-sleeved, tight-fitting, and fashion-forward; the boy version ($18) is boxier.

Next, head over to Brookline to pick up a tote bag ($4.95) from Brookline Booksmith, which has been called the best independent bookstore in the country. Go up Harvard Street into Allston, pull over for a Guinness at Common Ground, and snag a bit of prime paraphernalia for the Lower Allston rocker cognoscenti: a T-shirt reading IT'S L.A., NOT BOSTON ($10). Explain to Uncle Bert that Allston contains the greatest density of bands per square yard on the East Coast. Then explain the reference to the punk compilation album It's Allston, Not Boston and note the subtle reference to the Lakers-Celtics rivalry, and you'll have Bert feeling cooler than Sam and Diane locked in the walk-in freezer.

Now cross the river, pass through Harvard Square without spending a cent, and land just east, at the People's Republik on Mass Ave, where you can indulge a little lefty humor with a PEOPLE'S REPUBLIK, CAMBRIDGE, MA T-shirt in black, red, or cream ($12). Finally, swing up to Somerville, where the other colony of Pluto sells shirts that read, simply, SOMERVILLE ($22 for women's, $18 for men's). Nearby is the Someday Café, which sells T-shirts that read SOMERVILLE, ALL-AMERICAN CITY ($15).

By now it's getting late, and you done good: you came, you saw, you spent money. Your reward for steering Bert in all the right directions? A pint of Brigham's Big Dig ice cream ($3.50).

Stores mentioned in this article:
* MBTA gift shop, Park Street station, corner of Park and Tremont Streets, (617) 222-5740.
* Pluto, 603 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, (617) 522-0054; and 215 Elm Street, Somerville, (617) 666-2005.
* Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard Street, Brookline, (617) 566-6660.
* Common Ground, 83-87 Harvard Avenue, Allston, (617) 783-2071.
* People's Republik, 876 Mass Ave, Cambridge, (617) 492-8632.
* Someday Café, 51 Davis Square, Somerville, (617) 623-3323.