Neighborhood Watch: Harvard Square

From jewelry boutiques to gourmet eateries, indie spots are taking back Cambridge's prime browsing destination.

By Donna Garlough

ON THE FLY

Jet setters should plan a layover at boutique debut Passport (43 Brattle St., 617-576-0900, passportboutique.com), which owner Jessica Good has stocked with trip-friendly accessories (TSA-approved toiletry bags, herbal wipes for germy airplane trays), luggage (GoGo Voyage and Hayden-Harnett weekenders), and clothes (packable Rachel Pally jersey dresses, Bloch ballet flats). That covers "all dressed up"; now for the "somewhere to go": Globe Corner Bookstore’s new digs (90 Mount Auburn St., 617-497-6277, globecorner.com) offer travel guides aplenty, plus memoirs for the armchair adventurer.

GROW GETTER

The Tannery’s new upscale space (39 Brattle St., 617-491-1811, thetannery.com) oozes effortless cool. For the ladies, there are Rag & Bone jackets and Repetto footwear; gents get Nice Collective hoodies and hipster-fab sneakers from Generic Man. Next door is another Tannery project, Concepts (37 Brattle St., 617-868-2001). It’s an urban shoe fiend’s holy grail: Throwback kicks from YSL and Visvim line the shelves, along with Double RL denim and Canada Goose exclusives. But the real treasures are in the basement, where "members" (Celtics players and other invite-only VIPs) enjoy an open bar and flat-screen TVs while contemplating buys like $800 Epi leather Timberlands.

THE YUM ONES

Taking over the former Au Bon Pain space, Crema Café (27 Brattle St., 617-876-2700, cremacambridge.com) is a distinct departure from its predecessor: upscale feel, house-baked goods, and a knack for that heady layer of froth (the namesake crema) that widens espresso connoisseurs’ eyes. In the way of groceries and on-the-go chow, Market in the Square (60 Church St., 617-441-2000) is a much-needed addition to the nabe. Hungry shoppers can stock up on cupboard essentials, then hit the sushi bar, deli, cafeteria-style hot and cold bars, and finally the candy shelves for weirdly addictive Japanese sweets—24 hours a day, no less.

BAZAAR TENDENCIES

Inside the otherwise-missable knickknack shop Kofuku, Désinvolte (30 JFK St., 617-354-1166, desinvolte.us.com) deals in international flair. Owner Christopher Chamberland combs Paris and London for things like One Step vintage-style belts and embroidered Derhy frocks, and will add items from Haiti and Brazil this fall. Sharing the global sensibility, Tistik (54 Church St., 617-661-0900, shoptistik.com) is filled with handmade jewelry culled from Mexico and South America and displayed alongside the artisans’ bios. With many of the sterling-silver bangles, crystal cocktail rings, and glass pendants priced under $50, indulgence is guilt-free. And while LF (26 Church St., 617-492-7700, lfstores.com) is technically a chain, its vibe is decidedly free-wheeling. Cotton Millau dresses mingle with denim vests and bright Furst jeans; ’80s-punk booties, boho Jeffrey Campbell wedges, and preppy skimmers make for happy feet, too.