Trendy Exchange Street is great for arts and crafts browsing, while Commercial Street caters to the souvenir hound—gift shops are eager to sell Maine moose, nautical items, and lobster emblems emblazoned on everything from T-shirts to shot glasses.
Several art galleries bring many alternatives to the ubiquitous New England seaside painting. Modern art, photography, sculpture, pottery, and artful woodwork now fill the shelves of many shops, revealing the sophisticated and avant-garde faces of the city's art scene.