Boston's Best Black Friday 2016 Deals

November 25 is Black Friday, and for tens of thousands of Bostonians that date means more than leftover turkey for dinner.  It is the biggest shopping day of the year, the day of deals and early morning to late night shopping.  All of the chains and big box stores mark the day with big discounts,at least for those with grit, patience and determination enough to brave the hordes of fellow bargain hunters. For those who want a different shopping experience, here are five of the often overlooked best places to find a deal and have some fun, without undue stress, on Black Friday.

The Outlets At Assembly Row
Assembly Square
340 Canal St.
Somerville, MA  02145
(732) 249-6080
www.assemblyrow.com/visit

There are a lot of outlet malls within an hour's drive of Boston, notably the huge one at Wrentham Village, but the outlet mall at Assembly Row not only has 40 fine shops, it also doesn't require boarding a bus or fighting traffic out of Boston to go there.  Assembly Row is just off Route 93 in Somerville, with easy access and plentiful parking.  Many of the top chains have outlets here, but the jewel in the Assembly Row crown is the Lego store - which includes a great play place, and one that is open certain evenings to just adults.  Assembly Row also has a J.P. Lick's, one of Boston's favorite ice cream parlors, and many little boutiques, not all of which sell only women's clothing, jewelry and accessories.  The Assembly Row shops will all have deals of at least 30 to up to 70 per cent off on Black Friday, and most will be open from  8 a.m. until 10 p.m..  For those who grow weary of shopping, moreover, there is a fabulous AMC multiplex with those wonderful reclining lounge seats - and a full bar and food court, which lets moviegoers bring beer and wine, subs and pizza back to their seats.

Faneuil Hall Marketplace
4 South Market Building
Boston, MA 02109
(617) 523-1300
www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com

Faneuil Hall is not your average shopping center. Deep in the heart of old Boston, and not merely surrounded by but also steeped in history, Faneuil Hall has a plethora of little shops, all of which will have special deals for Black Friday.  Among the more than 100 shops, kiosks and pushcarts there are not only the big name stores, from Ann Taylor's to Victoria's Secrets, but there are also many unique little places, like Art for Em which sells whimsical little keepsakes, Boston Chowda, which offers award-winning chowders and one of the area's most famous and favorite comic book and collectibles store, Newbury Comics.

Nic + Zoe
Copley Place
100 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02116
(857) 263-7777
www.nicandzoe.com

Although this Boston-based store has now expanded beyond the city with outlets in King of Prussia and a few other malls, the store in Copley Place is a great place to find quality Cardigans, Vegan Suede Moto Jackets, and original clothing by Dorian Lightbown, the designer who not only founded the store in Boston, but also named it for her children, Nic and Zoe.  There are many other unique boutiques elsewhere in the Copley Place shopping center in downtown Boston, but a trip to that mall would not be complete without stopping in at Nic + Zoe, especially on Black Friday, when so much of their rather pricey duds will be on sale.

Related: Best Neighborhood To Go On A Shopping Spree In Boston

Shake The Tree
67 Salem St.
North End
Boston, MA  02113
(617) 742-0480
www.shakethetreeboston.com

Shake the Tree is an eclectic's dream, with merchandise as diverse as Aunt Sadie's Vermont-made candles to hand-crafted Brooklyn slate cheese boards made with slate quarried from the designer's family quarry. Organic fruit aromatics similar to those made in Colonial times, locally made caramel candy and all sorts of unique items to fill pantry shelves can be found here, as well as clothing, stationary, cocktail supplies, cookbooks and much more. For more than 20 years Shake the Tree has been offering Bostonians and visitors unique quality goods. It is definitely worth stopping by here while trekking along the Freedom Trail or after lunching at one of the North End's fine and famous Italian restaurants and bakeries.

Pandemonium Books And Games
4 Pleasant St.
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 547-3721
www.pandemoniumbooks.com

Why fight the crowds shopping on Black Friday when you can cast spells, battle demons or conquer countries?  Pandemonium Books and Games in Cambridge not only sells the items in their name, they also provide tables and host events for people to play those games.  Black Friday evening is Magic: The Gathering night, with competitive rounds of play and prizes.  Rather than compete with others for bargains in the big box stores, come to Pandemonium on Black Friday (or any other day) to buy and play games, meet people, and get out your aggression harmlessly with cards and dice and other game pieces.

Related: Boston's Best Comic Book Store

Post Author: Mark McLaughlink, www.yourspeakeasy.com