New Boutique Offers One More Place to Shop Local

There's one more place where Charlestown residents can keep their dollars local this holiday season -- at Swell Boutique at 87 Warren St., the newest addition to the neighborhood's small but electic retail scene.

Emily Randolph Silva opened the shop in a former interior design space around Labor Day. But it's been a gradual revealing to the community, who are still getting used to seeing a new retail storefront in that part of Warren Street.

On a Monday afternoon, a woman walked by the shop with her dog and poked her head in the door. She said she'd just realized there was a boutique in the spot -- and how glad she was to see it in the neighborhood.

And that's the way Charlestown has been getting to know Swell, according to Randolph Silva. Slowly and by surprise, walking by and by word of mouth.

What's for Sale at Swell

First off: This week -- today through Saturday, everything in the store is 15 percent for a pre-Black Friday sale.

But what's for sale? Swell sells womens and children's apparel and accessories. You'll find a few international labels, a few more domestic labels and several that feature all natural or organic fabric.

The shelves are spare at the store -- but what's there is a high quality, sometimes-handcrafted material. The brands Swell offers are small, unique and ethical. (You can read about them on the Swell web site.)

Why Charlestown?

It was a common refrain that brought Randolph Silva, her husband and their two young children to the neighborhood six years ago: it seems like a great place to raise a family. The proximity to downtown, the architecture, the neighborhood feel, the Charlestown Mothers Association and the playgrounds.

Randolph Silva sees Charlestown as a sort of Brooklyn Heights -- a fashionable neighborhood just over the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, famous for its rowhouses, diversity and families. It's that energy -- the young people, the propinquity of an urban environment to a tight-knit community -- that made Randolph Silva want to bring a specialty shop to the neighborhood. But what it lacks in comparison, she said, are the specialty resources and more shopping and dining options.

"There is no reason for those things to not be here -- adding a new element and flare to what Charlestown can offer a family raising their family in the city, a young professional, a townie, a retiree coming back to the city," she said. "People have been really warm to me so far. But one thing I hear a lot is that they want to see more stuff like [the boutique]."

Before opening the shop, Randolph Silva had been operating a bodywork studio out of her home -- she is trained in gyrotonic, pilates and yamuna body rolling. When she opened Swell Boutique, she moved the bodywork business to a room adjacent to the retail space. While shopping, you can take a peak at the equipment she uses for each modality. (You can also read about them on her web site.)

"The movement is really at the core of who I am," said Randolph Silva, who has been teaching for 12 years and has a background in dance. "I believe that a healthy spine is a healthy body. I have a deep appreciation of my clients and enjoy watching their bodies change and grow with their work."

Details:

You can shop at Swell Boutique Tuesday-Saturday form 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and make an appointment for bodywork Monday through Saturday.

Visit swellbodyandboutique.com for more info.