The Running of the Brides

The annual Running of the Brides was held this morning at Filene's Basement. Sadly, I could not attend. Even sadder, it was announced yesterday that the flagship store in Downtown Crossing -- that mecca of capitalism, bargain shopping, and collective chaos -- is closing its doors until 2009. No ones knows exactly what is going on, whether the store will eventually reopen in the same location or whether it will be moved elsewhere in a tarted up, renovated form. The Basement they recently opened off Copley Square just isn't the same -- you don't feel like you need to wash your hands upon leaving. From what I hear, they've even got stalls in the dressing rooms. Someone must have told them that people don't like baring their bodies in front of a bunch of strangers lasciviously eyeing those designer jeans you had secretly buried in the home goods section to get the maximal markdown. Anyway, mark it down: on August 31, Filene's Basement goes the way of Scollay Square, the Combat Zone, the West End, and all those other Boston landmarks of yesteryear. It looks like Bev is going to have find another place to hone her cutthroat, ninja shopping skills.