Cisco Brewers Seaport Beer Garden returned to Boston’s Seaport District this month for the fifth consecutive year, expanding its offerings to include craft cocktails and spirits from Nantucket-based Triple Eight Distillery. Photo courtesy of WS Development

What’s new in the Seaport District? This is both the hardest and easiest question to answer because Seaport embodies the ethos “what’s new and what’s next.” 

It’s how we think about both the tangible (new openings) and intangible (a palpable energy that courses through the neighborhood). This takes on a whole new energy as we head into May. 

Bostonians are no stranger to all that the northern part of the Seaport has to offer, whether taking a Seaport Sweat class, checking out Frank Stella and Okuda San Miguel’s art installations, or shopping at some of our beloved brands like Warby Parker, Bonobos and Outdoor Voices. However, head just a few blocks south this spring, and you will find a more expansive Seaport experience. 

Our newest retail destination, The Superette spans an entire city block and comprises 125,000 square feet, occupying the first two levels of Echelon Seaport. Here, WS Development continues to bring its experience-first approach to retail with a lineup of brands that place an emphasis on quality, eclecticism and discovery. Designed by world-renowned design firm Kohn Pedersen Fox, The Superette is an architecturally distinctive space that evokes the charming historic squares of Europe, but with an invigorating attitude that is all its own. 

As our first brand to debut at The Superette, the Amsterdam-born Scotch & Soda opened on April 1. It boasts a store design concept which is inspired by the power of self-expression and the free spirit of Amsterdam, combining warm colors and sleek design elements to connect the expected with the unexpected. Sustainable features such as LED lighting, Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood herringbone flooring and new hangers made of recycled materials come to the forefront, reflecting the brand’s sensitivity to the planet and commitment to responsible choices. 

Over the next few months, The Superette will welcome an eclectic mix of 40 stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues, including Lucid, Rag & Bone, Le Labo, Todd Snyder, Alo Yoga, Vince, Framebridge, Cremieux, Mack Weldon, Puttshack and a salon from Andrew Alicia, owner of Seaport Barbers. 

Global Accent for Culinary Arrival 

Alongside retail, Seaport’s culinary story continues to grow. We just welcomed the smash hit, fast casual Israeli street food concept, Miznon. Founded by celebrity chef Eyal Shani, Miznon uses the pita as the vessel to experience vivid Israeli flavors. There is a reason its “original whole roasted baby cauliflower” dish was named by Food & Wine magazine as one of the best. This spring, we welcome the return of Cisco Brewers Seaport Pop-Up, which has become a warm-weather tradition for so many, and a number of open market pop-ups across the neighborhood, including our beloved Seaport x Black Owned Bos. 

Ariel Foxman

Finally, The Current is emblematic of all that is new in Seaport. Since 2018, through this village of architecturally unique tiny homes, WS has brought in a rotation of ultra-fresh brands with an emphasis on small businesses. We will announce our spring lineup soon, but those who are visually astute have likely already taken note of The Current’s visual graphics over the last few months. Complete with QR codes, the graphics point passersby to WS’s exciting new podcast, “The Retail Darwin,” available on Spotify and iTunes. On The Retail Darwin, we provide expert advice on topics surrounding retail success, from marketing to finding the right location to creating a community. This is a fantastic listen for entrepreneurs and retail hawks alike. 

Ariel Foxman is general manager of Boston Seaport for WS Development.