Billed as a family thrift store, the cramped Urban Renewals in Allston organizes its piles of children's clothing, men's sports jackets and women's apparel by color. If you have the time to sift through the heaps of second-hand clothes, books and home goods, you’ll eventually stumble on a diamond in a rough. Happy hunting!

As reviewed in Stuff at Night, Monday, March 12th, 2007: The latest in Allston’s retail research, LAB Boston is an experiment in what its owners call “culture-fusing”: a phenomenon they achieve by stocking music, clothing, and collectible toys that appeal to a variety of clienteles. Tunes run the gamut — CDs, vinyl, and digital formats — for electronic-music lovers, and LAB carries urban vinyl toys by Hong Kong’s Toy2R and Germany’s Rockaway Bear, plus apparel from labels like To Die For, Dissizit!, Hellz Bellz, and the store’s own limited-edition line, Limited Apparel Brand. As for the space itself, LAB looks more science class than showroom. Its all-white interior and stainless-steel furniture — on wheels to make room for in-store art shows and music performances — make the room the perfect blank slate on which to showcase LAB’s imaginative inventory.

Bargain basement shopping at its best. While the Brookline location near Allston/Brighton isn't as well stocked as the Downtown Crossing store, it has a lot less traffic which means a lot stock that hasn't been picked over. Great selection of sheets and comforters and they’re definitely the go-to place for college students looking to spruce up their dorm rooms. The clothing selection is hit or miss and it takes tenacity and repeat visits to snag that perfect designer outfit or shirt for cheap.