I've found many of the shops in Boston to be staffed with quite arrogant folks, who really are off putting. I also don't feel comfortable testing products in a store and buying on line. However, I'm also cheap, and it causes me physical pain to overpay. Thus, if I want to save money by buying on line, I'll just do it, and deal with a return if necessary. This means I hardly ever actually go to the store, as I know I'm unlikely to buy anything. I can do my own maintenance, and have a riding buddy who runs his own business as a mechanic out of his garage for what I can't. I did recently have a very positive experience with one local shop for a tune up. I got a 1/2 price groupon for an overhaul, so I went for it (I was going to just do it myself, but figured what the heck). They were very nice and didn't make me feel bad. They replaced all the cables, which meant I needed new bar tape. They charged me way more than I would have paid on line for cables and bar tape, but I was happy to pay it, as the service was friendly, and the tune up was very well done.
There is one other shop in the area I frequent, it's a mess of a place that sells only overstock and new old models. I've gotten some killer deals there.