Mag Mile and Oak Street:
Bring Your Bars of Gold
The Mag Mile has long replaced State Street as downtown Chicago's premier (and tourist-friendly) shopping strip. This stretch of prime real estate, spanning from the Chicago River to Oak Street features Chicago outposts of many destination shopping spots, including Niketown (Map 3), The Apple Store (Map 3), Needless-Markup (a.k.a. Neiman-Marcus) (Map 3), American Girl Place (Map 2), and the high-end boutiques and department stores, (think Tiffany (Map 3), Gucci (Map 32), and Hermes (Map 32)) connected to Water Tower Place (Map 32) and the 900 North Michigan Mall (Map 32).
Around the corner on Oak Street lay tonier boutiques. While Mag Mall attracts goggle-eyed Midwestern families, who'll likely stop for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory or Bubba Gump, Oak Street appeals more to the Gold Coast and North Shore set: Prada (Map 32), Ultimo (Map 32), Barney's (Maps 30, 32) and BCBG MAXAZRIA (Map 32) are all located on this tiny strip.
Not far away on Rush Street, Ikram (Map 32) is a favorite of First Lady Michelle Obama.
Boutique Shopping
You don't have to go down to Oak Street to find funky designer boutiques selling everything from original fashions by local designers to housewares and hostess gifts. Lincoln Park and Wicker Park in particular are heavy on cool women's fashion boutiques. In Lincoln Park, check out Armitage, Clark, and Halsted for shops such as Lori's Designer Shoes (Map 30), Cynthia Rowley (Map 30), and Kaveri (Map 29). In Wicker Park, the highest concentration of cool little shops, like the fashion boutiques Habit (Map 21) and Penelope (Map 21), line Division street, but if you love to shop, you'll want to work the whole Bermuda triangle of Division, Milwaukee and North Avenue. Southport Avenue in Wrigleyville boasts a string of women's boutiques, including Krista K (Map 43), Leahy & LaDue Consignment (Map 43), and Trousseau (Map 43).
Home Design and Decor
Forget River North. Clark Street in Andersonville has emerged as a mini designer's row. Shops like Scout (Map 37), Cassona (Map 37) and Urbanest (Map 37) have designers flocking from all over the city. Architectural Artifacts (Map 39) and Restoration Hardware (Map 22) are treasure islands for vintage rehabbers. Community Home Supply (Map 42) is one of the city's best (and priciest) kitchen and bath boutiques.
Best of the 'Hoods
In many cases, Chicago's neighborhood shopping destinations say something unique about the character of the 'hood. Funky little punk-rock indie shops in Logan Square for example, or gay-friendly places like GayMart (Map 44), Unabridged Bookstore (Map 44), and He Who Eats Mud (Map 44) in Boystown. Lincoln Square caters to the NPR-lovin' micro-brew swillers that call that 'hood home, and Andersonville has something for everyone: feminist books (Women & Children First (Map 37)), chic home furnishings, men's and women's fashions, Swedish souvenirs, and, count them, two clean, friendly and non-oogly-feeling sex-toy stores (Early to Bed (Map 37) and Tulip (Maps 37, 44)).
Ethnic enclaves also make for great shopping. Try gifts and cookware in Chinatown, gorgeous saris and Bollywood flicks on West Devon, hookahs and Moroccan teas sets on north Kedzie in Albany Park, and Irish arts and crafts in Beverly.
One Man's Trash...
Is another man’s treasure. Whether you wants are driven by the desire to save the planet or you just want to save a buck, Chicago offers a plentitude of places to buy other people's old crap. Vintage wear boutiques thrive in arty 'hoods like Wicker Park, East Lakeview, and Roscoe Village. Some faves: Una Mae’s Freak Boutique (Map 21), Silver Moon (Map 21) and the Hollywood Mirror (Map 44). Ragstock (Maps 43, 21) used-and-off sale clothing chain has two Chicago outposts--one near Clark and Belmont, the other on Milwaukee Avenue.
For one-stop antique shopping, check out one of Chicago’s many antique malls--huge enclosed spaces that lease space to small dealers. Not to be missed are the Broadway Antique Market (Map 37), the Edgewater Antique Mall (Map 37), and the Lincoln Antique Mall (Map 38).
In terms of thrift stores, there's either a Salvation Army (Maps 25, 29, 40, NW), a Unique Thrift (Map 40) or a Village Discount (Maps 27, 38, 40, 42, NW, W, SW) in nearly every neighborhood in the city. Meanwhile, The Brown Elephant (Maps 37, 44) thrift stores benefit Howard Brown Health Center's HIV research, whereas the White Elephant (Map 30) benefits the Children's Memorial Hospital.
Audiophilia
Although two huge chain record stores (Tower Records and the Virgin Superstore) have folded in the past five years, Chicago loves our independent record stores. Among our faves, Reckless Records (Maps 21, 44) serves the indie rock crowd. Borderline (Map 44) spins Euro dance hits. Gramaphone (Map 44) is where Chicago's DJs pick-up the hottest wax. Speaking of wax, Dr. Wax (Map 19) and Hyde Park Records (Map 19) supplies Hyde Parkers with all its old-school vinyl needs, while Dusty Groove (Map 22), which specializes in old R&B and soul, provides the same service to West Towners. Laurie's Planet of Sound (Map 39), in Lincoln Square, offers an eclectic array of mostly-indie music without the attitude that is often associated with indie record store clerks.
For stereo equipment and electronics, DJ's shop at Midwest Stereo (Map 43). DeciBel (Map 21) serves the Wicker Park and Bucktown crew. Saturday Audio Exchange (Map 43), only open on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, sells high-end stereo brands for cheap, (well, relatively cheap, anyways) as well as used and refurbished woofers, tweeters, receivers, and all that other audio-geek stuff.
Get Foodie
The gourmet and specialty food trade has exploded in the past few years, as have the high-end houseware stores that are supplying upscale home cooks with their Le Creuset pans and Wüstof knives. Today, if you find yourself hard-up for locally-produced caviar, lavender extract, stinky artisinal cheese, curry leaves, or whatever other weird ingredient they don't stock at the Jewel, all you have to do is follow your nose. Of Chicago's many, many gourmet or specialty food shops, there are a few that are particularly dear to our hearts. Pastoral Artisan (Maps 5, 44), a specialty cheese and wine shop, is a great stop on your way to a dinner party to pick up cheese, wine, olives, or other tasty treats. We also love Goddess and the Grocer (Maps 28, 32), Provenance Food and Wine (Map 27), and, perhaps, the best-smelling shop in town, Old Town's The Spice House (Map 31). In Logan Square, The Dill Pickle Food Co-op (Map 27) is the place to get locally sourced and organic food goodness. Ethnic markets are great places to track down hard-to-find ingredients. Middle East Bakery (Map 37) in Andersonville sells amazing homemade hummus and felafel, as well as olive oil, pine nuts, and dried fruit at prices significantly lower than Whole Paycheck. Joong Boo Market (Northwest) is one-stop shopping for Korean culinary adventures, and they have a decent cafe in the back if you just can't wait to have your bibimbap. Order ahead to have Athen's Grocery (Map 4) prepare a fresh lamb for your barbecue spit. European Imports (Map 28) is one stop shopping for anything you're craving from the Old World.
Oh, and that local caviar? Look no further than The Fishguy Market (Northwest).
Mall Rats
Normally we'd scoff, but look, it's Chicago, and it gets damn cold. So, if occasionally you want to do your shopping without having to venture too far into the great outdoors, we're not going to point any fingers.
On the Mag Mile, Water Tower Place (Map 32) offers pretty typical mall fare--there's a Gamer's Paradise, Godiva, and Victoria’s Secret--but their food court has more in common with a Las Vegas buffet than anywhere you'd be able to grab an Orange Julius or a Mrs. Fields cookie. A block north, the shops at 900 N Michigan (Map 32), offer higher-end fare, (no surprise, as it's attached to the super-luxe Four Seasons hotel). Shops here include Coach, Diesel, MaxMara, and Williams-Sonoma. In East Lakeview, the Century Shopping Mall (Map 44) is kept in business by its fine art house cinema and Bally's outpost, certainly not by the mundane shops contained within (Limited, Express, or Bath & Body Works, anyone?). Housed in a building where bombers were built during WWII, today the huge Ford City Mall (Southwest) is a popular hang-out for local kids without much else to do, but otherwise boasts nothing very exceptional--a few low-end department stores, a movie theater, and all of the shops and fast food joints you'd expect to find in a mall. Anchored by a Target and a Kohl's, Harlem Irving Plaza (Northwest), like the Ford City Mall, is a popular stomping ground for high school students but offers little beyond the same old shops despite that location-specific nom de mall.
Oddities
Some of our favorite Chicago shops defy easy definition. Among them, American Science and Surplus (Northwest) offers one-stop shopping for professional-quality laboratory beakers, school supplies, crime-scene tape, pirate flags, and life-sized anatomy models. At Uncle Fun (Map 43) you can find all the coolest vintage and wind-up toys, as well as oodles of strange and playful things for under $5, making it the gag gift headquarters of Chi-town. Recent acquisitions: a bacon-scented air-freshener, a week’s worth of fake moustaches, and a "Mr. T in Your Pocket" keychain. Ah, youth. Relive it again at again at Izzy Rizzy's House of Tricks (Southwest), where you can stock up on plastic vomit, hand-buzzers, and stink bombs. Finally, to cast a curse or to break one, stop by Athenian Candle Company (Map 4), where, in addition to 12-foot, gold-detailed, church-quality candles, you can also pick up a bottle of "Law Be Gone" floor wash or "Love Come Back" air spray.
State Street: Student Mecca
The student population in the Loop has soared, thanks to new student housing for Columbia and School of the Art Institute Students. State Street has made a comeback by filling up with cheap, hip chic catering to this crowd. Loehmann's (Map 5), H&M, (Map 32), Urban Outfitters (Map 5). Blick Art Materials (Maps 5, 22) and Central Camera (Map 5) cater to the art student within all of us.
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On Our Radar:
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Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Posted By:
Andrew Savage
Photo:
Andrew Savage
Permanent Records
This is always a great stop for new and used music titles, and they have a really nice selection of books and zines as well. We recently played an in-store gig there, and while there weren't that many bodies in the audience, co-owner Lance hooked us up with a case of PBR, a free shirt, and 20% off. What a guy! The small staff are always down to jive about records and give excellent recommendations. This store is also home to the record label which bears its name. This Chicago indie music store is the real thing.
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Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Posted By:
David Donze
Photo:
David Donze
Moo & Oink
To the uninitiated Moo & Oink may seem like a mythical meat purveyor in a far-away land of cartoon pigs and cattle going happily from farm to store to grill. To anyone who's been to one of the four locations in Chicago, that myth is delicious (if somewhat less happy for the animals) reality. This is the place for someone planning a family reunion barbecue for 100, or a weekend get together of 10. The proprietary patties, chops, steaks, and encased meats have been locally made for nearly 150 years by this Chicago institution, so you know they bring a serious game to your grill. Everything in the store revolves around outdoor cooking, from the meats to the sides to all the peripherals. For the traditionalist, there is a wide offering of every smoked pork bit that you can turn into awesome barbecue fare--all of it smoked and butchered on site. Moo & Oink has a singular purpose that they pursue with an unvarnished pride in a no-nonsense shop: make your barbecue great.
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Friday, June 25, 2010
Posted By:
Brendan Keating
Photo:
Brendan Keating
Mitsuwa Marketplace
The Whole Foods mothership in Lincoln Park may be larger than Kanye West's ego, but for a grocery shopping good time, you can't beat Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights.
No mere produce stand, Mitsuwa is a shopping complex complete with groceries, a bookstore, liquor store, small appliance section, ceramics shop, sushi market, video store, bakery, and food court. There's even a travel agency where you can get a ticket to Tokyo to go with your 20-pound bag of rice. Mitsuwa is like shopping in an Asian-themed alternate universe where even the cleaning supplies are imported.
When all that browsing works up your appetite, swing by the food court where you’ll have a tough time choosing between a green tea parfait, a bowl of upscale ramen, Korean fast food, or a Japanese take on a burger joint.
But Mitsuwa's true sweet spot is its candy aisle, where you won't know what's more delicious, the chocolate biscuit rods, the exquisite gummy candies, or the bad English on the labels.
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Thursday, March 25, 2010
Posted By:
Brendan Keating
Photo:
Brendan Keating
Armadillo's Pillow
A riot of reading
Just like any great book, The Armadillo's Pillow is timeless. This Rogers Park institution is the Platonic ideal of a used bookstore. It's cozy, quirky, and crammed. Every nook and cranny of the small store is filled with books, lamps, sculptures, clocks, and other stuff that your artsy friend sells on Etsy.
Chairs are scattered behind and between shelves, giving shoppers plenty of places to while the day away. The only reminder of the outside world is the low hum of traffic along Sheridan Road.
Even though the store feels like a second home, its real strength is in its selection, which is long on wheat, short on chaff. Unlike many used bookstores, you're more likely to find an obscure novel about Lord Byron as a vampire, less likely to find a dusty catalog of fishing lures. The percentage of heavy hitting authors is high, pulp westerns and bodice-rippers low. The service is also helpful, but won't interrupt you while read, browse, or muse.
In short, The Armadillo's Pillow is the perfect place to spend an afternoon, and a few bucks, in a world of words.
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Thursday, March 25, 2010
Posted By:
Brendan Keating
Photo:
Brendan Keating
Armadillo's Pillow
A riot of reading
Just like any great book, The Armadillo's Pillow is timeless. This
Rogers Park institution is the Platonic ideal of a used bookstore. It's
cozy, quirky, and crammed. Every nook and cranny of the small store is
filled with books, lamps, sculptures, clocks, and other stuff that your
artsy friend sells on Etsy.
Chairs are scattered behind and between shelves, giving shoppers plenty
of places to while the day away. The only reminder of the outside world
is the low hum of traffic along Sheridan Road.
Even though the store feels like a second home, its real strength is in
its selection, which is long on wheat, short on chaff. Unlike many used
bookstores, you're more likely to find an obscure novel about Lord Byron
as a vampire, less likely to find a dusty catalog of fishing lures. The
percentage of heavy hitting authors is high, pulp westerns and
bodice-rippers low. The service is also helpful, but won't interrupt you
while read, browse, or muse.
In short, The Armadillo's Pillow is the perfect place to spend an
afternoon, and a few bucks, in a world of words.
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