I am heading to Chicago for the weekend. I am all set with great dinner reservations and a good hotel. What I need now is help with the shopping and galleries. Not interested in the run of the mill (ie: nordstroms and the rest). Would like a funkier selection of boutiques and shops. Any suggestions?

Great boutiques on Oak Street! Off Michigan Avenue - near Bloomingdales and Barney's (and Gibson's Steak house.

I think the Oak Street boutiques are primarly well-known designers. This may be just what you're looking for, but maybe not. You might be more interested in checking out neighborhoods like Lincoln Park.

This link gives lots of shopping info for Lincoln Park. You can also click on other neighborhoods near the top for info on them:

http://www.urbanstyle.net/neighborho...rk/default.asp

Also check out Bucktown and Wicker Park for some funkier selections. Check out wickerparkbucktown.com
for some ideas of what's there.

Farther north, try the area around Halsted/Belmont/Clark for some, uh, unique shops. Gay Mart is always popular. You can find your Swedish merchandise in Andersonville, around Clark/Foster and German items in Lincoln Square around Lincoln/Damen. To the south, Chinatown is probably self explanatory. Just southwest of downtown is Pilsen, an increasingly trendy/arty Mexican neighborhood.

Try the Southport area. Some pretty cool shops and a great little grocery/restaurant.

Definately hit bucktown/wicker park and even Divison Street (my neighborhood) for some unique and funky boutiques and designers that aren't as well known. Oak Street is mostly higher end designer stuff.

Check out Damen Ave in Bucktown, starting out at North Ave, and proceed North. Great Boutiques (my favorite is P45 for women's clothes), fun kids store (Psycho Baby), good restaurants/bars. You can walk all the way to G Spot (lingerie), which is almost to Webster street.

Also, the Armitage/Halstead area in Lincoln Park has plenty of boutiques (Celeste Turner my favorite) and some larger retailers as well (Bebe, Bennetton, Arden B, Ann Taylor, etc.).

On Southport, in Lakeview, check out Krista K.

If you do hit the shops on Oak, check out Sara Jane. It has great, unique, hard to find designers.

For Galleries, you need to go to River North (Superior, Huron area).

Just curious, where are you staying and where do you have reservations for dinner?

Have fun!
Kristy

I got a great deal at the Intercontinental and we have dinner reservations for Friday night at Topolobampo and Kevin for Saturday . What do you think? I appreciate the detailed shopping suggestions. I just printed them out and will take them with me.