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A potent concentration of famous retailers around Michigan Avenue and neighborhoods bursting with one-of-a-kind stores combine to make Chicago a shopper's paradise. Michigan Avenue's legendary Magnificent Mile lures thousands of avid shoppers every week. How often can you find Neiman Marcus, Macy's, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Barneys New York within walking distance of one another? In recent years State Street has regained some of its former glory as well, with discount department stores sharing prime real estate with trendier clothing boutiques and the Block 37 retail development.
Neighborhood shopping areas, like fun-but-sophisticated Lincoln Park, eclectic Lakeview, and the hipster haven of Wicker Park/Bucktown, offer countless independent stores that cater to every desire, whether Prairie tyle furniture, cowboy boots, or outsider art. And there are countless smaller shopping enclaves within these neighborhoods that have concentrated clusters of antiques stores, home-furnishings shops, high-end boutiques, and other specialty stores. Those averse to paying retail won't have to venture far to unearth bargains on everything from fine jewelry to business attire. When it comes to shopping, this is one city that has it all.
Be forewarned that a steep 9.5% sales tax is added to all purchases in the city except groceries and prescription drugs. Neighborhood shops on the North Side, especially those in Wicker Park and Bucktown, tend to open late—around 11 or noon. Most stores, particularly those on North Michigan Avenue and the North Side, are open on Sunday, although this varies by type of business (galleries, for example, are often closed on Monday); where applicable, more information is provided at the beginning of each category.
The selection here matches the warehouse proportions. A mammoth two-story space contains oversize garden ornaments, statuary, iron grills, fixtures, and decorative tiles. Architectural fragments—marble, metal, wood, terra-cotta—hail from historic American and European buildings.
More than 75 handpicked dealers make it worth the trek to the Broadway Antique Market (known as BAM by its loyal fans). Mid–20th century is the primary emphasis, but items range from Arts and Crafts and art deco to Heywood-Wakefield. All are wonderfully presented, and the building itself is a prime example of deco architecture.
The shop owner here buys, sells, and appraises books, paintings, documents, and other paraphernalia associated with American military and political history. It's been around since 1938.
Choice antiques from Europe and elsewhere are sold at fair prices here. This is an excellent source for stately desks and dignified dining sets, but the true find is a huge trove of antique crystal and gilt chandeliers from France.
A couple of blocks north of the Broadway Antique Market, this mall specializes in 20th-century goods and is particularly strong in costume jewelry.
Father Time bills itself as the Midwest's largest retailer of vintage timepieces. In addition to pocket watches and clocks, it carries accessories like watch holders and display cases.
Travel back to antiquity amid this wondrous trove of classical Greek, Roman, and Byzantine coins and artifacts. Don't miss the gallery rooms in the back.
Dozens of dealers carrying antiques and collectibles share this large space. There's a good selection of French and mid-20th-century modern furniture, plus estate jewelry, oil paintings, and photographs, but you can find virtually anything here.
It's hard to resist the charming, piled-up displays of vintage hotel and restaurant china here. There's also an impressive selection of silver gravy boats, creamers, hotel silver, and flatware that bear the marks of ocean liners and private clubs. P.O.S.H., in business since 1997 and in this location since 2003, is also known for its French flea market signs.
The specialty here is French, Italian, and Scandinavian antiques, but you'll be lured in by the altogether uncommon mix of industrial and decorative furnishings, accessories, and fixtures. The selection reflects the collecting acumen of its two idiosyncratic owners, who scour Europe and the Midwest for items in the perfect state of intriguing decay.
An enormous warehouse chock-full of leaded glass, garden ornaments, fireplace mantels, bathtubs, bars, and other architectural artifacts draws creative home remodelers and restaurant designers from around the country.
In a block-long, 10,000-square-foot space, Asian furnishings and artifacts are arranged in vignettes depicting various eras and regions, from a British Colonial reception hall to a Chinese scholar's courtyard. The vast collection includes a line of custom-designed modern furnishings made from reclaimed wood.
A minimalist shop that carries a small selection of vintage clothing along with other one-of-a-kind wearables, objects, and accessories selected by forward-thinking owner Mary Eleanor Wallace. Wallace also invites local artists to show their work there. The shop is usually open only on weekends.
This store's superb collection of furniture, lighting, and decorative accessories from the 1940s to the '70s emphasizes industrial designs.
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