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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.
"Why do parts of River North smell like freshly baked brownies?" is a question you hear fairly often. The oh-so-sweet reason: it's downwind from the Blommer Chocolate Factory, which has been making wholesale chocolates since 1939. More important, the retail outlet store is also here, so you can snap up your Blommer chocolates and candies at a discount—a handy tip to know when those aromas give you the munchies.
This former meeting space and concert hall, known as the Medinah Temple, was built for the Shriners in 1912. After it took over, Bloomie's kept the historically significant exterior intact but gutted the inside to create its first stand-alone furnishings store in Chicago. It's stocked to the rafters with everything you need to eat, sleep, and relax in high style.
More than 75 handpicked dealers make it worth the trek to the Broadway Antique Market (known as BAM by its loyal fans). Mid-century modern is the primary emphasis, but items range from Arts and Crafts to Heywood-Wakefield, plus jewelry, historic advertising, vintage clothes, and more. All are wonderfully presented, and the building itself is a charming example of deco architecture.
A concept store by furniture giant Crate&Barrel, CB2 got its start right here in Chicago. Expect bold basics for trendy urban abodes, all sans big-ticket price tags.
"Not a cult," signs around this Grand Avenue shop cheekily proclaim. But what it is, exactly, defies easy categorization: it's part coffee counter, part purveyor of fastidiously arranged Japanese stationery and fountain pens, and part home decor shop with a bent for utilitarian goods like metal storage boxes. It's part performance art (see, for instance, the staff's somber boilersuits). And all together, it's a wholly unique shopping experience.
This century-old store is a Loop institution. It's stacked to the rafters with cameras and darkroom equipment at competitive prices.
Daniel Burnham's 1904 Santa Fe Building is a fitting home for the Chicago Architecture Foundation. Chock-full of architecture-related books, home accessories, and everything and anything related to Frank Lloyd Wright, its gift shop is also the place to sign up for one of the foundation's acclaimed tours, which are conducted on foot or by bus, bicycle, and boat.
Opened since 2013, Chicago’s sprawling Eataly location has a little bit of everything. Part-market, part–upscale food court with multiple cafés, and a gelato shop thrown in for good measure, it is a foodie’s paradise.
Up-and-coming and established upscale women's clothing designers are artfully showcased in a space that's airy, bright, and uncluttered. The owners are pros at mixing fabrics and patterns, and putting unexpected pieces together with wonderful results. Refreshingly, staff put a premium on personable service, making you feel genuinely welcome whether you've come to drop a paycheck or just to browse.
Two sprawling stories of European groceries greet you as you enter underneath the large cow on Lincoln Avenue, as well as a wide array of smoked sausages, gourmet wines and cheeses, a wide beer selection, and imported specialty products. During summer, hop the elevator to the rooftop where you'll find an outdoor garden hideaway serving sausages and beer.
Loaded with new and vintage European and American furnishings, this decor store is elegance defined, with an offbeat touch thrown in for good measure. Look for tribal throws, geometric vases, handsome art and gardening books, and the decorative odds and ends you never knew you needed. (Antique French hat mold anyone?)
Owner Lori Andre's obsession with shoes takes her on regular trips to Europe to hunt for styles you won't see at department stores. The result is an inventory that many consider to be the best in Chicago. Shoes by designers like Jeffrey Campbell, Vagabond, and Oncept as well as offerings from Andre's own line, L'idea by Lori, are sold in a self-serve atmosphere. Terrific handbags, jewelry, bridal shoes, and other accessories are also available.
In business for 150 years, this charming space stocks more beauty products and healthcare items than medications these days. They also carry a variety of herbal remedies, hard-to-find European toiletries, cosmetics, candles, and natural laundry products. The original space still feels old-world but the expansion into the next-door area (called The Shops At Merz) feels modern and trendy with products like fragrances and men's shaving goods.
One of Chicago's largest used-book dealers carries more than 80,000 titles and buys books from the public on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. Bookworms, be sure to budget ample time: a quick browse here has a way of turning into a lost afternoon.
Although maybe not as popular as it was during its Nike Town days, this five-story store in the heart of Michigan Avenue is still a tourist attraction. Many visitors—including professional athletes—stop here to take in the sports memorabilia, road test a pair of sneakers, or watch the inspirational videos.
Twice a year, 200-odd stalls selling clothing, furniture, jewelry, books, and more get treasure seekers' adrenaline flowing. The top-rated event also includes an Indie Designer Fashion Market, showcasing one-of-a-kind wearables by up-and-coming local designers. Weekend admission is $15 at the gate ($12 in advance), and children under 12 get in free.
Looking for that "High Fidelity" Chicago record store experience? Reckless Records ranks as one of the city's leading alternative and secondhand record stores. Besides the indie offerings on vinyl, CD, or cassette, you can flip through jazz, classical, and soul recordings, or catch an occasional live in-store performance. Look for other locations in the Loop ( 26 East Madison Street) and Wicker Park ( 1379 North Milwaukee Avenue).
The Spice House draws rave reviews from local home cooks and glossy national food mags alike for its head-spinning range of top-quality spices sourced from around the globe. At the brand’s Old Town outpost, an aromatic storefront with a modern apothecary vibe, you can shop for edible reminders of your Chicago sojourn in the form of spice blends created to capture the essence of the city’s neighborhoods.
Since 1980 this independent bookshop has maintained a loyal clientele who love its vast selection and dedicated staff who are happy to share recommendations. Known for having one of the most extensive gay and lesbian sections in the city, it also has an impressive array of travel guides, children's books, and poetry. Even if you can't stop in, they're always sharing a literary quote out front for all to enjoy and contemplate.
This inclusive, progressive feminist bookstore stocks fiction and nonfiction, periodicals, journals, small-press publications, self-published pieces from area authors, and a strong selection of LGBTQ+ titles. The children's section also has a great array of books, including many about anti-racism, immigrant experiences, and social justice. Writers, both local and world-famous, often give readings here.
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