34 Best Places to Shop in USA

Arriving in 2012, massive Union Market is a feast for the senses that’s a favorite destination for locals and out-of-town visitors alike. The space offers a smorgasbord of food and drink options, from sushi and piping hot empanadas to Bloody Marys and fish-and-chips. There are butchers and bakers and candles (though not candlestick makers—yet), as well as cheese vendors, microbrewed coffee, and a shop selling spices you’ve never heard of. It’s all made the market enormously popular, particularly on weekends, when parents descend to sip espresso while the youngsters bound around a generous outdoor seating area that features a host of lawn games.

Union Market is part of the new, buzzing Union Market District, filled with restaurants; a pop-up movie theater, the Angelika, which shows new releases and classic favorites; and La Cosecha, a contemporary Latin market two blocks away.

Everything you need for your furry friend (leashes, collars, bedding, carriers, shampoo, and more), along with pet-themed artwork, is carefully arranged in this inviting pet boutique. Another branch is at  1137 West Madison Street, in the West Loop.

It's worth getting up early on a Saturday to amble through the local farmers' market (8 am to 1 pm), a favorite destination for food, flowers, and fellowship since 1979. Within and just outside a historical train station, some 85 vendors hawk everything from fresh vegetables and artisanal cheeses to locally produced honey and dried fruit. Pick up fresh fruits and veggies from Sugar Top Farms and artisanal bread from Old Hearth Bread Co. or chopped pineapple from Indian River fruit. A quick coffee and fresh croissant from the market is a great way to jump-start a day of Park Avenue shopping. You can park on nearby streets and the public lots on New York Avenue and Morse Boulevard and Lyman and New England Avenues.