People visiting Chicago manage to see the Sears Tower, the Buckingham Fountain, and Cloud Gate. They usually also get some shopping in at Chicago Place, the Water Tower Place, or The Magnificent Mile. These are all great places to visit in Chicago, but you should also think of exploring some of the lesser known, completely different shops found only in Chicago.
1. Inkling
At first, this little shop appears to be the best little card shop ever. In truth, it does have a larger, more creative assortment of cards than you find in any drugstore – or megastore for that matter. But this small shop manages to pack in a lot of fun, eclectic merchandise.
Need a candle inside a glass bottle or jewelry made from CTA tokens? Inkling is the place to go. The store also sells unique wrapping paper, awesome art work, t-shirts, and homemade cards. Inkling has the perfect gift for friends, family, or co-workers.
2. Beverly Records
This 46-year-old shop is jam-packed with rare finds, especially for vinyl collectors. There are also plenty of laserdiscs, cassettes, 8-tracks, and CDs to be found, but the real draw is finding a vinyl you might have lost or simply must have for your record collection.
Beverly Records even has a 45 club for jukebox owners. For a $10 registration fee you get a 10 percent discount on all 45s, as well as a newsletter that lets you know when new 45s arrive at the store.
3. Merz Apothecary
This unique shop has specialized in natural, homeopathic medicines since its doors opened in 1875. Today, it is perhaps most famous for being the place men can buy the necessary ingredients for wet shaving – an excellent way to impress your friends and family and to save a bundle on disposable razor cartridges. It’s also probably the only place a person can buy cinchona bark (quinine). It’s excellent if you make your own tonic syrup – or need a homemade remedy for malaria. Check out Gogobot for excellent suggestions on hotels near the Merz Apothecary.
4. Bookman’s Corner
Image via Flickr by Maguis & David
This wonderful little shop is a throwback to the world of pre-e-books when people used to read little things called books. If you prefer the tactile feeling of turning a page over swiping or touching a screen, then you must drop by Bookman’s Corner.
When you enter Bookman’s Corner, you can smell the yellowed pages and leather bindings; it’s an intoxicating aroma technology has yet to be able to replicate. With some 40,000 books that fit in either the “rare, medium, and well done” used books categories, Bookman’s Corner is Chicago’s premier old book stores.
Chicago is fortunate to have many little shops that specialize in one-of-a-kind items, and unique, rare, or impossible to find treasures. When shopping in one of the many stores in Chicago, don’t forget to try out some of these out-of-the shops. It will be time well spent.