Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9
Shopping
T
he art of merchandising has a rich
history in Chicago. The original Mar-
shall Field operated his namesake
department store under the motto
“Give the lady what she wants,” pio-
neering many customer-service poli-
cies that are now standard (such as
hassle-free returns). Catalogs from
Chicago-based Sears and Mont-
gomery Ward made clothes, books,
and housewares accessible to even the
most remote frontier towns. East to
west, or back the other way, just about
everything passed through Chicago.
Today, Montgomery Ward is no
more, but Sears opened a flagship store
in the heart of the Loop, signaling
the continued vitality of downtown
Chicago as a shopping destination.
From the fine furniture showrooms at
the imposing Merchandise Mart to the
“who's who” of designer boutiques lin-
ing Oak Street and Michigan Avenue,
the quality of stores is top-notch.
Because so many of the best are con-
centrated in one easy-to-walk area, the
convenience is unmatched.
This chapter concentrates on the
Magnificent Mile, State Street, and
several trendy neighborhoods, where
you'll find one-of-a-kind shops and
boutiques that make shopping such an
adventure.
SHOPPING HOURS
As a general
rule, store hours are 10am to 6 or 7pm
Monday through Saturday, and noon
to 6pm Sunday. Neighborhood stores
tend to keep later hours, as do some of
the stores along Michigan Avenue,
which cater to after-work shoppers as
well as tourists. Almost all stores have
extended hours during the holiday
season. Nearly all the stores in the
Loop are open for daytime shopping
only, generally from 9 or 10am to no
later than 6pm Monday through Sat-
urday. (The few remaining big down-
town department stores have some
selected evening hours.) Many Loop
stores not on State Street are closed
Saturday; on Sunday, the Loop—
except for a few restaurants, theaters,
and cultural attractions—shuts down
pretty tight.
SALES TAX
You might do a double
take after checking the total on your
purchase: At 8.75%, the state and
local sales tax on nonfood items is one
of the steepest in the country.
1 Shopping the Magnificent Mile
The nickname “Magnificent Mile”—hyperbole to some, an understatement to
others—refers to the roughly mile-long stretch of North Michigan Avenue
between Oak Street and the Chicago River.
The density of the area's first-rate shopping is, quite simply, unmatched any-
where. Even jaded shoppers from other worldly capitals are delighted at the ease
and convenience of the stores concentrated here. Taking into account that tony
Oak Street (see below) is just around a corner, the overall area is a little like New
York's Fifth Avenue and Beverly Hills's Rodeo Drive rolled into one. Whether
your passion is Bulgari jewelry, Prada bags, or Salvatore Ferragamo footwear,
