Shopping - Chicago 2005 - page 229

be locally owned and offer unique and interesting wares. Shops are located on
the primary commercial arteries running through the area, including Armitage
Avenue, Webster Avenue, Halsted Street, Clark Street, and Lincoln Avenue.
ARMITAGE AVENUE Armitage Avenue has emerged as a shopping destina-
tion in its own right, thanks to an influx of wealthy young professionals who
have settled into historic town homes on the neighboring tree-lined streets. The
shops and boutiques here—which sell everything from artisan-made apparel to
offbeat gifts—are geared toward a sophisticated, well-heeled shopper, and make
for great browsing. As you stroll the area, you'll sense the area's strong commu-
nity spirit, with neighbors greeting each other and catching up on the street cor-
ners. Most of the shops are concentrated between Halsted Street and Clybourn
Avenue.
A number of charming home decor stores lie along this stretch of Armitage;
the best are the jaw-droppingly beautiful Tabula Tua, 1015 W. Armitage Ave.
( & 773/525-3500 ), with everything you need to set the perfect table; A
Unique Presence, 837 W. Armitage Ave. ( & 773/388-1808 ), filled with one-
of-a-kind decorative crafts and jewelry by North American artists; and Multiple
Choices, 840 W. Armitage Ave. ( & 773/477-4520 ), which stocks an eclectic
mix of decorative home accents and creative gifts. Urban Gardener, 1006 W.
Armitage Ave. ( & 773/477-2070 ), is a two-story garden shop in an old Victo-
rian row house with lovely displays of gardening books and tools, topiaries, gar-
den furniture, and other gifts.
A number of clothing and accessories stores cater to the hip young women
who live in the area. Celeste Turner, 859 W. Armitage Ave. ( & 773/549-3390 ),
offers sophisticated suits, dresses, and eveningwear from up-and-coming design-
ers. Lori's Designer Shoes, 824 W. Armitage Ave. ( & 773/281-5655 ), has a
great selection of stylish shoes at below-retail prices (p. 244). Art Effect, 934 W.
Armitage Ave. ( & 773/929-3600 ), which bills itself as a “modern-day general
store,” stocks everything from cute blouses and creative jewelry to handmade
picture frames, which makes for fun browsing.
Bargain hunters shouldn't miss Fox's, 2150 N. Halsted St. ( & 773/281-0700 ),
a perennially crowded shop that offers designer clothing at a steep discount. The
downside: Most clothing labels are cut out, so you might not know exactly which
A-list name you're buying. But Chicago fashion insiders flock here; as I heard one
woman say recently as she shopped at Fox's: “Too often, I stock up at Sak's, then
find the same thing here for less.” Another great stop for designer clothes at real-
people prices is the consignment shop McShane's Exchange, 815 W. Armitage
Ave. ( & 773/525-0282; see listing on p. 246). And don't miss the boutique of
local-gal-made-good Cynthia Rowley, 808 W. Armitage Ave. ( & 773/528-6160 ).
LAKEVIEW
Shoppers will find elements of both prosperous Lincoln Park and alternative-ish
Wicker Park when they're wandering along Lakeview's principal avenues.
BELMONT AVENUE & CLARK STREET Radiating from the intersection
of Belmont Avenue and Clark Street is a string of shops catering to rebellious
kids on tour from their homes in the 'burbs (the Dunkin' Donuts on the corner
is often referred to as “Punkin' Donuts” in their honor).
One constant in the ever-changing youth culture has been the Alley, 3228 N.
Clark St., at Belmont Ave. ( & 773/883-1800 ), an “alternative shopping com-
plex” selling everything from plaster gargoyles to racks of leather jackets. It has
separate shops specializing in condoms, cigars, and bondage wear.