68 Best Places to Shop in Lincoln Park and Wicker Park, with Bucktown and Logan Square, Chicago

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

Alcala stocks more than 8,000 pairs of cowboy boots—many in exotic skins—for men, women, and children. The amazing array of Stetson hats and rodeo gear makes this a must-see for cowboys, caballeros, and country-and-western dancers.

Customize lotions, massage oils, and bath salts with more than 100 essential and eau de parfum–grade fragrance oils during a 40–60 minute, perfumer-led Scent Creation session in this beauty boutique. Every customer-created formula is stored in an online database, so reordering your new trademark aroma is a breeze. If you'd like some liquid inspiration to fuel your creativity, the shop permits BYOB (no hard alcohol).

This modern-day general store stocks trendy clothes and accessories at a wide range of price points. Pretty embroidered dresses, stylish denim, and handmade necklaces share space with quirky-cool gifts and home furnishings, ranging from candles and bath products to cheeseboards and cookbooks.

Dreamland is even more inviting with these handcrafted beds and lush designer linens, many of which come in interesting jacquard weaves or are nicely trimmed and finished.

Kids of the 80s and early 90s, prepare to have your nostalgia buttons pushed: in addition to a great selection of used vinyl, this is the spot to peruse vintage Simpsons merch, He-Man toys, and WWF figurines. On-site coffee shop, the Brewed, has a horror theme; ogle campy movie posters while you snack on retro cereal like Count Chocula, sold by the bowl.

There's plenty to see throughout the three floors of stylish home furnishings and kitchenware at Crate&Barrel's flagship location. There's lots of free parking as well.

Chicago-area native Cynthia Rowley fills her Bucktown store with the exuberant, well-priced dresses, separates, and accessories that have made her so popular.

Vintage and handmade pieces that run the gamut from kitschy to avant garde make this store feel nostalgic and timeless at once. Owner Julie Ghatan scours estate sales and flea markets to salvage those perfect items worth an (often modest) investment. The jewelry is the main draw, but clothing, accessories, and barware are equally noteworthy.

The retail outlet of a massive online business, Dusty Groove stocks an enormous collection of new and used jazz, soul, hip-hop, Latin, rock, and other genres in both LP and CD formats. It also buys used records and CDs.

Eskell’s selection of new and vintage jewelry, fragrances, wall art, and assorted home goods is ever-evolving and truly one-of-a-kind. Curated boxes with themes like "pasta night" and "old-fashioned" make good take-home gifts for that someone with a thing for design.

What began in 2015 as an outlet for party supply designer Angela Wator has expanded to a full-scale celebration of, well, celebrations. Tableware in cheerful Memphis-style prints mingles with bright, retro-leaning garlands and paper fans arranged pleasingly according to color. There's also an excellent selection of letterpress cards and Japanese pens with which to address them, women's and kid's clothes by local maker Ovette, and darling toys by Meri Meri and Maileg.

Serious runners (or anyone looking for a supportive pair of athletic shoes) sprint over here for complimentary fittings, which entail 3-D foot mapping and a thorough gait analysis. Insoles, athletic wear, and sports gear round out the offerings at its four Chicago stores.

Kelly Marie Thompson has expanded her popular floral boutique to include home goods, linens, and fine jewelry. Unfortunately, there’s no way to bottle the lush, floral scent of the shop’s interior, but the selection of artisan candles and fragrances are a good substitute.

In a block-long, 10,000-square-foot space, Asian furnishings and artifacts are arranged in vignettes depicting various eras and regions, from a British Colonial reception hall to a Chinese scholar's courtyard. The vast collection includes a line of custom-designed modern furnishings made from reclaimed wood. If you can't fit that must-have Burmese colonial bookcase or mid-century Chesterfield in your suitcase, cheer up: purchases can be shipped around the world. 

This Humboldt Park lifestyle boutique is packed with stylish treasures. The selection of tableware is a particular strength, favoring natural woods, sculptural glasses, and enamelware in a 1970s palette. There are also cool clutches, handmade earrings, letterpress cards, and feminist buttons and stickers.

Off-kilter fun is the unifying principle behind the eclectic goods at Judy Maxwell Home, a gift shop owned by Chicago-bred actress Joan Cusack. Pop in to buy disappearing ink, a candle that looks uncannily like a bowl of Fruit Loops, or earrings shaped like tiny dentures for that friend with the wacky sense of humor. 

This unusual vintage shop specializes in loud, bold clothing, shoes, and accessories from the '80s and '90s. Period pop culture is a particular fascination here; on a given browse you might find a Garfield ringer tee or American Gladiators trading cards.

Once a mobile shop operating out of a 1976 Dodge RV, Lost Girls is now a brick-and-mortar store in Ukrainian Village (with an additional location in Logan Square). True to its theme of fun and adventure, you never know what you'll stumble upon. But you're sure to leave with a gem, be it a '50s cocktail dress or '70s beaded handbag. Stock is helpfully arranged by decade, so you can head straight for your favorite era.

At this beautiful boutique moms and moms-to-be find a social scene, thanks to story and music times. The clothing for newborns, babies, and toddlers is top-quality, with organic fabrics in adorable original prints you'll want to post on Instagram.

You'll find one of Chicago's best selections of fresh flowers here. Designed by architect Cynthia Weese, this breathtaking shop carries singular antique and vintage furnishings and accessories as well as a fanciful selection of candles, vases, tiles, and pots.