Shopping Local on the North Side of Chicago

December 20, 2022

A shopper in a dark blue shirt reaches for a product on a shelf in a brightly lit, out-of-focus store aisle.

Chicago is full of unique places to shop – from world-famous brands to locally-supported and independently-owned small businesses.

Some of Chicago’s best hidden gems are local shops found on the north side of the city – including the neighborhoods of Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Gold Coast, and Old Town.

Whether you’re gift shopping for someone or treating yourself to something nice, supporting small businesses creates a more personal experience and uplifts the local Chicago community.

Here’s our insider’s guide to the best shops in some of the best neighborhoods on the north side of Chicago.

Lakeview

Apartment living in Lakeview, one of Chicago’s liveliest neighborhoods on the lakefront.

Unabridged Bookstore

3251 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657

A bookstore interior with wooden shelves packed with books, featuring pride flags and posters displayed overhead.

Stop in to find your next read at the iconic Unabridged Bookstore, located just down the street from our 429 W Melrose property.

Known for its dedicated and knowledgeable bookstore staff, Unabridged Bookstore has made book shopping easier with handwritten lists of its staff’s personal recommendations.

The store features an unparalleled sale book section, an award-winning children's section, an extensive travel room, and a great selection of fiction and poetry. For 40+ years, Unabridged Bookstore has also been Chicago’s premier go-to bookstore for LGBTQ literature.

Wigglyville

3337 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657

Wigglyvilla Pet Boutique store front with a brick exterior and large glass windows showcasing merchandise.

Located in the heart of Lakeview East in Chicago, and just steps away from Reside on Surf, Wigglyville is a local pet boutique with a focus on providing quality and sustainable pet products rooted in health for your pet and for the planet.

Consider buying pet snacks that are sourced from the highest quality ingredients or letting your furry friend browse through their wide selection of toys and plushies.

Wigglyville offers fun store events as well as convenient concierge and delivery/curbside pick-up services.

If you’re living in one of Reside Living’s pet-friendly apartments in Lakeview, this is the perfect place to treat your beloved pet!

Foursided

2939 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657

Foursided is a locally-owned gift shop and art boutique with a wonderful team whose mission is to bring each of their guest's imagination to life through art, custom framing, curated gifts, ephemera, and vintage objects.

Founded in 2001, Foursided is focused on cultivating communities that appreciate art and showcasing independent artisans and makers of Chicago.

Come inside to say hello (furry friends are also welcome) and browse through thoughtfully curated works of art for your home or gifts like specially handcrafted cards and vintage posters/prints.

Lincoln Park

Apartment living in art-filled Lincoln Park – Chicago’s favorite spot for entertainment, music, and museums.

Rotofugi Designer Toy Store and Gallery

2780 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60614

A spacious, brightly lit retail shop with wooden display shelves, white tin ceilings, and green structural columns.

Since opening in 2004 between the borders of Chicago’s Lakeview and Lincoln Park neighborhoods, Rotofugi has grown to become one of the world’s premier sellers of designer toys from artists all over the world. The shop features a diverse collection of vinyl figures, plushies, posters, pop culture collectibles, and more.

After looking through their store, browse through the adjoining Rotofugi Gallery and admire art exhibits by a range of both local and nationally known artists.

This unique toy store and gallery is within walking distance of our Reside 2525 location.

Aroma Workshop

2110 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614

Glass shelves filled with rows of round perfume bottles with atomizers and small blue and green apothecary vials.

Finding your signature scent has never been more fun and a more unique experience than at Lincoln Park’s Aroma Workshop. They offer an extensive collection of fragrances, body care, and aromatherapy options that are perfect as gifts or to expand your own fragrance collection.

Aroma Workshop also offers the Scent Creation for Two experience that allows people to explore the Scent Bar and find their favorite fragrances. The store’s perfumer would demonstrate complementary combinations, asking for feedback until a perfect fragrance is created and carefully recorded in Aroma Workshop’s database for future refills.

You can create the perfect candle to bring back to your Lincoln Park apartment to make your home feel warm and cozy.

Art Effect

934 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60614

A retail shop filled with colorful toys and gifts displayed on tables and shelves with rustic brick walls and warm lighting.

Art Effect first opened its doors in 1984 and has evolved over the years to become a favorite Lincoln Park shopping destination for locals and tourists alike.

With a chic, modern design and an expansive space for browsing, Art Effect is a “one-stop shop” featuring hand-crafted jewelry, decadent bath and body products, one-of-a-kind items in a dazzling variety, and more.

Even for someone who seemingly has everything, there’s always something that can be found for everyone and every occasion at Art Effect.

This woman-owned eclectic apparel and gift boutique is right down the street from our 846 W Armitage apartments.

Gold Coast

Apartment living in Chicago’s historic Gold Coast, just north of downtown and the center of the city.

Chicago Teahouse

1160 N State St, Chicago, IL 60610

A white teacup filled with light amber tea sits on a matching saucer labeled

May we invite you for a nice warm cup of tea? From its location in the heart of the Historic Gold Coast of Chicago and just a few feet from our Gild property, Chicago Teahouse has become a leader in promoting organic tea production.

They carry a selection of more than 300 varieties, including Black, Green, Oolong, White, Rooibos, Herbal and Fruit, and ranging in price from just a few cents per cup all the way up to the rarest teas grown exclusively for Chicago Teahouse by some of the world’s finest estates.

This women-owned local business was named The Best Tea Shop in Chicago by Chicago Magazine and even carries specialty teaware, tea samplers, and tea cuisine such as manuka honey. The perfect place to find a great housewarming gift for anyone moving into a new apartment.

Restoration Hardware Gold Coast Showroom

1300 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60610

An elegant, symmetrically designed RH showroom with plush white sofas, a large crystal chandelier, and office desks.

If you’re in the market for a new piece of furniture for your apartment in Chicago, Restoration Hardware’s beautifully renovated 20th-century historic landmark features an impressive collection in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood. This is the perfect store to furnish your State and Chestnut apartment, which is located just down the street.

The elegant six-floor store showcases 70,000 square feet of Restoration Hardware’s most luxurious indoor and outdoor home furnishings, with each floor designated a theme.

Afterwards, enjoy delicious food, specialty drinks, and excellent hospitality at the 3 Arts Club Café located on the ground floor’s grand courtyard.

Old Town

Apartment living in Old Town, a charming neighborhood with Victorian-era buildings and tree-lined streets in Chicago.

House of Glunz

1206 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60610

Wine bottles arranged at an angle on multiple shelves of a wooden rack with warm, recessed lighting.

With over 130 years of service, The House of Glunz has been recognized by Chicago Magazine as the Best Wine Shop in Chicago.

Wine connoisseurs and history buffs will appreciate the admirable collection at this family-run Chicago institution that accommodates all requests, spanning casual “everyday wines” to the highly allocated and rare wines and spirits held in their extensive cellar.

Look out for their wine classes throughout the week and free tastings each Saturday. This hidden gem is a great place to stock your apartment’s wine fridge or bar cart.

Old Town Oil

1543 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60610

Stainless steel olive oil fusti containers lined up on a wooden store shelf with small tasting cups and sample bottles.

Founded in 2007 by four brothers from Chicago, Old Town Oil has been described as "a playground for your palette."

Their store is designed to give customers a hands-on, interactive culinary experience where you can stop by to sample, mix, and match their premium olive oils and vinegars to find the flavors you’re craving.

Through Old Town Oil’s direct relationships with small batch producers rather than purchasing through distributors, you can expect to find the highest quality and most delicious oils and vinegars, which you won't find anywhere else.

Bring home some new cooking ingredients to your apartment at Reside on North Park, which is just down the street from this curated culinary shop.

Happy Shopping!

From home goods to specialty foods, these Chicago neighborhoods are truly home to the city’s most unique shopping experiences. They are all in proximity to a wide variety of Reside Living apartments.

We hope you'll take some inspiration and share some love for these locally-owned Chicago businesses on your next shopping trip in the City.

And if you’re on the hunt for a new Chicago apartment, take a look at our Reside Apartments located in the neighborhoods mentioned in this guide.

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