Re: going to Chicago

Try some of the neighborhood shopping areas. They tend to be more
interesting.

Southport has some good stores and the only american outpost of Julius
Meinl where you can get viennese coffee and marvelous pastries. The
stores are boutiques rather than chain stores and include clothing
boutiques that have had a lot of good press.

Armitage west of Halsted and the part of Halsted joining Armitage is a
big shopping area. Halsted tends to have more chains like Arden B.,
Bebe, Banana Republic, Gap, Club Monaco etc., plus some interesting
stores which sell cosmetic lines you cannot get elsewhere. Barney's
Co-Op is on Halsted and carries lower priced designers - it is really
Barney's marketing to a younger audience. Armitage is more boutique type
stores including Lori's shoe store which discounts higher end shoes.

Bucktown/Wicker Park was originally a neighborhood with a high artist
population. It is increasingly being gentrified. The boutiques here
are more edgy/trendy in their offerings. One of Chicago's leading
restaurants Spring is in this neighborhood - expensive but good. Zen
decor and a lot of seafood offerings.

This link talks about these neighborhoods for shopping. It is a bit out

FeAudrey...

Frommmer's? FROMMER'S????

We don' need no steenkin' Frommer's. ;^) The posters here will beat any
guidebook going with on the spot knowledge.

of date, POSH is now downtown but it gives a general idea of
neighborhood shopping. Look on the web and you should find a lot more
details.