One of the best shops in Hyde Park! I bought a lot of stuff here when I still lived across the…read morestreet. I miss the big old sign that used to hang out front. You can find pretty much anything here. Small packaged food items, drinks, toiletries, kitchen supplies, packs of socks or underwear, cleaning supplies, phone cards, cigarettes (for you smokers)... I could go in and on. I still have a really nice Rubbermaid colander and a plastic mixing bowl with handle I bought here in 2002. I use both frequently. I bought a granny cart around the same time here to use as a laundry cart, still have it. My favorite pair of sunglasses were purchased here, sadly broken during an especially drunken night out circa 2004. One of my favorite things to buy here was Dr. Sheffield's baking soda toothpaste (before Sheffield rebranded as a high-end offering, you used to be able to get a tube here for ONE DOLLAR. I'd buy like 10 and they would last months. I'd also get bleach, parchment paper and stuff like that. It's a fairly busy store because the neighborhood locals all know and shop here. I still stop in when I'm in the area to get deals on certain items.

They fix watches! Convenient and reasonably priced. It's nice to have that option in the…read moreneighborhood.

Until very recently, this space held Toys Et Cetera, a 50-year-old local toy store that was justly…read morebeloved by all in the neighborhood. They had interesting and carefully curated toys and games, across a broad range of ages, interests, and price ranges, and an extremely helpful staff that provided excellent service in helping you pick out gifts, wrap, etc. Now the owner has retired and the enterprise has been purchased and taken over by *play, a local Chicago toy store chain. The good news is that they have kept the experienced and helpful staff, they still provide excellent service and gift wrapping, and so this remains a great place to pop in on the morning of a birthday party and get a nice little gift selected and wrapped. (With the caveat, which also applied to Toys Et Cetera, that there are only so many gifts to go around, and if 20 Hyde Park families all pop into the same toy store on their way to the same birthday party . . . a certain amount of duplication tends to ensue.) The bad news is that the selection of toys is much worse, much more limited, and more expensive. There are fewer good games, especially for older kids; there are no Legos; fewer gross motor toys; fewer really cheap things. And overall, if you bring in a kid with a little bit of allowance money odds are he will find nothing in here that is worth spending his cash on, and would vastly prefer to go to a Target instead. I understand that there are economic features of the toy business that probably lead us here -- (e.g., it is apparently hard for small retail to turn a profit on Legos) -- but whatever the reason, it's a real shame, and my kids will never love this place the way they loved its predecessor. Unless they make some real changes in their stock to try to fit into the neighborhood better.

My family and I love *play--I can't say enough about them. They offer an incredibly thoughtful…read moreselection of toys at a range of price points--including beautiful wooden options, soft and friendly stuffies, Chicago-themed toys (my daughter loves her replica CTA bus), cool bath toys, beautiful dolls, and great books and games. In the baby/toddler toy demographic, I am delighted to have a convenient and local place to buy favorites from PlanToys, Wee Gallery, Fat Brain, and other great brands. The space redesign is a huge upgrade from Toys Etc, which was a bit dark and crowded. The new shop is much easier to navigate with a stroller/young child. My daughter and I feel so welcome in this shop. She is delighted to push around their tiny shopping cart whenever we visit, the bathroom is set up conveniently with a changing table, and we never feel rushed while we're there. Their free gift wrapping is gorgeous, and the staff are so helpful and always point us in the right direction. Thank you, *play, for bringing your beautiful shop to Hyde Park! I hope our neighbors treasure this shop as much as we do. It is too bad they couldn't keep the LEGO account held by the previous shop owner, but that's not their fault! We'd also like to see them bring some Jellycats to Hyde Park in the future--I believe they stock them at other locations.

Stopped in before heading to the airport. We advised the guy working that we were heading back to…read moreCalifornia and taking popcorn home for friends and family. We asked if we could have some fresh since we would be traveling. The guy was kind and obliged and brought some out of the back. He filled the bags to the rim with Chicago mix and was barely able to close the bags. About 3 hours later when I got on the plane, I opened a bag and had a few pieces of popcorn - it was SO STALE, to the point where it should not have been sold! No way this popcorn could have gotten this stale that fast. It was disappointing because I had to throw all of the popcorn that I bought away. It was not edible. I spent over $100 - what a waste. I was in the Hyde park area - i recommend if you're buying to take home, buy it at the airport - they are more equipped for travelers..

A friend suggested that this is a MUST when visiting Chicago!…read more If you are staying at the Hyatt Place Chicago-South/University Medical Center, walk the block and get your popcorn fix! You are very close to Harold Park! Get your popcorn and head to the park to stroll those calories off guilt free at the Park! We got the "Mixture of Classic Carmel, White Chocolate Strawberry, and Dark Chocolate!" It was AMAZING! If you are ever visiting Chicago, be sure to get at least one bag to say you have actually visited Chicago the right way! Most Sincerely

I had time to kill before meeting a friend for dinner…read more It's a really cool store with a nice selection of back issues. I could go broke if I lived closer. They were super friendly and love that they wore white lab coats. It looks like they have a board game night. They also have a rideable Superman machine. I had to leave but I will be back.

A beloved local institution. They mostly sell comic books, but it's also the place in Hyde Park to…read morebuy Magic and Pokemon cards, the place that hosts MTG events 6-8 times a month, and a general gathering spot for a certain kind of nerdiness. They're nice to kids too. Long may it thrive.

As a company, I don't get why Edible Arrangements is so popular. I just ordered a bouquet (not my…read moredoing, my mom told me to) and paid 86.00 for what looked like about 15.00 worth of fruit, cut into shapes by a machine then arranged into a bouquet on plastic skewers with some kale in the middle. Why not buy a couple melons and strawberries and cut them yourself? Anyway. I luckily avoided the trouble most of the reviewers described by ordering online a few days ahead, then going in to pick it up. I went to the conspicuously empty store (only one bouquet in two display cases, a few empty boxes and some balloons on the shelves) half an hour after the pick-up time. A young lady came out wearing a heavy jacket and blouse that were pulled off her shoulder revealing one cup of her red bra, and told me my order was being wrapped. She went back into the back and I waited another 10-15 minutes. (Good thing I had left myself some wiggle time for pickup, right?) Her clothes were still disheveled when she came back but I resisted the urge to ask her why they were falling off, I just got my overpriced fruit and got the heck out of there

1. They're no longer at this address. They've closed…read more Merged with another store at 8732 South Kedzie Ave., Evergreen Park, IL. 2. I ordered (May 2026) from here BECAUSE it was walking distance from location. We were picking up because time of arrival home after graduation was unknown. They FAILED to mention their impending move. The new address was on the Order is Ready email....30 MINUTES AWAY BY CAR!!! Luckily we had a car to use at that moment!! 3. It was to be on the food table (of graduation celebration) when it started! MAJOR FAIL. 4. When I called and spoke to manager she offered me "free delivery next time." Nope not good. 1. No next time. 2. Moving out of state so truly no next time. I wanted some refund for the $140 arrangement! Ultimately I was credited $14.95! Really?! Is that about the amount of delivery?! 5. NOT WORTH the money! Did not get $140 worth of value in fruit or the arrangement itself. POOR COMMUNICATION. POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. Pleasant to speak with but failed to execute as expected and as they projected SAVE YOUR MONEY.