Rosenblum's carries numerous Jewish-themed items in their quaint store. It is a small store with…read moremany types of books, religious/prayer shawls and head coverings, toys, gifts, Judaica, cards, candles, music, kiddish cups, mezuzah, and other religious items. There is too much to list! The staff is friendly and knowledgable and provides gift wrapping services. There prices are not inexpensive but they are basically the only business that carries this much Judaica, jewish-themed items. You can visit the synagogue gifts shops throughout the Chicago-area, of course, but if you want lovely and convenient one-stop-shopping, this is your place. I wish it were closer to me, which would actually be financially disadvantageous for my pocket book because I would shop 24/6.

I love the fact that they retained Barnes & Noble at Old Orchard. It used to be the staple store…read morewhen it was located front and center facing Skokie Blvd. It was a frequent place to visit as it was a massive two floor venue. It closed down for a bit but was revived in a location right across Cheesecake factory. It is now located next to Anthropology. The store is so inviting and the service is amazing! The workers cater to your needs and are so friendly. They really have a passion for books. The selection of books is not as large as it once was but it is supplemented by their online catalog. From the value perspective, you can find online outlets with a more price competitive offering BUT there is no replacement for browsing the aisles and loojo g through the books and selection of titles for an intriguing options to read. I'm so happy that my daughter can continue to enjoy the benefits of Barnes!

New location and it's beautiful! A bit confusing layout, but as a book lover, this is nirvana! Just…read moredropped in to buy a gift, but I'll be back very soon to explore more thoroughly!

Kesher Stam is a fanatic Jewish book and Judaica store and we have been going there since they…read morestarted off in their original location, prior to being on Touhy Ave. Not only is the store well stocked, but they shine in customer service and special ordering in books that are hard to find. In addition they carry lots of popular Jewish music CD, have book lists for the local day schools, yeshivos, and girls schools. They are great when it comes to ordering, holding items, and offer many thinks like personalizing prayer books with your name in Hebrew or English. Having a store like this in the neighborhood is a real treasure. Stop by and you won't disappointed.

Kesher Stam is a bookstore packed with just about anything you would need in Judaica. Books,…read morehavdallah candles, mezuzot, schtenders, music, ETC. I never thought to give them a review until now. I've been there dozens of times for all the items above and then some. During Succos they have a special section they open up just to sell different size Succos and decorations. This place is the place to go for Judaica in West Roger's Park. They have most things you can think of and can order what they don't have in stock. They have an unbelievable selection of items. During peak hours this place can get quite crowded but there is always someone around you can ask for help. This place is definitely my first stop for any Jewish items I need.

Rip off! Used Groupon - asked about using Groupon before I even sat down - employee told us not to…read moreworry as it would be same price or just a $1 difference. I wasn't told of about any extra charges for BYOB, or anything else. Groupon price $55. They tried to charge me $79. I paid with Groupon. Now they are calling multiple times and texting me to pay more because their computer system said they were short because of taxes. I would up having to pay $5 BYOB fee + $0.56 tax on the $5. Even though we had a good time, still upset at the deceit. EVERY SINGLE PERSON WAS CHARGED BYOB! They did not uncork the wine and did not ask us for our IDs until the end. DO NOT GO! OMG! Mismanaged by employees AND owner. Shame on you.

Went to treat our son's girlfriend to a birthday treat as she loves candles…read more Blank Mason is located at Old Orchard shopping mall in Skokie. Parking was pretty easy considering it's the holiday season. We had reservations and as we walked in, we were greeted immediately and checked it. They showed us to our workstation and settled in. The store is brightly lit and smaller if different fragrances. It was not over bearing and smelled nice. Our candle expert introduced herself to us and let us know the process. She was very nice and explained everything clearly. Through the process she was helpful with answering our questions or checked in on us. After mixing our scents into the melted wax, we selected our decorations. We left and were asked to return in 1 hour so the candles can harden. When we returned we decorated the candles. Overall, what a great experience. Candles ranged from $55 to $40 dollars to start and can go higher depending on options. You can also BYOB and or Food if you wanted to have a party! I enjoyed the process and the conversation we had.

Sadly, this is the only Judaica store left near me, but they do have nice stuff and while I went…read morefor a gift, I left with several things for myself. My biggest complaint was that they didn't answer their phone any of the times I tried calling (many tries) and there is no updated information on the website or social media so I drove there hoping it was open. Indeed it was and the gentleman working was very helpful. Prices were fair. And there was a nice variety of gifts to choose from.

Awesome selection, fun place to shop and browse for anyone who likes Judaica. Closed on Saturdays…read more(duh)

My friend and I wanted to get a tarot card reading and found this place through Apple Maps. I'll…read moreadmit I was skeptical at first and I was scared to receive a reading. However, I received a beautiful reading and will definitely plan to be back and tell my friends if they are interested in a psychic or tarot reading.

People are so dramatic on Yelp. This place is cute and the lady was nice and the selection is good…read moreand there's nothing to be complaining about here. Also it's very close to the train AND ice cream, so win-win.

I went to this botanica last Saturday and was not impressed- at all. First off, the name of the…read morebotanica throws you off-Botanica LUCERO would make you think that the store would cater to practitioners of palo mayombe. WRONG! The minute you walk into this store (which by the way, is literally next door to a CTA stop, and there's no store parking so good luck finding a crappy parking spot on the street and pray that your parking meter works!) you are "greeted" by the sight of La Santisima Muerte. ALL OVER the entire freaking store. The place should be called Botanica Santisima Muerte instead of Botanica Lucero. After getting over the shock of seeing 50 million Santisima Muerte dolls, statues, and VELVETEEN PAINTINGS (yup you heard that right, I thought they only made Elvis velveteen paintings!), I wondered why no one personally greeted me. Instead they just stared at me for five minutes and then went back to ignoring me. Some time later, a woman showed up and anxiously asked me why I was there. I told her that I had "heard" that her store had things relating to palo. She immediately tried to sell me an herb that was called "contra de palo". I told her that was NOT what I had in mind, and she tried for the next 5 minutes to convince me that she knew what I wanted. This was very aggravating, to say the least. I then proceeded to ask her if she had any candles for Papa Candelo (a figure from the 21 Divisions). She proceeded to try to sell me a candle that clearly said "HORSESHOE" on it with an accompanying picture of a horseshoe. When I voiced my displeasure, she immediately tried to sell me a "BUENA SUERTE" candle, and then a "CLEAN HOUSE" candle. Then she tried to convince me (yet again) that she knew what she was talking about, and that the candles she suggested WERE for Papa Candelo. Meanwhile I pointed out to her that the little statues that were collecting dust on top of her television were actually statues of Papa Candelo, so I had no idea how she could confuse a HORSESHOE with an elderly Black man. This woman claimed to know about the 21 Divisions, but clearly knew nothing. This woman (who also called herself an espiritista) also pretended to know about Santeria, when clearly she didn't. She tried to tell me that a statue of Chango was actually Papa Candelo. I bought a bracelet for my daughter and when I turned my head, one of the storekeepers pulled out a paint brush and swiped some kind of perfumey smelling liquid onto the bracelet-WITHOUT my permission. The vibe in this botanica is totally "wrong", the statues are overpriced, every book they had for sale was strictly based on either : La Santisima Muerte or brujeria or how to put an amarre on someone. Needless to say there were only 4 copies of the "Santa Biblia" (Holy Bible). This place was full of negativity and I will never go back there again. Stay away from this establishment unless you like being lied to and have a serious thing for La Santisima Muerte.

GreatService. The manager ordered a product that no one else…read morein the Midwest could find and was able to have it shipped within a half hour.

From the owner: Polish Books, Magazines, Textbooksread more

Super quaint shop that's got an extensive collection of religious/philosophical texts, Buddhist…read moresymbols, and Tibetan clothing/art. The prices are a little on the higher end (I spent $60 on my first visit for a book, two mala bracelets, and a print), but I didn't mind because it was supporting a local business. The shop owner escaped Tibet at age 7 and immigrated to the US after living for years in India. They've got a great knowledge of local Buddhist community gatherings/groups, as well as information about how you should plan your trip if you ever travel to Tibet. A must-visit in the NorthShore area for any of the sangha -- beginners or long-term practitioners-- as well as folks interested in learning about other cultures.

Cool store with a cool proprietor, a Tibetan woman who operates this shop more as a labor of love…read moreand outreach than as a profit center --when I visited, she gave my friend some free books and videos, and talked at length about her experience and the current conflict with China. Besides that, there's plenty of interesting Tibetan bric a brac, incense, books and an extensive selection of unique scarves, shirts, etc. Nb: As noted above, this place is a labor of love, not Starbucks. So make sure you call ahead to see if it's open, even during standard business hours.