The Ainslie Arts Plaza is a new addition to the Lincoln Square/Ravenswood neighborhood. When they…read moreknocked down the McDonald's and rebuilt it in 2020/2021, they made this strip of parking an arts plaza. It's been fun to see it come to life with the green planters, twinkle lights, murals on the boxes, and now events like movies in the plaza. Excited to see what else they'll think of to utilize this lovely space. The only downside? You're right off the street so you hear all the honking, all the yelling, and all the screeching that comes along with Chicago drivers. Plus, McD's is the only food option (but at least there's something!).

This place is great. Very liberal, very tongue in cheek, and fun type random gifts. Socks with…read moreswear words phrases. Politician action figures. Decent prices for a range of collectibles. Cool flags for waving beliefs boldly. Excellent gift spot. Friendly service. Everyone just seemed to be enjoying the fun inventory just like the name. I'm definitely going back for gifts.

An eclectic mix of items can be found here, which makes it an interesting place to stop. You may…read morehave fun finding a gift here too. I didn't really expect to find anything here but I've been curious about it for about a decade. There's apparel, mostly with a Chicago bent to it; some children's clothing; cards; snarky socks; and even a large wall of tarot cards, which surprised me. The shopkeeper was friendly as well.

I popped in here at the last minute to buy a stick for my new Tibetan singing bowl. I had no idea…read morewhere to buy one individually as the bowl was a gift. The staff at Amadara was really helpful, and the prices were reasonable. I only paid $6 for my little instrument accessory :). There are so many beautiful stones and handmade goods here, I'll definitely be making a return trip!

Whoa! Look at all these 5 star reviews for this colorful and playful gift shop! I just finished a…read moretiny shopping spree here earlier this afternoon and I'd love to share my experience here on this platform because I'm extremely impressed with everything I found here today from aromatherapy oils to healing chakra crystals and instruments. Today was my first time exploring this extremely adorable and unique crystal boutique shop! There is a large selection of raw and polished crystals, fabrics, clothes, chimes, bells, Tibetan singing bowls incense, massage and essential oils here. I found myself drawn to a variety of beautiful sacred geometry stones and picked out a complete set for myself in a variety of colors. Each stone of course is for a different chakra so if you appreciate raw and polished crystals you will enjoy wandering around this store and find many beautiful objects whether it's essential oils, clothes or sound healing instruments. I was extremely tempted to keep buying more and more; but I limited my shopping by buying three tiny perfume oils (myrrh, lavender, vanilla) one bottle of Champaka massage oil, a gorgeous clear quartz crystal a sacred geometry set, and a tiny cymbal. The owner is from Nepal and he's extremely friendly and helpful. I will most definitely return here as my budget allows and I highly recommend this gift shop if you're a healer or you just appreciate crystals and alternative healing. There's also an ample selection of incense here to choose from. I really love everything I purchased today

I prefer Neighborly to some of the other gift/souvenir/quirky shops…read more Everything is displayed very nicely, and I think it is just the right amount of merchandise. Shopping here reminds me of being at the summer festivals that have quality products.

I've wanted to stop in Neighborly many many times, only to be thwarted by parking in Lincoln…read moreSquare, or the times I've been able to find parking it has been early and the store wasn't open. Yay for Apple Fest, I was able to stop on by! They had a small booth at Apple Fest but I'm glad that we were still there when the store opened because as you may imagine, there was quite a bit more in store. They feature local artisans and lots of Chicago merchandise, from clothing to artwork. I bought baby's first hoodie here because it's super cute with the Chicago flag and everything! The staff were really friendly as well and happily they take digital wallets. Next time I have guests, this is the shop I'm going to suggest to them whether or not they think they want souvenirs, because they have a lot of great stuff here. I will definitely return as well because they have some lovely items that can work for home or as gifts. I especially would like to find a onesie or t-shirt for my daughter that has the Ork Posters (who own Neighborly) neighborhoods image on it.

I decided to walk into Foursided on a whim and I'm so glad that I did! This is one of the cutest…read moreshops I've been to in a while. There is so much to look at and the whole store is curated beautifully, so it feels like a cohesive collection rather than clutter. I found a ton of things that I fell on love with. This is the perfect place to pick up a gift or some artwork. They had a ton of Chicago specific items, so it would be a great place to grab a souvenir. I'll be back here for sure. It is too cute to resist!

This place brings me warm fuzzy feelings just by walking inside. When you walk in you are bombarded…read morewith color, stimulation, and maximalism. Get ready to have fun. Foursided is a great place to get gifts, candles, local artwork, small plant pots, baby books, cards, and more. The people working were talking about House of Dragons while I was shopping and they gave me the vibes that they wouldn't be upset if I jumped into the conversation! Once you make your purchase they take off the price tags in case you are gifting the items which saves me a little time in the long run. They have tons of cards to choose from, making this a prime spot to go to get someone a gift. An extra bonus is a lot of the merchandise is from local artists and Chicago-themed.

Great selection of stationary goods, both local and otherwise, packed carefully into a wee little…read morestore. I was looking for a very specific size and type of planner for the new year, and an employee was very kind and assisted me in finding it. For an imported product, it was very reasonably priced! Paper and Pencil also sponsored (hosted? co-hosted?) the Chicago Stationary Fest, a lovely hobbyist event that brought together a bunch of stationary artists/brands. As a stationary fan, I was thrilled. I love a store that supports community events like that! Definitely check them out if you like stationary, notebooks, pens, stickers, etc.!

Super cute stationery store!! Queer owned and very active on social media and keeps ya updated on…read morewhat new stock they! They are super kind in the store. Very helpful and they make conversation with you about your purchase. Honestly I love it because I'm a huge paper fan so I'll talk about it for hours! It is a small shop so it gets full fast! It's kinda steamy inside, too. It's a small but mighty shop. I've been a few times. I went for my first traveler's notebook and some inserts. Also when they had the traveler's notebook stamp caravan. I got a pipsticks sticker book, some tombow glue tape refills, washi, and sticker sheets and a die cut sticker. So many goodies! Great addition to the neighborhood and I hope they can branch out to be a bigger shop because I see so much foot traffic that it would be nice and honestly want to see businesses I like expand.

My favorite spot to shop for Islamic art. They have the best and huge collection. I used to go to…read moreIQRA Book Center but the day I have discovered this shop, I am not going anywhere else. Four stars for some high price items. Definitely stop by, if you need to get any Islamic Art and do ask them to let you check out their stock in the backroom. You are not going to be disappointed.

From the owner: We establish this Business September 2012. Basically Its a Islamic Religious Book store, We sale…read moreIslamic Literature, Holy Books, Like Qur'an, Different langues, story Books for Children, Islamic Arts, Crafts and Gift Items, Since we open Masha Allah is Good respond.

Good space, plenty of supplies! Friendly staff. Fair prices. Easy process. Cant wait to go again!read more

On Valentine's Day my boyfriend and I did the tufting experience. We were a part of the first…read moregroup upon the establishment opening. Definitely go early if you can! Great date idea! The instructor we had was extremely rude. She had brownish reddish hair. This made the experience high-pressure and felt like we couldn't really ask questions because of her attitude & rushing us. Especially during the demo. Her service was not good making the ambiance hard to enjoy. Once we sat down to tuft our own rugs. The Tufting itself was tedious, but once you get into the flow state, it can be very therapeutic. I'd rate my hands on tufting experience a five out of five. The demo experience was a two out of five. As time went on other instructors came around to give us some tips and tricks they was helpful. You get three hour slots. I do feel like it should be at least 3 and a half hours because once you get the hang of tufting, the instructors will come around to let you know what you need to fix periodically. I would come back, but probably to their other location in Bridgeport.This location Uptown was decent. You do get your moneys worth out of this experience far is the end result.

My teen daughter wanted to paint some pottery and I so i went online and found this place! Great…read morespace in a great neighborhood, with LOTS of options. The staff was super helpful and nice. We both enjoyed ourselves and will definitely come back again! I would recommend this place to anyone! We were able to pick up our pieces in less than a week and were both happy with the results!

Visited Color Me Mime for a birthday party activity and had a great time! There's a great selection…read moreof pottery to choose from, like plant pots, plates, jewelry holders, and decor pieces. They provide everything you need: paints, sponges, brushes, and pencils. It's nice that you can bring your own drinks and snacks (just be careful with oily fingers!). The place was bustling when we arrived on a late Saturday afternoon. Thankfully, we had a reservation. Everyone in our group, including some first-time painters, enjoyed the experience. Two hours was the perfect amount of time. The staff was super attentive, always checking in to see if we needed more paint or assistance. I highly recommend Color Me Mime for people of all ages - it's a fun way to get creative. I'm excited to see how our finished pieces turn out; I believe it takes a few days. Definitely worth a visit!